These are your community leaders, Newmarket

In yesterday's blog, I promised to contact various female politicians and give them a chance to sound off on the appropriateness of the C-word, the B-word, that W-word in describing a female politician in this day and age. 

I have no doubt that if I took this survey to the corner of Riverwalk Commons and asked random strangers, that the responses would be automatic.  The question isn't that difficult.

However, politicians are not like ordinary people.  Politicians stumble sometimes on even the most simple, common sense type of issues - such as whether Councillor Chris Emanuel was wrong re: drinking and driving. (A year has passed and still only one Newmarket politician has condemned him for that.  Thank goodness that the public is not that stupid). 

Condemn and condone.  Those are the two words before us and they have very different meanings.  To condemn something means to express an unfavourable judgment.  To condone something means to disregard or overlook something that is objectionable.  (Look it up in the dictionary if you don't believe me).  Ergo, politicians who say nothing about drinking and driving, or remain silent while people are using the C-word, B-word, and W-word around females, are indeed condoning that behaviour. 

So yesterday I gave certain people an opportunity to condemn or condone the objectionable behaviour on Twitter and defend Councillor Di Muccio who was being called some very nasty names. 

Here are their responses:

Minister of Municipal Affairs, Kathleen Wynne - she remained silent therefore she condones the use of the C-word, B-word, and W-word to describe female politicians.  Minister Wynne is a big advocate for Equal Voice.  I don't know how she justifies advocating for women in politics and yet says nothing on this issue?

Mayor Tony Van Bynen - Well of course he said nothing (did you expect otherwise)?  In reality, there are two main culprits in this whole council misbehaviour imbroglio.  The first culprit is the Mayor because he has been condoning a lot of bad behaviour.  He portrays himslelf as the 'steady hand at the wheel' but in reality, he is very weak.  He is too meek to stand up to council colleagues Taylor, Emanuel and Di Muccio and therefore he is the wrong person to be the Chair for this group of Councillors. 

Regional Councillor John Taylor - Crickets.  Chalk him up as condoning women being called the C-word, B-word and W-word.  (Though I know his mother didn't raise him to be that way.  She must be aghast.  Maybe Regional Councillor Taylor is going through some type of rebellion phase).

MP Lois Brown - I expected her to say something to condemn drinking and driving.  She didn't.  I expected her to condemn the abuse that Councillor Di Muccio has been facing.  She didn't.  I think a lot of people are really disappointed in Lois.  She doesn't seem to have the guts to act like a community leader.  A community leader isn't afraid to ruffle some feathers when it comes to right and wrong.  I can only imagine that Lois is waiting for a memo from the PMO to arrive before we'll know what she thinks. 

MPP Frank Klees - I'll let MPP Klees off the hook a bit.  He was working on the Ornge file yesterday.  I will be disappointed if he ultimately says nothing. 

The other Newmarket Councillors - Well, most of the block me on Twitter so they didn't respond either.  Let's give them the benefit of the doubt and pretend they are not aware of the issue.  Although I admit that Tom Vegh came very close to close to saying that the use of the C-word, B-word, W-word was bad, when he said his son requested @dunkie69er apologize. So by proxy of his son, lets say Councillor Vegh knows that calling females the C-word, B-word, W-word is a no-no.  He missed a golden opportunity to apologize to Maddie Di Muccio, or even admit that the use of such language was regrettable. 

What about some other female politicians in Newmarket?

OLP Candidate Christina Bisanz - she said nothing so she condones this objectionable behaviour

Green Party of Canada Candidate Vanessa Long - she too condones when females are called nasty names. 

Municipal Candidate Lucille Abate - There can be no denying that Lucille Abate and Maddie Di Muccio are staunch rivals ever since they faced off in 2010.  Therefore, it is with great admiration that Ms Abate is the only local politician to have the intestinal fortitude to actually condemn the abuse.  Lucille has demonstrated more integrity for standing up for what is right than all the others combined.  She doesn't like Councillor Di Muccio, but she did the right thing and supported her against the abusers.  The MP, Mayor, and the rest could learn something here.  Its called doing the right thing.

Media folk -

I contacted two members of the media, both of whom I expected to find the topic of female politicians being called the C-word, B-word, W-word very objectionable. 

AM 640 Arelene Bynon - Interviewed Councillor Di Muccio and Councillor Vegh and presented a well balanced view point.  The callers after the show seemed to overwhelmingly favour Maddie Di Muccio.  This blogger even blushed a little when the blog was mentioned (although not by name.  Next time please give your listeners the web address Arelene).  Arelene proved again that she is one of the best in the business. 

The Era Banner Editor Debora Kelly - Ms Kelly surprised me by being so much more focussed on my identity rather than the issue.  Not only is Ms. Kelly a noted female business leader, but she is also a mother with a daughter.  Yet there can be no doubt that she absolutely condones the use of such disgusting language.  There is also the matter of arrogance from her (mainstream media) to denigrate bloggers like me.  Remember the influence bloggers had on Aurora Mayor Phyllis Morris' career?  We are new media and we have an opinion.  And guess what?  People are reading what we write too.  Chris Watts, an Aurora blogger, refers to Debora Kelly's paper as the "Error Banner" and I am beginning to agree with his perspective. 

The second culprit in these shenaningans is the Era Banner.  Rarely (if ever) does the Era Banner provide balanced reporting of the issues.  The fact that the Era Banner uncritically promotes the Van Bynen/Taylor platform is the sole reason why blogs like this one exist.  Bloggers wouldn't be writing about municipal issues if the Era did its job of providing a critical analysis through columns and editorials.  If you don't like people like me writing blogs, then you need to do a better job with your own paper.  If the Era Banner was doing a better job (and not giving Van Bynen/Taylor a free ride), there would be less twitter fights, fewer bloggers, and more accountability for mis-behaving politicos.  Advice to ponder, Ms. Kelly.  Think about it.           

 

Tom Vegh, You Must Be So Damn Proud

Last night on the commute home, I listened to the Arelene Bynon show talk about the attacks on Rob Ford.  Arelene Bynon makes the point that many of these recent attacks, (such as making a butter statue of the Toronto Mayor), really are crass and hit well below the belt.  Rob Ford got elected on a well defined mandate and he has stuck to his platform by implementing policies that back up his campaign promises.  The Rob Ford detractors who make "fat" jokes should really just grow up.  His detrators should debate the man on his policies if they disagree with him (provided that you have the IQ to do so) but don't belittle him because of his weight. 

Late last night, Newmarket Councillor Maddie Di Muccio surprised many by posting some of the twitter comments she was receiving.  This blogger can tell you that these abusive comments are not unique - some of my readers believe that she writes this blog and have hurled insults my way that were intended for her.  I've never spoken about them before and I've noticed that neither has the Councillor.  I can certainly see why she's finally saying, "Enough is enough". 

Here's one darling example of what she has tolerated:

@dunkie69er:  @vegha0535 Fuck @MaddieDiMuccio. #hackjobpolitician #illiteratecunt  Hope your dad stomps all over that #whore

Or this charming gentleman:

@dtellthetruth:  @nwkttownhall Have you noticed the googly eyed ward 6 clr with the big bald spot on top her head. Now thats a costume!!!

Now, for those who aren't aware, the "dad" being referenced by @dunkie69er is Tom Vegh.  @vegha0535 is apparently Alex Vegh, the young whelp of the Newmarket Ward 1 Councillor.  How proud his daddy must be Alex.  He has raised his son to become one of the finest, Grade A bullies this town has ever seen.  What a happy, happy day it must be at the Vegh homestead.  Good for you son.  You're a bona fide asshole now.  One day, all of this could be yours. 

We might moan and complain about how there are so few strong women in politics.  Well, if a woman, (who is also a mother by the way), can be called a a cunt/ whore/ dike (sic)/ and many other crass and disgusting names on the Internet, and nobody in the community speaks out against it, then why should she seek public office? 

That's why I am writing this blog.  I will also be using my twitter to call out certain female politicians asking them to condemn these comments and support Councillor Di Muccio.  Ideology doesn't matter in these circumstances.  Women of all political stripes must band together and join Maddie in saying, "Enough is enough"

PS - Councillor Vegh has been contacted and he has not condemned the comments above.  His silence qualifies him as a dispicable, disgusting human being.  Some might even refer to him as a "cunt". 

Something stinks with my drinking water

The Town of Newmarket announced today that we are switching water treatment disinfectant from chloramine to free chlorine (here:  http://www.yorkregion.com/news/article/1489399--newmarket-changing-water-disinfection-system).

As many residents are about to discover, free chlorine disinfectant can turn your water a different colour and give it more of a chemical-smell.  When you shower, your bathroom will reek of chlorine.  If you drink water from the tap, you will have to learn to tolerate its new taste, (although free chlorine is reportedly safe to drink).   

I expect that many residents will have no choice but to purchase non-refillable plastic containers of water in order to enjoy a glass of water.   It begs the question, when considering this change, did anyone at the Town of Newmarket think about the potential harm to the environment beforehand? 

The Town of Newmarket is telling us that free chlorine is safe, referring to it as approved by the Ministry of the Environment.  However, studies show that chlorine strips a person's skin of protective hair and natural oils which can make some people susceptible to rashes and other skin irritations.  Breathing in chlorine during a hot shower can cause breathing problems for some individuals too. 

Like everyone else, I am concerned about having safe drinking water from our taps and using chloramine disinfectant is a more expensive process.  Free chlorine is the cheaper disinfectant.  Yet, I contend that there is a marked difference in quality of taste and smell between the two systems and most residents have come to expect high quality drinking water.  This year our water bill increased exponentially and now we learn that the quality of water is being decreased. 

Readers should keep in mind this news (from July), http://www.yorkregion.com/news/article/1394117--conservation-methods-drive-up-water-costs-expert when the town announced it was increasing the amount of chlorine it uses, plus adding ammonia to make the chlorine last longer.  Factor in the fluoride that is also being added and you have to ask yourself, is this a glass of H2O or some kind of chemical soup that we are being forced to ingest?  Is this what we get in return for our higher water bills?

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.