[Tuscani01]

Sounds like the muse... I wonder if it was...

Mayor lectures critic on excessive e-mails

By: Joseph Chin

April 24, 2008 12:15 PM - A vocal City Hall critic has had her knuckles rapped for allegedly wasting the City’s time with her constant queries.
Ursula Keuper-Bennett was attempting to ask a question at yesterday's Council meeting when she was interrupted by Mayor Hazel McCallion.
“Practically every week I’m getting letters from you that I have to refer to (the legal department). It’s very time consuming...and it’s on the same issue all the time. There comes a time when it is costing the taxpayers money,†McCallion told Keuper-Bennett, who writes a citizen blog for The Mississauga News.
Keuper-Bennett admits to sending the City, which she slams as “a secretive, shadowy force that has no oversight or accountability mechanisms in place,†at least eight e-mails so far this year.
She also acknowledges regularly trying to ferret out classified data through the Freedom of Information (FOI) process.
“I drop six FOIs at a time,†said the former schoolteacher, who registered to run for Council in the 2006 election, but ultimately withdrew.
Keuper-Bennett said she began writing City officials with her concerns about one year ago at the request of McCallion, who didn’t want to deal with the queries at Council meetings.
“(McCallion) said to send them to the City solicitor, and she’ll be happy to answer. The reality is, they’re not happy to answer,†said Keuper-Bennett.
Though unrepentant, Keuper-Bennett said she’ll begin curtailing her e-mails. Instead, she’s hit on another tack: pen a “report†to Council. That way, it will be appended to the agenda for all to read. At least, that’s what she hopes will happen.
“My e-mails weren’t being noticed anyway,†she said.
As for being lectured by McCallion, Keuper-Bennett was conciliatory and understanding after re-viewing her videotape. She regularly videotapes Council meetings.
“I have to say that I was struck with how gentle she was in her tone of voice. It was all ver reasonable and there was no attempt to intimidate.â€

 

[ShonTron]

It's her.

http://www.mississaugablogs.com/Mississauga_Musings/

 

[urbandreamer]

Some people have way too much time on their hands! What's the point of Mississauga, period?

 

[Dan416]

I believe there's some truth in what our Mississauga Muse says, but at the same time I think they're truths that we'd rather not hear/deal with.

 

[syn]

McCallion doesn't seem to grasp the "democracy" thing.

It's good of MM to do this on behalf of her fellow citizens.

 

[ShonTron]

Democracy? In Mississauga? McCallion?

Bwah hah hah hah hah ha ha!

Excuse me for just one second.

Ha hah ha hah ha ha ha!

Oh, mercy.

It sounds a bit like Rami Tabello pissing off staffers for actually doing their job through FOI requests. Only Muse is going after the eternal mayor with the media cult of personality. A big no no.

 

[syn]

^Can you imagine if it was Miller doing this and making those kinds of comments? We'd never hear the end of how evil he is.

 

[billonlogan]

Mayor McCallion and Mississauga Council is an elected body. If MM wants to be part of the solution why doesnt she just run for a seat on council or even Mayor? Using guerrilla tactics work the first few times but eventually to make things happen you need to be part of the process.

 

[Urban Shocker]

Her Bambi-meets-Savonarola routine was always more of a general holy-roller moral crusade than a focussed political initiative. On this forum, she seemed to live - and thrive - in a state of perpetual high dudgeon. Coming up with actual solutions to the vast government conspiracies she apparently unearthed was probably the last thing on her mind.

Finding that press release that said 87% of Mississaugans were "very or somewhat satisfied with their municipal government" is probably what finally pushed her over the edge.

 

[The Mississauga Muse]

Some people have way too much time on their hands! What's the point of Mississauga, period?

Hi there urbandreamer.

Before you pass judgement on someone having too much time on their hands, you might want to do the same research that I've been doing through Freedom of Information. And studying the agendas and minutes.

And sitting in on all Mississauga General Committee, Council, Audit and Budget committee meetings. And Peel General Committee and Council meetings.

 

[The Mississauga Muse]

I believe there's some truth in what our Mississauga Muse says, but at the same time I think they're truths that we'd rather not hear/deal with.

Coruscanti, you're absolutely right. You've hit it dead-on --although not just "some truth". So much of what I've uncovered is directly from Council's own words (videotape) or through Freedom of Information.

But that last part --"rather not hear/deal with."

I wish wish wish wish wish I didn't KNOW.

 

[The Mississauga Muse]

SeanTrans,

Love your maniacal laughter and especially the BWA HA HAH.

I don't understand what you wrote with:

"Only Muse is going after the eternal mayor with the media cult of personality. A big no no."

I know that no one challenges McCallion. It says that in the Hansard minutes. This part:

Mr. John R. Baird (Nepean-Carleton) "I've got to tell you that I was elected to this place, and the best political advice I have ever received from a member of this Legislature came from Gerry Phillips, the Chair of Management Board. He said there are three people you don't mess with. You don't mess with Don Cherry, you don't mess with Mel Lastman and you don't mess with Hazel McCallion."

I know that going after McCallion is a "A big no no". If the politicians are scared of her, well, I'm like a bug standing up to an approaching Orion V.

It's the part "media cult of personality" I'm not sure about. You mean because I use the nom de plume "The Mississauga Muse"?

 

[The Mississauga Muse]

Hi there billonlogan

You wrote:

Mayor McCallion and Mississauga Council is an elected body. If MM wants to be part of the solution why doesnt she just run for a seat on council or even Mayor?

Are you suggesting that for citizens to voice opinions or research municipal governance they have to run for office?

Or for Mayor? Mississauga hasn't even managed to attract a legitimate politician with guts enough to challenge McCallion and you suggest regular citizens run for office?

Have you heard Parrish read John Stewart's comments about the staggering odds against for a challenger of an Incumbent?

Being part of the solution doesn't mean running for office. It can mean serving on citizen committees. But get this. They wouldn't want me. I've asked to serve on the Mississauga Crime Prevention Association and I still haven't heard back.

Using guerrilla tactics work the first few times but eventually to make things happen you need to be part of the process.

Agree completely. That's why I'm doing such deep research into municipal governance. Not just Mississauga. FOIing other municipalities in Ontario and elsewhere.

For comparative purposes.

I don't know if I've mentioned it here but I'm researching for a book. We just finished the manuscript/photos for one we did on sea turtles. And this is our next project.

To give you an idea. The sea turtle research took us from 1989. We felt we had enough data to finally sit down to write in 2002.

This next one stands to take forever too --and not near as "pleasant".

 

[Dan416]

I'm very surprised and heartened that the Mississauga News took your side, MM, in their editorial today.

 

[The Mississauga Muse]

Hi again billonlogan,

Just want to go back to this:

"Using guerrilla tactics work the first few times but eventually to make things happen you need to be part of the process."

I don't believe that Accountability and Transparency at the municipal level in the Province of Ontario is achievable. There's a reason why they say "You can't fight city hall".

(If you only knew... and you don't. Because I'd rather not have found out.)