Troster Praises Developers: WHOPPER WATCH
“This is part of developers being able to demonstrate their commitment to community.”
Somerset Councillor Ariel Troster on the $300,000 donation to Capital Councillor Shawn Menard’s ward
When did you ever think you would hear that from a councillor on the left? A councillor if you will from Catherine McKenney’s old ward no less.
Wow … the tables have certainly turned on this issue. Left councillors for years have rightly condemned politicians for taking campaign donations from developers. But huge donations to the ward from developers are apparently something else.
Miracles do happen.
Perhaps if you live long enough, you’ll hear anything.
Ken Gray
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Ah, a donation endorsed by a leftist surely it is only the deplorable councillors on the right. Pfft… how many “donations” did our former lefty mayor put into the cities coffers. To make a long story short, they all do it.
Do I think Menard was right to accept the “donation” ? No.
Do I think the “donation” should be shared, as Curry (with possible help from Sutcliffe) moved ? No.
Do I think the developer should withdraw the “donation” and let the city move on? Yes.
This issue is a national news item now and another embarrassment to Ottawa’s reputation.
There’s a difference between developers donating money to the city (which the “left-leaning” councillors are approving of) and developers donating money to city councillors (which the “right-leaning” councillors think is fine and which is more like bribery).
I am concerned with “Fox News” style Left and right leaning decisions being an “issue”. Why is the Bulldog doing this? A councilor is a neighbor who has great ambition and ideas for a city/neighborhood. Often they take the greater good as a priority, or development as a priority, sometimes both. To make their priorities a left/right or good/ bad is just “rage farming” ( that is making statements to get people emotionally angry). For example, Mr Allan Hubley was elected just as he was identified as a contributor to the LRT scandal. He still needs to be listened to, as he represents his ward, some of his constituents regret it, but others do not. Its not a left/right issue. He definitely hears from his constituents, just as all counselors do. All to say, City politics should be kept civil and not exploited by rage farming for clicks. Great reporting resists inciting anger. Please do not take this as more than a concern, The Bulldog has contributed greatly in keeping us aware of issues in the city and I will continue reading with hope my anger will be focused productively at “real” maleficence.
Andrew:
To equate The Bulldog or myself to Fox News is insulting and maybe even “rage farming” whatever that is.
That kind of insult demands an apology. I haven’t spent 47 years in journalism spouting the crap that’s on Fox News. You don’t survive that long in this craft doing that. You get fired. So Andrew, you’re wrong.
People have been talking about the left and right for as long as I have been alive. There’s a group of NDP-oriented councillors on this council and there’s nothing wrong with that. And they tend to group together. Shawn Menard appears to be the informal leader. Good on him.
There is a group of conservatives on this council and that’s OK, too. It’s a democracy, you know. People are allowed to have differing views and like views tend to herd. Nothing wrong with that. They’re on the right.
So saying left and right on a council is fine. That’s what they are, irrespective of the supposed non-party affiliation on council. You trying to tell Catherine McKenney was a conservative? Alex Cullen? Diane Deans wasn’t a Liberal?
We call them the way we see them on The Bulldog. We don’t care if they are blue, orange or red.
We do have a conservative tilt on The Bulldog, something I’m not especially happy about. But I’ve asked no end of Liberals and NDPers to join the ranks and they don’t. If you’re out there, volunteer. I’d like to have more balance.
cheers
kgray