Friday, August 7 is the day that the lawyers for The Four present to court their accounting of costs in order to secure financial justice for their clients. It is rumoured that explosive information in the documents could cause the main conspirators in the now dismissed case to have to reach deep into their pockets to pay back the costs racked up by Bob Steckley, John Hill, Don Lubberts and Paul Collard to defend themselves in an ill-conceived and badly managed lawsuit for conflict of interest. The lawsuit was brought forward by "strawman" Tim Whitfield (as admitted by his own lawyer in the proceedings) and his backers, a list that reads like the Who's Who of the Chamber of Commerce, as orchestrated by EDTC GM Jim Thibert (who will probably sue me again with taxpayer money for writing this.)
Oh well. Lawsuits can be brought against anyone. The problem is defending oneself from a lawsuit. Perhaps Karma will enter the picture if any one of The Four file a suit for malicious prosecution. I'd like to see that happen as a warning to others in other communities who think that they can override the will of the people as was done in Fort Erie. It worked,but it may by a Pyrrhic Victory for those who plotted the removal of four duly-elected representatives of the people. It may also prove rather embarrassing for Marina Butler whose actions were apparently undertaken solely to unseat John Hill so she could take his place on council - which she did. A great example she sets for those interested in running for public office. Same with Kim Zanko who also shows no embarrassment over the flier she took responsibility for which planted the seed of untrustworthiness in the minds of voters regarding The Four and those who fought to preserve the last good piece of public beachfront property in Crystal Beach from a high rise developer.
Which, of course, begs the question: why was it so very important to thwart The Four who were merely supporting the people who voted for them? I always say: follow the money. There has to be money involved in some way for all the pushback against The Four. Those who stood in opposition to The Four spent a lot of time and money to destroy the reputations of The Four. The opposition worked hard, calling in many favours, to complete Project 4-2-0. They succeeded except for one, Don Lubberts.
And then their malicious lawsuit was dismissed. And now they're going to pay. Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch of people.
Frankly voters got exactly what they deserved.
ReplyDeleteTHE SHAFT
And until people wake up and start paying attention to facts the race to the abyss that Fort Erie is engaged in will continue unabated.
Busy, busy, busy holiday weekend at the beach.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely disgusting that there are not sufficient washroom facilities at Bay Beach. Only three toilets for women is appalling.
If the former mayor and his friends hadn't been so busy trying to make a profit over the beachfront property, the washrooms would have been updated and improved by now. Time wasted on a stupid, greedy idea for the property that was purchased with gaming revenue and should remain a public parkland with up-to-date facilities for the public to enjoy.
DeleteAnyone have the skinny on why the Fort Erie Race Track's CAO is "stepping down" after five years?
ReplyDeleteThe track CAO, in his own words will remain as a " consultant " but off the official bloated payroll. His payments then change at tax time to a business expence for track operations. His expences (everything from travel time to greasy lunches) then appear as deductable against his taxable income. Theres a saying in the business, "withholding taxes is criminal, avoiding taxes is genius". We now politely add, wasting taxes is much too common, especially in this town. Hope that helps answer at least part of your question.
DeleteWith all the money coming in from parking fees would it be too much to rent a few portables to add to the 3 available for the ladys? Thats really not asking a lot. Any large event with that many people attending have that covered. Maybe use a little of the money being given away to those nosey sociopaths looking through peoples stuff at the gate. Again, FE strikes a new low in public service for lack of planning.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely amazing how those that were crowing about "getting" the 4 via this lawsuit have suddenly gone quiet. They went on and on for months about how they thought this was going to go, yet now they all seemed to have crawled back into their holes with nary a peep. Yet the people of this town still don't get it. This was a set up to destroy the 4 personally and professionally because they pushed back against the powers-that-be. If only they understood what it was really all about.
ReplyDeleteThere's a book in all this, waiting to be written. Just need a final chapter. I would like to see certain people go to jail for what they have done, but that will never happen. What could happen is total exposure of this plot to ruin four good men.
Delete"It was a dark and stormy night..."
I just want to know why mayor martin pushed SO HARD for a private condo on a tiny strip of public property.
ReplyDeleteIt was a very unpopular endeavor from the start.
maybe the answer is so simple you as a decent person have a hard time seeing it there Observer............stoop a lot lower in your thinking and you will see the root of all evil (at least in this town)
DeleteSome say he knew he was on his way out and wanted to leave some monument to his rather lackluster time in the public service. Really, is there anything else in a physical sense anyone can point to and say "thats Dougs work", and we are all gratefull? A statue of the old jeweller hunched over a dimly lit work table changing a watch battery outside the bus terminal at the Robo mart was proposed but didnt get very far. Hard on the eyes too. Way too pale white! Some say the whole group were mezmerized by the suits from Oakville with the expencive golf clubs. We may never know why a guy like that was so horny for that concrete monolith on that tiny property but folks just keep guessing.
DeleteDouglas........the answer is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ with a small helping of little man's ego
DeleteThe gist of the matter is Doug Martin, who was once a Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce was their golden headed boy, the C of C had run (ruined) this Town ever since Louis Ziff was not only the Mayor , he was the founder of the Fort Erie chapter of the Chamber of Commerce, he Martin ran for Council soon after taking over Gibson's Jewelers on Jarvis Street, 1982 , the first item on their agenda gave the C of C control of all development within the new borders of Greater Fort Erie, the cost to tax-payers was $125,000 dollars per year , about $250,000 in todays dollars,they have killed off, numerous international efforts to bring good solid jobs to our Town, most notably "Toyota" , Martin , his father-law and Heinz Hummel, swatted down their overtures to set up a factory here. Cambridge got that plum of a job provider, now 12000 workers in Ontario alone, When the 4 were elected, the C of C saw their control of the Town of Fort Erie slipping away from them , they brought out the bazookas , and heavy guns to malign, libel and discredit these 4 honourable men. They the C of C, now have complete stranglehold of our Town , they even have a de-facto Mayor who now runs the Fort Erie Racetrack , Wayne Redekop is just a piece of widow dressing. So we, the voters screwed ourselves last election.
ReplyDeleteGood points from Porgey. As a previous post had suggested, have a read of S. Lewis semi fictional novel "Main Street" where the towns CoC types more or less took over the towns business with the support of the electorate who were too dumb to see what was going on. If the author had included a horse track purchased from the townsfolk by foreign interests then supported by the sitting council it probly would have been too unbelieveable. However we get to add that little detail because that is part of the story here. Truth, stranger than fiction, now part of the drain on our limited tax base. Sinclair Lewis would sure laugh at these crooks, not for their sneakiness, but for their ability to bring his book to life.
ReplyDeleteVery simple answer to the silence of the Nimnuts...the writing is on the wall. Judgement of a whole shitpot of money in favor of the fabulous four based on all the evidence presented at court. Malicious persecution of these Councillors orchestrated by Martin is costly and the perpetrators of this injustice don't want Greggy and Leslie to do or say anything that could be added to the massive evidence against Martin, Marina Butt ler, And poor poor Whitfield. I hope when Whitfield gets left holding the empty bucket that he sings like a canary and tells the whole tale of the conspiracy.
ReplyDeleteWhile we can only speculate on his motive$ former mayor Martin's "legacy" is abundantly clear.
ReplyDeleteIn the wake of his 2 terms he and his compatriots have managed to upend an election and get 3 of his 4 "enemies" removed using what is now clearly immoral and illegal methods.
His tenure, while in office, is marked with a series of disrespectful and disgraceful confrontations with Councilors and a history of equally unprofessional and unfair treatment of citizens and other rival political opponents.
Of special note is how all these actions have ultimately led to an ever more bellicose, belligerent and uncooperative Jim Thibert who, in concert with the now C of C controlled "town clowncil" seems poised to exert a level of ruthlessness the likes of which has never been possible in the past.
In addition, while the beach front "condo deal" appears dead for the moment "Dougie's Defacto Douchebags" have managed to railroad another Bay Beach Master Plan which will simply re-establish Molinaro's control over any development on the famed "north side" portion of what should remain publicly owned and operated parking and parkland at Bay Beach.
The "kick in the ass" on this latter deal is there are "anti-condo" individuals that actually believe this some sort of victory for them?
All in all "Dougie's Legacy" is but a laundry list of dishonesty, deceit, disrespect and dysfunction.
Seems he accomplished exactly what he set out to do.
His only dilemma now is how to avoid being nailed in a court of law because of it all.
And guess what Fort Erie? We'll get the bill for the whole enchilada.
While the insane are stranded in the beach (or so says the nanjus site) it looks like the lottle hooded ass-ass-ins are running through Bridgeburg yelling about some Peter K. guys post about an upcoming council issue. Those nins sure got a hard on about this Peter K guy. If we read this right P K is also involved with a restaurant. A place that actually produces something everyone needs? Food? Just wondering if nin Bonehead does anything similar. Produce something everyone needs? Sure isnt that childish drivel he takes pleasure in posting. That squirrel should go back down into his hole and sniff last years nuts. Or maybe post a few more shots of animals with their heads cut off? A class act? We think not.
ReplyDeleteAs predicted, they're turning on each other. Once they were all tight as they had a common enemy: The Four. Now that the four have been decimated by the constant negative publicity and a malicious lawsuit, they have to find new, raw meat. They created a monster by eliminating The Four, so now some have turned on Stephen Passero, who is the puppet of Jim Thibert. I do not feel sorry for any of them. They were used and their usefulness is now ended.
DeleteBTW, the Kinsmen Pool is scheduled to re-open on August 10. Glad I was wrong on the viability of the pool, but I based my opinion on the findings of the study that caused the councillors (including Rick Shular) to vote to not open the pool in 2012. Do not understand how the underwater social club was able to re-open it without major refitting and repairs. Hopefully, the kids will enjoy the pool - even for three weeks. And hopefully, the taxpayers are not going to be on the hook for it.
It was in part a steady watch on the slow pace of that project that at least in part got those unmotivated slugs to get up off their air conditioned asses and do something. If people like the ones that contribute to sites like this didnt say anything its possible nothing would have been done, so stay the course and poke some of these slow types with a sharp stick once in a while. There are bigger fish to fry coming up so keep those sticks handy. How many months to clean out an existing pool and nail on a new shingle job? Check the URU,s site. Learn to scuba at the pool. Cart before the horse? Public access? No mention yet.
ReplyDeleteB. They have a FB site and it will be open to everyone, Starting Aug 10th. Donations from Mel's pool service and Canadian Tire. Better late then never. I hope it open's before summer begins next year.
DeleteThis has been a project started when a young women was 17 years old from Stevensville , she is now 25 years old ,she had collected some money and over 15 hundred signatures , Councillor from Crystal Beach Martha Lockwood got council to put a surcharge on everybody's tax bill ,The last year of operation the pool cost the taxpayers $110,000 thousand dollars, Then the Council would discuss options to replace the pool, that never happened ,I understand that the pool had to be drained this year and the walls sandblasted of years and years of scaled paint that had never been scraped off before, many business people Timbr-Mart, Canadian tire and others worked their butts off, this is where it gets dicey, the pumps and filters will not last much longer, so next year the Town can expect another delegation needing more money. What happened to all of the donations that Stephen Passero supposedly collected these past 8 years, we do not have an accounting of how much was collected or who has it .now . If it is like getting info from JT how he spends our money we will be stonewalled again.
ReplyDeletePolitics aside........I am glad the kids will have somewhere to go and swim safely. All the old places are off limits now it seems and it sure beats hanging out at the dis-used court house. Sugar Bowl Park has come a long way and is quite nice now.
ReplyDeleteToo bad the cabal of east end based ol boys, cronies,camp followers and a$$wipes can't seem to leave CB alone to follow suit but alas there is a buck to made so let's destroy the last and best public beach around for miles.
What to you have to say about that Dick Brady???
Well, we must remember Ron Tripp's legacy - his State-of-the-art drainage system at the Bernard Road beach in Thunder Bay. You know, the one that washes out every once in a while. Beach ruined. Thanks, Ron.
DeleteWhat was the Conflict of Interest fallout? Can the four tell the truth now, or will they have another nuisance law suit filed against them?
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard anything about what happened yesterday when the lawyers filed their paperwork for the potential pay-out, however I did hear that the lawyer for Bob Steckley and John Hill filed a lengthy accounting of the plot to unseat The Four. He named names and made the connections between people like Marina Butler to the plot. It could be the basis for further action against the backers of the lawsuit.
DeleteFasten your seatbelts.
We have another incredible wonderful day at the beach. There are four volleyball nets set up with a great atmosphere happening. I feel so fortunate to live in this Bay Beach neighbourhood.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope we get sufficient washroom facilities soon!
There's also the free Music Festival at Waterfront Park from 1:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
DeleteTomorrow is the Toronto All-Star Big Band at Waterfront Park @ 7:00 p.m.
This is the most popular band in the free Friends of Crystal Beach concert series every summer. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy.
Bernard Road drainage project, This was Ron Tripp's mess from the start, My son is an engineer and was employed in the US , the largest company in the states doing trouble shooting, from huge condominiums to the water and sewage treatments of cities, 25 years experience. so I have a brain to pick on this kind of engineering. There are so many things wrong about this project, on too many fronts it is hard to start, we had another engineer at Town Hall, both were working on this fiasco, the disagreement caused the more experienced engineer to quit our Town, the bone of contention was about the outlet pipe into the Lake Erie , Ron wanted to allow the drain to ooze out directly on the beach and seep slowly into the lake, the other guy said this was not an accepted practise , they should hook up to the old pipe going several hundred metres out into the lake making dispersal of storm water easier and not contaminate the beach, well we know who's idea won, The Town this spring in their infrastructure report has included what should have been done first, rectify Tripp's bungling mistakes.!! Do monstrous screw ups pay, Ron now works for Region where no doubt he will screw up on larger and more expensive projects. We the taxpayer will pick up the tab, I can't get anymore info these days as a black out on most information is not available to outsiders.
ReplyDeleteI've seen at least one City get successfully sued by a contractor because of the City's engineer's screw up's!
DeleteIt's nice to see that the judge has provided the financiers the opportunity of a weekend to pucker up and bend over for his judgement...pockets may not be as deep by next weekend.
ReplyDeleteOn a positive note, if you ever need political advice, all one has to do is look at the facebook postings of the illiterate jeweller to know who not to vote for. I'm surprised political candidates wouldn't pay theses ninjackasses to NOT endorse them. Clearly the moral compass is skewed.
Lastly, over the last few months, I have gone from respecting a long time volunteer organization to thinking they are a complete joke. Their members continue to degrade this organization by their filth while promoting their awards and designations. The best so far though is that miserable old "volunteer that has put hundreds of hours into the community" who continues to spew his hate, claiming that he has won some "writing" award within his organization. I'm sorry, but if that is true, that doesn't say much for the organization you represent! Hah. Does this organization exist to provide irrelevant awards to irrelevant people to boost their own egos and public standing? Sickening...oh by the way, they have their own social media policy...quite interesting as i'm sure none of their members have ever read it...or choose to ignore...a good read nonetheless...just google it!
It is curious that the head ninja co-opts the reputation of a talented local man to make himself look better. Most of us have been aware of Mr. Chilvers for decades and he has always remained quiet and unassuming. Doesn't seek publicity; doesn't need it. Ninjits are acting as though they discovered him.
Delete