Saturday, October 25, 2014

2 DAYS - SO LONG, MAYOR-BY-FIVE-VOTES

BULLETIN:

There is a mistake on the Voter Identification Notice that was sent to eligible voters by the town

It was the one with instruction: Please take this notice to the poll

The Inquiries Number is incorrect:  It states the telephone number as: 905-871-166     
(X2217. X2214, X2218)

Calls to that number receive the message: "the number is not in service.

The correct telephone number is 905-871-1600 
(X2217, X2214, X2218)




THE LAST HURRAH

Some of you may wonder why I go on and on about Doug Martin being a mayor-by-five-votes. "He was elected, regardless of the number of votes he won by," some say.  Yes, that is true. He was democratically elected in 2010 (despite a few missteps on election day.) Just like Bob Steckley, John Hill, Don Lubberts and Paul Collard were democratically elected the same day in 2010. Theirs, however, were clear-cut victories. In fact, John Hill was elected in a landslide over incumbent Tim Whitfield. Part of the reason for the voting results was the contentious Bay Beach Issue which Martin, Whitfield, Lockwood and candidates who lost were in favour of.

Since then, Martin has enjoyed little or no interference with how he is perceived by the press and the public. (OK, I've been pretty harsh on him, but I'm just a blogger.)

You certainly can't say that about The Four. Do you not ask yourself, "Why?" First, you'd think that a man who squeaked through an election that, as an incumbent, he should have skated through, would be self-aware enough to realize that the voters are not happy with the direction he has taken in running the town. But he didn't. 

Instead, the mayor-by-five-votes aligned himself with a faction of the Chamber of Commerce; a high rise developer; some town staff and a couple of councillors in a war of revenge against The Four who were elected to represent the people. 


  • Marina Butler, a campaign supporter of Martin's and member of the CofC, filed for a Compliance Audit of John Hill's campaign finances; Martha Lockwood, pro-condo councillor who was defeated by Don Lubberts requested an audit of Lubberts' campaign spending; and Larry Graber, who lost to Paul Collard, requested an audit on Collard. These audits cost the taxpayers in excess of $100,000. Only minor problems were discovered which were rectified quickly.
  • Martin voted, along with members of the EDTC Board to sue me on behalf of GM Jim Thibert for slander.  That cost the taxpayers in excess of $20,000. The court ruled against me, but I was not required to pay court costs due to my financial situation.
  • Members of the Chamber of Commerce, hiding behind a made-up organization, erected insulting billboards and sent out expensive fliers calling The Four "anti-development" when there was only one development (Bay Beach) that The Four had any doubts about, yet all votes regarding the project were passed by council. Only one person, Kim Zanko, former President of the Chamber of Commerce, came forward to accept responsibility for the expensive campaign against The Four.  She is now running again in Ward 3 where she was defeated by Bob Steckley in 2010.
  • A lawsuit, funded by many of Martin's campaign donors, including Marina Butler, was filed by defeated Ward 4 incumbent councillor Tim Whitfield against The Four for Conflict of Interest. Whitfield admitted under oath in cross examination that he had been persuaded to speak to attorney Dave Hurren, who also represents the EDTC, about filing the lawsuit. Martin allegedly provided confidential documents to Whitfield for the lawsuit.
  • A  lawsuit filed just eleven days before the election by the developer of the abandoned Bay Beach Project for $10 million was defended by Martin in the press. His final insult to The Four.
The past four years have been a nightmare for Fort Erie. This is true. However, one just needs to be observant to see the source of the problem: the mayor-by-five-votes.

Who had frequent temper tantrums at council and once tried to walk out until he was stopped by the clerk?

Who often tried to shut up councillors (especially Don Lubberts) who were asking questions?

Who talked openly about Fort Erie being "Closed for Business"?

Who allowed a banner insulting to the provincial leader to be placed over the door at town hall? 

Who, when asked by a fellow Regional Councillor about the Bay Beach situation, replied, "Mind your own f*#king business!"

Who often left Regional Council meetings early, along with fellow regional councillor John Teal?

Who has fostered and supported the current councillor from Ward 1 when the councillor has ruined just about everything he has been involved in and has done little or nothing for his own ward?

Thankfully, his reign of terror will soon end.  The mayor-by-five-votes has plotted and helped the dark forces at work in this town to destroy the reputations of four men who were elected by the people and who are decent, responsible people.  

Isn't it about time you gave the mayor-by-five-votes a proper send-off?  Do not vote for his puppets and cronies. Vote for those who stood up for the people who elected them.

14 comments:

  1. The Eurocopter plant, that when it first opened up , was called MBB (Messersmidt) the people who supplied Adolf Hitler with aircraft for his Lutfwaffe, , Thet were lured here by generous grants from the taxpayers, via the Federal Government and a grant from Billl Davis Ontario government. the Town of Fort Erie supplied a free water line and a free sewer line , paid for by the ratepayers,gratis, no added costs, the promise was 500 jobs, ASAP the truth 20 jobs , and the local help was several janitors. The Town also paid for several people from the Chamber of Commerce to placate and smooth the way for this company they took a little trip to Germany on our dime,, after thirty years there are signs of life at Eurocopter , and Stephen Passero is taking the bows and credit for something that happened, while he was still in diapers. I still have clippings in my file on that project.

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  2. When a few jobs show up here its such a rare thing that the group of "look what we are doing for you's" show up wearing suits and shit eating smiles for the rare but not to be missed photo op. Remember the Eurocoptor announcement of 50 or so jobs to be enjoyed by the undertroden unemployed of the town?? You know anyone local that got any of that sugar? Cant really think of any other examples its become so rare that such an event takes place. Riches foods expansion 10 years ago or so. but without the circus atmosphere the copter plant announcement got.The Erie personell types keep the minimum wage pot boiling, no benefits, no long term plan for the people hired and no job security. Without naming names is this the type of mentality the voters want holding a place on council? In the USA most call it the slave market employment centre. Here people have tried to spin it as an attribute to the economy of the area. A steady stream of underemployed worker bees is not what this area need and helps to hold back good paying long term job prospects for people that would give100% if given the chance.

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  3. Martin publically announcing that Molinaros have a case to sue HIS Town for 10 million dollars doesn't show that his first interest is in protecting the Town, does it?

    Of course announcing that Fort Erie is "Closed for Business" for the last few years isn't exactly helpful to the employment situation here either is it?

    Mayor Martin fighting for almost 8 years to help a developer build a condominium on public beachfront property takes a lot of focus. That is the ONLY development that the majority of Council were opposed to.

    Remember the Town beachfront land was to be GIVEN to the Molinaro Group, NO development fees and the public wasn't even getting a simple amenity such as a pavilion or change rooms or a concession stand in return.
    Add to that, the Town doesn't even have a Clear Title to the land.

    Was it really WORTH all this fuss, I ask?

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  4. The previous bloggers seem to think that Eurocopter is not due the benefit of a large employer of Fort Erie. Well they are and certainly do not deserve the slanderous comments. They employ a large number of local residents I personally know of 3 who have been there for years. Who are you to make statements of this kind!! It is this very negative mind set that deters companies from locating to the Town, just keep it up & no industry will want to re locate. Who gives a hoot about Passero he is a light weight with a mouth. Get a grip on reality, if you do not have a skill then finding a job will be difficult. The Town, Province or Feds are not there to bottle feed the jobs you must make yourself qualified to have gainful employment. The Municipal election is about voting for people who have a positive outlook & to try and encourage companies to locate to the Town & create employment for those that qualify. The EDTC has done very little unless you want
    to pick up horse manure from May to October. Small industries have relocated to the area without the help of Town staff or the EDTC. The Mayor has done very little to elevate the Town as a go to area for business. So quit harping on the old saw " poor me what am I to do" well here is my advice get off your royal "I am entitled" ass & get to work or at least find a way to get skilled to get a job. Most people have to commute to get to work so join the legions of road warriors who do this daily & become a contributer of society not a leach.

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  5. I was very interested in getting a job at that place, after all I worked in Aerospace division of Rolls Royce when I lived in the UK we made systems for the Blue Streak Missile system , and trained on various types of machinery, I attended all of the meetings at Town Hall on Jarvis Street, Heinz Hummel was our Mayor so that helped a little, him knowing the language,, is it slander to point out that we the taxpayers paid the whole freight, and expected a lot of jobs ASAP, nearly 2 million dollars of our water rate money was siphoned off, the taxpayers have waited a long time for the payoff from this company, it also doesn't help when government buys helicopter's from this company's competition, I am glad that they are hiring, some local people,but it has been a long time coming, this ship took a long time to come to port.

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  6. Sounds like curious from CB might have missed the point of the last few blogs. Coptor may be an employer of people of Fort BUT lots of us with the picture of that photo op for a (stated) 50 jobs was pretty pathetic, both in the way it was expressed as some sort of saving grace and the way the local politicians used it to try to look good. The town works yard (the largest single employer in the town) adds people all the time to its operation, summer students that have to be related to someone to "get on". I guess they are entitled. Most people that leave here to aquire "a skill" (not skills, as it should be) have to leave this area to get gainfull employment at the wage level they deserve. Its no secret that when operating in a high unemployment area, wages are low, even with the training required. So, some of the highest taxes in the country, lack of well organized public transit, no college campus, (not even a satelite campus) little or no affordable housing, not even a decent hospital in town, few people are feeling "entitled". This lack of basic services for the people considering coming to this town to start a business has a real effect on the decision they make. These shortcomings should recognised for what they are and adressed, especially in light of a new set of politicians to be elected soon. CB as a road warrior, should go for it, the rest of us want constructive change so we dont have to become freeway dogs just to make a living. We think we are entitled to at least that much in an area settled for over 200 years now, If they built an airport here, on landing the captain would announce.. "now landing in Fort Erie, please turn your watches back 35 years" The people here deserve better than that, and have for a long time. By the way Mr. Romney over the river used that approach of pointing out the disadvantaged as "thinking theyre entitled", Look where that got him.

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    Replies
    1. I think the only entitled here are those who believe it's ok to screw over the whole town for their bottom line. There are quite a few here and they are easy to find when they are so proud of it and often in prominent positions.

      That's the biggest problem here and has been for decades now. No far thinking leaders only those who are in it for themselves. That is until the last election and for once in eons a majority of council (THE FOUR) actually wanted to turn this wreck around. Problem was they were stepping on quite a few toes with sweet tax payer funded back room deals, thus billboards, lawsuits, blogs dedicated to slandering them, lies in the press etc etc etc..... Monday will show if all their work and personal sacrifice has been in vain or are we to return to the old boy/ Chamber of Commerce run town where a few insiders manipulate the public trough for themselves and their (monkey) business cronies.

      If a wannabe or returning politician has ties to the CofC/old boys club and quite a few do, better run the other way. on Monday good people.

      IT"S TIME TO TAKE THIS TOWN BACK FOR ALL THE PEOPLE.

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  7. There was only one candidate that mentioned post secondary education,specifically a Trade School. Susan Salzer is my ward candidate in Crescent Park so when she came knocking I had a long chat with her. Last year Thibert told Council there were not enough skilled workers for our aeronotic plants so what she said made sense.She is already making inquiries with a plan in mind. Team Prov Govt with School Boards empty schools and Euro and Fleet to start classes specifically to train aero workers. Elected or not she says she will continue to pursue the feasibility and bring all the players to the table. She got my vote.

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    Replies
    1. Now that is a forward thinker! Fort Erie cannot afford to lose its ambitious youth. They go to school; get educated or learn a skill and then they move away to where there are jobs. Many would like to stay but cannot afford to wait until jobs for their skill set come to Fort Erie.

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  8. Watching from the SidelinesOctober 26, 2014 at 12:18 AM

    I do hope that the next mayor has a better control over their emotions. I found Dougie's tantrums and sobbing to be way too much drama. When he donated our hard earned tax money to the gov't for the new hospital he fell weeping into Deb Matthews arms. I thought I was going to be sick. He has a dirty streak which has been evidenced on more than one occasion. Don't slam the door on your way out sir. Now if only a few more of your fellow cronies would follow we might be able to make some progress in town.

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  9. I recall one of our mayor's many tantrums, you know when it's coming, he hyperventilates first. The one when he screamed "YOU GOT YOUR WAY!", when he was referring to those who care about the endangered Fowler's toads. He blamed that those of us who care about biodiversity had alerted the Ministry of Natural Resources and therefore it was all our fault that the entire beachfront uplands left over after the condo concrete were off limits for beachgoers to walk on. He darn well knew that the MNR knew about the toads, that their studies even identified that the endangered species hibernated in the exact area that the "underground" garage was planned.

    It took a Freedom of Information request to expose that the entire site plan showed the rest of the property was off limits for anyone to walk on. That had been kept from the community for well over a year! No wonder that was silenced.

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    Replies
    1. Remember the town solicitor's behaviour when asked about documents pertaining to the Bay Beach site by Don Lubberts? Nastily told him to get the documents through a Freedom of Information request when she had the documents! No wonder she was fired. (She was caught on camera along with Ron Tripp making faces from behind Don Lubberts.)

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    2. I remember it well! I was shocked because it was an all out LIE the Mayor used against citizens of this town to try and sway opinions. Democracy skewed!

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  10. We do hope that people that have not voted yet realize this isnt like a horse race where the odds are posted, you put down your money, place your vote and hope the horse you voted for wins and you collect your winnings. Theres been a lot of talk about frontrunners, long shots, shoo-ins, and sure fire winners. Heres hopeing the voters choose their candidate on the basis of merit, stated goals and experience. This way the odds are not skewed in favor of some percieved winner takes all mentality. A mixed council is a sure fire bet, how mixed and in what direction remains the real dark horse. We stand to lose a lot more than a small bet if the remaining voters try to pick a winner based on heresay in the media or crude attempts to discredit candidates using a very expencive legal system. Besides the horse track opens in 5 months or so,they can get their gamble fix then, in spades. Heard theres some new management coming to that venue that has a reputation for making offers no one ever refuses. We are going to need a strong council to stand up to those ill winds of change.

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