what is the price of integrity?

Apparently those that supported the motion to appoint an integrity commissioner vehemently believed it is required, but what is confusing is that the same group was also quick to point ot that the costs were not fixed at $60,000, but were “up to” $60,000, with $60,000 being the maximum.

Mayor Morris commented that reducing the number to a fixed # is a simplistic ways of doing things.  I agree.
But regardless of how crucial the need, to them $60,000 is too high.

How can this group claim that it is of vital importance, but only be willing to pay up to a maximum limit?

Isn’t integrity an all or nothing deal?

Alan Simpson said: “If you have integrity nothing else matters.  If you don’t have integrity nothing else matters” 

So what is the price? there must be some number in mind.

Let’s hear what the councilors had to say:

Wendy Gaertner: “Its not acceptable that this is left hanging for another year”
Who is Wendy Gaertner to tell anyone what is acceptable.

Evilina MacHeckron: “I don’t think we can sit and do nothing.”
Why not, this is effectively what you have done all term.

Evilina droned on an on about the cost being much higher if you consider the impact to staff.  This was extremely hilarious, its almost as though she believes the staff turnover has been a result of this and that she is actualy protecting them.

I wonder if asked in an open and transparent way of town staff their feelings of working with councilor Macheckron if they would concur.

“The Lone Granger” (1:27:06) : “how do we want to run the culture, professionalism and ethics of our town?”

Ah, let me answer that Steve-o.  Without you.

Granger goes on and on about rules:

“….and the feedback of many individuals, many frustrated individuals of everything, Lets face it were in a technological stage of blogging (shakes head), media and you just have to have rules, and those rules are there for reasons”

Yup, there are municipal rules for a reason, there are also blogs and media for a reason.
The reason is accountability, and you have failed the test.

Al Wilson

Watch the mayor coach Wilson by mouthing “clarify” at 1:27:59.
The mayor constantly coaches and controls councilor Wilson at all meetings, he has no independent thought and it is very sad.

I particularly like him drawing a comparison between Councilor buck’s blogs to “yelling fire in a crowded theater when there is no smoke”.

There’s fire, and there’s smoke, it is emanating from councilor Wilson’s ears.

He went on to say that he wished there was some vehicle for councilors to not have to put up with all of this.

There is, use some common decency and some common sense.

I’m not the only citizen that wishes there should also be a vehicle for citizens not to put up with politicians that act as a coalition, that bully other councilors and then sit smugly back spinning propaganda with town’s money to present an image of themselves other than what they really are.

All of this attention to hiring an Integrity Commissioner seems weird if nothing is pending, as the mayor seems to claim.
Her new years message said that the complaint against councilor Buck is still pending, it is still on the town’s website.

On one side we hear from Evilina that she is hearing from may residents for the need for an integrity commissioner while on the other deputy mayor Bob McRoberts states that no one has been asking him about the need for an integrity commissioner, that it’s quite the opposite.

If there is a division on council about public opinion why do they not seek it?  Why not conduct a public consultation, a study, a vote?

Read the papers, read some blogs.

Get informed.

Stop shouting and start listening, or the cost of re-instating integrity to our council will be so high that the decision come election time gets easier and easier.

Replace those that have shown their ineptitude and total incompetence with those with unquestionable integrity.