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Six months of politics

I haven't blogged much about local politics over these first six months of this term. That's because:
In general, it's been uneventful;
In general, everyone's been respectful;
In general, we resolve our differences without rancor or animosity;
In general, meetings are short and speeches shorter;
In general, we recover from our...



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Arbitrary decisions have no place at council

It wasn't about the food. It was about the process. And that process was wrong.

That was my first argument, Monday night, when a motion was read to end our pre-meeting meals. That motion read, "THAT Council herein authorize discontinuing the provision of meals prior to meetings of Council for Council and staff that attend, in an effort...



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Council off to a good start

The inauguration, yesterday, at the Royal Canadian Legion set what I hope is the positive tone for the next four years. Mayor Sandra Cooper promised several things, including a focus on the budget, the changing of the patio bylaw, and a return to the inclusive budget process the previous mayor autocratically changed without council input.

I'm...



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The strangest thing to say...

There's a front-page article in this weekend's Collingwood Connection about the mayor, titled, "Carrier proud of accomplishments." Pretty much the expected thin, self-congratulatory analysis of his past four years. But what struck me is a bit at the end.*

John Edwards asks Carrier about his "tumultuous" relationship...



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Would there have been 21 candidates for mayor instead?

"If I had run again, would there have been six people running for mayor? Who knows?"

That's what Mayor Carrier told The Enterprise Bulletin, last week, when asked to comment on the results of the municipal election that saw five incumbent councillors lose their seat, all of who had been his supporters during most of his term,...



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Ever gracious and respectful in defeat....

Where most unseated incumbents took their defeat in stride and wished the successful candidates well, not so Sonny Foley.

In an article in this week's Collingwood Connection, Foley lambastes the public, the mayor-elect, Councillor Edwards, and me. He calls we three returning incumbents, "the three worst councillors," and comments on...



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Student vote shows different results

I found a link to the student vote for the municipal elections posted on Facebook today, and the results are interesting - a little disappointing to me, too. Gave me something to think about, too, and about my own name recognition among students and youth.

These results are from the local elementary schools, not the high schools, so there may be...



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A big change in Collingwood!

What a night. What a change! The pundits were right in their predictions that a wave of change was coming, but I don't think many realized it would be this big. Collingwood came out in tsunami-strength force to vote - a record-breaking number just shy of 50 per cent turnout - and firmly repudiated the current administration in favour of...



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Twelve hours left to the regime change

Only twelve hours left before the polls close in Collingwood and we see how the council changes for 2010-1014. I know the media are predicting a significant sea change - up to five new members of council elected say some. Others in town suggest a complete change of council, a sort of baby-out-with-the-bathwater election that sees seven new members...



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Some thoughts on teams and teamwork at the table

[font="Verdana"][size="2"]In a municipal election, you don't elect a team. You elect individuals. Teams and teamwork may come later, and will coalesce around the mayor - if, of course, the mayor sets the appropriate tone. The mayor needs to set the example that encourages and nurtures a culture of teamwork. That didn't...




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