"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Thursday 1 April 2010

VERISIMILITUDE

I couldn't believe it was in the dictionary. My son Frank played Grand Pooh Bah in The Mikado, a Gilbert and Sullivan opera played by Aurora Theatre at St. Andrew's College before they had a theatre of their own.

Frank was seventeen.The role called for a huge belly, a bald pate, a pig-tail and considerable facility with fast, arch patter; in the midst of it "verisimilitude". The word has flavour. It means "having the appearance of truth"

I had a call from Councillor Gallo this morning. He had participated in the decision on the Integrity Commissioner's contract, he said. I was not correct in stating otherwise.

If I was wrong, I would correct it, I said.

I checked the time table. Councillor Gallo arrived at the meeting after ten p.m. Council reported out at ten-forty-eight. It makes sense. The Councillor was present for the discussion before the vote. Having authority and being in attendance and voting at a meeting, means participation.

Having to cast one's mind back to re-assemble facts sometimes brings together previously unnoticed details .

The first red flag was the call from the Mayor's office to determine if I would be in attendance at the meeting. I checked and learned Councillor Collins Mrakas had also received a query..

Only six members in attendance offered the explanation. Though the Clerk's office normally checks when there's a question of quorum.

The in-camera session started at eight-forty eight p.m. It went off the rails almost immediately. Councillor MacEachern left the room, declaring "Councillor Buck will put everything into her blog" and she would not stay.

The Mayor noted there was no quorum. Councillor Collins Mrakas noted "Yes there is"

The Mayor proceeded to make an issue about my presence and intentions . The exchange took time. Councillor MacEachern returned

We proceeded with the first item. There were questions. I had questions. Again, the process was delayed by what appeared to be the Mayor's problem with my asking questions.

Eventually the item was deferred to obtain answers to the questions.

Councillor Gallo indicates that discussion was still going on when he arrived after ten o'clock. He did not participate in the vote to defer the first item.

So here is what is clear.

I had indicated at a previous meeting, I would not attend a meeting to discuss the first issue. I believed the discussion should be public.

I was not therefore expected to be there. They would still have a quorum. Without me, they had three votes to two. With me, the vote would be tied.

They had to scramble.

Councillor Gallo needed to be there to break the tie and give them the edge they needed for the
second item on the agenda; the service contract and appointment of the Integrity Commissioner.

Yes he did participate. His vote made the difference.

Appointment of an Integrity Commissioner is controversial in the community. With five months left in the term, the plan should be dead in the water.

We can anticipate further activity.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am glad in a way there is a new Commish .

I have been tormented with the thoughts;
should I file a complaint against certain members of Council and The Mayor for harassment in the community?

They can be a nasty bunch and very exclusionary .

These acts have been witnessed by citizens and statements by some members of council have damned the Mayor.

God says forgive .

Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. says integrity.

I believe I will not forgive myself if I do not speak up.

resident at large said...

Do you think that Gallo was blackberried to get his butt over there by 10:00 so that there would not be a tie vote?
Good grief this whole thing is worse than Nazi Germany where pogroms occurred under the guise of legal proceedings.
God, I hate the way this town is run!!

Anonymous said...

So Gallo called you...contrary to what they say, they do read your blog...and I imagine every other...Ha!

Broderick Epps said...

The in-camera session started at eight-forty eight p.m. It went off the rails almost immediately. Councillor MacEachern left the room, declaring "Councillor Buck will put everything into her blog" and she did not intend to stay.

The Mayor noted there was no quorum. Councillor Collins Mrakas noted "Yes there is"

Last election campaign, Phyllis reminded the voters that she had many years council experience and she was a good leader. Not knowing what constitutes a quorum shows a basic lack of knowledge for someone "so experienced". Yet another example to show Ms. Morris only talks the talk period!