I DO NOT USUALLY BLOG ABOUT CITY COUNCILS BUT AM DOING SO TODAY.
And it concerns my own Ottawa City Council.
Just this week, the Chair of the so-called "powerful" City Planning Board was forced to resign for a Conflict of Interest...she was found to have too close a relationship with one of the City's Developers.
When I say 'found' to be in a conflict of interest position it was the City's Ethics Commissioner - Robert Marleau, who concluded thus in his 101 page Report. He recommended that the councilor be fired from the Board, be docked pay, and that she repay the city for hiring the developer's daughter.
Several years ago, I was on a multi day / night management course with Robert Marleau (Bob) and found him to be a pretty good guy. He was then Head Clerk of Parliament. (Later, he would be a positive factor in my being able to return to Ottawa from PEI...it had to do with his arranging a reservation for me in the famous Parliamentary Restaurant which came under his authority).
In regard to his Report, the Mayor and his cronies voted against docking her pay and requiring the repayment but Council's Left Wing Progressives voted for it and screeched favouritism from the highest rafters.
The Mayor in casting his vote, noted that nowhere in Marleau's long report was there even 1 example of where the Councilor had favoured the Developer in any of her votes. So I agree with the position the Mayor took. But as 'they' correctly say, even the appearance of Conflict of Interest is sufficient reason for one to recuse oneself. So yes, her decision to resign was the correct and just thing to do.
But it got me to thinking....
Are not the five Progressive Councilors in a Conflict of Interest* too?
Note my Title today refers to the plural of Conflict of Interest.
For example, it has been reported that there are some 35 non-profit groups in existence to assist the meagre number of Ottawa's homeless. All supported by the generosity of our municipal taxpayers. As an aside, I have often wondered if it would not be of greater benefit to our homeless if we dismantled these 35 organizations and gave their tax-dollars directly to them?
In the Councilor's case, Marleau found that the Developer had donated money to her election campaigns. I would not be surprised if many of the above-noted non-profiters likewise donated to the Progressive 5. And, as mentioned ...the Developer's daughter worked in the Councilor's office. I wonder how many connected to the 35 are also employed in some capacity by the 5 and are therefore on the City's employment rolls.
I cannot prove any of this but I am highly suspicious. But the underlying issue remains; If it is wrong for a Developer to have a relationship with a Councilor why would it not also be wrong for Non-Profits to have relationships with the Progressive 5. In fact, the latter may be even worse, since those relationships would exclusively involve Tax-Payer Money.
Something to think about.
As I See It...
K.D. Galagher
