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Muzzle mania      -  posted Oct. 18/05.

What's the cost of disagreeing with Mississauga City Hall?

Well, if you are interested citizen Stephen Wahl and you take your objections to the City's new ward boundaries to the Ontario Municipal Board, the cost could be $8,795.16.

That's the amount of the invoice that the City has asked Wahl to pay for the costs it incurred at a Sept. 14 OMB hearing.
Talk about your political overkill. Is City Hall going to get into the business of punishing citizens for exercising their rights to express a contrary opinion to the gospel according to She Who Must Be Obeyed Because She Never Will Retire? [1]

Apparently so.

Now, don't get me wrong. Wahl should have known better than to show up before the OMB without a lawyer, with no real witnesses and with accusations of "gerrymandering" that he could back up only with fuzzy recollections of statements at city council meetings.

But, wasn't the embarrassment that Wahl put himself through at the Board, and the slagging of councillors at a subsequent council meeting, enough suffering?

After all, OMB Vice-Chair Susan Campbell dismissed Wahl's case in a heartbeat, without even retiring from the room to consider her rationale. She reprimanded him strongly.

"The allegation of gerrymandering gives the apprehension of this being a frivolous and vexatious appeal," she said.
Council took that statement as a licence to pile on.

Why is council being so hard on an ordinary working Joe to whom $8,700 is a big pile of dough? [4]

"Muzzle," says long-time City Hall watcher Roy Willis, another political gadfly like Wahl who loves to stir the pot. [3]
"They want to keep him quiet so they're telling him don't do that anymore."

If  Wahl's actions are frivolous and vexatious, what does that make those who would crush a long-time citizen-volunteer for having the temerity to questions the motives of politicians setting political boundaries?     How about malicious and mean-spirited? [2]

COMMENTS;

    In general this is a perfect example how Mississauga City hall crushes people who right fully express their misgivings about how business is done in Mississauga.
In this case it came as one big bill but in others, like mine, it is many smaller bills till they add up to as much.
"Why is council being so hard on an ordinary working Joe", maybe because Mr. Wahl rained on Hazel's parade.  He stood up when others would not and raised very good questions about the proposed "City's new ward boundaries", which are missing from this report and other media reports about the new ward boundaries. 
Why are the details not being reported?  What is not reported is often more important then what is.

    Something else interesting is who gets bills from City hall and who does not.  Councillor Clifford Gyles had a expensive audit done, that resulted in charges, being convicted in court and did he get a bill for the audit?  NO & we should be asking why the hell not!

[1] - She who can not be named out of fear for reporter job?

[2] - "mean-spirited" - could this be what John is referring to?

[3] - Can't help but notice how people who are not in the inter-circle of media and politicians get torn down and bad mouthed.  Democracy is about participation and where does that get expressed as a positive element in our community?  More about this in "The eyes have it"

[4] - "Why is council being so hard on an ordinary working Joe", clearly he the head on a pike, on the castle wall, to terrorize those who would foolishly act like they lived in a Democracy and question her Worship the Mayor. 
Hazel is old, maybe even knows she is dying sooner then later, so she can't afford to have trouble makers around, interfering with her plans or her "to do list" before she, well you know . 
Make an example of  Mr. Walh and hope no one else dares to challenge the Mayor. 
Who by most accounts, is no longer as mentally sharp and able to defend against reason, as she once was.