Drama? Not really as dramas are normally scripted and fictional. While Council's actions may at times appear scripted and their self-serving justification for actions fictional, it is real life and affects residents both directly and indirectly.
Comedy? Not really funny because it is Clarington's residents who are suffering.
Educational TV? Yes, from the point of view that delegations bring factual, relevant and interesting information forward, even if it is ignored or not understood by Council. The Mayor and Regional Reps comments? Useless excuses that don't contain one bit of real logic.
Suspense? Not a chance, since we know how our 3 Regionals will vote on everything concerning incineration. They continue to insult us with their claims they haven't yet made up their minds, but continue to help Durham Region to bull-doze it through to completion. They ignore the valid medical and scientific journal articles brought forward by residents and only choose to 'believe' the ridiculous, incomplete and incorrect pseudo-reports generated by the Region and the Region's consultants.
This council has lost all credibility with the majority of residents. They are not standing up for us and now they are bargaining not only with their "unwilling host" bargaining chip (which should never have been intended for that use) but they are bargaining with our very health and our lives. That is unforgivable.
While the Mayor and Novak and Trim all spoke and voted AGAINST becoming an unwilling host, they are now using it as a bargaining chip to get more money and more goodies from the Region with a promise to re-visit the unwilling host position if the Region gives them the goodies they want. So while they never supported it, they are now using it to blackmail the Region. Optics are horrible.
And the rest of our Council has caved in and agreed to bargain away our lives for goodies too. All except Councillor Foster. We have one person standing up for us all these days. He is the only one worthy of our respect and we'll give it to him. We will also remember this at election time.
Our other 7 actually voted in their closed-door, secret meeting on Tuesday night to SUPPORT 
the Region's excruciatingly flawed Business Case. Did they even bother to READ it? How could anyone accept such a flawed, obviously biased excuse for a Business Case without being totally embarrassed?
the Region's excruciatingly flawed Business Case. Did they even bother to READ it? How could anyone accept such a flawed, obviously biased excuse for a Business Case without being totally embarrassed? And our Mayor happily trucked out that resolution of support at Regional Council tonight when they were to vote on the Business Case. I've never seen anything more disgusting in my life.
And the soap opera continues... (more to come)
Total Shame on our Council. Total Shame on Deloitte (Total Hockey, now Total Crap). Total Shame on Regional Council.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually sick to my stomach reading this. "Goodies" are more important than our health? Where is the integrity?
The very 'doctored' business plan prepared by Deloitte should be a major source of embarassment for this firm. Not only did it not present a well-founded business case, but went even farther and declared the EFW incinerator was "safe". What does a financial consultant know about safe technology for an incinerator. This was a total sham.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which, remember Total Hockey; same firm prepared the business case for them as well, and we all know what a financial disaster that turned out to be.
Speaking of disasters, Deloitte is also the official auditor for Durham Region; talk about a conflict of interest!!
Watched the procedings of Durham Regional Council on TV last week and was once again left wondering what the hell our elected officials are thinking. Even in the face of scientific and medical fact to the contrary, they seem to be willing to forge ahead with this ill-advised scheme.
ReplyDeleteThey are making a mockery out of the EA.
Even with the so-called business plan, with enough holes in it to qualify as a fish net, they push onwards; totally sold.
Once again, while trying to understand what they might be thinking, a quote from Mark Twain came to mind...."we've got the best politicians that money can by"
This is bad economics, bad electricity and district heating planning and demonstrates local and regional government's willingness to protect industry over health. I would also like to include the province allowing regions and municipalities to make careless decisions.
ReplyDeleteHuman rights are affected: we will no longer have the right to breathe clean air, or eat clean animal and plant foods. Have some nanoparticles with your organic food -- yum.
Health is affected and the costs go beyond getting cancer and asthma. We then also have to pay for all the people to be serviced through OHIP for their illnesses and all of the other social and health programs that are necessary once a family member gets sick. When one family member gets sick the entire family and their friends are impacted as well.
One doctor's visit, turns into a specialist's visit, which then turns into an operation, then a round or seven of chemo, then perhaps some radiation and then throw some psychotherapy in for the depression that comes along with that. I could go on.
The environment is affected too. The business plan only talks about inanimate objects.
Where will the impacts begin and end. We may have to wait and see. A wait and see approach is careless.
I think Clarington should move to have a new business case done.
ReplyDeleteBy a TRULY independent auditor, who is told, we don't have a willing host.
They should also say give the province the choice. Incinerator or the two new reactors, we don't want BOTH.
Good news though ableit only temporaily.
ReplyDeleteEven Roger Anderson is forced to admit that there cannot be a final decision until the fall.
Because the negotiations for the host-community agreement (which in my opinion shoouldn't even be taking place under Clarington's unwilling host postion), isn't going fast enough and won't be ready in time for the June 18th meeting of regional council, which is the last one until September.
Maybe during the summer we can get some of the Regional Representives to change their minds.
A note to the the watchdog, its nice to keep your eye on the efw, but you also need to keep your eye on the property taxes, because soon you won't have to worry about the efw, because people won't be able to aford to live in clarington. You need to remove your tunnel vision and cover all the areas like you did before the efw.
ReplyDeletepaul