[The Mississauga Muse]

LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT YAAAAAYYYY Jim Coyle of The Toronto Star! His article, "Look before leaping into spin trade" or as I, The Mississauga Muse would name it, "Spin-- The #1 ReasonWhy Municipalities Need Our Ontario Ombudsman Dancing on Their Pointy Heads"

Mr. Coyle cites a great example here with Brampton's Corporate Spin regarding a City of Brampton ad seeking a Spinmeister. Brampton's Puff-Puffery like "positioned itself as a global economic contender." and "ability to develop key messaging for multiple and diverse stakeholders." is *pshaw* nothing compared to The Corporation of the City of Mississauga --the Poster Municipality of what Ontario Ombudsman refers to as "Puffery" (I call "Puffery" Perfuming then Painting Shit Pink ( P.P.S.P.) but I'd never say that publicly because I'm a lady. So I just call it Lying.)

Regarding P.P.S.P. Andre Marin stated:

"I’m referring to what has become an all-too-familiar and rampant refrain among government organizations. On the one hand, the actions of a Ministry, agency, board or commission are decried as shabby or incompetent. On the other, the reaction from the organization is to sideline the issue and proclaim itself “world class,” or an “international leader”– as if erecting a sign saying “I’m the best and the greatest” will assuage those who have suffered from neglect and maladministration"

Here's Mississauga PUFFery --> Mississauga Puff'in It

Before reading Mr. Coyle, one last quote from Ontario Ombudsman, Andre Marin:

"Millions of Ontarians are at the mercy of a special kind of Big Brother – the hospitals, the long-term care facilities, the children’s aid societies and the like are
cleverly guised as “private entities” and deemed off-limits to proper checks and balances. Big Brother has his hand firmly planted in our back pocket – government revenues his lifeline; unaccountability his refuge."

You see, the irony is that even other municipalities are victims of Municipal SpinMeisters. Here's Mississauga dumping on another municipality while puffing up itself.


Now you're ready for Jim Coyle.

Look before leaping into spin trade

Toronto Star
Aug 04, 2007 04:30 AM
Jim Coyle

The City of Brampton was advertising this week for a senior adviser in "issues management" and the ad itself was instructive in the topic at hand.

The city, it said, has now "positioned itself as a global economic contender." Which, of course, sounded wonderful. Until you thought a bit about what, if anything, the phrase actually meant.

There, in a nutshell, is the cheating heart of issues management.

It is the business of portraying your own glass as not just half full, but perpetually brimming, of making daily silk purses out of endless sows' ears, of "positioning yourself" as the provider of two chickens in every pot (or a vegetarian alternative if preferred).

Among other qualifications, the successful applicant in Brampton will have the "ability to develop key messaging for multiple and diverse stakeholders."

This is the business of what is now known as "spin." The "father of spin" was Edward Bernays. He was an ad man who promoted cigarettes to American women as the nearest thing to health food.

As female smokers discovered – much like the former Iraqi government spokesperson floridly reporting on the thrashing his troops were giving American invaders a few years ago – spin can only work for so long before reality bites. To potential applicants, all we can say is: Look before you leap into this world of duplicity and double talk.

Nothing against Brampton, of course. But issues management may be the biggest con since weapons of mass destruction. Trying to manage issues is like trying to herd cats. It can be done, but usually at the cost of your dignity.

Issues, as somebody once said, are what happens when you're busy making other plans. Think, after all, of the most assiduous issues managers in recent times.

There was the Harris government in Ontario. What are they remembered for? Ipperwash and Walkerton. There are the Bushies south of the border. Iraq and New Orleans. (Mission Accomplished and Heckuva job, Brownie, indeed.)

Oh, you may do precisely as the job description demands. You may develop the best little "corporatewide media and issues management process" under the sun. At the breakfast meeting, you can have your issues all lined up like goose-stepping North Korean soldiers. Then along comes a falling bridge or punctured oil pipeline that just ruins your day.

You may "inform and advise staff, council and management of emerging issues in the media." Then the media, in their childish way, leave that emerging issue and go chasing the next bright, shiny thing that catches their eyes.

Like Hillary Clinton's cleavage, for instance. Who knew a glimpse of 50-something flesh would send the press corps of the most powerful nation on Earth into a tizzy.

Or you might discover that your boss, as did Ms. Clinton, had made the dreadful mistake of sending letters 40 years ago containing anguished teenaged thoughts that should have been confined to her diary, to some high-school friend who turned out to be a creep who kept them and now shows them to any reporter who calls.

This is, we suppose, why the City of Brampton asks that applicants have at least three years' experience in "crisis communications."

Actually, in Toronto we know a bit about that. Once upon a time, the municipal gnomes had us positioned as a "global economic contender" to host next summer's Olympics. Then the tiny imperfect mayor of the day went off raving about Africans boiling him in a pot.

Still, it could have been worse. At least he didn't have anyone managing issues from the intern pool.

 

[The Mississauga Muse]

Jim Coyle writing this part spin doctors:

"This is the business of what is now known as "spin." The "father of spin" was Edward Bernays. He was an ad man who promoted cigarettes to American women as the nearest thing to health food.

As female smokers discovered – much like the former Iraqi government spokesperson floridly reporting on the thrashing his troops were giving American invaders a few years ago – spin can only work for so long before reality bites. To potential applicants, all we can say is: Look before you leap into this world of duplicity and double talk."

Love his reference to "duplicity and double-talk".

Just want to share with you an amusing (recent) Mississauga announcement about the Fall Election at mississaugaDOTca. I'd be interested in your comments.

Provincial Elections 2007Featured Article
Town Hall Meeting Details

Town Hall Meeting
Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Each official party will be invited to attend a town hall meeting, held in the City of Mississauga Council Chambers, with an invited audience of key Mississauga stakeholders as observers, and run by an external moderator.

The format of the meeting will allow each party to speak to the key issues as outlined in a series of reports (click here to view the reports). The party leaders or designates will be invited to speak, not the local candidates (unless they are the designate). The moderator will ensure the set time for each speaker would be adhered to and the town hall will last approximately two (2) hours.

It also allows the opportunity for Members of Council to clarify each parties stand on these issues, and through a moderated session, the opportunity for questions on any other topic, that the parties or Members of Council might raise."

 

[Dan416]

Jim Coyle writing this part spin doctors:

"This is the business of what is now known as "spin." The "father of spin" was Edward Bernays. He was an ad man who promoted cigarettes to American women as the nearest thing to health food.

As female smokers discovered – much like the former Iraqi government spokesperson floridly reporting on the thrashing his troops were giving American invaders a few years ago – spin can only work for so long before reality bites. To potential applicants, all we can say is: Look before you leap into this world of duplicity and double talk."

Love his reference to "duplicity and double-talk".

Just want to share with you an amusing (recent) Mississauga announcement about the Fall Election at mississaugaDOTca. I'd be interested in your comments.

Provincial Elections 2007Featured Article
Town Hall Meeting Details

Town Hall Meeting
Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Each official party will be invited to attend a town hall meeting, held in the City of Mississauga Council Chambers, with an invited audience of key Mississauga stakeholders as observers, and run by an external moderator.

The format of the meeting will allow each party to speak to the key issues as outlined in a series of reports (click here to view the reports). The party leaders or designates will be invited to speak, not the local candidates (unless they are the designate). The moderator will ensure the set time for each speaker would be adhered to and the town hall will last approximately two (2) hours.

It also allows the opportunity for Members of Council to clarify each parties stand on these issues, and through a moderated session, the opportunity for questions on any other topic, that the parties or Members of Council might raise."

Erm how is that even a town hall, at all????

 

[The Mississauga Muse]

Mississauga Town Hall Meeting

Erm how is that even a town hall, at all????

OK. Cool, so it isn't just me.

*whew*

 

[Dan416]

OK. Cool, so it isn't just me.

*whew*

No it's not just you.

Like take this point:

an invited audience of key Mississauga stakeholders as observers"

So you have to be INVITED to this "town hall"?

The format of the meeting will allow each party to speak to the key issues as outlined in a series of reports (click here to view the reports). The party leaders or designates will be invited to speak, not the local candidates (unless they are the designate).

So the issues are prescribed by the people hosting this town hall (the City of Mississauga?) and the local candidates don't get to speak! Only the "party leaders" or "designates" can speak. Ridiculous. Chances are the party leaders won't be there, unless this is a big town hall.

It also allows the opportunity for Members of Council to clarify each parties stand on these issues, and through a moderated session, the opportunity for questions on any other topic, that the parties or Members of Council might raise."

So glad that the members of council will be allowed to clarify the parties stands on issues and ask the designates questions.

 

[doady]

So the issues are prescribed by the people hosting this town hall (the City of Mississauga?) and the local candidates don't get to speak! Only the "party leaders" or "designates" can speak. Ridiculous.

That's funny cuz Hazel McCallion's son running as an MPP for the PC... If Hazel can't run a family, how can she run a city?

 

[ShonTron]

But are they broadcasting it on Cable 10?

Hazel McCallion's son is running for the Tories? Wow, that's interesting. Could you imagine how the Toronto Sun would take it if one of David Miller's kids (theoretically, they're still school-age) ran for office, especially if it was for the Dippers?

 

[The Mississauga Muse]

But are they broadcasting it on Cable 10?

Hazel McCallion's son is running for the Tories? Wow, that's interesting. Could you imagine how the Toronto Sun would take it if one of David Miller's kids (theoretically, they're still school-age) ran for office, especially if it was for the Dippers?

Um. I just Googled "peter mccallion" and "conservative" and found no mention of his candicacy. Are you sure about that?

 

[doady]

I read something about it in the Mississauga News. I don't remember exactly what it said, maybe they were just talking about nomination.

 

[The Mississauga Muse]

I read something about it in the Mississauga News. I don't remember exactly what it said, maybe they were just talking about nomination.

I read something too about the Liberals finally deciding on a candidate for that Brampton/Mississauga riding hybrid. But nothing about a Peter McCallion.

 

[The Mississauga Muse]

The continuing saga of the Mississauga "Town Hall Meeting".

John Stewart chimes in with his Blog entry, "Calling all party leaders"

The Mississauga News

They’re calling the “town hall” meeting that the City is hosting Sept. 19 Mississauga Matters, but it could more properly be called Mississauga Mutters — about the state of the union of the province. As always.

Hazel McCallion and company have invited the leaders of the provincial parties to drop into the council chambers that night, where a hand-picked audience of ratepayers’ association presidents, business people and community groups, can watch Dalton, John and Howard squirm under the McCallion microscope. If they choose to show up, that is.

If they don’t, their designates, who may or may not be local MPPs and/or candidates, will answer in their stead for McGuinty, Tory and Hampton.
The City has prepared four background papers on “key issues” such as transportation and transit, current value assessment and downloading. Those will be the basis for the questions that will be posed to the party representatives that night.

Those papers set out the City’s shopping list of Things That Need To Be Corrected.

All of the provincial candidates in each riding will be issued an invitation and each councillor has been given the opportunity to invite several representatives from their wards.

The moderator for the evening, who will pose the questions and keep order, will be Francis D’Souza, a Mississauga resident and a newsman at CITY-TV.
Gary Kent, the City’s director of strategic initiatives, says the objective is to make residents aware of the critical issues for municipalities in the campaign that ends Oct. 10. The details of the whole process, including the backgrounders, are set out at http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/cityhall/mississaugamatters.

“We’re going to be presenting facts on the issues that affect Mississauga and asking the party representatives where do you stand?” says Kent.
It won’t be one of those unwieldy giant all-candidates’ meeting and only the designated representatives of the parties will speak. (Methinks the mayor just might do a little summing up/interpolation/thank you, however.)

After the meeting, when the parties have supposedly made their positions clear on the issues, the mayor will be sending a newsletter out to residents. It won’t tell Mississaugans whom to vote for, of course, but it could indicate which party policies are more city-friendly and which less so.

None of the party leaders have committed to the event yet, although the City has been talking to their offices regularly.

The concept is, as Arte Johnson used to say on Laugh-In ..... “verrrrry interesting.”

It has obviously been set up so that the party leaders won’t fear that they are walking into the Shootout at the Post-Modern Corral.

But will they attend?

We can only hope so. Anything that educates and engages voters is a good thing.

The City clearly misleads, however, in billing this as a “Town Hall” meeting. It is not a chance for Everyman/woman to storm City Hall to ask any questions that they might like about their municipal operations, which that term implies. In fact, there will be no open mike at all and you are not guaranteed a seat unless you are blessed with an invitation.

Perhaps in response to the strident semaphore signals of a certain blub-blub-blub blogger, the City is, at least, setting up an overflow room where the meeting will be broadcast. It will also be available on Rogers Community Television and will be streamed to the City’s web site.

One major caveat: although it will be instructive to know where the parties stand on the issues that affect cities, it seems highly unlikely that information will sway the votes of any more than a tiny fraction of voters of the electorate.

So it looks like the "Town Hall Meeting" will now at least be broadcast via Rogers Cable 10.

The (updated) mississauga.ca website states:

"The Town Hall meeting is a public meeting, but because seating in the Council Chamber is limited, the City has reserved seating for those who have received invitations. If you did not receive an invitation and wish to attend, we cannot guarantee that you will be seated in the Council Chamber. The City has, however, made arrangements to ensure that the meeting is accessible for all."


I sure hope some Toronto Forumers will attend this "Town Hall Meeting". It'd be terrific to see some of you there. I plan on showing up early enough to get INTO the Council chambers. To videotape.