Code of Conduct for Cornwall Ontario City Council an Exercise in Hypocrisy by Jamie Gilcig MAY 12, 2015

Jamie & FitzyCORNWALL Ontario –  Last night was odd and funny.  Cornwall City Council debated a new committee to hash out a Code of Conduct.

There is the municipal act, the Council and CAO covenant (a joke document that the Mayor said isn’t even implemented) , and just plain common sense, but this council wants a new play rule book.

So let’s examine a few key things as I share that politicians make rule books not so much as guides to follow, but apparently as tools to circumvent.

The person that put the motion forward was Brock Frost.   For disclosure purposes I should state that Councilor Frost is being sued by myself for defamation based on his press release that he would destroy CFN and that I made sexual advances upon his person at a sales meeting.    What he neglected to mention in the second statement was that he bought an ad at said meeting.

Frost also stated to police and a JP that I showed up at council to “beat him up” and that after the meeting, which he was escorted out by police, four cars showed up at his home in Long Sault (Frost isn’t a Cornwall resident) and he claimed one was my own.   Both the police complaint and JP compliant were tossed.

Frost also filed a lawsuit against myself, never served it, and now has to pay legal costs.

He also is being sued by Darren Madden over the Cornwall River King fiasco.

Would you want to buy a car from this man never mind have him anywhere near writing the rules of conduct of council?

I have filed two official complaints with City Hall and Council over his conduct, but the city has refused to respond to date.   Do they really need a COC when they have a clear harassment policy which they appear that they are refusing to implement against him?

The City also is being sued over the T Shirt incident where former Mayor Bob Kilger didn’t like a t shirt I was wearing.    He addressed me directly that I either had to leave or cover the shirt.  This being Canada and we having a Charter of Rights and Freedoms I commented back to Bob who hit the Panic Button flooding the council chamber with seven police officers in 46 seconds.

There’s no real defense to that one.  Not a single council member nor Mr. Kilger has ever apologized to date and I was physically dragged out of council even though having done nothing wrong.   Using the panic button also put myself and the occupants of the room in danger.

The City to date has spent more on legal bills for that case than we offered to settle for.   The trial will probably push the legal bill over the actual amount sued for.    No wonder they have no money to support the public art gallery this year.

The Chem tanks?   Do we really expect anyone involved in that fiasco to have the skill set to create a real Code of Conduct?    And of course last year’s Waterfront Committee where the former mayor and long serving political stooge Glen Grant violated the municipal act of which they were convicted at great cost to the city for creating an instant closed meeting to have this media outlet removed after amending previous minutes to remove CFN as media attending.   Irony.  Grant was allowed to be an a city committee this year.  I was refused a single seat after applying to be on six.

And the Mayor, and councilors Elaine MacDonald and Carilyne Hebert’s Conflict of Interest over the Benson Flight School/ University/ giving cash to consultant buddies.   Where not only did the Mayor verbalize his being in conflict, but actually talked Councilor Hebert into changing her mind after she at first did declare her conflict.   Councilor MacDonald actually motioned to give the cash to the Benson group after they failed their first phase wasting thousands of public dollars and not delivering a consult on a University.

Sometimes when you’re on the dark side of the law and clearly not terribly interested in serving the public good, public being all of the citizens and not just those you work for or are affiliated with, it just makes sense to dimmer down and do your dirty deeds.

Hypocritical documents simply will be something you will be ridiculed for.     Even dumb people eventually can connect the stink and where it emanates from.

Actions do speak louder than words and there are those on this council whose actions or lack thereof become more clear each and every day.

What do you think Cornwall?  You can post your comments below.

16 Comments

  1. This council and mayor are upholding Cornwall’s tradition of dysfunction and ineptitude. They are merely doing what their skill set and ethics allow them do. Is there a problem?

  2. Better than the code they’re using now.

  3. I fully agree with Mr. Oldham and after reading this I thought that I was going to be very sick. Benson University? What kind of a crack pot idea is that? If I hear of Benson again I think that I will puke. Thank God that I will no longer go back to Cornwall to live because it would be utterly impossible to live under that kind of a system ever again. All we see in council are the likes of Brock Frost, Willie Wise and others like that and believe me I am mighty ashamed of Cornwall. Cornwall is a laughing stock of the province and of the country. Jamie sue the hell out of all of them for what they have done and still doing to you. Take a good hard look at what they did to Diane and many others as well. I also feel for the former Deputy Fire Chief Rob. Cornwall will never ever change and I can say that with a hand shake it is finished.

  4. Jamie,

    Lets not forget my lawsuit which is alive and well. It has always been a matter of time that time has arrived. A code of conduct is not rocket science and could been done easily and quickly but obviously there are those who has a concern with responsibility and accountability.

    I wrote and met all requirements for Bill 168 (Workplace Violence and Harassment) in less than 6 months with Committee input at every step. Why this is taking so long is quite interesting to say the least.

    Take care,

    Diane

    Take Care,

    Diane

  5. Being on council (councilor / mayor) is a thankless job. You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

    To think Cornwall is the laughing stock of the country and province is just ridiculous. Yes, Cornwall has its issues / problems. But name me one city that doesn’t. Cornwall does have some unique issues. But I think that can be said for most cities, towns, whatever across The Great White North. I’ve lived in Ottawa, Nepean, Gloucester, Orleans Casselman and Cornwall. I would never again live in Ottawa, Nepean, Gloucester or Orleans. The city is just too big and has problems. To think the LRT is going to come in and stat on budget is a joke. Abd beingthe home of the federal government has not helped it. Casselman?? Too small and still stuck in its Franco-Ontario ways, which stunts its growth.

  6. CFN is like a child sometimes, Yes a lot of folks have been targeted maybe it was deserved or maybe it was an intentional reach out to get responses so we can stand out from a crowd. I like to think your journalism is fresh, however I wonder if grandstanding is more your style and you should be promoting 3 legged goats

  7. Mr. Henderson nobody deserves to be targeted the way Jamie was targeted, Diane, Rob along with others who were doing their job and reporting what was wrong. There was a good cop in Cornwall Perry Dunlop and when he stood up for the abused he was ostracized and threatened and left Cornwall for better. Cornwall is mighty well known for what it is all about. Yes Cornwall has some good people but the majority who live there just sit on their keesters and don’t do anything but complain. I have lived there for a number of years of my life and learned a mighty good lesson and that is never ever to return. I have so many good laughs on CFN and Jamie is the very best and way too good for Cornwall and so are other people like Diane, Rob and some others too good for that town.

  8. It’s hard not to just “live there just sit on their keesters and don’t do anything but complain.” Jamie is doing a good job exposing the bad things about Cornwall. But without any help from other media (who are probably answering to higher-ups not to do anything) or action / acknowledgement from government nothing gets done. After a while one takes the “whatever” attitude.

  9. Jeez, I hate it when I agree with Jules.

    Yes, no one should have been targeted like Jamie was. Or for that matter Diane Shay, Rob Hickley, Perry Dunlop or others. The issue may come down to is it a singular problem where they went against the grain to try and make things better? Or is it a much bigger problem that involves governments (municipal, provincial and / or federal) and their unwillingness to fix what is wrong. And to identify the real problems may seem simple, but is it really? Do these problems actually go back generations? And if they do what is the possible solution? If it goes back generations it is not an easily solved problem. It’s not easy finding solutions or changing attitudes that go way back and making the solutions work or changing the attitudes to where they should be.

  10. Hugger1 … I agree wholeheartedly that no politician can please everyone all the time. I wonder if the majority of the few that turned out to vote in the last municipal election would vote the same if given the chance today. Personally I am thoroughly disappointed with what has been accomplished so far by the current elected representatives.

  11. A code of conduct will not induce a leopard to change its spots. Besides who will enforce the code of conduct? Someone internally or an unbiased objective outside party? The reality for me is that an independent panel comprised of Cornwall taxpayers that have no conflict of interest would be the only acceptable body to determine whether the code had been upheld or not.

  12. Code of conduct? At city hall? LOL LOL. That is a funny one and how come nothing was done before that? Do you think that people are going to change when the corruption is already set in to those in council and mayor. Everything is the repeat of Kilger and company and the little people get the shaft. So much corruption and fraud and it is a laugh. It is like closing the barn door after the horse escaped. What code of conduct can we put on the Barney Fife PD as well for not investigating the crimes that go on and hang criminal records on the innocent and try to get a convicted criminal out of prison. It is like trying to get Berney Madoff out of all the millions that he stole and the little people who have done nothing wrong get a criminal record hung over them for having done nothing at all. This is what Cornwall is all about. Well no thanks. I should say “no tanks”.

  13. It all depends if the code of conduct has any teeth or not. If it doesn’t then what is it good for. And if it doesn’t have teeth expect certain councilors to continue to abuse privileges including the conflict of interest guidelines to support their chosen charities, etc.

  14. Jamie,

    A code of conduct is simply to live your life as a ethical and moral person. No piece of legislation will impact that. Actions always speak louder than words. As I have stated before past behaviour is a good indicator of future behaviour and I continue to work on changing that.

    Take Care,

    Diane

  15. Without any enforcement /teeth any Code of Conduct is a toothless tiger.

  16. I wouldn’t buy as much as a chocolate bar from Frosty let alone a house or a piece of land. Take a good look at those shifty beedy eyes of his and you can see what kind he is. Of all the people out there who wants to come out with a code of conduct? My God Almighty how laughable a council that Leslie has this year and he wanted transparency . The entire bunch looks more like something out of the Three Stooges than anything else. Cornwall is so mighty corrupt like Duffy, Brazeau and Wallen and the gang. I have to read the news article where there are 10 other senators brought before the RCMP. The government from the feds, provinces down to the municipal levels are nothing but corrupted and fraudsters and Frosty the Showman wants a code of conduct. That is a real joke. It is so funny that I cannot stop my laughter. LOL LOL. ROLF!

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