It may be easy to fault the City Council for poor communication with its residents. After all, finding information on the City website is horrendously challenging, the councillors do not send out concise, informative newsletters, no  regular communication system between Council and citizens exists. So the Council deserves criticism at this communication shortfall.

However, pointing the finger of blame solely at the Council is a big mistake. Residents also deserve blame for not being active recipients of information when it is offered in some way. The Mayor and some of the Councillors hold Town Halls, so poorly attended by the public, one can feel the frustration of the Mayor and Councillors at the poor attendance at these events. Calling it citizen apathy may be overstating it, but there is some validity to the application of that label to the citizens. Voter turnout numbers confirm citizen disinterest in municipal affairs. Of course, voters have other responsibilities in their lives but voting should be a planned priority and inexcusable for not voting given all the means by which a citizen can vote.

Voter turnout at town halls demonstrates the level of priority given to municipal affairs among the residents. Again, personal responsibilities can be planned and rescheduled for the hour or two needed for the Town Hall.

This Council – Community communication interaction is a two sided coin with both sides seriously at fault for its failure. Council can easily solve their end of the process. There are numerous easy and practical solutions to their communication inadequacies.

The other side of the coin, community disinterest is much more difficult to resolve. How does one prod citizenry into taking an interest how their City is governed? How do you persuade citizenry to become actively involved in policy development as offered by the City regularly? How do you convince residents that it is in their own best interest to take an hour and get involved in policy development in their own City?

The blame for poor communication between citizens and Council is two sided but the bulk of the blame falls on the residents more than the Council. Council has some communication processes in place, inferior as they may be but there is no excuse for the lack of active participation in municipal affairs for residents. 

Drop the TV remote for an evening and get involved in your City government may be a justifiable clarion call to the City’s residents.

What do you think? [ Comments can be made in the REPLY BOX at the bottom of the post. ]

This is not a criticism or condemnation of the Council of the City of Pickering. We just want to hear a straightforward, concise description of what they have done for us to justify their average salary of $40,ooo?

[Also see ADDENDUM at bottom of post]

Each month, we invite the Mayor and the City of Pickering councillors to write a short message to readers from the City of Pickering. We ask them to write a news update about the events, the news, and the things residents should hear about in their area. We received ONE response only. (To avoid causing any member of the council embarrassment, that respondent will remain unnamed. Their response is appreciated and will be published in the June newsletter.)

Here’s what we want to learn:

• What specific work have you done in the past couple of months?
  [ Attending events, public ceremonies does not count.]

• What work have you done that residents should hear about?
  [Sitting on a committee does not count]

• What have you specifically done to improve living in Pickering?
  [Attending council meetings is assumed]

• What have you specifically done that residents should know about?
• What have you done that would justify your salary along with all the benefits, perks and ancillary accoutrements that go with it?

_________________

We are sending this notification to the Mayor and each Councillor and will publish the response we receive if it is received by June 3rd.

ADDENDUM
The Council should be criticized and censured for its lack of succinct and concrete communication with their constituents. We pay their salaries, so it is incumbent on them to account for what they are doing. Without this crucial communication, citizens do not know what councillors are doing, nor how things are being done in the city. Public celebrations like ARTFEST and SHOPS OF PICKERING CENTRE are fluff, mere icing on the cake to make people feel like things are happening. But what about the meet and potatoes aspects of the City….problems like the homeless, auto theft, food bank use, drug incidents, traffic chaos, and more. What have you heard Kevin Ashe, Maurice Brenner, Shaheen Butt, Linda Cook, Mara Nagy, Dave Pickles, and Lisa Robinson been doing in regard to any of those things?

Ultimately he is trying to build upon land in Northeast Pickering often referred to a the Carruthers Creek Headwaters which is land that is only zoned for farming and rural purposes.  Ashe wrote this letter without discussion with any of Pickering Council by using the Strong Mayors powers granted by the Ford government.

Sounds like Mayor Ashe is trying to consolidate his Super Powers capacity by using home building as the excuse. Sure would be nice to hear from other councillors on this but they are likely intimidated by the Mayor and his power and won’t be responding to this letter the Mayor has sent to the Prov. Government.

Read Mayor Ashe’s letter below:

So what is a billion? 

 
If I give you $1 billion and you stand on a street corner handing out $1 per second,
twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, you would still not have handed out
$1 billion after 31 years!

Now read on. This is true and rather hard to really understand.

The next time you hear a politician use the word ‘billion’ in a casual manner, think about
whether you want the ‘politicians’ spending YOUR tax money.
A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job
of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.

1. A billion seconds ago, it was 1959.
2. A billion minutes ago, Jesus was alive.
3. A billion hours ago, our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
4. A billion days ago, no-one walked on the earth on two feet.
5. A billion Dollars ago was only 13 hours and 12 minutes, at the rate our present government
is spending it.    We spend more on servicing the debt  than  on Health.    

We are charged:
·Stamp Duty
·Tobacco Tax
·Corporate Income Tax
·Income Tax
·Council Tax
·Unemployment Tax
·Fishing License Tax
·Petrol/Diesel Tax
·Inheritance Tax (tax on top of tax)
·Alcohol Tax
·G.S.T.
·Property Tax
·Purchase Property Tax
·Tax on Title Searches
·Tax on Building Inspections
·Tax on supplements
·Taxes on various food items
·Taxes on Dining out
·Tax on all utilities – Phone, hydro, water, waste disposal
·Service charge taxes
·Social Security Tax
·Vehicle License / Registration Tax
·Vehicle Sales Tax
·Workers Compensation Tax
·And now Carbon Tax   increasing steadily till 2030 

AND I’m sure you can think of more……
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

Not one of these taxes existed years ago, and our nation was one
of the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt.
 

We had the largest middle class in the world.
A criminal’s life was uncomfortable.
What on earth happened?    We can do better. 

The government  lost its way  but we believed them –   elected them,   you decide. 

It  is up to each one of us.       It will get worse unless we all  do something.

I hope this goes around CANADA

Food bank lines prove we’ve lost our way

Toronto Star, May 12, 2024
NICK SAUL AND VALERIE TARASUK
CONTRIBUTORS

The long lineups of bundle buggies, anxiety and despair in front of churches and social service organizations in our cities and towns are impossible to miss. These food lines are some of the most visible signs of a society that’s lost its way, but the reality is they represent a fraction of the crisis at hand. Statistics Canada’s recently released data reveals that we have never had such high rates of food insecurity in the nation’s recorded history.

Nearly a quarter of Canadians report going without food, compromising on the quality of their groceries or being worried about where their next meal will come from. That’s close to nine million people and a 26 percent uptick from last year. These numbers are far worse for one-parent families, single working-age adults, people living with a disability, and Black and Indigenous communities. Not only are more people joining the ranks of the food insecure, levels of deprivation are growing. For example, the number of people who report not always being able to afford enough to eat rose by 50 percent this year — that’s 2.3 million people across the country. Consider the impact on our health care system. As research shows, people who are food insecure are much more likely to have mental and physical health problems and much less likely to have the disposable income to manage these problems. Food-insecure people turn up in higher numbers at doctor’s offices, emergency departments, and hospital wards. When they are hospitalized, they end up staying longer and are more likely to be readmitted. All of their health problems are intensified as the severity of food insecurity worsens.

Food insecurity is inextricably linked to inadequate and insecure incomes. More and more people simply do not have enough money to make ends meet. Low wages and scant benefits, as well as grossly inadequate provincial and territorial social assistance programs, contribute to the gap between incomes and living costs. It’s a problem that’s been festering for years, but cost increases for food, shelter, fuel, and other necessities have pushed millions over the brink.

The sheer scale of this crisis demands a national response. The good news is we already know the key policy levers at the federal level to address it. The research is unequivocal: direct income investments reduce food insecurity, improve health, and help foster a more equitable society.

Unfortunately, the recent federal budget failed to deliver on this score. Although the government committed to investing in critical areas of social infrastructure, such as affordable housing and pharmacare, the gravity of this historic moment was not met. Even the launch of the Canada Disability Benefit fell miles short: a meagre $ 200-a-month benefit that is difficult to access and won’t hit people’s pockets until July 2025.

What we need is immediate action. This starts with the federal government committing to slash food insecurity in half and eliminate severe food insecurity altogether by 2030. Achieving this target will require bold policies. Low-income Canadians must have adequate and stable incomes — whether they are in the workforce or not.

Expanding the Canada Worker Benefit into a new Canada Working Age Supplement would begin to build greater inclusion and health for this often-overlooked demographic. Increasing the Canada Disability Benefit and transforming the GST credit into a new Groceries and Essentials Benefit could also help us to establish a more dignified baseline for our most vulnerable citizens.

The dispiriting emergency food lines and the crushing desperation won’t go away without action. We know what is required. Let’s get to work.

[Read the full article:  FOOD BANKS ]
[ NICK SAUL IS CEO OF COMMUNITY FOOD CENTRES CANADA. ]
[ VALERIE TARASUK IS PROFESSOR EMERITA AND INVESTIGATOR OF FOOD INSECURITY POLICY RESEARCH AT U OF T. ]

[ We invite your comments. We may consider forwarding them to FORD, TRUDEAU and the relative elected officials and the appropriate government ministers. ]

The City of Pickering received more than $5 million from the Provincial Government for achieving and surpassing the home building objectives. Bully for it….are the home prices going to be at attainable levels for the average home buying purchaser? Given the inflationary rates of our times and the baffle gab the various governments offer as their solutions, none on these hopeful buyers will be buying any home unless they can do some magical cash achievement.

Any kudos being considered for Kevin Ashe, Mayor of Pickering, for reaching these home building goals should be balanced with some unarguable criticism: has the City considered the seriousness of the impact those home constructions will have on the City, its traffic congestion, its transit use, its emergency response facilities, parking facilities? These criticisms could be catastrophic in the making but the City once again fails to give keep its citizens well informed. Who knows what plans are in the making to deal with the negative repercussions of all this home building? The City sure doesn’t inform people or if it does, it does so with ‘Council Minutes’ that only a lawyer or accountant might be able to decipher. The average resident, fuggedaboutit.

Read more in Glenn Hendry’s column “Housing target bonuses easy money for Pickering“

What do you think?

To Whom it May Concern:

Disruptive delegates deflect Council focus from City municipal agenda.

City of Pickering Council meetings have recently been disrupted by unruly, discourteous and disruptive delegates. The delegate process in order to address the council has a specific procedure. Prospective delegates must apply to receive speaking approval and then they are supposedly bound by regulations as to duration of speaking and topic they may address. Because certain delegates have been abusing these regulations, the Pickering City Council has passed new regulations regarding delegates. Basically, the regulations further limit who can be delegates, loss of photo taking permission and emphasis that they must abide by delegate regulations.

Read the full details at –> DELEGATES

Comment
Delegate approval should be given to those who ‘skin in the game’ only (are City of Pickering taxpayers). However, proper delegate decorum should be a given and those who do not abide by the regulations should be removed from the delegate podium. End of story.

[Comments/opinions may be added at the end of the post.]

The BYLAW:
Tribute (Brookdale) Limited has submitted Pre-Submission Applications for Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment for the Brookdale Centre to permit a multi-phased, high-density, mixed-use residential development consisting of six buildings containing fourteen residential towers ranging in height from 17 to 35 storeys within four phases. A total of 5,238 residential units are proposed, including 7,149 square metres of retail/commercial space, and a 716 square metres daycare facility. 

The purpose of the Official Plan Amendment is to increase the maximum residential density from 140 units per hectare to no maximum, and to increase the maximum Floor Space Index (FSI) from 2.5 to 5.0.

__________________

The 75 Towers that Ashe vehemently denied is looking closer to the truth.  Where is all the retail outlets going to be located in Pickering?  I do believe there is a Food Basics, Home Depot, Shoppers Drug and many smaller retail outlets in this proposed area.  What is to become of them?  The traffic which is already terrible is going to become on big parking lot.____________________________________Mike Borie

__________________

There may “ eventually” be retail there to support those new residents. 

Some people would have you believe that endless growth and development is a wonderful thing and a sign of prosperity. I, on the other hand, left behind my life in Toronto for the quiet life in the Town of Pickering, outside Metropolitan Toronto boundaries. Now, those borders have been transcended to the point that the only thing separating us from Toronto is the Rouge River valley.

More that 50 later, the spectre of highrise development is upon us. 30,40,50 story buildings all along the 401 corridor. The only problem with this is trying to infill land around what a small town has built up over a century. It fundamentally changes  everything. It forces small businesses to relocate when plazas and vacant land are sold off. It makes getting around to shop more difficult, as all the subdivisions require getting out to Kingston Rd., Brock Rd., Whites Rd., Liverpool Rd., etc. This is archaic planning. If you were building from scratch like in Dubai, then everything can be planned accordingly with the proper infrastructure, sort of what will be accomplished in Seaton if you like what you see at Taunton and Whites Rd.

Our Planning and Zoning laws are only limited by the depth of the developers’ pockets.  Politicians get elected but don’t tell us their hidden plans. Mr. Ford comes up with the novel idea of special Mayors’ powers. Mayor Ashe says he won’t take these powers if elected, gets elected, and takes the special powers.

Our elected Council can only follow the planning process and then have their decisions taken to the Ontario Land Tribunal which usurps our Pickering Council. The former OMB, Ontario Municipal Board, was pretty tough on local decision-making, but then it transformed into LPAT, a somewhat tougher Local Planning Act Tribunal. Now we have the OLT, Ontario Land Tribunal, and the public has all but been shut out of this process which it has tried to navigate it.

As Mr.Ford would say,  “that’s politics folks.” We are creatures of habit and keep repeating the same mistakes. _____________________Paul White

________________________

“Even a broken clock is right twice a day. “

[ Comments or opinions may be added at the end of the post.]

Unfortunately, Councillor Lisa Robinson set an aura for herself when she took unique positions about marginalized group recognition and symbolic flag waving at public institutions about a year ago. It may be impossible for her to remove that aura. However, the Councillor has some validity in her most recent video statement made on YouTube at ROBINSON STATEMENT

The text of what was broadcast is as follows, with the highlighting indicating points to consider rather than merely as face value:

_______________________

Robinson’s Council Highlights April 22^nd, 2024

Monday’s Council meeting had only 10 attendees. In a 5 to 1 vote, I dissented from adopting the minutes of previous meetings due to concerns about omitted details, censorship changes, and potential manipulation of recordings. I proposed employing an independent source for recording meetings to ensure transparency.

The Mayor, after announcing the first item on the agenda being the Integrity Commissioners Annual report, sarcastically stated “This should be Fun,” and then proceeded to insult me by saying he was going to have me on a short leash, like some kind of animal,

The Integrity Commissioner’s “Annual” report, which hasn’t been received annually for at least 4 years, raised questions. In which I was told it was generally/kinda/sorta an annual report. I challenged why the IC made a recommendation to forbid any delegates from speaking to any IC recommendation reports, and while trying to get a straight answer, the IC admitted that this suggestion was only made to the City of Pickering and not made to any other of her clients unless asked. I further tried to question the report, but I kept getting shut down by both the mayor and IC.  After much research, I found out that this report is nothing more than a generic template and lacks focus on Pickering. Calling it Pickering’s Annual Report is nothing short of being very misleading to the public.

Council backed Saint Catherines’ petition for more funding for museums and libraries. I questioned this motive, as it’s unrelated to Pickering or Durham. The Mayor also labelled it urgent in his recap

I attempted to rescind the over $30,000 approval for chamber artwork, questioning the selection process as it did not go out to a call for artists for competition. Despite my efforts, the motion was not seconded, and the Mayor refused to relinquish his seat in order to do so.

Another issue was the commission of another $80,000 public art project at Kingston Rd and Whites. Recently, we have approved bringing 3 art projects in at over $170,000. In a 5 to 1 vote, I was the only one who advocated for prioritizing community needs, lowering property taxes, fixing roads and playgrounds, and preventing crime over decorative distractions.

I opposed the advancement of 1525 Pickering Parkway due to insufficient parking. Selling 571 units without parking for 256 of those units neglects community needs and exacerbates street parking and safety concerns. I also commented that none of the members of council would be willing to give up their cars, so why are we assuming that the people of Pickering will? In my opinion, not having a parking space is not going to make your investment more affordable like the politicians, and developers want you to think. Follow the money.

I voted against tax rates and due dates, criticizing the undemocratic Strong Mayors budget process in which the council was excluded and the unnecessary spending on things like non-essential projects and consultants, which could have prevented the 2024 tax hike.

We supported a seasonal patio program for the open studio art café in Nautical Village. I suggested exploring its extension to other restaurants/café’s in Pickering.

I proposed dividing the recommendation to provide extra grants to the Pentecostal Church and the Pickering Caribbean Canadian Cultural Association, granting the CAO and treasurer the authority to increase minor grant amounts from 250 to 2000 without council approval. Unfortunately, my colleagues refused to divide it, resulting in my vote not accurately reflecting my support for the grants, but not for the lack of transparency surrounding the high increase to be given out without the council’s approval.

____________________

Two motions were presented to name a new or unnamed city property after former mayors John E. Anderson and Wayne Arthurs. I suggested considering naming rights for public facilities to generate revenue for the city and exploring alternative ways to honor Pickering politicians in the best interest of its residents.

And lastly, A motion was presented, in my view, in a sneaky, underhanded manner regarding the exclusion of non-Pickering residents as meeting delegates even though we have 4 members of the council who sit in the region. Despite lacking urgency or our usual procedure, it received 5 to 1 support from the council, which I find concerning, as this motion seems aimed at suppressing dissenting voices unless they align with favoured narratives. Over the last few months, we’ve reduced delegate time from 10 to 5 minutes, eliminated the question and answer period, prohibited attendees from recording meetings, and now the disallowance of non-Pickering residents as delegates with few exceptions, We also removed any Pickering residents delegations, from being able to register ten days in advance for items not listed on an agenda. This, my friends, represents censorship and undemocratic practices and marks the onset of a new era of council censorship, silencing the voices of the people.  That’s it for Robinson’s Council Highlights, Thank you for watching and God Bless

____________________

Official Statement:

The recent behaviour of Mayor Kevin Ashe, including derogatory remarks towards residents and non-residents of Pickering, such as labelling them as “nut cases,” “crazies,” and “right-wing conspiracy theorists,” is entirely unacceptable and condemnable. His online conduct, which includes bullying, intimidation, and name-calling, is not only unbecoming of his position but also deeply concerning.

Furthermore, Mayor Ashe’s hypocritical actions, purportedly advocating for mental health while engaging in behaviour that exacerbates it, are particularly troubling. His behaviour does not reflect the values of our community or the responsibilities of his position.

Therefore, I call for Mayor Kevin Ashe to step down from his position, as he has demonstrated that he is unfit to hold such a position of authority and responsibility.

I extend my sincerest apologies to all my supporters who have been bullied and called names by the Mayor and fellow councillors. No one should have to endure such treatment, especially from those in positions of power and authority.

It is one thing to have a dissenting opinion, but insulting, name-calling, bullying, and intimidating those who do is beyond disgusting. Such behaviour has no place in our community or in our council chambers. We must uphold the principles of respect, integrity, and inclusivity in all our interactions and condemn any actions that seek to undermine these values.

Thank you.

________________________

There is growing grumbling and dissatisfaction with the dynamics of the current City of Pickering Council.
[Comments and counterpoints can be written at the bottom of the post.]

From the statements of certain Councillors to some of the Mayor’s actions and words, there is a growing concern with the current City of Pickering Council.

Councillor Lisa Robinson may have freed the genie from the bottle with her flag-waving and marginalized group endeavours from a year or so ago. Robinson’s actions and statements, arguably justified, seem to be a prod for more equitable recognition of outsider groups, from Blacks to LGBTQ+. Though some may question Robinson’s stand, (grand standing?) they should pay attention to her underlying messages. Robinson is doing more than poking fingers into political and civic leaders’ chests. She is questioning the processes and procedures used by political institutions. Her finger prodding seems to have touched the sensitivities of more than one leader, though Mayor Ashe comes to the fore in this regard.

First, it is crucial to underline that Councillor Robinson needs to give more consideration to the questions she raises. Sometimes, her questions spark emotional and social turmoil needlessly. Sometimes, they touch areas that need questioning. No one opposes her right to free speech, but free speech must be regulated and sometimes even limited. You may have the right to say “Fire” in a crowded theatre, but no one would agree you should have the freedom to do so. You may have the right to say the word “nigger,’ but no one would agree you should.

However, Councillor Robinson seems to act a little too impetuously to the detriment of her surroundings, Councillors and citizenry. She may have some valid points in some areas that she questions, but should the questions be raised at all? Perhaps she might benefit from some emotional sensitivity and social awareness training sessions to raise her consciousness about the impact her words and actions may have on the community.

Be all that as it may, Robinson may have burst the damn of political intransigence and continuation of old tropes. Perhaps the best-before date of the “old boys’ club” pontifications is long past and should be modified or, better yet, trashed. She may have been voted to the table along with other females, but her permission to speak may be somewhat in question as evidenced by some recent words and actions of Mayor Ashe.

At a recent Council meeting, when a delegate got somewhat carried away with her statement and the attending audience became somewhat rowdy in support, Mayor Ashe responded with some name-calling, “nutcase,” followed by cutting off her mike. 

Again, in a recent Council meeting, which was open to the public, Ashe was overheard saying things like, “This should be fun,” and that he would keep a certain councillor on a “short leash.”

As much as some people may see these kinds of remarks as arguably trivial, others see them as systemic issues, problems that may be indicative of misogynistic undertones. Perhaps the Mayor and Council members need to consider some anger and social awareness training also. Many of us would benefit from joining those sessions.

On another note, when exploring how our public officials seem a little lagging in fulfilling their responsibilities, the Integrity Commissioner is supposed to provide public annual reports. When criticized for lagging in this responsibility, he lamented about an overload of work as he was Integrity Commissioner for Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, and all of Durham. This kind of begs the question: Is such a lamentation appropriate for a civil servant at such a level? 

The point of this whole missive is that we all need to examine our behaviour more closely. The Internet and Social Media’s anonymity and immediacy have made it too easy to criticize others in ways that Granny would never have permitted. We need Granny to come back and remind us about respect, proper decorum, and sensitivity.

Council approves “DELEGATION RIGHTS”

Concern over DELEGATES’ SPEAKING RIGHTS
Just a concern over the motion approved tonight concerning new rules surrounding delegating before Pickering Council.  Residents not having access to the motion put forth by Councillor Pickles and seconded by Councillor Nagy in a timely manner to the actual motion’s wording did not have adequate time to consider if they wanted to speak towards this motion was wrong. Second, what is to become of people that do not live in Pickering but do work 40 to 50 hours weekly within the boundaries of the City of Pickering?  How about non residents of Pickering that own business(s) within the city of Pickering and do pay taxes to the city of Pickering?
                                                                                                      Mike Borie
____________________

REPLY: All Pickering taxpayers have the right to speak at Council Meetings as delegates

Hi Mike,

All these concerns are addressed in the text of the motion. 

As Mayor Ashe read out, any and all taxpayers (including business owners) are able to delegate, no issue; for anyone with a concern about something before them who lives outside the city of Pickering (for example the delegation we had about stopping the use of rodenticides last year), they can email any member of council to seek to delegate, and can delegate with a mover and seconder.

If an issue at hand would impact a neighbouring resident, such as an Ajax resident in regards to a development for example, they will be given leave to delegate. 

This motion is designed so that these exact examples you point out are given a genuine opportunity to speak and be heard. 

Mara Nagy (she/her)

City Councillor | Ward 2 

____________________

REPLY: Response to Councillor Nagy

My concerns of not even knowing that this was going to be a motion in a timely manner, such as no notice at all as it was not contained in the agenda, made it so that I as a resident of Pickering was not able to even decide if I wanted to speak to the motion (delegate).  Even the 2/3 vote by the council to allow the motion does not account for any resident voices as residents could not, were unable, to even contact their councillors before the meeting to express their questions and concerns.  One may begin to wonder if Councillors have become mind readers and are able to know how all their residents would feel about this surprise motion.  What happened tonight with the passing of this motion was very undemocratic, not at all transparent to residents, not timely and simply wrong.  There was no urgency to pass this motion and could have been discussed at the next Council meeting.  Thank you, those Councillors that voted for this motion, for removing my and many other residents’ voices concerning the surprise motion.   Even the reading of the motion by Mayor Ashe was not clear as he stumbled on many words and phrases which to me and others certainly left the motion unclear.  Listens to the recording when Mayor Ashe reads the motion as I have.  Council should have given notice of a new motion at the end of the meeting as is correct method of presenting a new motion.  Thank you, Mara Nagy, Kevin Ashe, David Pickles, Maurice Brenner, and Shaheen Butt, for removing my democratic chance to voice my opinion once again (residents have no idea what Councillor Cook feels with this issue because she was not in attendance).
                                                                                                Mike Borie

____________________

RESPONSE: Re delegates’ speaking rights

Well said Mike . I find it rather hypocritical considering Pickering Council has allowed many delegates to speak in chambers from other areas when it serves them or adopted motions or letters from other regions like Aurora  previously or St Catherine’s tonight.
                                                                                                Brenda Adams
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RESPONSE: Re delegates’ speaking rights

Mara 

So that the public can better understand this motion could you please provide a copy of it for everyone to review.  

Thank you. 
                                                                                      Craig Bamford CPA, CA

____________________

Good morning Craig,

Happy to do so – please find attached the motion as it reached all councillors’ supplemental information packages just ahead of our meeting yesterday evening.

Thanks!
                                                                              Mara Nagy (she/her)
                                                                             City Councillor | Ward 2 

____________________

RESPONSE: Re delegates’ speaking rights

Thank you Councillor Nagy for your reply. I and many other residents have expressed our concern to our elected representatives about the state of how Council meetings have deteriorated when certain issues are on the agenda. I also approve of certain requirements being placed on non-resident delegations to enable the Council to carry out the business of the day. The cost to the taxpayers of Pickering to allow outside delegates to waste precious time on matters that do not pertain to the agenda business must be stopped immediately. The motion introduced by Councillor Pickles addresses that concern. I just listened to the entire segment of the Council meeting of April 22,2024 in reference to delegations. Hopefully it will bring some semblance of sanity and decorum back to its rightful place in Council.

The City of Pickering has recently released the financial accounting of councillor expenditures. These are always interesting and revealing. Residents can see how councils manage their office budgets.

An important caveat
It is very important to note that these reports were produced prior to the tighter controls imposed by the council on spending. Any figures posted in these reports have met city regulatory standards though they may seem extravagant or out of line.

Examination of any one council and concluding that the councillor’s expenditures are out of whack in comparison to other councillors leads to erroneous conclusions. All Pickering Councillor expenditures are gauged by the City’s regulation and no councillor has a report that has not been approved at the time of financial statement filing.

On another note
How a councillor spends their office budget is another question. Some councillors see the need for more communication with their constituents. Hence, they use other means such as mailers, door-to-door distribution and even advertising in local newspapers (Metroland, News Advertiser no longer publish print editions). Some councillors rely on personally developed and commercial or digit distribution of the material. Again, this is their prerogative and a commendable means of keeping their ward’s residents informed.

In any case, residents should be aware of how their elected representatives are doing their job and more importantly, how they are keeping their voters informed. Some councillors are doing outstanding work in these regards. 

“I pose a threat to the status quo. I fearlessly expose the corruption that runs rampant in our city hall, and I am shin­ing a light on the abuse of power by both staff and coun­cil members. And for this, I have become the target of their malicious attacks.”

PICKERING COUNCILLOR LISA ROBINSON ON BEING ACCUSED OF PRO­MOTING HOMOPHOBIA AND TRANSPHOBIA [Toronto Star, Apr. 6, 2024]

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The turmoil and disruption caused by Councillor Lisa Robinson just will not go away. Maybe it shouldn’t as there may be something to what she says. However, making such a statement without hard evidence, is simply a muckraking, irresponsible declaration. 

Such statements from any elected politician have value only if there is evidence to support the claim. If there is evidence, lets hear it so everyone benefits: Pickering residents, Pickering municipal councillors and all politicians.

Otherwise, making such statements without supportive evidence is not only yellow journalism but is slanderous causing unnecessary turmoil and problems for everyone concerned. 

Either make the case with evidence or go away. The residents and municipal civil servants of the City of Pickering deserve better than this.

Your opinions and comments are invited.

COUNTERPOINT

With gratitude, 
Lisa Robinson
City Councillor
Ward 1
City of Pickering

The dog photo in this article is an untrained, aggressive dog who has an irresponsible owner/master.

Dog ownership has many rewards but irresponsible dog ownership is unacceptable.

Dogs are pack animals that respond well to positive and constructive training and a dog who has been trained is a rewarding pet. By its nature, a dog tries to please its master. Just watch how attentive, well-trained and responsive a dog becomes when given a clear command by a responsible master.

Trained dogs are great pets. Untrained dogs are ticking time bombs.

Dogs like the one in the photo at the top of the page are lousy pets because they have been allowed to be untrained, not knowing what to do or what they cannot do. Dogs are animals that will act naturally if untrained. They are not sophisticated thinkers but will become defensive at the spur of the moment. Defensive may mean an aggressive posture. The dog is defending itself by projecting a fearsome, aggressive face. Pushed a little, this dog may attack, but again, the attack is a defensive response. Nevertheless, an attack is an attack and any dog is capable of brutal aggression causing serious injury. Even my cute little Scottish Terrier is capable of inflicting serious injury even though he is small and seemingly safe.

Irresponsible dog owners who do not heed the cautionary message stated above, should not be allowed dog freedoms. Dogs of these owners should be reported and the City bylaws about dangerous dogs should be enforced. These owners should lose their dog, have them removed to an animal shelter ready for adoption by responsible owners.

This all boils down to two things: 

• Well trained dogs are acceptable ‘citizens’ of the city;
• Untrained dogs are a danger to everyone and should not be allowed.

Read the full article about aggressive dogs in TorSTAR article –> DOGS

City of Pickering has budgeted $900,000 for modifying and maintaining its new website (delivery sometime in 2024). This is absolutely insane if taken at face value.

Every web design and managing company has been astounded by this budget figure. The public has not received any explanation of the figure, nor any details about how this fee can be justified. Most average single-owned websites cost a few thousand dollars per year, corporate sites are a few thousand more. All this suggests that the City of Pickering site costs should be significantly lower.

However, the City of Pickering has allotted $900,000 for its site, with no explanation or justification to the public.

This is insane, and a gross misuse of public funds.

What do you think?