CORNWALL Ontario – Guess who wrote this commentary?
It’s city council’s main responsibility. Once a year they decide how to spend your tax dollars, my tax dollars. The budget process finished up yesterday and I sat through the entire thing for three and half days. It was …well….it was an experience. Councillor Andre Rivette seems to be the only one who is willing to cut spending. Glen Grant is a stickler for procedures. Bernadette Clement doesn’t get the respect she deserves. Denis Thibault is well-prepared and Denis Carr is pretty good at keeping everyone in line. But, I want to talk about Mayor Bob Kilger. The good ‘ol Mayor, who makes upwards of 50 grand a year of taxpayer money, strolls in 15 minutes late to Tuesday’s meeting. If I’m 15 minutes late, my boss ain’t happy. But maybe Kilger thinks he doesn’t have a boss – well, guess what, we, the tax payers are your boss. We pay your salary. So, Kilger, get your butt to work on time and try to fix this city which, oh by the way, has the lowest per capita income in the province – maybe you should try to do something about that? And then, during the meetings, the mayor spends half the time ignoring the presentations and whispering to other councilors or to city staff. What, is this process not interesting to you, Mr. Mayor? Are you bored? You show up late, you talk while others are talking – if this were school, you’d be in the principal’s office, where you belong, wetting your pants.
Nope, it wasn’t me, but Eric Spence of thecornwalldaily.com this morning.
This is highly unusual for other media in Cornwall to hold Mayor Bob Kilger responsible; but then this is the charming and intelligent Mr. Spence’s last week at Corus Radio. Maybe after a year or so he finally took a shot out at the mayhem that is our bizarre council?
Mr. Spence was not available for comment as of press time. To see and hear the piece on thecornwalldaily.com click HERE.
Sadly Cornwall loses another bright mind as Mr. Spence heads west to Toronto. One of the issues facing Cornwall is retaining and attracting youth which our fair city has failed to do in the case of Mr. Spence who was one of the brightest media people in our town.
Adieu Eric and best in the future. Maybe CFN can get lucky and you can be our TO correspondent?
What do you think Cornwall? You can post your comments below.
All I can say is OUTSTANDING
I hope the dominos starts to fall on KING BOB and his court.
Funny, that he says this as he’s leaving. Where was he with all of this when not moving on? That, says a lot. I fear you are right, many will not put their jobs at risk to speak up, until they too are leaving.
I just listened to this and love it. I wish that Jamie had the milk bottles that I could distribute around Ottawa and look for Bare Ass wherever he may be hiding. This man on the radio told the truth. Since Bare Ass came in things have been going down hill. André Rivette is the only counsellor who is a just person and believe me on that one because I knew André and his family since my kindergarden year and that was a mighty long time ago and we lived not far from one another as well. This family knew how to live and everything good was instilled in their children from their wonderful parents. We learn by our parents and when we lived a poor life and knew how to live and get by without asking for hand outs we did just that and how to budget and not to live in debts. I salute André and his family for the way that he and his siblings were raised and I wish that more people everywhere were raised in that good way and had parents who taught them the good ways of life. André is not out there to put the people into debt but instead he is one who is doing his best to hold the reigns on the budget. If André retires God help everyone.
Well Anon if you look at the beating CFN and myself have endured by the Kilger council is it any wonder? In this economy media need every penny we can get and that means some outlets impeach themselves chasing those dollars.
Many good people have suffered under the likes of Bare Ass and other such well to do who think that they can hurt other people. I salute the man who came out with that on the radio and wish that more people had the courage to do so. I refuse to live in Cornwall because of the mentality of that kind who hurt the little people. I have absolutely no respect for any of them and I don’t care one bit about wealth – I care for living a good life and that when I leave this earth all I have left is my word. Those with the money don’t give a rat’s behind about anybody and they don’t care who they hurt. Many many good people have left Cornwall many years ago and that is the truth. The people are scattered all over Canada and some in the US but would not live in Cornwall at all after what they and their families have experienced. Jamie is a mighty good man and the best that has come to Cornwall and a lot of people do not know how lucky they are to have him. Jamie has put up with so much from Bare Ass and his clique and has hung in here all these years and still going and a lot of us would not be able to handle all of that at all.
good for you eric and good for us, if the city can boycott a news paper and a radio announcer why can we not boycott them, i understand your vocal retention till this time, fearing reprisals and loss of job and income can force a person to hold their feelings in. its good you let it out. too bad it hadn’t been earlier. good luck on the new station. like jamie says hope you’ll be our correspondent from the big T.O.
Agreed with Eric. It seems Mayor Kilger has a disdain for the process called city council or anything to do with it. I’ve watched council meetings on Cogeco and he does the same thing there (ignoring the presentations, speakers, councillors speaking and whispering to other councilors or to city staff). It is too bad that we are losing Eric to The Big Smoke, but that’s what happens at small radio stations, they build their careers / resumes up and then move on to bigger things. And it’s too bad he had to wait until his last day to do this commentary. But if he done it sooner Corus probably would have felt the city’s wrath as CFN has felt.
Well John just because a corrupt mayor boycotts the only locally grown and owned media corporation killing our growth doesn’t mean business the public have to follow. I understand that some are afraid because I’m told this almost daily; but people can subscribe and businesses can protest that 3% + hike by supporting the only real voice we have in the community; CFN. Hope to see lots at our 5th Anniversary Event at the Port this Sunday; which btw the City refused to put on its facebook wall even though it’s a local business doing a fund raiser for a 73 year old Cornwall business and the event is sponsored by Cornwall businesses. That’s your city council and management team in action.
“Bernadette Clement doesn’t get the respect she deserves.”
From whom? the rest of council or her constituents that she turned her back on?
In consideration that, “Much that well may be thought cannot wisely be said”, Mr. Spence can be forgiven for protecting his livelihood, and holding his tongue until now.
At any rate… it’s been no secret, the scant regard shown the residents of Cornwall by the lump that presides over council.
And one still hopes, that the filth and corruption collecting at City Hall these past two terms, will be kicked to the side of the road this October.
Bare Ass and his sham of council and the administration is exactly that a sham and corrupt to the core. If the people have no courage to stand up to this bunch of shameful pieces of doo doo then you will all remain at the bottom of the heap and just be their slaves. People have to have the courage to stand up and show that they have dignity and self respect and mean what they say. I can’t thank the Good Lord who steared me out of Cornwall and never to go back ever again. It is a town of Boss Hogg and much worse than that as well. Anybody who has their self respect will not put up with one iota of this nonsense and go away and not return. Nothing will change at council or anywhere until the people change. Jobs are not going to Cornwall because this gang runs it all and they chase your jobs away. I know so much that Jamie cannot print but things are mighty bad that I will say.
Bravo Mr. Spence! Your commentary knocked me off of my chair!!!!! You are so right on the money. FINALLY another media source telling the truth like it is! Kilger does not care about Cornwall. We need to dump him ASAP!
Good luck in Toronto! But I must say thanks a million for speaking up before leaving town. Unfortunately Kilger and clan have so many other Cornwallites put in a position that they can’t speak up. Maybe the rest of them at Corus will wake up and smell the coffee as well.
Cheers!
The problem with Cornwall is there is too many of the Rob Fords in council .As i have said before on here crackheads or crackpots someone should check there teeth?
Cornwall would be prosperous if we had Rob Ford types on council.
I know that the bunch on council are simply cracked in the head and then some. Anybody who follows Bare Ass and his gang of crooks are heading in deep doo doo and bringing the town down with them. That includes Gerry Benson, the Kanebs and all the rest of them. Every time I see these crooks around like I saw about that “shister Gerry Benson and the shisters Kanebs” I laughed myself to pieces knowing what big crooks they all are and for brainwashing the “stupid sheeple” into believing their schemes. LOL LOL. I know too much that the ordinary sheeple do not know and one is how you are all being fleeced.
Bare Ass and his gang have no respect for anyone so why in heavens name would anyone want to respect him and his gang. I salute the man who came out with what he said on air and I wish him all the best going to Toronto. Toronto is a city that thrives because it doesn’t have a backward mentality. As long as Cornwall continues in that mentality do not expect any change at all. I cannot see any change whatsoever in my lifetime nor in my adult children’s lifetime and so on. Cornwall went down hill because of those rich people and will never recover. The rich dip into the till and the poor suffer. I have only the worst words for such people. Project Truth only gave a very mild info compared to what really happened. All corruption to the hilt and cover up. What a huge waste of money for a sham (kangaroo court).
February 09, 2014 @ 11:10 p.m. Just witnessed one of Bobby’s city employees use a city truck to drop someone of at the hospital emergency room. Is it any wonder why he wants to raise taxes? We must continue to pay the fuel in these city vehicles so the employees can run their personal errands.
(Even after normal working hours) Now I’m wondering if this employee will be questioned as to why he was using a city truck and not his own vehicle…..even if he is the on-call person.