The good: The draft bylaw to establish an city council integrity commissioner will go out for public consultation. It’s expected to be finalized in June. Councillors today allocated $50,000 in the 2008 budget to cover the potential costs of the commissioner for the last six months of the year.
The very bad: Controversial amendments were added to the bylaw last week at the Accountability and Transparency sub-committee, including charging a $100 fee to make a complaint and automatically cancelling investigation if the complainant speaks to the media.
The tragic comedy that is city hall continues it's sickening run at King and James. This weeks 'farce' includes a proposal that would render a complaint to the city's integrity commissioner null and void if the person complaining about a councillor goes public before the investigation is complete.
In other words, if you talk to the media, an investigation would be automatically be scrapped, regardless of how serious the allegation is. What draconian piece of shite is this? When did democracy cease in Hamilton?
That amendment to the draft bylaw was approved last week by the integrity and transparency subcommittee, which is made up of councillors and citizens. Council has transformed a piece of legislation intended to ensure that councillors live up to their ethical obligations into both a blatant attempt to gag free speech and a ruse to shield themselves from being accountable.
And, as citizen committee member Joanna Chapman, who voted against the proposal, rightly notes, "Anything that stands in the way of having a complaint properly investigated ... is a huge mistake."
The council members hiding behind the curtains pulling the strings are no mystery. Their the same ones, time and time again, who wish to waste time and money in order to save their old tired butts.
There's nothing nefarious behind the proposal. It's simply a misguided attempt to discourage "frivolous and vexatious" complaints.
Councillor Terry Whitehead, a member of the committee, argues imposing confidentiality on members of the public will help protect councillors from "bad-faith complaints" intended to politically embarrass them.
"The majority of the committee felt if someone was genuine in their complaint and had no agenda and they respected the independent process of the integrity commissioner then they would allow the commissioner to do the work before going public," Whitehead explains.
Councillor Brian McHattie, another committee member who supports the muzzle, notes the restriction is an extension of the same confidentiality rule that would apply to the integrity officer, if and when one is hired.
"I'm hearing very clearly from my fellow councillors unless they have those kind of protections in place then they won't support the commissioner bylaw," McHattie says.
Nice try, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Like Shakespeare's two courtiers in Hamlet the two councillors bumbled this one. The proposed restriction is not only out of step with an open and free society, it flies in the face of the rules governing investigations by the provincial integrity and environmental watchdogs.
Councillor Brad Clark points out that rather than protecting councillors from trivial and trumped up allegations, the gag would make them more vulnerable. For example, if a complainant goes public with an allegation and the investigation is dropped as a result, a councillor will have no way of clearing his or her name. The shadow of suspicion would linger forever.
Councillors should, within reason, be sheltered from unscrupulous special interest groups and political rivals looking to get at them, but they already have legal and moral ways of doing that. Imposing a muzzle on the public at the expense of what may be a legitimate allegation and serious investigation is way out of bounds for members a democratic political arena to conduct themselves.
Showing posts with label Brian McHattie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brian McHattie. Show all posts
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Backroom meeting raises the stench of corruption yet again
The only thing missing was the eerie violin music, the stogies and the dimly lit backroom, but all the characters of a scene straight out of the 'Godfather' where present. Sam 'The Bully' Merulla played the lead thug, trying to persuade Bob 'Red Light' Bratina and Brian 'Flip-Flop' McHattie into back tracking on their decision to agree with a transit fare hike. All under the cover of an off camera, extremely fishy out of chambers meeting.
Here's how the scene played out. Twenty four hours after Merulla had a tantrum worthy of cheap award show nod for best villain, calling McHattie a 'hypocrite' and heckling any other who dared oppose him, the three where huddled in Bratina's private office, off limits to the public and cameras discussing an alternative for the rate increase.
Merulla says Bratina was taking such flak from the public for voting for the increase, he offered to help the Ward 2 councillor "find a way out". Bratina said he only voted for the hike because he didn't want to seem "bullied or intimidated" He later recanted. Before the meeting was over, Bratina changed his position. He said the fare increase is "satisfactory and workable" because of attempts to mitigate the socio-economic impacts, but he still philosophically opposes all HSR increases.
"That's not to say that I voted for something that I don't agree with," he said. What does that mean? You either are for something or your not, there's no fence here or did the "bull" offer to shove the whole post up McHattie's, well, a very dark, smelly place, not unlike the whole gathering.
Here's where the grey area could have been crossed, turning this already sceptical meeting between two councillors into a potentially illegal gathering. Besides himself, Bratina named five councillors who were involved in the discussion -- Merulla, McHattie, Terry Whitehead, Chad Collins, and Robert Pasuta, who "wandered by." The magic number to keep in mind is nine. Nine members of city council congregating together to discuss city business without proper notification and clerical record-keeping would have constituted a quorum and almost certainly an illegal meeting.
Bratina identified six participants but McHattie says there was a "core" of four, with others sticking their heads in but not actively participating. Merulla says there were five or six. Whitehead said six, and others walked by who "would just stop, either join the conversation or walk through."
The meeting became so bizarre a fearful McHattie raised concerns about forming a quorum were. In typical sleazy fashion, Merulla laughed his concerns off as a joke. But they agreed to take a head count anyway.
Jokes aside, transit fares are an important issue worthy of debate in an adult way and should be held in public, not diluted in private backroom agreements. This was not a casual hallway discussion over a coffee, this a well cooked up and covered up attempt to deceive the public.
Everyone who took part at this meeting should feel ashamed and shouldn't wonder if anything they say from now on isn't believed by the people they say they represent. Openness and transparency at the grand hall downtown was nothing more than a cheap campaign slogan, the reality is city hall is rife with the stench of corruption and will only get worse until we get an independent integrity council that can't be corrupted, and willing to put an end to the shenanigans.
Later,
Kenaz
Here's how the scene played out. Twenty four hours after Merulla had a tantrum worthy of cheap award show nod for best villain, calling McHattie a 'hypocrite' and heckling any other who dared oppose him, the three where huddled in Bratina's private office, off limits to the public and cameras discussing an alternative for the rate increase.
Merulla says Bratina was taking such flak from the public for voting for the increase, he offered to help the Ward 2 councillor "find a way out". Bratina said he only voted for the hike because he didn't want to seem "bullied or intimidated" He later recanted. Before the meeting was over, Bratina changed his position. He said the fare increase is "satisfactory and workable" because of attempts to mitigate the socio-economic impacts, but he still philosophically opposes all HSR increases.
"That's not to say that I voted for something that I don't agree with," he said. What does that mean? You either are for something or your not, there's no fence here or did the "bull" offer to shove the whole post up McHattie's, well, a very dark, smelly place, not unlike the whole gathering.
Here's where the grey area could have been crossed, turning this already sceptical meeting between two councillors into a potentially illegal gathering. Besides himself, Bratina named five councillors who were involved in the discussion -- Merulla, McHattie, Terry Whitehead, Chad Collins, and Robert Pasuta, who "wandered by." The magic number to keep in mind is nine. Nine members of city council congregating together to discuss city business without proper notification and clerical record-keeping would have constituted a quorum and almost certainly an illegal meeting.
Bratina identified six participants but McHattie says there was a "core" of four, with others sticking their heads in but not actively participating. Merulla says there were five or six. Whitehead said six, and others walked by who "would just stop, either join the conversation or walk through."
The meeting became so bizarre a fearful McHattie raised concerns about forming a quorum were. In typical sleazy fashion, Merulla laughed his concerns off as a joke. But they agreed to take a head count anyway.
Jokes aside, transit fares are an important issue worthy of debate in an adult way and should be held in public, not diluted in private backroom agreements. This was not a casual hallway discussion over a coffee, this a well cooked up and covered up attempt to deceive the public.
Everyone who took part at this meeting should feel ashamed and shouldn't wonder if anything they say from now on isn't believed by the people they say they represent. Openness and transparency at the grand hall downtown was nothing more than a cheap campaign slogan, the reality is city hall is rife with the stench of corruption and will only get worse until we get an independent integrity council that can't be corrupted, and willing to put an end to the shenanigans.
Later,
Kenaz
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Sam Merulla, big man or big mouth
Hamilton Councillor Merulla hails himself as the self imposed deity of the elderly and poor of Hamilton. The truth is Mr. Merulla is a self absorbed "hypocrite" who rarely visits the neighbourhoods he claims to fight for in city council.
Yesterday, Mr. Merulla further added to his reputation of council bully when he verbally attacked the much smaller Councillor Brian McHattie. The verbal barrage started after Mr. McHattie took the chamber floor to address his approval of a 15 cent public transit fee hike.
Like myself any many working poor and economically disadvantaged Hamiltonian's, we may not like the idea of a substantial hit to our wallets, but we also don't like people like Merulla who misrepresent themselves to us as crusaders, when in reality they are mere self indulgent ego strokers.
In a side conversation that interrupted the meeting, Merulla called McHattie, a vocal transit advocate, a "hypocrite" for supporting the fare hike and warned "I'm coming after you."
The Ward 4 politician tried to cover his ass by saying he was referring to the debate, and further embarrassed himself by saying "We're big boys. We're in politics. If you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen." Mr. Merulla, next time you try to bring the heat, don't bring a bick that doesn't flick.
While Mr. Merulla continued to act like a naughty five year old, insisting on yelling taunts at his fellow council members who supported the hike, and even the Mayor, the rest of the "kids" tried to bring some servility back to the voting public who try to make sense out of council meetings.
In the end, it was agreed, abet, with hesitation, that the cost of riding the bus will increase 15 cents this year to $2.25 for cash fares, a 10-cent increase in ticket fares, $6 on monthly passes, $40 for the annual seniors bus pass and 10 cents for DARTS tickets.
The increase will still mean a substantial sting to the wallets of the persons who can least afford it, but Hamilton will still have one of the cheapest transit systems in the Golden Horseshoe. And in a good turn, a proposal to continue increasing fares over the next several years was turned down.
The estimated $1 million in extra revenue will make up some of the Provincial shortchanging and hopefully lead to buying more new buses and pay for better driver training.
The debate lagged on with other councillors joining Merulla in his playpen to the point when Mayor Eisenberger had enough of the bar room heckling and asked for the councillor to leave the chambers. In response, Merulla asked to be thrown out on behalf of the city's "poor, disabled and seniors."
Mr. Merulla, you don't represent me, don't offend me by saying you do. I may be a working stiff, but I'm not a patsy for an egotistical, self-absorbed person like you.
Later,
Kenaz
Yesterday, Mr. Merulla further added to his reputation of council bully when he verbally attacked the much smaller Councillor Brian McHattie. The verbal barrage started after Mr. McHattie took the chamber floor to address his approval of a 15 cent public transit fee hike.
Like myself any many working poor and economically disadvantaged Hamiltonian's, we may not like the idea of a substantial hit to our wallets, but we also don't like people like Merulla who misrepresent themselves to us as crusaders, when in reality they are mere self indulgent ego strokers.
In a side conversation that interrupted the meeting, Merulla called McHattie, a vocal transit advocate, a "hypocrite" for supporting the fare hike and warned "I'm coming after you."
The Ward 4 politician tried to cover his ass by saying he was referring to the debate, and further embarrassed himself by saying "We're big boys. We're in politics. If you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen." Mr. Merulla, next time you try to bring the heat, don't bring a bick that doesn't flick.
While Mr. Merulla continued to act like a naughty five year old, insisting on yelling taunts at his fellow council members who supported the hike, and even the Mayor, the rest of the "kids" tried to bring some servility back to the voting public who try to make sense out of council meetings.
In the end, it was agreed, abet, with hesitation, that the cost of riding the bus will increase 15 cents this year to $2.25 for cash fares, a 10-cent increase in ticket fares, $6 on monthly passes, $40 for the annual seniors bus pass and 10 cents for DARTS tickets.
The increase will still mean a substantial sting to the wallets of the persons who can least afford it, but Hamilton will still have one of the cheapest transit systems in the Golden Horseshoe. And in a good turn, a proposal to continue increasing fares over the next several years was turned down.
The estimated $1 million in extra revenue will make up some of the Provincial shortchanging and hopefully lead to buying more new buses and pay for better driver training.
The debate lagged on with other councillors joining Merulla in his playpen to the point when Mayor Eisenberger had enough of the bar room heckling and asked for the councillor to leave the chambers. In response, Merulla asked to be thrown out on behalf of the city's "poor, disabled and seniors."
Mr. Merulla, you don't represent me, don't offend me by saying you do. I may be a working stiff, but I'm not a patsy for an egotistical, self-absorbed person like you.
Later,
Kenaz
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