Dear Editor,
This corruption kerfuffle could very well be the platform from which to launch our own “Cornwall Spring”.
Surely Robert Menagh is not the only one to share the secrets of Cornwall City Council and Administration, albeit the only one paid enough to keep his trap shut.
Forums like the “Cornwall Free News” and the “Cornwall City Counsel” site offer an opportunity for whistleblowers to expose the corruption in our city, and put an end to favouritism, kickbacks and pickpocketing. The good staff at City Hall and our honest citizens and business people have got to shake off the fear of reprisal that the City wields, and Speak Out!
Don’t Hold Back… do it for your neighbours, yourselves, and for a generation of youth that have no choice but to move away from a stagnating community.
This city is on a downhill slide, with self-serving politicians, administrators, and business persons talking development while they create a ghost town — even the trains pass us by as we become little more than a whistle stop.
Sitting in a quagmire, living and raising our kids in a polluted and corrupt environment… surely it’s time to get off our duffs, and time also for a younger generation to take up the franchise and responsibility that their parents have fumbled.
The Standard-Freeholder is an insult to a free press; running pages of thinly veiled SUN media self-promotion; sheltering its sponsors from scrutiny or criticism; and sowing little more than opinion and cultural scab picking that is best suited to gossipers and the ignorant – distracting and dividing the community, while the SUN’s piggy friends eat their bacon.
So Jamie don’t give up, and don’t give in.
Jim Marshall – Cornwall Ontario
(The following post script isn’t meant to dampen hope for change but may suggest that we are in real need of change)…
PS
Do you realize that in Cornwall’s last municipal election there was a candidate experienced in business, aviation, education, labour, management, military and law enforcement – with no mortgage, no debt, not even a credit card – that garnered barely 2% of the vote?… And in a community desperately in need of those strengths, this candidate was later overlooked even to serve on city committees.
But even that pales in comparison to the political and social retardation displayed by the majority of Cornwall adults that fall. Almost 57% of the population eligible to vote did not even cast a ballot. And though not giving a damn who got in, this 57% of eligible voters couldn’t bother even to rise from their arses to vote for $60,000 in councillor salary that was pledged to charities in the community to spread among their neighbours.
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Interesting letter of support, but the PS part makes Jim look pretty bitter over not winning a seat on council. Insulting the voters and non-voters isn’t the best way to get people on your side.
Letting one’s name stand for elected office is too often viewed as a contest to be won or lost; a sincere candidate is actually offering to be a servant of the community.
To not have that responsibility of service, without pay, and with very little thanks, isn’t likely to leave anyone bitter.
Not being elected might even come as a relief… at least to a candidate’s wife.
It is however disappointing… to see the same old, same old, and our children leaving, and our grandchildren far away. And there is just no need for that.
Cornwall, its people, and its environs can be so much more – and could offer so much more to our families here and now, and to new families.
But the greed and petty corruption among those in positions of trust and the opportunists that surround them will be a millstone around our necks for years to come.
CrackerJim, who are you saying are corrupt, petty or otherwise?
That’s a serious accusation.
Mr. Dick, do you really want Cracker Jim to fall into that trap. Whistle Blowers are not treated kindly and very seldom can afford to protect themselves. If someone is corrupt then they already have money (or use of someone else’s money) to protect themselves. It may be a noble deed to name names but no good deed goes unpunished.
Mr. Coffey, are you saying that it’s OK to publicly declare that the city council is corrupt without providing examples of that corruption or naming names? If I was a member of that council, I’d be demanding that Mr. Marshall be more specific in his accusation.
Yes, whether Federal, Provincial or Municipal, Those that run for office ARE supposed to
work for the people, but way too often, we see very differently soon after they are voted in.
They often have plans to do or change things to satisfy Themselves, but they will never
mention a single word of it when they run, they`ll just give you B.S. promises that people
want to hear, then come out with it their hidden plans after they get in !
Did you hear anything about Smoking Bans from any counselors in the last elections ?……. NO.
Because these Hypocrites want your votes. But once they are, like Syd Gardner, then he
comes out with his “let`s Ban Smoking everywhere plan” Soon after the 2-face complained
enough & won to Ban smoking in Cornwall Businesses, Gardner booked a family party
across the Island, so his family can be allowed to smoke indoors.
Another of these 2-faces is Christine Legault. While she was Raised right next to a fence of
a city park, at a time where about 50% of the population smoked, she is still here at 60 yrs old.
Did she complain about smoking years ago ?….. NO ! But now that she has that cushy Park
job, she has now become a paid anti-smoker. Funny how $$$$ can corrupt someone Eh !
They Whack Jobs are funded with Tax payer`s dollars to place Anti-Smoking ads & scary stories everywhere, but the other side can not advertise at all. This is democracy………. Not.
Such dictators brainwash the population only to fulfill their agendas, then on top of that, they pad
their pockets with BiG pensions. People have to wake up & stop crooks !
A Restriction on anything today is more of Your Freedoms taken away Tomorrow !
Want more examples….. http://www.newser.com/story/139137/lawmakers-use-earmarks-to-aid-own-properties.html?utm_source=part&utm_medium=inbox&utm_campaign=newser
Remember this saying… Power corrupts & Absolute power corrupts absolutely !
Corruption kills. It’s lethal economically to nations.
What happens with corruption is that people know it exists. They live with it and look at the opulence of a minority in their country. They have no jobs, cannot get ahead and cannot get their governments to listen or help them. The issue simmers then it comes to a boil and the spark is information technology that delivers news in seconds facilitating the creation of a massive movement. These movements also happen when people have nothing to lose anymore.
City governments who ignore the pain and desperation lose the trust of their people and are left with anarchy. Many of them want change but need help to do so.
Finally, we also get directly involved with citizens to get people to realize they don’t have to put up with corruption, what they can do about complaining and what they should demand. There is massive corruption at the local level and transparency and peer reviews are very useful. They must be fully transparent and publish all their expenditures and to whom, their royalties and revenues and owners. This can help change the situation in a city.
Because my last comment was blocked, I have to think that alternate views are not welcomed on this site.
If a discussion is going to be completely directed and controlled by one person, it is no longer a discussion.
Mr. Dick. We reserve the right to not publish statements that can cause litigation against this company; or are profane, inflammatory, or just wandering troll droppings.
We are here to inform and entertain in a safe environment that’s as open and transparent as possible.
Thank you for your opinions though.
Jim,
I too was seaking a seat on council but you will have to do more than try and win votes then offer tp donate your salary (if elected) and trash everyone else!
You just insulted everyone who voted and didn’t vote in one letter!
You did not attend all of the debates and failed to clearly identify the change you would exact if elected! That, in my opinion, is why you were not elected!
I enjoy listening to the passion in your voice but sadly you sound too much like the old complainer who focusses on tearing down rather then building-up!
The mind set of our community is changing and I think you will see a siginificant move towards empowering a younger generation for the next election! I think the city would welcome such a movement and the aid and experience of those who have experience success and failure will need to be shared with this group who will need to bring the community together to start stepping forward!
Can you be one of those stepping forward or will you be holding back?
Dearest Young Mike,
Why do you have to be like that? Your negative and wounded interpretation of what are simply facts only highlights the problem in our community.
Barely 46% of the population voted young man; is that not a disgrace? And what do we have?
The same tired old politicians and a bunch of committees that suck the energy out of those that would like to see betterment in the community.
Mikey, what has any committee ever accomplished or hoped to accomplish… except perhaps for the loaded committees that want to take public land and hand it over to developers and speculators.
And son, …
“Don’t Hold Back… do it for your neighbours, yourselves, and for a generation of youth that have no choice but to move away from a stagnating community… surely it’s time to get off our duffs, and time also for a younger generation to take up the franchise and responsibility that their parents have fumbled.”
…That is not a complaint, that is a battle cry.
Before you suggest that someone is an old complainer you might wnat to consider that a young whelp(that didn’t make council) with little to no life experience, may one day regret his ill considered words. Ask any old timer.
PS
And boy, let’s go easy there on the exclamation marks.
Jim Marshal,
My point, which obviously was missed due to a blind rage, was simple and someone with so much life experience should not have to have a young boy break it down for them! I was hoping that smart man like yourself would appreciate honesty when speaking about a point such as corruption!
I agree that we need change but not for the sake of just changing but for the sake of improving. You insulted people during the election, in your letters and now in your comments! This city needs to come together and a new group is needed to do so because there exists too many barriers and divisions between the many of our communities “elders” or “more experienced members of society”!
My question was: “Would you agree to help mold a younger generation or would you continue to degrade any governement where you are not an elected member?”
Why can’t everyone agree to help the younger generation progress and hopefully attain the some of the untapped potential that has eluded us for so long and help our community gain back the respect of neighbouring communities!
Thank You,
Mike Bedard
What kind of half-baked caffeine rant was that?
If I missed a debate, maybe I was running late coming from an after school homework help centre, or dropping off a pint of blood, or some equally unimportant community activity that you are sorely unaware of… God forbid, maybe I was attending to family.
Regardless of that, enough Cornwall voters accepted my offer to serve, such that my nomination deposit was returned to me and — strange as you would have the community believe — was donated to a charity devoted to that younger generation of which you write… the Boys and Girls Club of SD&G.
Whereas (if election night results are any measure), the debates, the spending, and other exercises in self aggrandizement that were pursued by you, were pretty much time and money down the drain.
As for the rest of your rant, you’re just taking a wide and wild swipe — slamming my wishes for a better Cornwall and an engaged youth and then, as politicians and even the delusional are wont, promoting them as your own.
Really, your grammar, spelling, content, context and disjointed logic, are simply too exhausting to bother countering point for point. And after scanning the plethora of opinions and comments you too graciously share on these forums, I must add that your skills are sadly equal in both official languages; so maybe come down from your bilingual “high horse” too.
Dear Jim,
Again with the insults! Is that all you have or do you actually have valid points; worth offering to the community?
I asked you a very simple and straight forward question and if I am to interpret the answer from your response it was “NO”! You would not support any form of municipal government (even a youthful group) unless you were elected to council!
Also, what are you talking about – SELF AGGRANDIZEMENT?
SELF AGGRANDIZEMENT
Def. – the act of increasing one’s own power, importance, etc., especially in an aggressive or ruthless manner!
Jim Marshall’s own comments on this exact page!
“Do you realize that in Cornwall’s last municipal election there was a candidate experienced in business, aviation, education, labour, management, military and law enforcement – with no mortgage, no debt, not even a credit card – that garnered barely 2% of the vote?… And in a community desperately in need of those strengths, this candidate was later overlooked even to serve on city committees.
But even that pales in comparison to the political and social retardation displayed by the majority of Cornwall adults that fall. Almost 57% of the population eligible to vote did not even cast a ballot. And though not giving a damn who got in, this 57% of eligible voters couldn’t bother even to rise from their arses to vote for $60,000 in councillor salary that was pledged to charities in the community to spread among their neighbours.”
Hmmmmm…….you finished 18th out of 21 candidates and you are sour! You just called the majority of candidates “retarded” (very classy) and then were shocked that the rest of the population, that did vote, didn’t elect you even though you were going to donate your salary! Wow, the smart people voted on a candidates platform and yours was weak!
P.S. – I publicly challenge you to demonstrate your French capabilities vs. mine! Name the time and place! Did you not understand my one and only French comment because your on-line translator didn’t work for you?
You are seriously part of (not all) what is wrong with Cornwall! Cornwall is and will move forward and, fortunately for us all, it will not be with you at the helm! Cornwall is improving and most can see the light at the end of the tunnel! I agree that some more change would be welcomed by the community but not your attitude!
Thank You,
Mike Bedard
Seriously son, you’ve got to switch to “decaf”.
Really Mike, a French off? I think it’s time you and Jim simply agree to disagree. Either that or get together, drop you pants and measure the size of your dicks. The biggest one gets to run for mayor in the next election. You might be able to talk Jamie into officiating.
I’ll bring the measuring tape. 🙂
Ohhhh, sounds like there could be a sausage fest! I can just see the steam coming off those weenies! I’ll bring the condiments.
Seriously guys, you both have very positive things to say, but to resort to this kind of bantering is a serious waste of both of your precious time.
So, sit back, relax and choose the best course of action you need to take to settle this argument .
May the longest and thickest win! Tee-Hee!