Candidate's feud spotlighted in Star

On the front page of the GTA section of the Toronto Star today, the top story outlines the bickering between Clarington mayoral candidates John Mutton and Jim Schell. They challenge each other's versions of an e-mail sent by Schell to Mutton, allegedly, according to Mayor Mutton, an attempt at vote-splitting in the upcoming election. Seems the two former political allies have had a falling out.

Durham councillor enters mayor's race

Plans to challenge Clarington incumbent instead of retiring
Decision influenced by assault charges against current leader

Aug. 28, 2006

STAN JOSEY
STAFF REPORTER

The mayor's race is heating up in Clarington, where a veteran councillor and long-time ally of two-term mayor John Mutton has entered the contest.

Local and regional councillor Jim Schell, who was planning to retire from politics after the municipal election in November, now says uncertainty caused by criminal charges filed against Mutton in June caused him to rethink his plan.

Mutton, 39, is seeking his second term under a cloud of two charges of assault now before the courts. A publication ban on evidence surrounding the charges has created an air of rumour and innuendo that could affect the outcome of the election, Schell said.

Through his lawyer, Mutton pleaded not guilty to the assault charges last week in an Oshawa courtroom and is scheduled to stand trial in January.

Schell, a 61-year-old retired business executive, said he wants to give voters in Clarington, on Durham Region's eastern border, a candidate they can trust and respect.

"I saw that a lot of inexperienced candidates are running in this election and I feel an experienced hand should be at the helm for the coming term."

Mutton, however, accused Schell of "dirty politics," citing emails from his fellow councillor saying he would only enter the race to help re-elect Mutton.

The mayor has released an Aug. 9 email he received from Schell saying: "Lots of people are pushing me to run. I'm worried about your ability to win. The numbers don't look good. If I run, I'll take votes from Ab (candidate Jim Abernethy), not you. Your votes look solid, but I don't think you have enough at this point. We'll wait and see."

Mutton said Schell appeared to be trying to split any "dump Mutton" vote to allow the mayor to keep his job.

"I don't want to be a part of anyone trying to rig the election for anyone else," Mutton said on the weekend. "I just want people to know where Jim is coming from."

But Schell, who brings the number of mayoral candidates to five, said the email was taken out of context, and he was simply pointing out what could happen in the election.

Schell said he has great respect for the current mayor, but noted that if Mutton is defeated, it should be by someone who has experience on council.

He said he faced pressure from segments of the community to postpone his retirement and spend more time as a lay minister in the Anglican Church. "I'll still do some of that, but I am ready to work full-time as mayor for the next four years."

While Mutton has a strong electoral base in the community, where his family has lived for five generations, Schell is expected to split any anti-Mutton vote with Abernethy, a 54-year-old businessman.

Also in the race for mayor are auto salesman Wayne J. Chaskavich and Richard Ward, who has run for the post before.

While the previous Toronto Star story (August 24, GTA section) had opined "Mutton is not facing a serious challenge for his job so far", it appears someone was worried that one or more of the challengers (Jim Abernethy, Richard Ward or Wayne Chaskavich) IS mounting a serious challenge to Mutton, and I would agree with that second assessment.

However, having Schell in the race now could be a blessing for the other candidates, as it could be more likely that he will draw votes away from Mutton than from Abernethy, since Mutton and Schell have such a long history together, and would likely have the same voter base. As well, those voting "for change" would be more likely to vote for one of the challengers, rather than for the mayor who has served 2 terms or Schell who has been on council even longer.

Political allies turned foes!

Oh my. The race heats up and the excrement hits the fan. The present mayor and the present regional councillor for Wards 1 & 2 will face off against each other in the race for the Mayor's seat.

We really don't have much to say - you can read it for yourselves. See Clarington This Week's front page headline "Political allies turned foes" in the Sunday, Aug 27th edition.

Schell enters mayoralty race

Aug 25, 2006 By Jillian Follert
CLARINGTON -- Longtime Clarington councillor Jim Schell has abandoned plans for retirement and thrown his hat in the ring to run for mayor, saying he wants to provide voters with a viable leadership option.

"It is a crucial time in Clarington's development, which will require strong leadership, commitment and experience to guide it over the next four years," he said in a recent statement announcing his candidacy.

He began his political career in 1997 when elected as local councillor for Ward 2, and was elected in 2000 as regional councillor (Wards 1-2), a position he has held to date.

Mayor John Mutton, who is seeking a third term, said Coun. Schell was a member of his campaign team until just last week, and believes his colleague suddenly decided to run, because he fears strong candidates may prevent the incumbent mayor from regaining his seat.

"He told me he was going to enter the race to take votes away from Jim Abernethy so I can win," Mayor Mutton said. "That isn't democratic. I don't want anyone in the public to think I have any part in vote-splitting or anything undemocratic...this is a decision Jim (Schell) made on his own."

Mayor Mutton said he has e-mails from Coun. Schell confirming these motives.

One such e-mail, written to the mayor from Coun. Schell on Aug. 9 reads, "lots of people are pushing me to run. I'm worried about your ability to win. The numbers don't look good. If I run, I'll take votes from AB (Abernethy) not you. Your votes look solid, but I don't think you have enough at this point."

Coun. Schell was quick to defend his ethics, saying he is running to win.

"I don't know what John's on about," he said. "My motivation for running is quite simply that I have had a lot of people come to me looking for an alternative candidate with some experience."

He added the e-mails have been taken completely out of context, explaining that the Aug. 9 correspondence was written to pacify and reassure Mayor Mutton, after he had asked Coun. Schell not to run against him.

Coun. Schell began his political career as a local councillor for Ward 2 in 1997. Earlier this year, he announced plans to retire from politics, but said events of this summer have changed his mind.

In June, Mayor Mutton was charged with two counts of assault, the details of which are protected by a publication ban. He has pleaded not guilty and will go to trial in January.

The incident has left voters to choose between inexperienced candidates and a mayor facing criminal charges -- a situation Coun. Schell said he had to address by running.

"There are a lot of disappointed people out there and I want to give them an alternative," he said. "There is no hidden agenda here."

According to the clerk's office, Coun. Schell filed to run for mayor on Aug. 24. Also vying for the seat are Jim Abernethy, Richard Ward and Wayne Chaskavich.

So there you have it. Still questions to be answered - whether we'll ever get the straight poop is another matter. Mutton and Schell have different versions but one thing is clear. Something is stinky in this campaign.

We need more than just a good, honest, ethical mayor. We also need the same in all those elected to council, so do your homework and learn all you can about ALL the candidates in this election.

Improve municipal leadership

The Wednesday, August 16th issue of the Orono Weekly Times had a very interesting editorial (as it usually does). It talks about the relationship of the media to politicians, both past and present, and how things are looking today. It talks about our responsibilities as voters.

Federally and Provincially, things seem to be looking fairly good at the present time, according to the editorial, and I would agree to some extent. But when we look to the municipal scene (in the GTA), there are not many strong, effective leaders. There is the odd one, but certainly not many. Hazel McCallion (Mississauga) is one who is mentioned, and I'd certainly agree. I would also add Steve Parish (Ajax) is another.

"The voters of Toronto are slowly recovering from years of embarrassment. Their habit of returning well known politicians, regardless of scandals and of poor record in council, left them with the $100 million computer scandal, a declining transit system, polluted beaches and more. Those citizens deserved their fate because they repeatedly took the easy way out at election time and either failed to vote, or simply rubber stamped well-known politicians."

Sound familiar? Voter apathy equals low voter turnout. And many who do vote simply vote for the most familiar name, without really knowing anything about the candidate or the issues facing Clarington. This is important as this is where we live. It's important to have the best possible people in the positions that affect our very lives in this municipality.

"The time has come for us - the voters - to put in the time and effort to improve municipal leadership. First we must encourage good, honest and intelligent people to get involved. We should help such candidates with work and financial contributions."

Yes, yes, yes! We do have some excellent new candidates running in this election already, and they deserve our help. It is always difficult to go up against an incumbent, especially with the shortened time frame because of our vote by mail scheme in Clarington. With the old sign by-law not being changed when the voting method was changed (an oversight that benefits the incumbents), the new candidates are at a distinct disadvantage.

"Then we need to do personal research to determine who are the best people for the jobs."

This is important. Read all you can about the candidates. Attend the debates if at all possible, or watch them on TV. Ask questions. Ask more questions. Find out what the issues facing our municipality are, and how they will affect you.

"Once we have done that, we need to vote, so the effective people are elected."

If you don't vote, you have no right to complain when our municipal government ends up being less than stellar. Do your part and get out there and vote, but only if you know who you are voting for, and why. Don't just rubber-stamp the known names.

"Even then our job should continue as we must consider municipal affairs to be seriously important, and provide hard-hitting feedback to elected officials. Good government is up to us!"

Truer words have never been spoken! What do you love about Clarington, and do you want to keep it or have substantial changes made to where we live, sometimes not for the better? It is up to us to become involved. Just as simple an act as writing a letter to the editor, or sending your thoughts on a subject to Council, or appearing before them as a delegation to speak to an issue can be the beginning of change.

So follow this election carefully. Listen to the candidates and ask questions. This is YOUR municipality, and you have every right to speak up. Without your input, how do the politicians know what you really want?

What do I want? I want ethical, accountable, fiscally responsible good government. I want to know what is going on and to have a say in it. And to be listened to. I want to be treated as if I matter. I want some respect. I want the politicians to remember that they are working for us, and should treat us accordingly.

What don't I want? I don't want scandal. I don't want rudeness or to be bullied. I don't want to see tax increases and at the same time see politicians give themselves excessive salary increases. I don't want to have a politician complain that he has been subsidizing the municipality out of his own pocket to justify an enormous mileage rate increase. I don't want to be shut out of decisions that affect me such as being able to elect the head of Durham Region.

There are many more things I want or don't want. How about you?

A New Name!

We've changed the name of this blog to avoid any confusion with the Municipal webpage dealing with the November 13 municipal election.

Please update your bookmarks and spread the word!

Clarington Watchdog (formerly Clarington Votes 2006)

Finally, a plea and court date for Mayor

Yesterday John Mutton was absent from this court date just like he was on the last two dates (July 11, and August 8), so there wasn't a lot to see. But this time his agent entered a not guilty plea for him. Postponement had been granted on the two previous dates with no plea entered. So now the case will proceed to trial on January 29th. Yes, that's right - 2 1/2 months after our municipal elections.

The Mayor was charged with 2 counts of assault in June, but there is a court ban on any further information on the matter. The mayor's agent entered not guilty pleas for both charges. The Mayor has declined to comment on the case so far.

See the Metroland News story about this latest court date.

Money, mileage, trust - some election issues

Opinion piece reprinted from the Orono Weekly Times (August 16, 2006 edition) - some things to consider.

"JUST MY OPINION" by Luke Prout, Kendal

Sara Evans recently released a beautiful song about an ex-lover that ran off with another woman, and now wanted Sara to take him back because he realized that she was what he really wanted all along. To sum the song up, the answer is "NO", with a hard driving chorus that goes "Maybe you should have thought about that when you were cheating".

This should be the theme song for the 2006 Clarington Election. Every single member of the Council has a job that most people in the region would die for. Excellent pay for all positions, work hours are basically at the councillors discretion - with the exception of one 3 hour weekly council meeting there are no required hours of work for local councillors. Expenses including gas and meals are reimbursed, and you're invited to all major events. You're paid extra when you sit on additional committees. Your work can make a difference. You're respected, you're a somebody and well paid for it.

Instead of treating this position with the dignity it deserves, the first thing the council does is to give itself a WHOPPING big pay increase. When Mayor Mutton was first elected in 2000 his job paid $79,000. Now he's paid $164,000 per year, or 207% of what he made when he was originally elected. Who else gets this kind of raise? Then, they give themselves a gas mileage allowance that exceeds any comprehension and change the rules so that now they're not reimbursed for mileage driven, but get a flat rate - they don't have to show they drive at all! They get paid even when they're sick now, and this allowance is big enough to make monthly car payments on a BMW, buy gas, AND buy insurance!

The mayor's automatic monthly gas allowance exceeds $1,200! Just for an idea $1,200 divided by the 47cents per km (or worse) the rest of us get means that the mayor must drive over 2,500 km per month in Clarington, or roughly the distance to Florida. Add trips to Russia and China (with an entourage) at the tax payer's expense. How about a reserved street parking spot for the "Mayor"? Millions are spent on expensive outside consultants. Meanwhile the local taxes have gone through the roof to fund these excesses. Mine are up over a thousand dollars.

On a moral level we have criminal charges against the mayor during this term of office. I wrote some recent letters to the Orono Weekly Times relating to Councillor Robinson's use of farm plates on the same vehicle that he argues he needs for council and gets the huge gas allowance on. No good reply yet. I still have NOT received any facts on the money stolen from the Bowmanville Arena other than "it's under control" (ask your councillor about that - it's a perfect example of council's belief the taxpayer is inherently stupid).

The recent shouting down of Mrs. Racansky in her scheduled ten minutes of presentation to councillors about the tax increase was so ridiculous (and televised) that any councillor in that room that did not lift a hand to stop the mayor's juvenile tirade should have resigned by the end of the week if they had any dignity (none stopped him) Sitting on your hands when the people who elected you are abused; that badly indicates cowardice or ineptitude.

In spite of this, most of the current councillors are singing one of two tunes: The first is my favourite: "Look at my track record". OK. Based on their track record, the Town is heading for serious financial difficulties if we are stupid enough to elect the current crowd. Is it actually possible that the current council thinks 200% raises and these tax increases are normal? The second tune is even stupider: "There have been mistakes - but give us a chance to fix it by re-electing us" Does anyone actually fall for this?

I think "REVENGE" is the right word. You want to be re-elected? NO. Maybe you should have thought about that when you were cheating.

(Permission to reprint from author)

Suzanne Elston drops out of Clarington's Regional Race

August 9th, 2006

Suzanne Elston drops out of Clarington's Regional Race

Award-winning journalist Suzanne Elston has dropped out of the Clarington race for Regional Councillor, Wards 1 and 2. Elston, a well-known environmentalist and community activist, placed second in the 2000 and 2003 municipal elections, without the benefit of election signs.

Elston has cited family health reasons for her withdrawal and hopes that this year's candidates will follow her lead and not pollute the landscape with unnecessary lawn signs.

I've never met a ditch or a public boulevard that can vote, said Elston. Election signs should only be placed on private property to show electoral support.

Elston notes that since Clarington adopted the mail-in ballot system in 2003, lawn signs have become redundant. According to a local by-law, election signs cannot be put up until October 1st. Election ballots are mailed out to voters the following week.

By the time the signs go up, a lot of people have already made up their minds and may have already sent back their ballots, said Elston. This system favors the incumbents. Challengers have very little time to have an impact with their signs.

For further information, contact:
Suzanne Elston phone: 905-434-6865 email: selston@gmail.com

Greenbelt safe from Region for now

Province says NO to Region

Durham Region submitted a request to the Minister of Municipal Affairs to make changes to the Greenbelt Plan to delete certain lands near the Courtice Urban Area in north Courtice (2 parcels), a parcel in Pickering and one in Ajax. They also wanted to add lands into the Greenbelt south of Hwy 2 in Courtice. My comments on this can be found here: "Greenbelt a Goner in North Courtice?"

The Honourable John Gerretsen, Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing has now given his answer to the Region - "NO".

In his letter to Regional Chair Roger Anderson, Gerretsen wrote, "The Act is now law and the Plan boundary is final. No further changes to the Greenbelt boundary and policies are being considered at this time."

In May, Clarington Council followed Clarington Planning Department's recommendations and voted to NOT support amendments to the boundaries of the Greenbelt Plan at this time. The vote, however, was not unanimous. Councillor Jim Schell voted against recommendations of Clarington Planning Department and against the motion. Jim Schell was also a member of the Regional Planning Committee who came up with this plan to remove lands from the Greenbelt and supported the removal. The Region (and Jim Schell) wanted to include these lands as "future development area", but Clarington voted against the changes. See "Kudos to Clarington Council" and "Clarington disagrees with Region on Greenbelt" for more on this. Thanks to the rest of Clarington Council for their vote to keep the lands within the Provincial greenbelt designation.

Yet another adjournment for the Mayor

Just like the previous court date of July 11, when John Mutton's lawyer asked that his appearance be postponed to August 8, this time (August 8) his lawyer asked once again for an adjournment, this time until August 22nd. Both times Mayor Mutton was absent from court. He was arrested on June 24th for an offense which took place on June 10th, and was granted bail on June 25th after spending the night in jail.

The story of the arrest has been carried in a number of newspapers, including the Toronto Star.