Cornwall Ontario – Oddly enough the Standard Freeholder was pretty much silent when this writer took our very hypocritical Mayor and two councilors to court over their gross conflict of interest over the utter joke that was the Benson Vanity University project that the mayor and councillors Elaine Macdonald, and Carilyne Hebert sit on. All three didn’t recuse themselves in council as the group they were on the steering cap came not once, but twice to the taxpayers for cash. In fact our mayor argued Hebert out of recusing herself.
Using the City’s own high priced lawyers and an apparently very friendly judge who abused his position (with Hugo Rodrigues sitting in the audience in court) they got away essentially with the abuse purely because entities like the Freeholder and others didn’t step up and support the action.
Now Hugo and the Freeholder are going to the Ombudsman over yet another in camera meeting. This time it’s over the airport where it was business as usual Eastern Ontario style. Essentially, it appears that both the City of Cornwall and Township of South Glengarry covered negotiations and information in a closed door meeting that clearly should not. Hugo and the Freeholder deserve praise for bringing this public.
One would think that after O’Shaughnessy resigned over in camera and other abuses while as a councilor last term that he wouldn’t commit the same offence this term.
But of course now as Mayor he seems quite comfortable doing so.
Again, one has to give Kudos to Hugo for actually trying to practice journalism. No doubt this round will cost the Freeholder some ad dollars(and possibly Hugo his job) and maybe end up on the same list with the local power clique as myself and CFN.
This being an election year though means that ratepayers are reminded at how much they’re getting screwed over by the type of politics that roll in this area where Union influence guarantees certain seats on Cornwall council which when mixed with clannish popularity instead of ability lead to weak councils that get gerrymandered by management.
What do you think dear CFN viewers and victimized taxpayers? You can post your comments below.
Good to see that Cornwall / South Glengarry being taken to task for trying to hide in a closed door meeting. This doesn’t surprise me as I’ve said before government is government is government.
The municipal election in Ontario is Oct. 22, over a year away. Nomination papers can’t be filed until May 1. Will this still be an issue then? I highly doubt it, it’ll be buried like other issues.
It is all in passing the buck and putting the blame on others. Cornwall has to be exposed for all the evils that it is about. There is a ton of things to expose from the present time all the way to Kilger and the mayor before who lives here in Ottawa (the good looking one). LOL LOL. We sure have to dig really deep for all the corruption.
Yes, great to see the City being taken to task for very questionable practices, but follow the pattern here. The Ombudsman has been to Cornwall how many times now ? He has no need for a GPS to find City Hall ? When will these “bozo’s” learn ? IMO, never, again, follow the pattern. Remember Kilger, he’s gone ! Voters, will never forget the treatment of Diane Shay ? I sure as hell will not !
Jules it goes far further back. People simply have to play nice, with everyone. In the days of past we had things like the French Revolution. While we need nothing remotely as severe, it is time to do what Brampton did and clean house and start to rebuild and rebrand.
We have so much opportunity here we simply need to make it work rather than just for a few folks that don’t even live in Cornwall or contribute!
There are families like the Bensons, Kanebs, and others that have benefitted mightily without truly giving back remotely what the poorest of Cornwall residents do via their taxes.
Just look at the Benson University joke. A bunch of millionaires, public servants, and union people asking taxpayers to fund a vanity project for Gerry who simply could’ve written the check for the $100K plus and written it off his taxes. It was shameless the way they joked about it as they made their presentation.
Actually Ryan this would be the first time since the new powers for the Ombudsman. Before it wasn’t their domain which is partly why I was screwed over in my conflict of interest case. I shouldn’t have had to take an issue of this nature to court myself. Everything stank including the fast hustle to bring in Judge Leroy after David Sherriff Scott said that Judge Cardinal couldn’t hear the case because she was on the steering committee too.
Think about that for a second. I taped the call with him of it. If Judge Cardinal was in conflict wouldn’t the Mayor and councilors be too?
As well having a lawyer who repped the city and was repping the Mayor and councilors was conflict as well simply because there were elements of their defense that would be punitive to the city.
It all reeked and Hugo said nary a word….
Jamie you have to get representation from elsewhere and not Cornwall and not Ottawa nor Brockville or anywhere in between it is all corrupted to the core. Cornwall is a place that you would never find jules ever again not even at her wackyness – never ever again. That is a solemn promise. I have heard people who live down there spoke about that to hubby and I and some told us that.
Jules I think it goes higher than that. I think it might be time to investigate the Attorney General’s office or at least the Ottawa Division.
Jamie wasnt it Mme Meilleur on Rideau St. in the Vanier area of Ottawa who had something to do with this case? Yes something has to be done as soon as possible. This Mme Meilleur had something to do in law and I cant remember her title. The entire thing is connected to Cornwall and yes something has to be done before it goes any further. Cornwall is mighty corrupted.
She was the AG during my case and did nothing to have my charges dropped even though the production order from Bell clearly stated I never made any phone calls period. Now she’s been rewarded Federally with a bit of a scandal about her appointment.
My daughter has never voted and hates politics with a passion but I have to drag her out to the polls to vote Conservative. This libtard government at all levels is a curse. I just spoke to hubby and he said that he remembers Pierre screwed up badly as well and yes he sue did. It will be Conservative at all levels for us. We are might sick about what is going on now Jamie more than you know.
You are absolutely right in what you said about the Benson University or whatever they want to call it. I have been against that since the very start and knew who was behind it and for what. I knew the Kanebs from way back when and they are Syrians. Old Nick spoke to hubby in Arabic saying where his family is from and he is from the Syrian/Lebanese border from an unknown village.
Jamie what happened to you was a witch hunt as they call it and completely illegal. When people who are in the legal business are as crooked as the culprits that they represent then it shows that there is no law at all. The innocent pay for the guilty. There are no good laws at all here in Canada – everything is so mighty corrupt.
Jamie Cornwall was always what you see it to be. When there were jobs it went to a certain few. We saw that when we lived down there and that is what took us back to Ottawa. My daughter applied for a position – a good one and then the man said that instead of her he was getting his daughter to do that job and he was going to put my daughter as a gofer girl – we left and never again.
It would be interesting to see whose idea it was to have this closed door meeting. Was it Cornwall’s idea or was it South Glengarry’s idea? Whoever it was needs to be read the riot act from the Ombudsman and told “enough is enough! Arrggghhhh!!!!!
Hi Hugger, Under the old Act, it was Stephen Fournier, Closed Meeting Investigator, who would respond to such complaints. Presently it is the Ombudsman. It was Fournier, not the Ombudsman, that investigated the many oops made by our council. Our Council was extremely aware of the laws pertaining to this. Any one of them, could have halted the proceedings ! Baa, Baa, Baa……..
Ask yourselves why Cornwall and S. Glengarry wants an airport of all things as well as to make roundabouts. The problem in Cornwall is that people (or should I say sheeple) do not go out on the streets and protest. Hubby was saying that in his country the people paralyze the entire government bringing it down when things are not good. The sheeple do nothing here to voice their opinions.
Closed Meeting Investigator / Ombudsman…does it matter who does it? Nope. These two councils need to understand that meetings like this do not go behind closed doors. Just because they want it behind closed doors doesn’t mean it qualifies. This is a major part of why taxpayers do not trust politicians. They’re always trying to hide something. Arrggghhhh!!!!!
Hugger this council is running things sadly like last council. Just look at what the Lay Committee has been doing. I’m still not on a single committee after applying for six, and I ran for office. Again, people like David Murphy should not be public servants as they just don’t get it and never will most likely.