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Scanned, recopied or Internet copy, if there are errors, please e-mail me with corrections:


Opening comments:  More at the end.

  To the web-page with the list of articles regarding this matter.



(You may need to click twice or if you wish Go Directly to the clip on Google Video)


(You may need to click twice or if you wish Go Directly to the clip on Google Video)

This - is Mississauga.

When I first had an idea for a citizen's Blog here, I asked about Guidelines --what I could and couldn't write about. On November 21, 2006, I received this reply:

"You can post pics or whatever, and as often as you want (although I would prefer at least one entry a day).
As for content, it's your blog .. .

"As for content, it's your blog "....

Exactly a week ago today, 75 year old Portuguese immigrant, Antonio Batista and his wife sat nervously in Courtroom 105 hearing about what an awful person he is. Mississauga Ward 9, Councillor Pat Saito was there as well. So was I. So was John Stewart of The Mississauga News.

Mr. Stewart and I were also there the next day, Tuesday when we heard the Crown Attorney urge that the Court find Mr. Antonio Batista "Guilty on both counts" that he did "knowingly utter a threat to cause death to Pat Saito, "use death threats against Pat Saito" "threats and intimidation" etc etc etc against Pat Saito.

The lawyers' closing arguments ended Tuesday afternoon and Mr. Justice James J. Keaney announced he'd make his decision in late July. So Mr. Antonio Batista gets to stew in his own juices for over two months for a verdict.

"As for content, it's your blog "....

While John Stewart was there last Tuesday to the very end of the proceedings , he wasn't at the Mississauga Council Chambers the next morning to observe what effect Antonio Batista's trial had on Councillor Pat Saito.

I know what effect it's already had on Antonio Batista. And I suspect that despite Clayton Ruby's parting advice to his client, "Now go home, try to forget all this and have a good summer.." the final verdict must certainly be preying on the 75 year old senior. Mr. Batista knows this is a criminal court and he could be convicted of a crime. Imagine being a good citizen all your life and then receiving such a "black mark" at age 75.

"As for content, it's your blog "....

I'm grateful that John Stewart was there because he can verify anything that I write about what happened in Courtroom 105 --and correct me should I err. So to begin.

There was an over-riding theme to the proceedings. During the videotaped interrogation of Mr. Batista, Police Officer, Ian McCall said:

"Do you also believe in owning up to the truth when you make a mistake?"

"You need to take responsibility"

I mean, who can argue with that? Wouldn't this planet be a much better place if we all owned up to the truth when we make a mistake --and accepted responsibility for our actions?"

Here's the problem. Actions have consequences. I witnessed "consequences" heaped mightily on Mr. Antonio Batista --and ZERO consequences for Councillor Pat Saito.

Zero. So much for "Accountability" of elected officials. Zero.

Citizens need to know that. Now I figure in this Blog, I'm lucky if I have a couple dozen readers but that's not the point. I didn't find John Stewart's Random Access Blog at The Mississauga News website. I found it GOOGLE-ing key words perhaps like "Mississauga" "Don Barber".

Political Blogs are important. I believe that me writing in the best detail I can about "The Antonio Batista Trial" is important because of GOOGLE. GOOGLE helps you find stuff when you need it. Ontario citizens need to know the troubling things that are happening just like I desperately needed to know.

Municipal Governance made no sense to me --it seemed to be the precise opposite of its P.R. Then I found John Stewart and realized, yes, it doesn't make sense because it doesn't make sense. And when I read the comments of Mr. Stewart's readers, I felt much better. It wasn't just me who was going "Whaaaa?!"

I still remember how comforting it was to find "Mississauga-Others". I know that GOOGLE is my "beacon".

"As for content, it's your blog "....

This Blog will now devote the next few weeks to recording for posterity what happened in Courtroom 105 last Monday and Tuesday --if for no other reason than through my words, I can help you "Be There".

I'll be transcribing from my notes. If I'm in error, please, point it out and I will correct the information as quickly as possible with full apology.

First things first.

Mr. Batista's Mississauga Odyssey began in August 2003 (yes, 2003) when he wrote a letter complaining about various (minor) issues. And then he waited --and waited. Mr. Batista did a lot of waiting.

On the stand, Councillor Saito assured Clayton Ruby that:

"my staff tried to call him several times but weren't able to reach him." (note: these calls didn't make it into her office's logs).

Fast Forward. On November 15, 2005 Pat Saito received another letter from Antonio Batista --this one expressing concern about his property taxes. Again he waited. He called her office and was told she was sick or on vacation. Calls were not returned.

Mr. Batista had no idea that anyone was dealing with issues that he raised in November until he finally received a letter on January 11, 2006.

When Clayton Ruby asked Pat Saito if she agreed that this was an unacceptable reply-time, she said that it was

"not acceptable and I agree with you 100% on that."

Now readers might think this is a politician finally accepting responsibility for Mr. Batista's mounting frustrations. According to Clayton Ruby, frustrations:

"because her office is incapable of meeting the acceptable standards of response to municipal affairs."

Last Monday, May 28, 2007 I saw and heard Mississauga Ward 9 Councillor Pat Saito take responsibility for her staff and office. But it is exclusively Antonio Batista's burden to bear the Full-Brunt-Legal-Consequences of a Mississauga Councillor's office which is "incapable of meeting the acceptable standards of response to municipal affairs." .

Moving Forward...

It's instructive to know what happened at The Big Yellow in 2005 and up to February 2006 for historical "context".

So let's go to The Big Yellow's SUCCESSES IN THE CITY 2005.

Under the heading, "strong leadership effective partnerships" , The Big Yellow writes:

"New employee programs, such as e-Learning, Leadership Fundamentals, Employee Walks Campaign, Employee Engagement Survey, and the Network electronic employee newsletter contributed to a more knowledgeable, healthy and informed staff."

I'll be sure to pass that along to Antonio Batista, because, after all, Saying Makes It So...

Under "excellence in governance" The Big Yellow writes:

"Five collective agreements were negotiated without disruption in service." (if Clayton Ruby were here, he'd call that IRONY.)

Under "building a successful city" The Big Yellow states:

"All City call centres are now using Cisco IPCC Call Centre software for better management of call handling, metrics and reporting." (Now I don't know what Clayton Ruby's reaction would be reading that, but I know mine is HAHAHAHAAhahaha*snork*)

Get this SUCCESSES 2005 Introduction by Mayor and City Manager (Yes, 2005. When all this was happening to Antonio Batista):

"With Council’s support, a wealth of quality programs and services were delivered by a dedicated group of employees. As Mississauga grows, it continues to be recognized as a municipal leader, focused on accessibility, operational excellence, fiscal responsibility and innovation."

As for SUCCESSES 2006?

"Message from the Mayor & City Manager

It is with great pride that we share the City of Mississauga’s 2006 successes with you. Our values of Trust, Quality and Excellence guide us to manage the City with transparency, deliver services and programs which enhance our residents’ quality of life, and serve as a model of excellent public administration."

And so we get...

"operational excellence" Successes 2005 and "a model of excellent public administration." Successes 2006

versus:

"because her (Saito's) office is incapable of meeting the acceptable standards of response to municipal affairs." Clayton Ruby (May 29, 2007)

Hmmm... Such a Quandry. I wonder who to believe... McCallion and Baker? Or Clayton Ruby...

"As for content, it's your blog "....

Yes, it's my citizen's Blog and it's going to be about The Antonio Batista Trial for as long as it takes.

Why does this trial matter so much? Yes, Political Freedom of Expression. But here is something that was never pointed out in Court.

Councillor Pat Saito is on the Peel Youth Violence Prevention Committee and on the Peel Police Community Liaison Committee --that is Youth and Police Service are very much this Councillor's focus.

Youth. Police.

"operational excellence"... "model of excellent public administration" or "office is incapable of meeting the acceptable standards of response to municipal affairs."

So which is it? It's an important question, don't you think? Which is it?

I leave you with this video, taped mere hours after the close of Mr. Batista's trial --of Councillor Pat Saito expressing her views regarding grafitti and prettying up fire hydrants in Mississauga. I keep watching it over and over as a constant reminder about something that Mr. Batista said at his trial.

"she does not think how you feel"

And so here is video of Councillor Pat Saito Wednesday May 30, 2007 --the day after Mr. Batista's trial closed. For the Councillor, it seemed to me that Life went on as if Mr. Antonio Batista never happened --never mattered.
 


(You may need to click twice or if you wish Go Directly to the clip on YouTube)

Last. If at any time, someone feels I've "crossed the line" (that imaginary "line" that the Crown Attorney spoke of) regarding political commentary, I urge you to write and let me know so I can make the necessary changes and apologies.

You see one of my heroes is Edward R. Murrow and he said:

"To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful."

BLOG UPDATE 1:10 PM

I check my email and what do I find? The agenda for Wednesday's Council meeting. Get this:

TRUSTQUALITYEXCELLENCE
Yep. On Wednesday I get to sit through a Deputation by City Manager, Janice Baker called, "Trust, Quality and Excellence: Living our Values".

I keep telling people. The book we're researching on Mississauga Council? It writes itself. "Trust, Quality and Excellence: Living our Values" Corporate Report "addressing Mississauga’s corporate values" dated May 23rd-- and Antonio Batista's trial a week later?

It simply isn't possible to make this stuff up!

Signed,    The Mississauga Muse

"We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear."  ---The Mississauga News Editorial (March 24, 2007)

"The government must not silence its critics by force."  ---Clayton Ruby (May 29, 2007)
 


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