Just mean spirited or Are these actions of actual or Wannabe dictators

[oneoff]

In the United States Trumps says

In December, Trump made a cryptic reference to McCabe's approaching retirement, tweeting: "FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!"]

So he gets his licks in during the last hours to ensure that a career public servant (in last hours before retirement) will not get his retirement pension

Whilst much closer to home the RM Council tightens up their grip on public input with the following "Procedure Bylaw at a Special Council meeting on 24/01/2018

2.5 Council Procedure Bylaw that needs an amendment

RESOLUTION No:2018-0070 Shane Boyes

That at the February Council meeting the Council Procedure Bylaw is repealed and that an amendment be made to change the protocol that repeat correspondence not be brought back to Council within one (1) year for consideration, along with delegations regarding the same topic that has already been brought and discussed at the table.

Carried




Well I guess that covers about every possible way of shutting down input at a regular monthly meeting by passing that pressing matter at a previous Special Called Meeting where there is sure not to be any outside witness.

Now I assume that the "Council Procedure Bylaw referred to is the "Document: Bylaw No. 2016-01 A Bylaw to Regulate the Proceedings of Municipal Council and Council Committees passed at the Regular Meeting 1/14/2016""

OK...so I assume that over a month ago the Council did indeed repeal that Bylaw.

But that would be a real trick to have council then successfully amend a Bylaw that then doesn't exist


There is no doubt a group that cheers both of these developments; but after Trump gets his just desserts....some may be emboldened to clean up some aspects of Canadian politics shortly thereafter.

[farmaholic]

Have you talked to SARM or what ever Provincial governing body oversees Rural Municipalities?

I can't imagine each RM has complete autonomy.

[oneoff]

I have talked to everyone; or at least attempted to do so.

Whilst the RM auditors have noted in last report available to me...that council members are not adhering to handling their conflicts of interest; those auditors will not allow me to point out specific instances of which I am aware that they might consider in their next auditors statement. Similarly a learned and mutually respected lawyer on retainer by our particular RM; literally shivered when all I attempted to do was give him excerpts from the adopted minutes that might aid him in preparing bylaws requested by Council.

The town newspaper has shut down..ergo no local forum for probing Letters to the Editor.

The Ministry of Governmental Affairs has been approached over the decades (and as late as a few months ago); Municipal Advisors know me on a first name basis. I've appeared before council on a host of matters that concern a whole lot more than what could be considered personal interest. I've attended many public meetings (including several well outside where I pay substantial taxes) and been welcomed at a whole different level of respect I might say. I consider being responsible for some significant public benefits; including as recent to preserve municipal interests in a section ofgravel deposits that would surely have been lost had I not pointed out to council that ratepayers would surely lose that up to 20 year agreement if they didn't get on the ball and register that interest before the land changed hands to another owner. And this happened after council members had aquised to development and still falsely believe that their interest is for a period of 10 years. Oh it is a very very important document and I am solely responsible for some hundreds of thousands of taxpayer savings over what should be the next two decades.

I've been threatened whilst minding my own business in the gallery that I know is prepared for the very few with the interest or maybe even courage to mind their own business of making themselves aware of council decisions and the reasoning that goes into (or doesn't go into those decisions with the force of law and penalty.) And those 7 bigger bullies can be quick to threaten in " their" to ensure that they have the last and only attack on exactly what they have adopted in their own published minutes. Some of which are now published on the internet solely through a recommendation to municipal councils. If only there were similar access to the accounting trail that is meant to (and actually does) form part of the adopted minutes. You know "FOLLOW THE MONEY".

I've been subjected to not being allowed to speak (in defense of what was stated as accusations)r after viscious attacks upon myself. I've seen council behavior around a council table that council members should have been reprimanded in the manner associated with the "Me Too" movement.

But right now I'm late for crokinole and don't have any desire to proof read this sad story.

Get off your asses and help fix stupid and corrupt.


And **** any council member peer who can't lend their support to being the ones responsible for fixing this shit.

And finally; the Ombudsperson has probably determined the time line for combining similar documented minutes reported by myself (and other instances unknown to myself) that may well lead to some recommendations. Patience. They are our "Special Investigators" and I am told it is to be actually investigated. I understand that is a whole different stage than adding information to a file complaint.

Boy I'm glad not to be responsible as part of the present council; and to not be personally associated with anything referred to in the above sickening disgraces to democratic principles.

[oneoff]

Absolutely piss poor response from the readership on either the world wide implications of the Trump situation mentioned above

and equally dismal lack of comment on what will be a successful attempt at curbing discussion of any desired issue at the Sask Rural Municipality level.

Aren't there more people who can see the earth shattering implications of widespread "enshrining corruption and evil by simply remaining silent"?

[sumdumguy]

Absolutely piss poor response from the readership on either the world wide implications of the Trump situation mentioned above

and equally dismal lack of comment on what will be a successful attempt at curbing discussion of any desired issue at the Sask Rural Municipality level.

Aren't there more people who can see the earth shattering implications of widespread "enshrining corruption and evil by simply remaining silent"?

One Off, I am a member of a board very much like you describe. My choices are to expose their methods, financial risks and bring on a legal attack or walk away and watch the organization implode. It is unbelievable what goes on behind closed doors.

[burnt]

Absolutely piss poor response from the readership on either the world wide implications of the Trump situation mentioned above

and equally dismal lack of comment on what will be a successful attempt at curbing discussion of any desired issue at the Sask Rural Municipality level.

Aren't there more people who can see the earth shattering implications of widespread "enshrining corruption and evil by simply remaining silent"?

The lack of response is - - - - - - - - -normal.

I know exactly of what you speak because of firsthand experience.

Addressing issues of wrongdoing or corruption gets labeled as harassment and branded as a troublemaker.

For example, the mayor didn't bother going through the legal process for putting a new culvert/crossing in the municipal ditch on his own property. When another peeved councilor brought it to the drainage guy's attention, he merely brushed it off by saying, "We know this happens, but we're not going to chase down every case."

This, after another taxpayer shelled out $30,000 in engineering fees and actual costs to install a second crossing on a different municipal ditch, a project not much different in scope.

The ethics commissioner may be the next phone call. And the example I gave is very small potatoes in the bigger scheme of things.

It's a two-tier system and the bad guys are like pigs at the trough.

The implications of corruption are quite clear - staggeringly so.

When we have a tax cheat/dodger like Morneau making the (tax) rules for the rest of us, you may know you're screwed.

When the law makers don't follow the rules they themselves make, why should anyone respect law?

Could it be that the silence on the issues you raise is more a result of people not wanting to admit that what they are seeing is actually true?

Perhaps it means our law system is nothing more than a shell game and complete lawlessness is merely one catastrophe away?

Do people know what "responsible government" means and what makes it work?

If your last interaction with your elected official was marking his/her name on your ballot, then the answer to the preceding question is automatically "NO".

[oneoff]

Thanks fellows.

I know we should be criticizing our fellow electorate; for we surely know we get the government we deserve.

But in the short term; that is non-productive. I do however work on that at a subdued pace.

In the meantime; there is no justifiable reason for any fence sitter or self professed community builder to tolerate that which they would not wish visited upon themselves. I do sympathize with those who fear reprisals; or don't have the necessary courage; or are beholden; or maybe even blood related through no fault of their own. But those are frailties and faults of human character which must be somewhat overlooked until those individuals can come to terms with their personal dilemmas.

In the meantime; where are the comments of the liars, bullies and cowards that prefer to refer to themselves as "leadership"

In the end...maybe there are some solutions that "are best served cold".

[oneoff]

How hard is it to say "I stand for honesty; openness to hearing the evidence on which fair unbiased decisions (in the public interest) will be made; accountability and respect for the laws surrounding the jurisdiction"

Does it hurt anyone with positions of public trust to acknowledge those principles? Does it not diminish anyone who can not bring themselves to repeat that statement at every available opportunity?.

[macdon02]

If conflict of interest is an issue in Sask, ask the administrator for the signed declarations of Conflict of interest from each councillor and reeve. She has to provide it to you. Otherwise go to your mla. When I went off council in 2016 this was a closed door issue on how to handle it. Eventually they got signed but it's hush hush. If asked for it has to be provided by the RM.

[oneoff]

Already up to speed on the Disclosure Forms and their annual updates and also the same form used within 30 days of councillor/reeve encountering an additional conflict of intrest.

I could mention there is zero leeway for not filing the annual update. Guess what.

Deadline was definitely missed (Nov 31 of each year) and council says "Honest mistake" and zero repercussion. Similarly, even with a whole slew of stepping back at monthly council meetings (Conflicts of all sorts "disclosed") when the Disclosure files were reviewed (as previously correctly reported by macd****r) shows no trace of even a single one properly reported in writing....well after the 30 day deadline.

And just for interest sake; the penalty for not filling out that Form2 is a full 12 years of being banned from public office anywhere in the province.


As if that seems to be a deterrence.. and as if the onus isn't 100% on the specific council member to handle that reporting of all their potential Conflicts of Interest according to the law (and certainly not according to themselves or their council peers)

[oneoff]

There is always classic example for everything

When it comes to Conflict of Interest Disclosure; that moment for a particular council came very early in the period where the law was changed so there wasn't any "discretion" in reporting your private businesses and inter relationships that might be seen (or were) in Conflict with public business being conducted by council members.

I remember the former reeve couched comfortably in the reeve's chair; and his words that clearly conveyed to the sitting council members "that it would be a frosty day when he disclosed his personal business to anyone"


You get the attitude....don't you.

Is there any hope for some situations???????

[oneoff]

Repeat Sorry

[oneoff]

Pity that so few can even bring themselves to say the comments above are fake news. Because if it isn't fake news....then there are some real basic problems.

So just a little elaboration on the snippet

that "SOME THINGS ARE BEST SERVED COLD"

Like maybe Unions for your local RM.. Would you believe its as simple as employees meeting on neutral ground with a Union Representative at a place like Tim Hortons. Maybe ask Tim Probe for suggestions where the noisiest surroundings are. Its the gift that will keep giving and it will always be remembered why the formation by employees was necessary due to not being treated fairly by their council employers. Sorry that why there are unions; ie. bad employers and poor working conditions caused by micromanaging; 8 foremen and no idea how a councillor is to act on a day to day basis. Something about setting policy and hiring employees to carry out the resolutions, bylaws and policies. Then letting them do their job without interference.

A second course of a cold meal can consist of looking a councillor in the eye and repeating as many times as you please exactly what that councillor has admitted to in the recorded council minutes. Sure he can protest and claim its "defamatory" and "must stop" and will be met with legal action. But guess what; he's blowing smoke; has confessed; is guilty as self admitted and he's sorely mistaken and uninformed and deserves to be reminded for that which has not adequately (or ever) been advertised as a claimed "public apology" on two occasions. Its just a matter that the only persons who heard it were the council members; and the council minutes that are available for all the world to view.

Try to check that out....I'm sure not many are interested .

And given a little more thought I'm sure this list can be lengthened for the benefit of fence sitters; or those who would do anything to keep harmony under any situation and especially those who are served cold plates and won't eat what they are fed.

[burnt]

Council minutes - I'm sure you've read the minutes of a council meeting in which you sat in the gallery - how much did they actually reflect of what was said or discussed? Likely not more than a small fraction. So the clerk/sec/administrator can make the meeting appear to have been quite a bit different than it was.

I have seen it firsthand. I have for that reason asked that some specific wording, or whatever, be recorded in the minutes.

I am finding some consolation that the Law itself is set to protect the people. It's just a matter of learning it and how to apply it. How much time do you have...

Are you familiar with Black's Law Dictionary? If not, go there and start looking up definitions of the words that describe the type of violation that you are witnessing. (But how often do we know the proper term for what we are seeing?)

thelawdictionary.org thelawdictionary.org

For example - "misfeasance". Another is "malfeasance". Or try looking up "false". Or look up "malice".

We have our usual understanding of these terms, but the definition which operates in the legal world comes with a whole new connotation - one that carries weight in legal circles - i.e., courts.

For example, if a councilor or mayor has used their position wrongly, they will come to milk PDQ if you causally drop the term "misfeasance" into conversation. That is, if they have the intelligence to know what it means. You may have to broaden their understanding...

The system is very corrupt, from the top down, but the courts are there to help keep things in line.

[RD414]

You seem to be in a constant battle with your rm council but we have never heard what this is about one-off. Please enlighten us why the move was made to keep someone from bringing an issue up at every meeting. What is the issue. Name some names, I deal with 6 rms and do not see what your accusing your council with happening here. One reeve was on council for over 40 years. Well respected when he started and when he finished. Probably didn't make 80000 in the entire period, about 10 months wage for government bureaucrat today.