Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Somebody asked":
The next regular Council meeting in Georgina is scheduled for Feb.13th. It will be interesting to see if the residents go back to being complacent or follow up with questions. Either way, Mayor Grossi has taken a hit.
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I don't know the Mayor of Georgina. I've never spoken to the man. I do know the Mayor's job is not easy. A Mayor who believes he/she has the last word is living in a Fool's Paradise.
There are still serious questions to be answered about what happened in Georgina:.
Did the Mayor participate and vote on the Bylaw?
Was it passed during a closed meeting ?
What is the understanding of the purpose of closed meetings?
Do they really believe planning strategy, using public resources, to destroy a political adversary,comes under the heading of protecting the privacy of someone who can be identified? Like who?
It certainly was not John Maclean's arse they were concerned about protecting.
Who told them such a thing? In God's name, where did they get such an idea?
Did anyone advise before they did it that they couldn't?
Has such a thing happened in Georgina before?
People need to know the answers.
Having said that,it must also be noted Council changed its mind. They listened. There's no shame in acknowledging a mistake was made and corrected. Public funds expended can and should be recovered.
The community now has to turn its attention to correcting whatever faults there are in what certainly appears to be a beautiful and exciting family facility.
If it cost an arm and a leg and potentially a political career or two& to build , at least it should be made worthwhile.
What happened in Georgina was the way things should happen. People reacted to a Council decision They organised to ensure they were heard.
Council listened and responded.
That's not the way it was in Aurora for a while.
Friday 3 February 2012
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Has someone informed Georgina Council that a government can't legally sue its residents ? The town’s press release makes no sense when they say that Mayor Grossi was not suing privately.
Who was suing then, because he town sure couldn't as far as I know !
Does anyone remember Nigel Kean leading the charge for a by-election ? The comments from the public poured in but that didn't matter... Morris had other plans and her political ally John Gallo got a free pass. That may be why he subsequently voted twice to support her tax funded lawsuit, despite the fact that he said something to the effect that it was wrong to sue residents*. (*no worries, I couldn't figure out his logic either... but you can take a good guess at where the dots might connect)
Isn't the internet wonderful !
Check these quotes out...
J. Corbett of the Superior Court of Justice for Ontario wrote that “no government may bring an action in defamation…Everyone should be free to criticize democratically elected governments, be they federal, provincial or local, without risking a defamation action…
“Without free speech, there is no free press. Without a free press, there is no free political debate. Without free political debate, there cannot be true democracy. Freedom, writ large, is a pillar of democracy… A law that restricts free speech, even slightly and for noble purposes, has some chilling effect…
“In a democracy, it is essential that the government be in the public domain, and be available for criticism of all kinds.
“…everyone has a right to voice her [sic] opinion, whether orally or in writing…
“It is in the very nature of a democratic government itself that precludes government from responding to criticism by means of defamation actions…
“The government may not imprison, or fine, or sue, those who criticize it…Litigation is a form of force, and the government must not silence its critics by force.
“…any legal restriction on freedom of expression about public affairs has a chilling effect on freedom of expression generally…”
Since you mentioned Nigel Kean I wanted to clear something up.
Nigel Kean did indeed start The Aurora Farmers Market with help from Mike Evans(Downtown merchant) and a resident who lives on Tyler.
I forget her name and my apologies.
There have been some errors printed in local papers and gossip to the contrary.
Georgina will still be out the money used to fund the initial lawsuit and that is a relatively cheap lesson. We, on the other hand, are still paying legal fees for past councillors and 2 still sitting, Can't point the finger at Georgina. But they are now much better informed and will want to blow off the anger. There are plenty of questions for their next meeting and those of the future.
Georgina could use a permanent blogger like Evelyn or the Citizen just so that the people who worked to get that by-law rescinded can stay in touch. The Georgina Forum might fit the bill if they prove to have staying power.
Dear Nigel 'led the charge' for a by-election because Dear Nigel believed he could be elected to the position himself. Himself had formed an alliance with Herself and never managed to shake it off.
Who is Nigel Kean?
Ya, After spending so many years attacking her, Nigel Kean also supported Morris' lawsuit as well.
He said beofre the 2010 election he would not run again and then he did run. He said after the last election that he would not run again... I guiess we'll just have to wait and see.
Why are you talking about Nigel? Isn't he the one that contacted Mormac to help in their defamation case by supplying some old press release he has 'saved, knowing it would one day be useful'?
Bet he never got rid of his Kean For Mayor signs. Could have been on this Council but decided to run for Mayor.
Worked well for us. There won't be another opportunity
knocking on his door.
To Anonymous, 3 February, 2012 2:35 PM.
Yes, that’s the same Nigel. The same one that ran for Mayor. Remember ? His name was brought up initially in an example that demonstrated how Morris did not always respect the will of the people. That point was made in response to an earlier comment.
Nigel fought to have a by-election held when Grace Marsh felt compelled to leave council due to her treatment at the hands of Morris. There was a bit of a digression that followed when I also pointed out how he was a long time vocal critic of Morris and then became a supporter of her lawsuit which was apparently intended (at least in the minds of most people I’ve ever talked to on this issue) to silence and / or punish her critics with the use of tax payer money. It’s all a messy web of politics. Sorry about that. Going forward I’ll try not to mention too many unpleasant references to the past but you know what happens when people forget what history has taught us!
12:42 PM
Maybe McLean wasn't a 'resident'? A number of Aurora's staff live in places like Bradford, maybe Grossi figured it was safe. It's also possible that the law firm goofed big time. Morris 'team' were extremely inept even though they charged huge hourly rates.
Aurora's very own Wrong-Way Corrigan, except that Wrong-Way only zigged once when he should have zagged. Nigel was doomed in his run for Mayor when someone posted a reference to "Dear Nigel" on the Citizen. It was from a supporter urging him to take the
proffered Councillor job of which he was assured given all the new faces. But he zigged.
Never heard why he would have favoured Morris' lawsuit but there were others, some of whom are wondering what happened to the spectacular trial they had been promised. Maybe someone is writing a book from the perspective of those who thought there would be a big pay day.
It is astonishing that this crap happened in the first place and makes one wonder what else has been going on? To give council credit for doing the right thing by voting to drop the lawsuit is ridiculous. They should never have considered such an issue nevermind voting in a bylaw (behind closed doors)that will idemnify the mayor for costs associated with an action that clearly was personal. They KNEW what they were doing was wrong THEN yet they still went ahead only dropping things when word got out. So how are we supposed to be able to trust our council in future. Will they engage in devious undertakings again if the risk ofgetting away with it is good? This is like a bunch of gloved thieves standing their with their hands just about to snatch the loot and the lights get turned on and weapons are drawn, and the thieves say oh, uh, maybe this isn't such a good idea as they walk backwards, and the ones the law gives them credit for changing their minds! Insane. Of course they changed their minds they were caught red handed! So the minds that plotted this and went ahead are still sitting on council! We're suppose to trust in this bunch?
I think the 10:05 AM comment is from someone in Georgina about their Council. But. given the similarities between Aurora's defamation and Georgina's, it is becoming difficult to differentiate. Maybe we should ask one or the other group to post an 'A' or 'G' ? Or maybe I'm the only one encountering problems ?
If it is from Georgina, looks like Mayor Grossi's troubles have not magically disappeared,
Georgina Forum is not going away either. They have some of the right questions. Evelyn can add her own. They want to know who voted how in the closed meetings in order to eliminate them next time around, which they will have trouble learning, They have learned that a by-law shouldn't have been passed in a closed meeting and they have learned that in other towns you know in advance when and where Council meetings are to be held. They claim you have to detective-work to find out about meetings. Whole lot of trouble coming up for Georgina. If anyone knows people there you can help. It would have been nice if Aurora had had help.
Meanwhile we pay the bills of our former and 2 current councillors. Our embarrassment.
G
OK i am from Georgina. 1 question for your guys. Have you ever had an apology from any of your Councils who screwed you up.?
8 PM
Georgina. No apology from any of the offenders. No explanation either, Good luck with the Grossi Council. Maybe you will fare better, but don't count on it.
For the person who suggested that perhaps MacLean wasn't a resident... John MacLean is indeed a resident and past director of Leisure Services for the town among the many other duties and charities and causes he championed. He is at the heart of the community in Georgina. He may be retired now, but for a great many residents, he will never be forgotten and will always be missed.
I believe the minutes of that closed meeting should be made open and available for everyone to see. We need to see who the rascals are on our town council, to ensure they never get elected again (let's start with Gross, Solowzy, and Davison) and the new CAO obviously isn't qualified for the job since she seemed to be unaware that a municipal government can't sue a resident for defamation.
Let's not have a repeat of the circus Aurora had last term, but this time in Georgina. Enough - let's get these clowns out.
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