12 months later, Does it still matter?

It’s been a year since this:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1040337--councillor-fined-for-driving-drunk

Since this time, Councillor Emanual has under gone a superficial "make over" to try and make people forget. His strategy is apparently three pronged: he has surrounded himself with supporters to write letters to the editors of the local papers to tout his good works in the community; he has arranged to speak to grade school students, scouts, and graduates to heighten his profile among Newmarket youth; and he has ingratiated himself with local charity events advertising Councillor Emanuel as a ‘community hero’ and as a ‘star’.

Apparently Councillor Emanuel thinks the average Newmarket resident is really, really stupid.

FACT – He pleaded guilty. That means he does not dispute any of the allegations that were made against him. He admitted to all of them.

FACT – He caused tens of thousands in dollars of property damage. He could have been killed. He could have killed others. The only reason that didn’t happen was due to dumb luck.

FACT – He was drunk on the job. A lawyer cannot show up to court drunk. A doctor can not attend surgery drunk. A teacher cannot be drunk in the front of the classroom. All of them would lose their careers (and face disciplinary hearings and likely hefty fines). Why does Councillor Emanuel think he is so much better than a doctor, lawyer, or teacher and we must overlook this behaviour?

FACT - Councillor Emanuel has friends in high places and they are committed to protecting him. The Mayor, his fellow councillors (except for Councillor Di Muccio who publicly called for his resignation), and even Ontario Liberal Party big wigs like Warren Kinsella have refused to condemn his crime. They don’t have an ounce of credibility on this issue but they still refuse to do the right thing.

FACT – Back in August 2011, Regional Councillor John Taylor said that Councillor Emanuel was very important to the Glenway fight. Regional Councillor Taylor should read these recent letters to the editor:

http://www.yorkregion.com/opinion/letters/article/1486127--staff-still-upset-about-glenway-s-closure and http://www.yorkregion.com/opinion/letters/article/1486125--glenway-more-than-bricks-mortar

The truth is that Councillor Emanuel has been entirely ineffective with the Glenway file. The Town’s strategy of not negotiating with the Glenway developers has been a complete and total dud. Glenway is lost and people like me point a j’accuse finger squarely at Councillor Emanuel, Regional Councillor Taylor and the Mayor. Enjoy your new neighbours Glenway residents. Maybe we should name an Emanuel Street, John Taylor Way, and Van Bynen Avenue in that new neighbourhood too because they were instrumental in seeing this development proceed.

FACT – Councillor Emanuel hasn’t spoken out against drinking and driving. I am not saying that he condones the crime but why isn’t he using his experience to raise awareness?  If he is sincerely interested with raising money for charity or speaking with young people, then I believe he should be lending his name to MADD Canada and SADD Canada. His silence on his criminal behaviour is deafening.

FACT – Newmarket residents are not stupid and we don’t forget. There is still time for Councillor Emanuel to do the right thing (resign) but that window is closing fast. Fortunately, as time goes by, we get closer to that date when we get to vote him out of office.

FACT – That day can’t come soon enough.

A Little Help Please ...

A reader informed me that Councillor Tom Hempen doesn't reside in the ward he represents.  Naturally, I was intrigued.  He lists a Main St. address on his election related documents posted on the www.newmarket.ca web site.  Yet I noticed when he declines to vote on Main St. related issues, he lists a business that his mother owns as the reason for not voting .  It begs the question, if Councillor Hempen doesn't own the Main St. business, should he be allowed to list that address on his election related documents?  Is that legal?

A search of the Internet has failed to show where Councillor Hempen resides, or if he is the owner of a business in Newmarket, or if he has any ties whatsoever to Ward 4.  Does anyone know?

A politician is described as having clout when they develop a reputation of being strongly influential and for successfully getting things done. In the past, clout has been very difficult to measure or objectively define. In today’s social media environment new metrics provide us with a window on the world of political clout.

(Aptly named) "Klout" is a web-based service that measures a person’s influence on-line. Almost anyone can make a tweet, post a blog, or make a comment on facebook. The simple act of posting something on the Internet does not make the writer influential. The person’s influence comes in the way and manner that others read the posted content, are influenced by it, share it and/or respond to it. Using a variety of measurements, the Klout service gives the user a score which is a good yardstick towards measuring political clout.

The Klout score of person increases when other people, particularly other influential people, read a post and respond or share it with others. The higher the person’s Klout score, the more influential they appear to be. Some prominent politicians like Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Klout Score 66) or Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty (Klout Score 61) demonstrate that they are very influential as they can drive actions from their posts.

The ability to drive action is certainly important but politicians want to be seen to be engaging others on the topics that they care about too. In Stephen Harper’s case, he is influential on the following topics: "Conservative", "Politics" and "Ottawa". People who are interested in those topic areas are keenly influenced by the Prime Minister’s tweets. Dalton McGuinty, on the other hand, is an influencer on the topics of "Politics" "Liberalism" and "Ontario". I believe that both men would feel satisfied being identified as influential in these areas.

Newmarket-Aurora M.P. Lois Brown (Klout score 35) and M.P.P. Frank Klees (Klout score 39) are also engaged in social media and are influential on a variety of topics. In Lois Brown’s case, people who are interested in "Immigration", "Religion & Spirituality" and "Hockey" find her influential; whereas Frank Klees provokes responses from people on the topics of "Conservative Politics" "Politics" and "Aurora".

Newmarket Mayor, Tony Van Bynen, (Klout score 31) is almost as influential as M.P. Brown and M.P.P. Klees but his topics of influence include "Community" and "Aurora".  (Fellow Mayor Rob Ford scores considerably higher with a Klout score of 60, rivalling the Prime Minister and Premier). 

Ward 3 Councillor, Jane Twinney, posted a Klout score of 39 and Chris Emanuel of Ward 7 has a Klout Score of 31.  Both would seem admirable next to the Mayor's Klout.  Late-comers to social media, Regional Councillor Taylor (Klout score 23) and Ward 1 Councillor Tom Vegh (Klout score 12) are still relative neophytes and their score reflects that.  Hopefully, as they learn their way around social media, they will experience higher scores in the future.  Regional Councillor Taylor's topics of influence "Alberta", "Hockey", and "Mississauga" and Councillor Vegh's topics including "Libraries" and "Money" demonstrate that they are really struggling with their social media messaging.  They don't have the same focus as their Council colleagues.

Locally, the hands-down winner of social media as measured by Klout has to be Ward 6 Councillor Maddie Di Muccio with a unbelievable Klout score of 56.  It is a marvel that a municipal councillor from 'small-town' Newmarket is in the same league as such influential people like the Mayor of Toronto, the Premier of Ontario, and the Prime Minister of Canada.  She obviously puts a lot of thought and effort into her social media and her hard work it is paying dividends for her constituents who are always kept informed.  Well done Councillor! 

You may have read in the paper that a local group was planning a "tweet up" to promote the use of Twitter and social networking.  (This blogger received an invitation but had other plans on that evening).  If a suggestion can be made, perhaps the group should arrange an event where Councillor Di Muccio leads a discussion providing advice on her use of social media (she is far and away one of the best, not only locally, but perhaps even nationally)?  I would definitely re-arrange my schedule to attend that event.

All this Talk about Social Media, the Press, and Politicians….my take on Newmarket Politics

As an editorialist, the stuff I write is infused with my opinions and I make no apologies for it. 

When you hold yourself to be "Press" you owe it to your readers to present both sides.  We’ve seen lots of “press” push political viewpoints lately because many of those journalists can’t help but promote their own agendas.  The Star, for example, makes no apologies for subscribing to the “Atkinson Principle” to promote their own left wing agendas, as they promised to do when they first launched.

The reality is that for some time now we’ve seen a massive movement in political blog writers; so much so that as these individual writers present facts and express opinion that the greater public doesn’t get to see through traditional media, they become highly successful in changing public perception and in offering different viewpoints.  The Huffington Post is a good example where blog vs. traditional press has literally changed and influenced public opinion.

I am very aware that before Councillor Di Muccio came along, my blog didn't exist.  Newmarket Free Press didn't exist.  Councillor Vegh didn't maintain a web site.  Regional Councillor Taylor didn't have a twitter account.  Mayor Van Bynen retweeted famous quotes all day long.  Newmarket can thank Councillor Di Muccio for motivating people like myself and those mentioned above into creating an abundance of fora for political debate in Newmarket. 

When I read Councillor Di Muccio’s blog, twitter or facebook, I don't get the same stomach churn reaction as her opponents might.  It is clear to me what she is up to and she does it very well.  She is carrying on a dialogue with her supporters exclusively.  I don’t believe her tweets might be intended for her colleagues on council.  I don’t think her writing is meant for her political opponents or the media for that matter.  If any of those people are offended by her strongly held views and opinions, they don't have to read her.  They can choose to read the blogs, tweets, and postings of others who agree with their point of view instead.  However, if you share the Councillor’s political view points, she has done a good job of keeping us all engaged with municipal events.  Let's give credit where it is due -- of all Newmarket politicos, Councillor Di Muccio is a fantastic communicator within and among her supporters. 

When Prime Minister Harper speaks at a Conservative Party convention, his message is turned up a few notches to appeal to the partisans in the crowd.  When he speaks on the same issue in the House of Commons or in the media, he tones down his message to suit the audience.  That's politics as we all know. 

In my opinion, this is what Councillor Di Muccio is doing.

What inspired me to write this is the “free pass” that some traditional media has given certain Newmarket councillors and mayor when it comes to their misguided approach to dealing with opposing opinions.  Examples include: council members passing a motion to publicly call another member a liar without checking all the facts, or council members using their public position to air personal grievances.  When the traditional media lets these councillors off the hook, blogs, twitter and facebook increasingly step in to provide a voice to the outrage that the public is feeling.  Social media is spreading like wildfire in popularity, and it’s why the general public is paying attention, including ironically, the traditional media itself. 

Commentary on the March 26 Council Meeting

If you watched the Rogers telecast of the Newmarket Council last night, (and provided you managed to keep awake during the YRP and Viva presentations), you were treated with some really entertaining exchanges between our elected officials.

Here is what we learned:

1.  Tony Van Bynen is Dr. Evil. 

Did you notice the resemblance between the Dr. Evil character of the Austin Powers movie and our own Mayor especially when he tries to contain Maddie? I’m just waiting for him to say, "Zip it, Zippy Longstocking. www-dot-zip-it-dot-com-org, Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury - ex Zip it A". And of course, "I will not tolerate insolence".

2.  Chris Emanuel:  "Everyone's a jerk but me".

There is something not quite right about the indignation displayed by Chris when pointing out an error in the motion tabled by Maddie.  The woman admitted she made a mistake and she accepted that she was sorry for the error.  Despite this, it was off-putting to watch Chris nurse his hurt feelings.  The guy remembers that he is a convicted criminal, right?  A mistake in Maddie's paperwork doesn't come close to the mistake he made last summer.

3. Tom V. has a web site.

At every opportunity last night, Tom mentioned his web site. It was odd behavior for a guy who has been telling the public that he had a website since 2000. Even odder, Vegh doesn’t really understand the Internet and the concept behind caching. Any person with google and 30 seconds to spare can check to see if this website was posted previously.   

4.  Officer, Arrest that man!

What was that bizarre exchange between Tom V. and Police Chief Jollife all about? Was Tom actually trying to convince the Chief that he was a victim of Internet bullying? And was he trying to sound menacing about arresting these so-called bullies? What a kook.

5. Keep your hands off my stash, man.

Like many people who have expense accounts, my employer puts has very specific rules about what I can and can not submit for reimbursement. As I am lead to believe by Maddie, (and nobody else refuted it), the Town of Newmarket doesn’t have these rules in place. Why not? Council voted 8-1 against.

6.  Who is gassing up in Parry Sound?

Personally I thought it was very clever of Maddie to ask for the expense accounts of senior staff members to be made public, (the Sunshine lists already makes their salaries public). Using the Freedom of Information Act, a Vaughan resident has recently demonstrated how municipal employees in Vaughan can submit questionable expenses.  Could the same thing happen in Newmarket?  Why not? Council voted 8-1 against.

7.  Wow, those council chairs can really spin.

Kudos to the Rogers camera man for the poignant shot of Maddie’s empty council chair that lingered for just the right amount of time adding to the drama unfolding before us. Where was the sound FX guy with the "duh dun dunnn" music?

8.  Tom V. does not want his domains back.

I don’t approve of owning opponents’ domain names but I know it is done all the time in politics, particularly in conservative circles. Tom V. isn’t new to the game of politics so it is very surprising that he’s not more embarrassed by the fact that he got pranked. And for some reason, Tom V. thinks he can gain more support by not owing his domain names. Why else would he try the stunt he did yesterday? I don’t know who is giving him advice on this but clearly his advisors must be laughing at him.

9.  Apex marine predators are people too.

John Taylor made a very impassioned speech about the shark fin soup ban last night. Many residents are wondering when the Kony 2012 motion will be tabled. And John is right. If we can’t solve any of our local problems, we might as well jump on every facebook inspired protest band wagon that comes along.

10.  Did I mention that Tom V. has a web site

Find another issue, brother. Sheesh.

Review of Councillor Twinney in 2011

What the residents of Ward 3 need to know about Councillor Jane Twinney is encapsulated in the November 28, 2011 town council meeting.  Here is the link.  You will have to move the cursor forward to the 1:24 (one hour twenty four minute) point which is about 2/3 of the way through.  What you will see is the Madam Clerk asking Ms. Twinney for clarification on a motion she is tabling.  At first Councillor Twinney looks surprised and you will see her eyes dart left and right as she tries to find the right words.  Then she starts speaking very slowly, pausing with ah's and um's between each word.  You'll have to turn the volume up to hear it, but you can clearly hear Regional Councillor John Taylor telling her what to say. The money shot is when he says, "recorded" and she repeats it. 

The very sad truth for residents of Ward 3 is that you don't have your own Councillor.  You have someone who is a parrot for the Regional Councillor and the Mayor.  I don't imagine that this is what Ward 3 residents had in mind when they marked their ballots.

Ward 3 Councillor Record After 1 Year in Office - Preview

Dear Loyal Readers,

The series that reviews Newmarket Council members record for keeping campaign promises will continue shortly.  The next up is Ward 3 Councillor Twinney.  Here is a brief "preview" to whet your appetites:

Councillor Twinney

The candidate said it would be great,
If she were to shake things up at Town Hall
But once elected we saw her capitulate
She joined the "Good Old Boys" after all

She promised to blog about her expenses,
And write about her votes and her thought.
Her website is only updated on rare instances,
Her promise broken, all for naught.

In her first year we've been disappointed,
With her lack of any real substance.
Our faith in her was sadly mis-appointed,
Wished we gave Victor another chance.