Saturday, February 21, 2015

AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE WHO HELPED ELECT THE FOUR NEW COUNCILLORS HAVE SECOND THOUGHTS

It has been several years since I first attended a Fort Erie Council Meeting, I did attend a budget meeting the other night and it was like old times: some of the same players behaving like they have for over a decade. Got very boring. The so-called "fresh blood" on council is clueless and have no idea what they got themselves into - or did they? Maybe they're so programmed that they can only behave as instructed by their handlers, or maybe their election to council was just a huge cosmic joke. Whatever the reason, the people of Fort Erie are in for a wild ride and higher taxes because these newbies are already spending money like water. 

Someone sent me a piece from that tired old rag of Mike Cloutier's (another example of the dire situation in Fort Erie that Cloutier is still publishing.) I laughed out loud at the comments from Old Guard stalwarts Peter Joon and Doris Emerson regarding the town council's $500,000 commitment to the DSBN to help with the building of a theatre in the new high school being built on Garrison Road. First, it was the council who voted for the funding to the DSBN not the "dam artsy camp." 

Peter Joon: (February 17, 2015) 

 I will remember every councillor who votes for this idiocy and don’t ever count on my vote again, we are being railroaded into thos by the dam artsy camp who have never had to pay their own way

Doris Emerson: (February 19, 2015)

How did the councillors vote -was it unanimous-or just the 1 dissenter? why waste the taxpayers time asking for their opinion when it doesn’t really mean anything. Robbing Peter to pay Paul-where will they get the money to pay Paul?

First, it was the council who voted for the funding to the DSBN not the "dam artsy camp" as Peter Joon calls them. And, everyone but Don Lubberts voted for the up to $2 million pledge to the theatre from the people of Fort Erie. And Doris, who is so strong in her support of the new councillors that she was openly rude to other candidates, now wonders where the money will come from to pay for this new white elephant. 

And it will get even better when the town pledges another $500 K to the racetrack and Jimmy's Little Hobby.

Worse part is that Fort Erie is stuck with these incompetent fools who never ask meaningful questions (really, Marina. Was it so hard to figure out that the graffiti on the Canada Post mailboxes is the responsibility of Canada Post to remove - and not the town?); who vote against staff recommendations (by-election will cost in excess of $40,000); and who are so intertwined with the Chamber of Commerce that the average person in Fort Erie has little representation on council.

All except Don Lubberts who was re-elected and who was part of the previous council that kept taxes as low as possible and who built up the town's reserve fund that is now being drained by the not-so-bright "new blood."

And Mike Cloutier still publishes his drivel to the brain-washed. (He's starting to look more and more like Ted Kacznski every day. Or his doppleganger Booger.)

27 comments:

  1. How come there are no complaints about a 1.92% Regional hike in taxes? Where is Sandy how is he representing us? He certainly isn't filling pot holes on Dominion Rd

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  2. You mention the $500,000 that still might be requested by JT for the Racetrack. I would suggest that they had better not consider it...especially after this Theater shit. The Mayor and five of the six sitting on their thrones,said during the campaign season unequivatably that they would NOT approve any more FE tax money to go to the track. The wrath of the voter will reign on their heads if they even consider it

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  3. They might need to keep that horse track white elephant as white as possible. $500,000 buys a lot of white paint.

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  4. Don't expect much from our Regional Reps, Region is a great place to make $26 thousand dollars , all one has to do is turn up occasionally for over twenty years the same tired old faces are re-elected, scoop up some easy dough, And tell the people what they already know, from the Sun Media newspapers, Wayne Redekop and Doug Martin hid out over in Thorold for the past 20 + years, voters don't have any expectations from the Regional Reps. Why should they start demanding any action now.??

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  5. A recent newspaper article described the regional reps getting together to discuss their priorities. Same old, inter city transit, and the like. The same old stuff we have been hearing about for years with little or no action taken. They were all able to agree to agree or disagree to disagree or some other overcooked nonsense. They get together to pick a new leader, a real shocker its said that their leader doesent have to come from the ranks of the elected reps anymore. So now their might be some poobah leading the pack who isnt even elected. Looks like a giant step backwards, but in the regional doublespeak (aka, Orwells 1984) a "move foreward". Go figure. And the rest of us sit back and wonder why so little is being acomplished by that band of overpaid suits.

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  6. Where does that Mike Clout pamphlet end up? We used to see them at Joes Value mart (the store of the future where the prices 20 years from now are being charged) but not lately. That bit about a chimp on a bar stool looked remarkably appropriate for the quality of the writing. We guess that this publication (where it is given away for free...duh...) must not be getting placed in any of the businesses we frequent. Poor Mike ,so little to say, and a tiny little paper "bro"- sure to say it in. Got a few nut votes with that picture of him at the Fort Erie sign on the freeway though, have to give him that.

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  7. Since Sandy A used the go train logo in a lot of his newspaper adds, I would hope to see a go train station soon in fort Erie? Lol

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    1. Annunziatta is a very large part of our local political problem and will do little other than feather his own nest. Already he has a plum appointment to the NPCA which will likely morph into $$$ for himself down the road. I love his high class BS press releases which utilize a lot of meaningless rhetoric. Kind of like a dog chasing his own tail. Amusing but gets nowhere(and means even less).

      His entire family has a spot at the public trough, so why wouldn't he?? ...........snort slurp slurp, sorry who do I represent??

      Of course Fort Stupid loves him.

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  8. Annun is a team player all right, team Annun that is. As for a Go station in Fort Erie good luck with that. The one in the falls is already on life support and thats to a world class tourist destination. Might as well put it down with so many of the other services we dont see here. Dont even talk about a community college campus here. There would be little to no affordable housing here for students, and what would they be taught that is applicable to local industry? Horse grooming? Creative welfare applications 101, (with a major in lawncutting?). Not that there isnt the rail infrastructure for Go train service, our present council just thinks too small. And from what we have seen lately smaller all the time. Potholes are a hot topic here these days. Fort Pothole. Has a nice ring to it. Could get us on the map on some late night TV show. Not that anyone here watches much TV, just an idea. Could have an annual Pothole parade, choose a Pothole king and queen. We nominate Dick Culic as the first Pothole king. It would sure suit his talent (?) as a reporter, and he could do an indepth feature on this unique and interesting feature of the town. Would be better than his last file article on captive animals and the "hippies" that dont go along with such exploitation. Him and Sandbag should get together and trade some soundbites.

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  9. Let's just start to add this up, $30,000 - $40,000 for a by election that staff did not recommend, $500,000 to the DSBN for a theatre that that does not own nor control, ( and that doesn't take into consideration any fund raising short fall which will shift to the town), a request coming on March 3 for the $500,000 for the race track, in addition to giving Jimbo a $48,000 reserve top up request ( even though he has over $200,000 already in reserve) and the list goes on. The last Council worked hard at bringing down the taxes while this Council is working very little at pushing taxes to double digets. Get ready FE we are in for a rocking ride and this is only their first two months.

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  10. The Trojan Horse named JayTee has pulled off in my opinion the perfect Trifector in Racing parlance that means he now is the winner of all three events. He surrounded himself with a wall of Chamber of Commerce members they alongside him run any thing from Tourism and Development , he now runs the Racetrack, feeling threatened by 4 members of Town council that want to rein him in, he gets his wall of defense to launch law suits against them, Election time the very unsophisticated voters felt that there could be something to that law suit, the press under Kris Dube also went to war on the Chambers behalf. 4 members of the Chamber of Commerce now have complete control of our tax money, they want to make that 5 members, two members of the C of C are running for Rick Shuler's empty seat. will our Town have 5 members of the Chamber of Commerce on council ?? This is a Trojan horse and the tax payers screwed themselves big time.

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    1. I agree with you in every aspect Porgey except 1........your Trojan house should be gold plated for all the MILLIONS yes MILLIONS Fort Stupid, that we have poured down the gaping maw of Jimmie Dirt Bag for absolutely nothing. Unless you think the annual piss poor show in council where he insults the town is worth something( roughly akin to what Hollywood actors make on a hourly basis ) can justify this incredible level of criminal waste. Don't ask him nothing or think bad of him or he will use our own money to sue us. Wow, only in FE, could this happen.

      And they debate the new High School, which as foolish as it is, at least we will have a little something(very little I agree) to show for millions of tax $$$.

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    2. Agree! I can't believe the number of people that don't see what's happening, this is so corrupt! And the gull of these people from the CofC thinking that they are smarter then everyone else because they run a business. Well they may be right, in that they are smarter than the average sucker that Voted for them!

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  11. I had the pleasure of listening to the illustrious Mr. Jim Thibert ( I'm an economist) during his budget presentation to Council and predictably he attempted to regal everyone with his wonderful insist into the economies of the Fort Erie, the Region and for that matter Ontario and the US. He told Council again that the US/Canadian dollar impacts imports and exports (wow I guess I would not have picked that up in the Globe and Mail), the fact that there is a skills based work force shortage and it's impact on local economy ( wow I guess would never have picked that up on the CBC as it has been talked about for the last couple of years) but then again I am not an economist. Mr. Economist says that all he does is present the opportunities - well name 5 opportunities presented to Council during the last 5 or 6 yrs that he brought. During the budget presentation I did not here of anything that was specific to presenting an opportunity to Council. In fact when asked if it was ok to have measurements put into the MOU by Mayor Redikop Jimbo took on the usual stance of deflecting back to his controlled Board of Directors. That is merely predicated on my opinion. Let's not forget the discussion on Council approving a request for a $48,000 reserve replenishment, topping up an existing reserve of $200,000. Yes Councillor Knutt, they do have a reserve as any "not for profit" has, you had better go back and listen to the audio. Should Council approve the request only to have Jimbo give it to the DSBN for the THEIR theater is I bet outside the EDTC mandate and perhaps even their constitution. And by the way this would represent a tax increase to what is going to be a very big increase this year. So strap yourself in it's going to be a very rocking road. The residents of Fort Erie have made their bed now they have to sleep in it.

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  12. I too had the displeasure of having to sit through Thiberts very misnamed "BUDGET" presentation. Did I miss something or was budget, money, salaries, project costs, line items, quarterly expenses, office expenses EVER mentioned once??? It was an exact repeat of last years snow job. Everything wrong from economy to bingos to passports to smoking to the US dollar. I was hoping to hear where our $750,000 went last year and where this years donation will be spent. But I forget...its a secret. Sure wish there was one single positive result from that agency could be mentioned, Can anyone name one to make us feel a little better.?One business that was saved, one new employer brought by the EDTC, one new tourism attraction or what ever.

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    1. I've spoken to people and they can't think of anything he's done except for the race track. Man with many hats, head of EDTC, Photography business, Astrophotography speaker ( google that one!!! ) and of corse the FE Race track.

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  13. Why has Anne-Marie Noyes not spoken to Council asking questions about Jim Thibert not giving an explanation as ordered regarding where over one million tax dollars went? I understood that her court case against him was successful but no follow through.

    AMN didn't mind writing an article and reprimanding the new Council for their lack of questions regarding the theatre and School Board finances.

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    1. True dat. AMN should have followed the Stephen Passero Method and got herself into multiple committees and she should have spoken often before council in the past four years. She disappeared then came forward to run again for mayor. People have very short attention spans and she was quickly forgotten by many and unknown to newcomers to the area.

      OTOH, Stephen Passero is like a stalker at town hall and anywhere he can find people. If he gets elected in Ward 2, it will really point out how very uninformed the voters are about him and other new members of the current council.

      I do not look forward to writing "I told you so" over the next four years, but it looks like that is the case. Bad combination of inept councillors who pander to the business community and a mayor who likes to spend money (see his previous term for the waste of bingo funds.)

      Also have to say that it's laughable that Doug Martin is on the fundraising committee for the theatre at the new high school. Can't he just stay away from it? Everything he touches has problems. And Gary Skerrett too. What? Shorewalk not enough to keep you busy, Gary? Then again, you and Dougie are buddies from way back. And we still remember how you sold us out on the Bay Beach Condo deal.

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  14. Good luck on the fundraising. So many projects that need support in our Town and they all deserve funding. What ever happened to the pool for our children being a priority. Pissaro has gone to ground after his big showboating .Now the big question is where has Hazel Rheinhart gone after leading the sympathy parade for this unnecessary Theater project. Hope every dance Mom who pleaded for this Theater is standing on a corner holding a hat out.or have they all gone to ground with the useless Ward 2 Candidate.

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  15. Don't know where the Dark Side get insider info BUT they are now reporting that our next CAO could be none other then our old buddy RW. Go figure...that he would be nervy nuff to apply. No doubt the lobby game on the Barbie girls and C of C has been played. Lordy help us all.

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    1. RW was a lousy whatever-he-was and there's the wreck of Thunder Bay Beach to prove it. He was even worse as acting CAO. He is the embodiment of the Peter Principle - rose to his level of incompetence. Thought he was in charge of Infrastructure at the region? What? Not good enough for him? Oy veh.

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    2. I don't doubt it all. Only in Fort Stupid can you display a complete lack of talent or skills and take home 6 plus digits annually for screwing things up then come back to the scene of the crime receiving thunderous applause from the local ruling elite, their wannabe's and sycophants(that's you Bonito)

      Arrogance and ignorance never in short supply hereabouts runs the show once more AND we will pay lots more for the priviledge of their peculiar"wisdom".

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    3. I mixed things up. Perhaps they're talking about Russ Wilson for the job of CAO. Much worse. Really much worse. There is very little reason to have a head of the Gaming Corp any more, so RW is looking for other opportunities to spread his unique brand of cheer on the town. Oy veh.

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    4. Hey Howie why don't you ask for delegation and call them Barbie twins and ask them straight out when they stand on certain projects....that would be funny but I don't think u got the balls maybe they have them and you can ask for them back lol

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  16. Anyone know what is happening at the new Schooley Road builds? There were crews there yesterday working on two of the houses.
    Last week a few men with clipboards were investigating the project.

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  17. Russ would be an excellent choice. You people have no idea of his record and you already throw him under the bus. Not likely Sharon prints this she nevers does!! Must not meet with her ideal candidate. Heaven for bid there are differing opinions out there.

    RG

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  18. Re Doug Martin, this guy when a councillor attached himself to the Fort Erie Friendship Festival, where upon he upset lots of volunteers who were fed up with his meddling, many quit in disgust from that project, "Dougie" took over the Celtic Festival from the Knox Family , a family with very old Scottish roots, he killed that project, which used to be held at Fort Erie grounds, every year. his son was the manager of the Fort at that time,. Doug Martins son, now works for Fort George, N O T L as a manager, and surprise, surprise they now have a Celtic Festival. We lost our Festival to N O T L with friends like Doug Martin, our Town does not need any enemies.

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