2014 CFN Naughty & Nice List & O’Shaughnessy Council Back to the Future Beginning by Jamie Gilcig

CORNWALL Ontario – Alas many of us had hope for change after Mayor Bob Kilger and three of his henchmen were bounced in the last election.

There was a clear message from the people that change was wanted in our city, but sadly, as some predicted, that change has not occurred, at least not yet.  While some of the faces changed, the results have been achingly similar.

Mayor Leslie O’Shaughnessy had his first scandal nearly in his first week with Councilor Brock Frost firing off a series of press releases that have resulted in two legal actions being initiated.  It also has delayed surgery to remove a cancerous tumor on my dog as Mr. Frost has made some extra false claims that I am on a leash to not publish at the moment, (because of the hearing date her surgery had to be delayed)  but are even more bizarre than the one he made suggesting that I’d made sexual advances on him at an advertising meeting where he alleged that what I had said to him was so …….that he couldn’t repeat it.

Yet he in fact bought a large ad package at that meeting and continued to be interviewed and interact with myself and CFN until his erratic behavior began during the election.   Mr. Frost definitely is on the NAUGHTY list.

A lump of coal for him.

Todd Lihou is also on the NAUGHTY list for his behavior in the election.   Mr. Lihou witnessed a debate between former Mayor Kilger and myself that I won so mightily that the group hosting the event has refused to release the video and then Mr. Lihou wrote that it fizzled.   He clearly has crossed the lines between opinion and news which doesn’t cut it especially as he could never cut it as a Gonzo journalist.  That and inflicting us with his gnarly feet for nearly six months this year when he’d cover events.   Two lumps of coal for Todd.

Bill Kingston was a nasty news person when he worked at Corus.  He is not answering if he’s running his new online site while collected employment insurance, but he is only feeding traffic to the Seaway News and Freeholder; again showing his own petty prejudice against CFN.    How can you be available for work if you’re tweeting all day for your new site?

HOLY Gilles Latour, Bob’s former bag man gave our fair city a lovely shiner as he has faced an awful lot of police charges.  Names like Andre Pommier and Jason Christoff are among those connected to his alleged list of victims.  A lump of coal for Gilles for each one of his alleged victims.

The former Team Cornwall President was honoured and thanked by current President Peter Gault at the  TC AGM unbelievably enough.  Imagine Mr. Latour, being the hot story he is and not being covered by Mr. Lihou or the Freeholder?  That’s called missing the lead.

Greg Kielec, for selling his soul.   My former tag team partner in outing the Kilger council changed after he was blown out of the water by Le Journal.  He refused to continue to work with me to help finish the job and started to act different during the election.   He’s written some very odd stuff including supporting his editor call me a Misogynist (Hater of Women) as well as write a sympathetic piece about the local hate group on facebook of which he was himself briefly a member of.  He didn’t mention that his dad, or current employer’s hubby, or his good friend Todd Lihou are in fact active members of the group in his piece, but I guess the hater crowd found it entertaining.

The Attorney General of Ontario and her flunkies down to Mr. Simard here in Cornwall.    For not only pursuing a case that had no clear evidence, but also refusing to kill my criminal charge once Bell Telephone provided a production order clearly showing I never made any of the calls in their case.   That’s not justice and how many tax dollars have gone into this abuse of the criminal and court system?

Kevin Hargreaves and the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for not only violating Charter Rights during the election, but again bringing another black eye to our city.

South Stormont Ontario, for voting in the mayor and council they did.   The Asian Curse “May you get what you wish for” I’m sure will be heard a few times during the next four years.   Will Deputy Mayor Hart get the $50K her family want for water rights now ?

The Waterfront Committee for wasting so much time and accomplishing so little while spending a lot of money on pizza and take out food.  They all get wet lumps of coal and hopefully none are allowed to be on any committees this term.

And finally on our local list Mr. Aurele Houle and those on Monaco Crescent for trying to pull down the Vincent’s lovely ice rink.     And for those at City Hall that have bungled this issue to the point that we have now endured a National level embarrassment.   Again.

All that needed to be done, if anything, was acknowledge the complaint and spend six weeks investigating it.   Lord knows that there are plenty of things for our city staffers to be working on and not every case gets instant reaction and has to be at the top at the list.

At the end of the investigation give the Vincent family six more weeks to pull it down or else.

Of course at that point it would be Spring.    Everyone would have “done their job” and the kids would have had their rink for the Winter.  Life is never perfect, but even Bob Kilger wouldn’t have showed up at a kids rink at Christmas and told them it had to come down and that BS about only taking the boards down makes as much sense as saying you can have Lift Off Balloons, but you can’ t use the actual balloon or that you can have a glass of water, but just not use the glass.   Pulling down the walls would most likely kill the rink.

What a silly mess and hole this council has dug for itself instead of thinking and doing the right thing.  I mean we have 2,500 poll responses with 96% supporting the Vincents.  Clearly the public has spoken.

The Nice List

Um…..this hasn’t been a banner year for nice in our City.    Sadly it really hasn’t.   I honestly can’t think of anyone to single out.  I’m sure someone deserves a laurel though.  Perhaps CFN viewers can post who they think should be on the nice list for 2014 below?

The City Boycott of CFN

Since 2011 the City has boycotted this local newspaper based mostly on lies including the whopper presented in open council, that the Freeholder and CFN are “often” filled with profanity and vicious personal attacks.   (In the Bob Peters Advertising Report) Even though the by laws allow for up to ten minutes to present information to council Mayor Kilger refused seven requests from CFN over the last few years to respond in the same manner.

Sadly Mr. O’Shaughnessy has refused us the first time we asked.   Mr. O’Shaughnessy incredulously enough stated that there is no boycott of CFN by the city.

Of course Mr. O’Shaughnessy himself boycotts CFN.  He did not advertise his campaign with us.  He did not advertise his real estate business with us, and he did not place a thank you ad to voters after CFN viewers played a major role in his getting elected.  He would not even place the video we shot of his opening night event which we recorded in the media section of his campaign website.

In fact many political savvy people in Cornwall know that it was this newspaper exposing the many scandals of the last term or so and coming to people like Mr. O’Shaughnessy’s defense after he was mauled by Mr. Lihou over his resignation that led to Leslie becoming mayor.

Last week CFN offered the City of Cornwall a half priced ad to wish our viewers a Merry Christmas.   The email was sent to elected officials, Norm Levac, and the hoodlums in Economic Development.    Only one councilor responded.  Mr. Levac phoned me yesterday to tell me when he called me my number didn’t work for him.  When I asked him if the city would be purchasing a Christmas ad he said he’d get back to me.  He never did.

The fact is that the city is spending public tax dollars; not their own private monies.     The only decision when it comes to advertising should be Market share, demographics, and value.  In 2014 there are no lines between print, online, radio, television.  It’s all about eyeballs and dollars.  It’s that simple.

There also is the issue of supporting local business instead of sending the cash out of the community which is something the City seems to only give lip service too.   The City website? Ottawa.  Legal services? Ottawa and Toronto.  We have many fine lawyers and paralegals in Cornwall.  Why do we have to send our own money out of town for legal services?

Don’t get me wrong.  If Quebec owned TC media or Sun Media can offer better value great, but that isn’t being looked at.  In fact the city refuses to even divulge how much public money was spent in 2013 and 2014 with both of those great companies for various advertising products.

The people of Cornwall wanted change.  They voted for change.   Sadly it’s not looking like we’ll be getting change.

I honestly would love to think I’m wrong.   So far though I’m not seeing it.    It’s never too late though.   Smarter minds can still prevail.

But what I can say is that we hire staff and management to run our city and to know their jobs.  We elect officials to actually lead and make key decisions (no, not hire consultants at each question)

When elected officials stay quiet on any issue they are neglecting their duties.   They are not leading.  They are not taking clear positions and giving clear transparent and accountable guidance, because others take their notes from those position.

That’s what the people of Cornwall want and frankly it’s what we deserve.

If council are open, inclusive, and fair that will trickle down into the community.   If they are bullies, abusive, and threaten and boycott others….well just look at the last eight years…..

Council and Mayor O’Shaughnessy don’t need to win arguments or prove points.  They need to lead.  They need to bring the city together and help us grow and prosper together.  It’s not Rocket Science.  If we are to attract people we need to take actions that attract them, not chase families like the Vincent’s out of Cornwall.

Frankly I would like to see the Vincent family at the next meeting of council signing the book and being thanked for their commitment to the children of our community.

What do you think dear CFN viewers?   You can post your comment below.

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