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| CHML's Billy Kelly |
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Guess it's not "off the table" lol
ReplyDeleteMr. Sarc
Watched the live-feed, what a clown posse council has become. Poor Gary, given the bum's rush.
ReplyDeleteThe shamble needs to be exposed. I just watched the live feed. It was an obvious set up. Watch carefully folks. Judy P. (chair for the GIC mtg) cuts Terry W. off but allows Sam M. exhausting time to go through Gary's entire presentation and pick it apart peice by piece. This was like watching a bad rehersed play. It was obviously rehersed. Gary was lured into bash fest. The line of questioning were an attack, and provided the tax payers with no assurances that they took this seriously. I guess it's ok for the city to sweep things under the rug and waste thousands of dollars of taxpayers money if they are not caught doing it until years later. "The ship has sailed", so let's move on Loyd F. said a few times. And it's ok that the WFT did not submit their accounting for 5 years because they were new. NO, that's not ok either. the WFT could have easily gone back and fudged the books. Come on folks, this is why we have accounting rules and principals. If there is nothing to hide, there should have been books filed on time. Councillors need to be responsible and ensure accountability for every penny they recieve from tax payers. Just because some time has lasped, it does NOT make it all go away.
ReplyDeleteThis is FAR from being "off the table". I for one would completely support a forensic audit. I would like to know about how contracts were awarded and if they too followed protocol. NOPE! I would like to know why the WFT no longer holds Wingfest. Heard some fishy stuff about this too.
For our council to be so disrespectful towards a concerned taxpayer representing many, they are most likely trying to cover their butts. They way they tried to dismiss this delegation, attack the presenter, and lack of clarity and transparency with respect to questions being asked about the WFT over these past sevearal months have raised more concern for me. THIS IS NOT OFF THE TABLE. I hope taxpayers/voters remember this come election time. The old boys club needs to be broken up. Our city is suffering because their bad behaviour.
Lisa B.
I just spent time that I can't get back, watching this fiasco. It was so wrong on so many levels.
ReplyDeleteIt was a bad dress rehearsal for a play that would tank the hour it is released. The staged Q/A's with Werner were awful. The attacks on Santucci were pitiful and Gary held his own. I think these GIC councilors, the ones who spoke, should be embarrassed.
I was very annoyed at Judi Partridge's performance as chair. She was critical of Gary leaving (wopuld you stay?) and acted as a cheer squad for Merulla at other times. She criticizes Santucci for leaving but watch the camera. There are many times where councillors left and thus had no quoruum. Why didn't Judi not identify that? S
This is a great case study of everything that is wrong with Hamilton. Grab some popcorn, watch the entertainment and then ask yourself if Mr. Santucci got the respect that he so deserved.
Hats off to Gary for being so classy in the face of such unprofessionalism.
To Clr. Farr- don't go into law.
Sorce
Bill did a great job as well. I love when he asked what the CRA would do if he decided not to hand in financials for years.
ReplyDeleteWow. They just don't get it do they? Stories about putting worms on hooks, while they can't even say what type of accounting they are using?
ReplyDeleteI watched the meeting and there is apparently a language barrier or intelligence barrier because every question was dealt except 2 or 3 and I think Merula asked the accounting guy to respond in written format. What are you guys talking about! It obviously apparent that the bloggers don't want to listen to the answers. Watch the tape and listen carefully. Wow!!
ReplyDeleteSantucci was advised to form a delegation and then the councilors gang up on him. I believe it is time for Patridge, Merulla and Farr to step down.
ReplyDeleteSusan from Dundas
what is it these councilors fear?The hundred thousand (their number)cost of a forensic audit?No that cant be it,they spend that and more on consultants on a whim all the time to tell them what they want to hear.the classic misdirection and concealment has failed them this time.Mr. Santucci,My respect goes to you,and to counselor Farr- you should have stuck to passing around the sandwiches.What a dud.
ReplyDeleteI could not stomache listening to the terrible way this was handled by Merulla and backed up by Partridge, who was supposedly the chair. Sam's thing seemed to be, yep they got an adverse audit , but they improved (to what extent-guess it doesn't matter to anyone but taxpayers), they lost their charitable status but got it back (as if it is a game and getting it back is good enough- no lessons to be learned here)...lol. It was just too funny. And even more hilarious is that he and Partridge might think they did a good job.
ReplyDeleteListen to the exchange with Terry Whitehead. It was much more meaningful and if you listen to Santucci's answers, you will understand what all this should have been about. Gary, thank-you for being the voice of the taxpayer. You got a little beaten up, but there are more taxpayers than councelors and we vote!
Urbanite
Let's see if I got this right. Rossini says that the cost of the bathroom was all mushed up in a whole bucket of money that included other things such as management fees etc.
ReplyDeleteSo, this tells me that Rossini does not know how much the bathroom costs- because the cost was all mixed in with other things.
So, he should be clearer and admit that he does not know how much it costs. He is saying it didn't cost as much as it was said to cost in the Bay Observer. But the truth is, whether it ended up costing that much or not, Rossini does not know.
So, his answer should have been "I can't say how much the bathroom costs". Rather than being used as a political tool.
I like Rob. But he made a mistake I think.
After reading the overview of the history surrounding the HWT that appears in the Bay Observer: (http://bayobserver.ca/waterfront-trust-whats-next/)
ReplyDeleteI feel that the HWT controversy is far more complicated than just their accounting procedures.
"Oh what a tangled web we weave...." springs to mind.
I think I would rather attempt to untangle fishing line after a tsunami.
How sad that Mr. Santucci took four hours out of his life to be subjected to the bullyish and boorish behaviour of Council. There is so much wrong with what I witnessed that it's hard to say anything that hasn't been thought by those who watched the slaying.
ReplyDeleteIf I could have but one wish it would be to replace my ward 2 councillor, Jason Farr, with Mr. Santucci.
Mr. Farr, you should be ashamed of yourself, as should Ms. Partridge. Truly shameful behaviour. Both should step down.