CITY HALL: Names Change, Actions The Same: THE VOTER
Sadly disappointed in the several councillors who said they didn’t have the information they needed to make an informed decision on Lansdowne 2.0 but, since they would have several more opportunities down the road to get clarity, they voted yes anyway. This included Alta Vista Marty Carr and Barrhaven East Wilson Lo.
It seems they don’t understand that the further down the road that the horse has run, the harder it is to get it back in the barn. Because you voted to proceed today, even if you are reserving the right to change your vote the next time this comes back to Ottawa City Council, more scarce city resources will be poured into Lansdowne to move the project along. You will be told then that things are too far along for you to derail the work that’s been done, that it’s too late to stop it now.
Does Ottawa Need What Lansdowne Offers? BENN
Let’s look at another example of poor city decisions. How about the LRT? How many opportunities did council have to pull the plug on the LRT before it descended into total chaos? Yet none were taken. Some will say they had information withheld from them and if they’d known then what they know now, their votes would have been different. We know they were lied to and made some decisions without having vital facts and figures. We also know they went ahead and voted knowing they didn’t have all the information.
We know that many of the staff that led council down the garden path while deliberately withholding information are still there. Former mayor Jim Watson, Transpo GM Manconi and ex-city manager Steve Kanellakos might be gone but their lieutenants are still walking the halls of the Laurier bunker. Can we have any faith that they have changed their M.O.? Are they now telling councillors what they want them to know about Lansdowne and reassuring them that all will be well? “Just vote yes today and your worries will be alleviated tomorrow.”
Not good enough. If you can’t confidently vote “Yes” with no doubts in your head, you should vote “No”.
Your job is to make the tough decisions. That’s what we pay you for.
The Voter is a respected community activist and long-time Bulldog commenter who prefers to keep her identity private.
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Add to LO/Carr the councilors who had either said or written that they did not intend to support Landsdump 2 (money dump and cultural dump) and you would have had at worst a deferred decision. More conversions from thoughtful reps to “New Bobbleheads”
…. especially when they didnt HAVE to say yes; this is not an emergency nor does it even fit many ” Term of Council Priorities “.
But one side element that has been useful: the light provided by the heat ( ” when the heat is on the ‘truth’ comes out ” ) … of this session re LPP 2.0, has shown us more of the true character of some Councillors who we didn’t yet have enough info on. I’m thinking Plante and Carr here. Plante saying she’s voting yes because of ‘the kids and playtime ‘ (!) … and Carr ( like you said ) more or less admitting ( against logic) that she doesn’t have all the info, but can wait till the next stage of Council decisions to ‘finally’ decide.
So this may be useful info on two Council members who I had thought held the same basic values and attitudes favouring ‘ the common-good’ and who could be counted on to really try to do the right thing / and understand things, before they make a decision in any non-urgent situation.
I sometimes feeI that I am living in a small Southern US town where a small group of insiders (service club members, old line families) make all the decisions. City hall is there to collect taxes and dole out favours.
As Yogi Bera once said “Its deja vu all over again” Voting with Mayor Sutcliffe while City Hall staff cosy up to the OSEG string pullers, just as the majority did for Mayor Watson on the LRT file.
I’m particularly disapointed with Councilor Wilson Lo. As a former O.C. Transpo operator he voted for Lansdowne 2.0 the same week Mayor Sutcliffe announced he intends to crucify Public Transit by cutting transit hours and raising transit fares. Both Lansdowne 2.0 and LRT projects are financial fiascos, privatizing profits and taking the risks Public.
Shame on Wilson Lo and those Councilors who just voted to risk half a billion public dollars without the proper info to spend a buck.
Breaking News,
The vote included direction to SELL Parcel A of Lansdowne parkland. The only way to do this is to declare it “surplus to current or FUTURE needs”. The staff incorrectly said we “could” buy it back. The truth is in case law: the seller has control. That is, once the developer gains title, it is not being sold back….ever!
Also, many of the yes votes had 50% to 79% donations in the last campaign from developers, one got $2400 from one OSEG member and his wife. We have to get a limit on donations to $200 Max, to get our city back. Horizon Ottawa published the donation list with great effort.
To quote Cher. Thieves, Thieves, Tramps and Thieves. Stealing for the pockets of the taxpayer to help the rich.