thank you Mig!
When is the next municipal election…because it certainly cannot get here fast enough.
What a major and total overhaul we need in city government and management…I know things are difficult right now for the city (and they have been for some time) but can we at least elect people who are competent, respectful and generally in a positive good mood…and know how to speak properly in public, rather than simply talking down to people in public?
The problems certainly start with our mayor, but they do not end there…many of our councillors need to go as well, many have become way to complacent and some barely can even show up to council meetings.
I know some are putting forth a good effort and are well spoken (A. Ashley) with addressing the issues, but I am failing to see any action being taken. It seems council is always just “gathering discussion” about issues facing this city, but nothing ever seems to get done about it and when a decision is made, it is almost always the wrong one…wash, rinse and repeat. We need a council that is eager to work together to SOLVE problems, not just mindlessly discuss them.
This group needs to go, I certainly will not be voting for almost all of the individuals involved in city government at the moment…we need a better spectrum of people than what we got, and we need some people with young, new fresh ideas!
[quote=“MiG”]Seriously, Jack, I know you don’t read the internets, but I’m sure someone will print this out for you, so you can threaten all of us with a kick in the ass.
But man, you need to get your priorities straight.
Talk down to Ms. Martin this way, when she has excellent points, and doesn’t really want much from the City. Did you talk down to those who suggested the City spend more than a million dollars maintaining the White Elephant Corporate Mill?
NO YOU MAY NOT!!!
aaahhhhhahahahahahahaha… thanks Mig… email this too city council…
My sources tell me that it’s already been screened at City Hall.
The remix is better, though:
The mayor’s rather startling treatment of Ms Martin seems to have spilled over from a recent regional district meeting where (in his capacity as a director) he apparently told her that if she calls him at home about the recycling centre he will have charges brought against her for harassment. The notion that the mayor would feel threatened by an elderly woman makes the story even more tawdry than it already was.
As if that is not enough, the recycling centre is not even a City responsibility. It is run by the regional district, an arrangement that Mayor Lester put in place years ago, no doubt to protect the city’s financial interests. That is why Ms Martin first raised the issue at the regional district meeting.
The background is that the regional district has made some costly staffing decisions, by creating a deputy CAO position and bringing in a contractor to provide training and temporarily fill the top job, an unusual arrangement that the mayor appears to have whole heartedly supported. The outcome is that the Deputy CAO has left and the regional district has engaged the services of a headhunter firm to help them fill the CAO and Treasurer positions, which is probably what they should have done in the first place.
As further background, the regional district is not as frugal as in days gone by, considering that directors are paid about the same honouraria as our city councillors, who meet twice a month (not counting meetings the public is excluded from) while the regional district meets only once a month. Rupert taxpayers, who bankroll a large part of the overhead costs, may be comforted to know that the provincial government ordered the regional district to stop running operational deficits. So cuts had to be made, and the recycling centre hours were reduced.
As I understand Ms Martin’s suggestions, when she is permitted to speak, the regional district might consider getting its administrative house in order rather than reducing recycling services and sending more cardboard and other items to the Rupert landfill, which the city pays for and will eventually have to replace.
A bit of a long sidebar, but the mayor went on at the council meeting in a somewhat hectoring manner, just in case our collective memories may be faulty, about how Watson Island has cost the city a lot in lost revenue and more recently in out of pocket expenses associated with civic ownership. In his monologue, he seemed to conflate a roughly $20K cut back by the regional district with the financial burden to the city of Watson Island, which he tallies up to be about $30 million, a debatable number since the revenue that was ‘lost’ mostly didn’t exist in the first place, other than on paper.
So while the mayor could have deflected Ms Martin’s concerns by saying that the matter is properly a regional district issue, in a way he seemed to assume city responsibility for a decision that is unpopular for some. Why he would do that is hard to follow. Perhaps he was having a bad day, or perhaps he was a bit addled, considering that they had started meeting in closed session at 5 pm (hopefully they took a nutrition break), or maybe it’s all just a bit too bizarre to make any sense of.
[quote=“BTravenn”]
The background is that the regional district has made some costly staffing decisions, by creating a deputy CAO position and bringing in a contractor to provide training and temporarily fill the top job, an unusual arrangement that the mayor appears to have whole heartedly supported. The outcome is that the Deputy CAO has left and the regional district has engaged the services of a headhunter firm to help them fill the CAO and Treasurer positions, which is probably what they should have done in the first place.
S.[/quote]
Yes, well, it would appear the present norm for a few district entities (SD52 comes to mind), have made costly and duplicate senior administration staffing decisions. Three heads are better than one, right?
Good to see tax dollars hard at work.
[quote=“dailymews”]
Yes, well, it would appear the present norm for a few district entities (SD52 comes to mind), have made costly and duplicate senior administration staffing decisions. Three heads are better than one, right?
Good to see tax dollars hard at work.[/quote]
I am surprised at how little this gets mentioned.
Heh-heh, the re-mix is awesome, MiG. 
Great stuff , Be-Bop Jacko . I love what one can do with a computer . Hope it was sent to City Hall.
Hmmm, not sure exactly why our Mayor continues to comment on Mrs. Jean Martin this way:
Local leaders reflect on 2010 and look forward to 2011: … The Mayor says his low-point of last year was when he received a “threatening” voicemail from local recycling activist Jean Martin, which said he deserved to have garbage dumped on his front doorstep because the operating hours of the recycling depot had been cut on Saturdays.
“Personal threats are no way to proceed. That’s no way to get your point across…In fact, I think it takes away from the issues,” said Mussallem… He says he is still undecided on whether or not he will run for re-election at the end of the year…
If anyone knows, please let the rest of know why this is happening? My understanding is that Mrs. Jean Martin wrote a letter to the editor explaining that with all the years she has known the Mussallem family and known Jack for a long time, she thought it was ok to call him at home. Jean also apologized for this incident and was looking forward to working with both council and the Regional District to help with the recycling for the benefit of not only our community for the Northwest. I wonder if Mr. Mussallem read that article?
If Mr. Mussallem is running for re-election, he definitely does not have my vote.
His comment can be found in the paper January 5, 2011 or web site: bclocalnews.com/bc_north/the … 47684.html
Man did she ever piss him off.
He is an idiot for bringing this up again. He is winning no votes with responses like this!!
Man I cannot wait until he is thrown out on his ass in the next election!
If someone wants to organize the date, I’m prepared to save and dump all my Garbage on City hall. What an disgrace.
Well I guess ole Jack didn’t make any new years resolutions, or offer to turn over a new leaf for the new year.
Run for re-election. On what platform? being an absente mayor and doing 0 good for the community. Awesome. Worked well for campbell
I know you guys didn’t think it was gonna happen…
BUT I DID IT!!!
I’m gonna go lololololollololololollololololollololololollololol!!111!11 myself to sleep now.
[quote=“AndrewMorgan444”]I know you guys didn’t think it was gonna happen…
BUT I DID IT!!!
Maybe they will put this in the time capsule and know why our community is the way it is!!! Under his leadership for over 20 yrs (City Clerk and Mayor). Definite has shown little respect for some seniors in our community, especially those seniors who try to make a difference.
And Council wonders why investors and developers are hesitant to go forth in Prince Rupert?[/quote]
[quote=“Bettyboop86”]Hmmm, not sure exactly why our Mayor continues to comment on Mrs. Jean Martin this way:
Local leaders reflect on 2010 and look forward to 2011: … The Mayor says his low-point of last year was when he received a “threatening” voicemail from local recycling activist Jean Martin, which said he deserved to have garbage dumped on his front doorstep because the operating hours of the recycling depot had been cut on Saturdays.
“Personal threats are no way to proceed. That’s no way to get your point across…In fact, I think it takes away from the issues,” said Mussallem… He says he is still undecided on whether or not he will run for re-election at the end of the year…
His comment can be found in the paper January 5, 2011 or web site: bclocalnews.com/bc_north/the … 47684.html[/quote]
Que the theme from the Twilight Zone
We now take you to an isolated village on the north west coast of North America where the norms of civilized discourse and democratic debate is actively discouraged by the ruling class…
What a freak! So it’s ok for a middle aged Mayor who works as a longshoreman to threaten physical violence to a local editor but threats amounting to littering to minor vandalism at worst from a spunky but frail senior citizen activist against the same macho Mayor are somehow verboten?
When will our community stop electing clowns that are an embarrassment to our community and themselves? I hope that Jack takes the time to read the short story “The Emperor’s New Clothes” as a precursor to a much needed attitude adjustment. If he’s smart, he’ll spare himself the embarrassment of parading down third street in his new outfit during the next election.
[quote=“Speakuppr”]
Que the theme from the Twilight Zone
We now take you to an isolated village on the north west coast of North America where the norms of civilized discourse and democratic debate is actively discouraged by the ruling class…
What a freak! So it’s ok for a middle aged Mayor who works as a longshoreman to threaten physical violence to a local editor but threats amounting to littering to minor vandalism at worst from a spunky but frail senior citizen activist against the same macho Mayor are somehow verboten?
When will our community stop electing clowns that are an embarrassment to our community and themselves? I hope that Jack takes the time to read the short story “The Emperor’s New Clothes” as a precursor to a much needed attitude adjustment. If he’s smart, he’ll spare himself the embarrassment of parading down third street in his new outfit during the next election.[/quote]
Speakuppr, whether or not Mr. Mussallem runs in the next election, I will definitely not be voting for him. I do regret my vote in the last election. I honestly thought he had it together and gave him a chance, but guess what? He blew it! I am very dissatisfied with the way he treats women, no wonder he remains to be single. Hopefully the citizens will have candidates that come forward for the position who’s interest is for improving the quality of life for the community and not just for their own interests.
It will take a courageous group to throw their hats in the ring this time knowing the mess and the bad taste that this present bunch has left with us townsfolk. Good Luck to those considering that move, hopefully we will have left town by then !!
Come back Herb Pond, all is forgiven