Saturday, March 29, 2014

JUDGE ORDERS FULL DISCLOSURE

Another chapter in the on-going saga of the Dougie Buyers Club has ended.

Before we get to the judge's decision, let us refresh everyone's memory of what has gone on since the voters elected four councillors to council on the hope that things would change at town hall. This was the first time in recent history that a decided change has come to town hall, often characterized as run by a bunch of Old Boys who controlled everything that went on in town. The Bay Beach issue drove home the fact that regular people have little to say in this town, hence the election of some new councillors who promised to do their best to end the nepotism, favouritism and possible corruption at town hall. So, the attacks began:

1.) Compliance Audits were requested by Marina Butler for John Hill; Martha Lockwood for Don Lubberts and Larry Graber for Paul Collard. 
      a.) Marina Butler ... is now running for council in Ward 4, now represented by John Hill, She is also vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce.
      b.) Martha Lockwood ... was voted out of council in Ward 5 won by Don Lubberts. Worked for Marina Butler
      c.) Larry Graber ... lost to Paul Collard in Ward 6.

The Compliance Audits cost the taxpayers in excess of $100,000.  The results: all cases were dismissed.

Kimberly Zanko (lost Ward 3 election to incumbent Bob Steckley in 2010 and currently running again) was spokesperson for a billboard on Garrison and a full-colour brochure that appeared in local mailboxes that found fault with the four councillors for their opposition to the controversial Bay Beach Project. Blamed them for scaring away potential developers to the town. Negative quotes in the brochure included Marina Butler. Other than Zanko, there is no responsibility claimed by any group for the billboard. Then there's Peter K's Facebook Fiascos and billboard on Garrison Road. What moron does this sort of thing? 


The WAR AGAINST THE FOUR was topped off by Conflict of Interest suit filed by Tim Whitfield, who lost his council seat to John Hill,one of those named in the suit.  So far, that suit has cost in excess of $100,000. in legal costs. 

What was the purpose of the compliance audit, the negative brochure and the lawsuit?

To unseat four duly-elected town councillors. This vendetta has been in the works since election night in 2010.  It has and will cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. It has been orchestrated by a small group of people who have their own agenda and do not care that they are costing the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. They do not want these four councillors to work on behalf of regular people. The people behind these actions want to keep the power to themselves.


On March 19, 2014, Superior Court Judge B.H. Mateson issued two orders:


1. John Hill and Donald Lubberts will answer all the refusals that are set out in the chart prepared by the applicant’s solicitor and attached as Schedule “A”.

2. The applicant or his solicitor will provide the name or names of the person or persons who provided the retainer for Mr. Hurren.


As to ruling Number 1, John Hill and Don Lubberts were advised by their attorney to not answer those questions at the time they were first asked. They have both indicated that they will now answer those questions in full. The reason for the initial refusal was because they felt that, in answering the questions, they would be revealing something said in a closed meeting.

Now, to the BIG RULING:

Uh-oh. Tim Whitfiled will have to provide the names of those who financed his lawsuit since he swore in an affidavit that he was approached by Doug Martin to become involved in the lawsuit. Further in the release is the revelation that Martin disclosed details of a closed meeting to Whitfield in his conversation. Hurren tried to save the "confidentiality" of the financial backers by citing attorney/client privilege, but the judge did not agree.

I have already set up a Lawsuit Bracket.  See who ends up in the final four.

My Bracket for the Final Four:

Jim Thibert
Marina Butler
_______ TBA 
________ TBA


This just in: heads are spinning over at that other blog. Sorta like Linda Blair's in the Exorcist. Must be difficult to come up with a way to spin this away from what it is: a S.L.A.P.P. lawsuit paid for by certain people who do not want these four, honest men to continue on council.

Oh, and in case you read the lies at another blog, Don Lubberts and Paul Collard visited the Lobster House on the Bay Beach Property on March 29, 2014, accompanied by a town employee.


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