Reading between the lines!
There is an old adage - "the length of the meeting is inversely proportional to the length of the agenda". If that is so tonight's Council meeting in Cobourg is going to be be brief. Six pages long, at first glance the agenda looks impressive, but the contents are laden with boredom for the experienced and wonder at the minutiae for the new folk. Of the 20 listed items one should definitely provoke discussion but not substance. It is a motion directing Council to establish a working committee to meet with Port Hope and hash out the Policing issue. Most will agree with the concept, all will vote for it and the grandstanders will want to take credit for it.
Of the other 19 three are memos from Staff telling Council about an activity they, the Staff, think that Council should know about. Four items are ratifications of committee work and rubberstamp applications for heritage work, three memos, from Directors, are received for information (that is code for we told you and don't expect us to do any more on this issue) and a bundle are for community event permissions: road closings for a Legion Auxiliary parade, dog walks and scavenger hunt type events and of the course the High School Formal. Tucked away is a motion to spend an annual $5,000 for three years, of Town's money, on Heritage Street Signs. Housekeeping items (these are items that have to be done to keep the lights on at City Hall) are, an application to the province for a share of the Gas Tax Fund, a motion to appoint building inspectors and a motion to initiate bylaw amendments that state that contraventions of said bylaws constitute an offence and will be subject to a fine (Goodies that raise more money for us!).
Such is the grease of local democracy for another week. The sad part of this ritual is that because this meeting is a committee of the whole the same agenda is repeated, almost identically next week when the decisions made tonight are ratified and published at a full Council meeting next week. No wonder some people question the way we do things - but more on that later - there can be a better way,
For those political junkies amongst us Jack Layton is doing a tour. He will be in Belleville. at the Public Library from 10am to 1pm on Wednesday April 15th (this week). All are invited to discuss the economy and present ideas and concerns. I will be going and should have a an empty car - room for three.
Of the other 19 three are memos from Staff telling Council about an activity they, the Staff, think that Council should know about. Four items are ratifications of committee work and rubberstamp applications for heritage work, three memos, from Directors, are received for information (that is code for we told you and don't expect us to do any more on this issue) and a bundle are for community event permissions: road closings for a Legion Auxiliary parade, dog walks and scavenger hunt type events and of the course the High School Formal. Tucked away is a motion to spend an annual $5,000 for three years, of Town's money, on Heritage Street Signs. Housekeeping items (these are items that have to be done to keep the lights on at City Hall) are, an application to the province for a share of the Gas Tax Fund, a motion to appoint building inspectors and a motion to initiate bylaw amendments that state that contraventions of said bylaws constitute an offence and will be subject to a fine (Goodies that raise more money for us!).
Such is the grease of local democracy for another week. The sad part of this ritual is that because this meeting is a committee of the whole the same agenda is repeated, almost identically next week when the decisions made tonight are ratified and published at a full Council meeting next week. No wonder some people question the way we do things - but more on that later - there can be a better way,
For those political junkies amongst us Jack Layton is doing a tour. He will be in Belleville. at the Public Library from 10am to 1pm on Wednesday April 15th (this week). All are invited to discuss the economy and present ideas and concerns. I will be going and should have a an empty car - room for three.
4 comments:
What stand is Layton taking regarding the issue of freedom of speech and human rights commissions? Is he a live and let live advocate concerning free speech?
Jack Layton wrote a letter of support to the Canadian Islamic Congress' [CIC] battle against Macleans magazine for publishing a portion from Mark Steyn's book, America Alone.
What was it the CIC is battling for? A 5-page article, written by an author of their choice, to run without editing, except spelling and grammar. They also wanted to place their response on the cover and to art direct it themselves.
In local Cobourg terms, it means that some representative grievance group (unelected) demands that the editors of Northumberland Today or Northumberland News comply with the demands stated above. Or else. Or else what? We will drag you before the Ministry of Love, er, uh, Human Rights Commission and make you squander hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend yourselves against spurious charges of "Islamophobia."
Jack Layton wrote:
"The NDP appreciates the battle you [CIC] are waging against mainstream media’s portrayal of Muslim Canadians and the intolerance and hatred against other communities such as Arabs and South Asians."
The Canadian Islamic Congress represents nothing more than the fringe element of the mainstream Muslim-Canadian community. The far more moderate and secular Muslim Canadian Congress represents a greater number of Muslim-Canadians, particularly, and most importantly, Canadians who vigorously support the principles stated in Canada's Charter of Rights, especially the most fundamental freedom of them all; FREE SPEECH.
The CIC have long beards, wear religious costumes, consist of imams, self-appointed clerics and are anti-freedom. About the Maclean's issue the Muslim Canadian Congress said, "Labeling Canada's premier weekly news magazine as a carrier of Islamophobic literature is a thinly veiled attack on freedom of press that will serve no purpose other than to reinforce the stereotype that Muslims have little empathy for vigorous debate and democracy." This what Jack Layton and many of his tongue-bathers do not support.
Trust our Wally to defend the freedom fighters at Macleans magazine! I especially enjoyed his complaint that the "CIC have long beards, wear religious costumes..." as though that means something.
Wally, you have a long beard too, does that mean you are some kind of extremist who espouses non mainstream views that should be squelched immediately?
Yes, I defend freedom fighters. I have been doing so for several decades now. During the 1980's I took my body where my mouth was and did several smuggling ops in and out and between the East European commie countries.
My beard length varies on my whim. I do not meet the criteria because I don't wear religious costumes, except briefly for performance purposes, when I don a martyr's religious explosive-belt.
And yes, it does mean something. CIC is part and parcel of the religious right.
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