At Wednesday's Council meeting, Mississauga Council grappled with "Corporate Report R-4 "Complaints filed against City staff by Donald Barber at the Council Meeting of March 26, 2008" (PDF)
The Corporate Report revealed something that both Mr. Barber and I were certain of all along --that Mississauga provided no public complaints system that reasonable-person-citizens would regard as a public complaints system.
What we didn't know is that there is no Provincial legislative requirement for any municipality to establish a public complaints system that reasonable-person-citizens would regard as a public complaints system!
The Province of Ontario has hung us all out to dry! HAHAHAHAHAPOntari-ari-ari-oooHAHAHAH!
Ontario Ombudsman, Andre Marin sure wasn't kidding when he said:
"Big Brother has his hand firmly planted in our back pocket – government revenues his lifeline; unaccountability his refuge." (Andre Marin, Ontario Ombudsman --June 27, 2007)
What more "efficient" iron-clad refuge than No Protections/Rights of Ontarians to a Legitimate Municipal Public Complaints Process?
Read this from the Mississauga Corporate Report --and WAKE UP ONTARIO!
"The Municipal Act, 2001 grants municipalities broad powers to establish a governance structure and provide for accountability and transparency of the municipal corporation and its operations. Save and except the obligation to establish a procedure for handling complaints respecting in-camera discussions, there is no statutory requirement that municipalities create or establish a complaints procedure, policy or protocol. While the Municipal Act, 2001, now authorizes municipalities to appoint an Integrity Commissioner or an Ombudsman as part of a governmance structure, these are discretionary powers. Also, there is no statutory obligation for municipalities to deal with complaints from the general public (except for a close [sic] meeting investigation) in any particular way. Accordingly, there is no guidance or direction in legislation regarding how a municipality may choose to investigate compliants such as those filed by Mr. Barber."
Now try being POOR in Mississauga --or POOR anywhere in Ontario and you're a victim of your local evil empire.
A victim --like Donald Barber, whose life had been put on hold for close to two years because of his arrest resulting from a *SURPRISE* sudden (unannounced) Mississauga Council adherence to a Procedural Bylaw.
A victim --like Antonio Batista whose complaints were fumbled by his Councillor Pat Saito and ignored the Mississauga Mayor.
How many victims are buried in here?
"...there is no statutory requirement that municipalities create or establish a complaints procedure, policy or protocol" explains frikkin'-EVERYTHING.
Oh, the $Well-Heeled$ and the Well-Connected aren't affected by "no statutory requirement that municipalities create or establish a complaints procedure, policy or protocol". They can $Buy$ Justice or Smooze to get their way.
DESPICABLE.
I'm reminded of the Tut Ta Dah Ministry press release when the McGuinty evil-empire-Liberals passed the evil empire Bill 130 and "hailed" a new era of Municipal Accountability.
HYPOCRITICAL.
Here, dear readers, right from "our" Government's website --so you-all know precisely what we (Mr. Barber and I) are dealing with.
"Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Amendments To Municipal Act, 2001 ProclaimedNew Era Begins For Ontario Municipalities
TORONTO, Jan. 1 /CNW/ - Amendments to the Municipal Act, 2001, the
legislation providing the authority for Ontario municipalities, were proclaimed today providing local governments with new broad powers and significant legislative freedoms."Today is a milestone for Ontario municipalities," said Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Gerretsen. "Through this legislation, the McGuinty government and our municipal partners are beginning a new era in which local governments across Ontario have new powers and more autonomy reflective of their status as mature, responsible governments."
The Municipal Statute Law Amendment Act, 2006 recognizes municipalities
as responsible, accountable governments. The broader powers enable municipalities to better determine the appropriate mechanisms for delivering municipal services to their communities."
I'm forced to wonder when, like --at what point, can citizens justifiably call "shameless Government Bull****" "shameless Government LIES"?!
YOU'RE AN EVIL EMPIRE, ONTARIO!
No. Make that:
YOU'RE AN EVIL-HYPOCRITICAL EVIL EMPIRE, ONTARIO! (Boy am I crabby!)
I've prepared a VIDEO MESSAGE to John Gerretsen, the former Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing (and The Evil Empire Province of Ontario) on behalf of Ontario's Poor and Non-Connected. (My words of love, soft and tender are at the 4:25 minute mark if you fast-forward)
MISSISSAUGA COUNCIL ADMITS TO NO PUBLIC COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE (7 mins.)
(Click here to go directly to YouTube or Google Video)
John Gerretsen... might as well reveal one of the Ontario municipalities that I've dropped down Freedom of Informations on --KINGSTON.
Why Kingston? Gerretsen was not just a Kingston former Mayor but according to his bio, "longest-serving mayor in Kingston’s history."
--and that former "longest-serving mayor in Kingston’s history" wrote me on January 17, 2007 as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and proclaimed:
"It is the duty of a municipal council to ensure that policies, practices and procedures are in place, and to ensure the accountability and transparency of the operations of the municipality. It is also the duty of the head of council to make recommendations to council on these issues.
In addition, the act also contains a provision that will, once proclaimed, require municipalities to establish a policy to provide direction for the accountability and transparency of municipal operations."
Might as well tell you the Out-of-Province municipality that I've dropped down Freedom of Informations on. Winnipeg.
Anyone care to guess Why Winnipeg?
Signed,
The (Hey, if You Can't Fight City Hall, you might as well take 'em all on!) Mississauga Muse
Now where did I keep my --AHAH! video...
(Click here to go directly to YouTube)
[UPDATE: Saturday, May 24, 2008. I've changed the title of Wednesday's Mississauga Council video from "MISSISSAUGAN's MESSAGE to CURRENT EVIL EMPIRE (and former EVIL EMPIRE) ONTARIO GOVERNMENT!" to "MISSISSAUGA COUNCIL ADMITS TO NO PUBLIC COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE"
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"Big Brother has his hand firmly planted in our back pocket – government revenues his lifeline; unaccountability his refuge." (Andre Marin, Ontario Ombudsman --June 27, 2007)
"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