Here I was about to congratulate The Mississauga News for dropping down one almost-excellent, oooooo-so-almost-kick-butt editorial (YES, MISSYNEWS YOU GO!) and danged if "Anonymous" doesn't drop down one heck of a comment in yesterday's Blog.
I'm reproducing "Anonymous"' comment here to make it subject of today's Blog:
Posted on March 11, 2008 08:20 Anonymous:New Ombudsman speech just posted re: oversight of municipalities. Check out para 24 and following!!
http://www.ombudsman.on.ca/UploadFiles/File/MMAH%20forum-March%206.pdf
I've gotten enough heads-up comments from "Anonymous" by now to go directly to that "oversight of municipalities" speech and head straight for paragraph 24. ("Anonymous" sprinkles Diamonds.)
AND I WENT WHOA!
It's a speech by Mr, Andre Marin, our Ontario Ombudsman. At the top of the pdf it says:
“Careful What You Wish For: The New Law on Municipal Meetings”
Address by André Marin Ombudsman of Ontario
Other info includes Connections 2008 "Municipal Services Division Training Forum" Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and "Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Richmond Hill March 6, 2008"
But let's go directly to paragraph 24 where "Anonymous" aimed us. Point "24" in Mr. Marin's speech.
"24. But other councils made their decisions quickly and with little public interaction. Just this past week, Peel Region set a new speed record. It reportedly voted to go with an LAS investigator, and according to a citizen blogger who videotaped it, they did it in just 14 seconds. According to the same blogger, Mississauga council had the previous record, when it did the same thing in 16 seconds. You can see the videos on YouTube."
(Not to mention copies at Google Video as well)
(Click here to go directly to the clip on YouTube or Google Video)
[ASIDE: True, all true. But to be fair to Peel Regional Council, at least there was a Peel General Committee presentation by the Peel solicitor on how to duck the Ontario Ombudsman. There was even discussion. That's how I found out that Brampton wasn't even going with a roster of former municipal employees AKA Local Authority Services, but rather picking their very own just-one-person-personal-"investigator". ( --a Dr. Andrew Sancton, Director of the Local Government Program, University of Western Ontario.")
So Peel actually had a presentation AND discussion on it. Mississauga, like its Violence, Vandalism and Bullying Policy, like its Video Surveillance Policy, like its Record Destruction By-Law, just pro-forma'd it.
Overall, Mississauga still holds the "RECORD" of "pro-forma"ization in ousting the Ontario Ombudsman. Mississauga remains unique.
The only thing I can relate "Mississauga-unique" to is that Mississauga's municipal style of governance --their "Moved, Seconded Passed"-- must be what it's like to be felt up in your sleep. (Believe me, sitting there all by myself on the Mississauga Council benches, with all that pro-forma "Moved, Seconded, Passed" I get "felt up" a lot even when I'm sitting bolt-upright and paying attention.) ...ASIDE ENDS]
Then Mr. Marin summarizes the Fort Erie experience --how Fort Erie Council struggled with the decision to do the right thing rather than how to duck Accountabliity. I'll just cut-and-paste Mr. Marin's paragraph 23.
23 The contrast between municipalities on this issue has been quite amazing. Some, like Fort Erie, have had a protracted and very public debate. Some have even reversed their decisions – Brockville initially went with our Office but then decided to hire an investigator instead. Niagara Region went with LAS, but then reversed its decision after inviting representatives from both my Office and LAS to make presentations at a council meeting. They were the only council to do this.
Now let's drop in Mr. Marin's paragaph 24 again.
24. But other councils made their decisions quickly and with little public interaction. Just this past week, Peel Region set a new speed record. It reportedly voted to go with an LAS investigator, and according to a citizen blogger who videotaped it, they did it in just 14 seconds. According to the same blogger, Mississauga council had the previous record, when it did the same thing in 16 seconds. You can see the videos on YouTube.
Yep, Mr. Marin used Mississauga and Peel Region as an on-the-other-hand-contrast to Fort Erie. Isn't that a HOOT?!
I'm going to quote from my December 19, 2007 Blog "MISSISSAUGAWATCH Presents its First Annual "'THESE AWARDS ACTUALLY MEAN SOMETHING' Awards" entry.
MISSISSAUGAWATCH gave Fort Erie Council, the first "These Awards Actually Mean Something' Award". I wrote:
"If there were ever reason why regular people should be allowed to tape council meetings this is it. Citizens of Ontario now have a true record of why the citizens of Fort Erie can be proud of their municipal leaders. And of course, why Fort Erie Council is truly deserving of the first MississaugaWatch "'These Awards Actually Mean Something' Award' for Upholding the Public Trust"
Uphold the public trust --rather than just words like in "TRUST, QUALITY, EXCELLENCE".
WHEREIN: "THE MUSE" HANDS OFF TO TORONTO SUN'S ALAN SHANOFF
It was only yesterday when I quoted Toronto Sun's Alan Shanoff's Commentary, "We're lucky to have Andre Marin on our side"
Mr. Shanoff stated:
"In less than two years as ombudsman, Marin has had a huge impact in Ontario. In that short time, he has arguably done more for Ontarians than anyone else."
YEP, SING IT, BROTHER!
Mr. Shanoff stated:
"He (Marin) doesn't use big words. He's a plain speaker.
"plain speaker"... While I agree with Alan Shanoff's "plain speaker" descriptor..., we can be pretty sure that we'll never hear Mr. Marin come flat out and refer to certain Ontario municipal evil empires as "evil empires".
For example, I just did a word search on Mr. Marin's “Careful What You Wish For: The New Law on Municipal Meetings" speech and "EVIL EMPIRE" or "EVIL EMPIRES" aren't in there at all. (Maybe next time...)
Still. I love the way that Mr. Marin ends his speech.
"30. In our Fort Erie report, we pointed out that when you raise the blinds in a dark room, the sunshine benefits everyone. That is the value of transparent democracy, and in the case of this new law, it has proven true – the more light that we throw on it, the better for all of us, and I include my Office in that as well. We’ve found that the more people know about our Office and our processes, the more willing they are to make this new accountability mechanism work. That’s good for all of us, and it gets us closer to the achieving the kind of open, transparent local government that all Ontarians wish for."
Yep, "when you raise the blinds in a dark room, the sunshine benefits everyone."
SPEAKING OF DARK ROOMS... PLEASE SIGN AJAX CITIZEN-BLOGGER'S ONLINE PETITION
The petition:
The Town of Ajax on November 26th 2007 presented to Council a Staff Report that was in my opinion incomplete and inaccurate.
The result was the Majority of Council voted to not give the Citizens the right to take closed meeting complaints to the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman for free.
They will have to pay a fee of $125.00 and if the complaint is legitimate they will get $100.00 back.
The Ontario Ombudsman is FREE and accessible to all.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SIGN TO THE PETITION
Signed,
The (PLEASE! SOMEONE! "RAISE THE BLINDS"!) Mississauga Muse
P.S. Anyone know where I can order a 3 gross (144 X 3 = ) of these Video Surveillance bugs? I need 432 of them. Corporate sponsorship welcome --depending.
(Psssttt... YouTube direct)
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"The impact of the Unconnected can't be underestimated" - Mississauga Visionning Symposium comment (February 23, 2008)
"I'm SURROUNDED by evil empires!"--The Mississauga Muse (March 12, 2008)
"We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear" ---The Mississauga News Editorial (2007-03-24)
Want (or worse, need) to learn more? Link to MISSISSAUGAWATCH.CA
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