Me and the Toronto Sun had a thing going for a while. Ho yeah.
Back in 2001, I sent a series of "You gotta be kiddin'" emails to the Toronto Sun's editorial staff for their editorials. I eventually drew a response from Lorrie Goldstein. Big mistake on Goldstein's part. By replying, he'd outted his own email address. From then on I sent all my "You gotta be kiddin" emails directly to him!
Yep, me and the Toronto Sun go back a long way. (That's why I read the Toronto Star)
Well, talk about weird and Twilight-Zoney. Blog reader "Anonymous" just pointed me to today's Toronto Sun editorial, "McGuinty? Like nailing MUSH to wall"
I read the thing and was just blown away. (I wonder if Lorrie Goldstein wrote it...) And all I can say is --Perfection. Yeah, a Toronto Sun editorial.
Now I've read LOTS on the Ontario Ombudsman coming from newpapers. TONS. Have to tell you, people, this Toronto Sun editorial has just totally nailed it. The Toronto Sun GETS IT! (Did I just type that?!)
And the last paragraph is to die for. What a terrific quote I can add to my terrific-quote-arsenal. Thank you Toronto Sun for speaking up so powerfully on behalf of the people of Ontario. Above all, thanks for your last paragraph --what a gift.
TUUUUUESDAY aaa-AFF-TERNOONnnn
I was double-booked Tuesday. I knew that the Ontario Ombudsman, Andre Marin would release his annual report at Queen's Park. I so wanted to go. But the Peel Youth Violence Prevention Network was holding its day-long "Reconnect, Celebrate and Look Forward" Symposium at the Living Arts Centre on Tuesday as well.
As it turned out my decision to stick with the Peel Youth Violence Prevention Symposium was a no-brainer. I'd been monitoring/researching this initiative since its March 2007 Inauguration meeting. Much as I'd have loved to meet Mr. Marin, there really was never any doubt around where my duties lay.
For one year and three months, I've been observing the Peel Youth Violence Prevention Committee's "Education and Policy Working Group" --with emphasis (at least for me) on "policy". Observing, researching, documenting.
Then it all came together on Tuesday. School boards, police, Peel agencies, the Caledon mayor, Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga Councillors --quite the crowd.
In the afternoon we got down to the real business.
Our Education and Policy Working Group had to come up with this "Vision Hopes Dreams" list that would guide us for the next three years. Like where we'd like to see our group in 2011. We brainstormed our brains all over the cards.
Then the facilitator instructed us to prioritize. Everyone was allowed to pick the four "vision" cards that were most important to them. After that our group, with the help of our facilitator, organized everyone's cards into categories/themes.
An odd thing happened. When the exercise was all done, it turned out that all four of my cards lined up one-by-one in a category all by themselves. (one guess which four were mine)
A member of our group suggested my card-group category heading as, "AUTHENTIC ACCOUNTABILITY". Boy, was I happy because it was clear to me that the lady GOT IT!
"AUTHENTIC ACCOUNTABILITY"
See my second card in that row?
"Ontario Ombudsman full investigative powers MUSH sector"
That's my dream for Peel Youth by 2011. Our Ontario Ombudsman having "full investigative powers" into Municipalities, Universities, Schools, Hospitals (MUSH) and everything else publicly-funded that's been successfully avoiding accountability since forever.
And it better happen! What?! Demand accountability from Youth for their actions and allow those in power to keep their Kevlar-frikkin'-coated Zones of Immunity?! (I'd ask if it were possible to be any more contemptuous and hypocritical of Youth than that but there's still two more Mississauga Council meetings before summer break so I know the answer's "yes")
To quote that kick-ass paragraph from the Toronto Sun editorial:
"Whether McGuinty extends Marin's oversight to the MUSH sector will be the real test of how seriously the premier believes in accountability. If he doesn't, nothing else he says on the issue matters."
"nothing else he says on the issue matters."
You hear the Toronto Sun, McGuinty?!
This is a liberal writing --give us-Ontarians our Ombudsman or spare us your B.S.RHETORIC!
Which brings us to the--
PEEL YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION STRATEGY
Here we go.
By extension, unless the Peel Youth Violence Prevention Committee leads the charge in urging McGuinty to extend Marin's oversight into the MUSH sector, (ready?) nothing else they say about Youth matters.
It'll just be B.S.RHETORIC!
Bottomline. If you're committed to Youth, then you demand Authentic Accountability for them as well as from them. That's the goal of The Mississauga Muse by 2011 --Authentic Accountability, and I'm grateful that the Toronto Sun is digging in there on behalf of Ontarians.
Well, I'm done then...
I'll turn it over to the Toronto Sun.
McGuinty? Like nailing MUSH to wall
There are two reasons Premier Dalton McGuinty doesn't want to give Ombudsman Andre Marin the right to investigate Ontario's "MUSH" sector -- municipalities, universities, school boards and hospitals.
And why Health Minister George Smitherman insists Marin isn't needed to probe the deadly C. difficile outbreak that has claimed at least 264 lives in seven hospitals since 2006.
The first reason is governments instinctively resist greater openness and scrutiny.
The second is the smart and media-savvy Marin scares the daylights out of them.
In one sense, that's absurd.
After all, McGuinty is the premier and a master political tactician.
Smitherman is the self-designated "tough guy" of the cabinet whom, we are urged to believe, cracks heads behind closed doors if he must to ensure public safety and quality health care.
By contrast, Marin has no power. He can't charge or fire anyone or even order changes to procedures.
All he can do is investigate, report and recommend. His only weapon is to sway public opinion.
That's what Marin did when he exposed the culture of denial inside the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., which led it to stonewall about obvious problems it was having with some OLG retailers fraudulently cashing winning lottery tickets. It's what he did when he revealed the unconscionable, bullying tactics of Ontario's Criminal Injuries Board when compensating crime victims.
Both cases prompted reforms, but such agencies are bit players at Queen's Park. By contrast, to deny Marin the ability he wants to investigate public complaints about the MUSH sector, as other provincial ombudsmen can and which accounts for 80% of provincial spending, is absurd.
Marin also rightly complains Toronto Mayor David Miller, lobbying McGuinty for greater powers, including the right to meet privately with his executive committee (which we support), has failed to appoint a municipal ombudsman, as required, by Jan. 1. 2007. That's disturbing.
Whether McGuinty extends Marin's oversight to the MUSH sector will be the real test of how seriously the premier believes in accountability. If he doesn't, nothing else he says on the issue matters.
Toronto Sun Comment: Point of View
Thu, June 19, 2008
Video: ALLOW THE ONTARIO OMBUDSMAN INTO MUNICIPALITIES (1 min)
(Click here to go directly to the clip on YouTube or Google Video)
Signed,
The Mississauga Muse
To our Ontario Ombudsman...
TWO FLAGS: The ANDRE MARIN and the EDWARD R. MURROW (3 min)
(Click here to go directly to the clip on YouTube and Google Video)
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"Whether McGuinty extends Marin's oversight to the MUSH sector will be the real test of how seriously the premier believes in accountability. If he doesn't, nothing else he says on the issue matters." (Toronto Sun editorial - June 20, 2008)
"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
Signed,
The (Next we will reveal the "Statement of a Witness" from the female guard) Mississauga Muse
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"I was upstairs, and later made my way to the podium area - where I observed Mr. Barber - a known problem person, previously banned from city hall.." (Mississauga Corporate Security Supervisor Witness Statement - June 7, 2006 - 12:57 am.)
"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