Scanned, recopied or Internet copy, if there are errors, please e-mail me with corrections: Opening comments: More at the end. And we should be surprised ??????? To the main Judicial Inquiry page - to the Hazel McCallion page. Mississauga News - June 28, 2010 - By Joe Chin - jchin@mississauga.net Inquiry costs now expected to hit $5 million City Council will be asked to authorize an additional $2.5 million to fund the judicial inquiry.The request by City of Mississauga solicitor Mary Ellen Bench, if given the green light at Wednesday’s meeting of General Committee, will bring total approved funding to $5 million. Bench’s request accompanied her May expense report, which showed $181,427 in external costs was incurred during that month. In addition, staff hours totaling 250 hours with a value of $13,912 was also incurred. So far, not including June’s expenses – and with the lengthier second phase of the hearings yet to begin – total overall costs have hit $2,377,658. The City is not responsible for reimbursing the federal government for the cost of appointing the inquiry commissioner, but it is required to pick up the tab for his support personnel. Those costs, up to the end of May, have exceeded $1.5 million, with the lion’s share ($562,986) going to Lenczner Slaght for legal work and Froese Forensic ($401,604) for investigative services. City expenses, again to the end of May, have totaled $850,530, with $611,966 paid to Lax O’Sullivan Scott, the law firm representing the City. And Bench is fearing the worst. “As hearing time will be significantly greater (for the second portion), it is estimated that the costs to complete the inquiry will be in the range of $2-5 million,” said Bench in her report. “Effectively, this means that, based on the information available to date, the costs will be in the range of $4-5 million.” Bench noted that her original estimate of $2.5 million was based on previous municipal hearings. “While a time and cost estimate was referenced, it was also made clear that the municipality has little control over the hearing in terms of time, issues or the cost of support that the judge determines is required,” she said. The first phase of the inquiry, probing a 2000 Enersource shareholders agreement that gave Borealis unusual veto power, is in closing submissions. The second phase, scheduled to begin next Monday, will probe conflict-of-interest allegations against Mayor Hazel McCallion and the role her son played in a $14.4-million failed bid by World Class Developments Ltd. to purchase a 3.5-hectare parcel of City Centre land owned by the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS), to build a condo-hotel complex. Twenty-three hearing days are scheduled. Comments by others - 15 - to this web-page at time of posting; The Mississauga Muse Jun 29, 2010 10:01 PM @ Stephen Wahl $9,600,000 tain't nuttin! You wrote, "Nearest guess without going over; I will wager five dollars to say it will come to $9,600,000" $9,600,000 tain't nuttin! That's how much the City of MYTHissauga blows in buying their "awards", their spinning of Safe City MYTHissauga and ---DUCT TAPE! * Agree 2 Stephen Wahl Jun 29, 2010 9:55 PM The Price is Right Nearest guess without going over; I will wager five dollars to say it will come to $9,600,000 * Agree 1 Uatu Jun 29, 2010 9:06 PM Applause Well said, Therese. * Agree 5 Therese Taylor Jun 29, 2010 8:37 PM Defintion of a Barberite I’m not sure who coined the term“Barberite." Perhaps it was Manits, since he scatters the term here as if it was an invasive species. I’ve been a citizen of Mississauga for 19 years. I use to be a fan of McCallion in my early days here, until I started reading city reports and attending council meetings. Though Manits means Barberite to be a derogatory term, I believe history will give it a much more favorable connotation. A Barberite is a seed that thrives on its natural environment. A Barberite is a person who cares more about nature than money. A Barberite is a person who cares more about democracy than their own personal security. A Barberite is a person who dares to expose the truth, regardless of the consequences. Call me one. I’d wear the epithet proudly. * Agree 5 Think About It Jun 29, 2010 2:25 PM I'm just surprised the Mississauga PC Party haven't let Mantis run for public office * Agree 1 pacroust Jun 29, 2010 2:14 PM Stupidity The fact that Mantis doesn't understand why his comments get marked offensive is the very definition of stupidity. * Agree 4 pacroust Jun 29, 2010 1:58 PM Hahahahahaha Now don't anyone take ConcernedResident's tirade as hypocritical, because personal attacks and insults are always on topic apparently. * Agree 5 The Mississauga Muse Jun 29, 2010 1:51 PM John Tory on the Conservative Party's position on keeping Municipalities UNACCOUNTABLE I asked John Tory myself and here's the video www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ9PZC6WhRI That said, if I could get to take my vote back I'd VOTE for John Tory. It's not like 10 years of McGuinty has put a dent in the corruption and fraud that is our governments. More than anything the Commissioner's recommendations from this Inquiry will tell whether it's worth the money. I know of two Inquiries --Bellamy and Shand. What did they improve? Serious question. * Agree 2 The Mississauga Muse Jun 29, 2010 12:44 PM From the Ontario Ombudsman's website: THE PUSH FOR MUSH "HOW DOES ONTARIO MEASURE UP? The Ombudsman's authority, as established by the Ombudsman Act to oversee the delivery of public services, has not been modernized in over 30 years. Ontario has fallen behind in oversight of non-governmental organizations providing critical public services referred to as the “MUSH” sector - municipalities (except for the ability to investigate complaints about closed meetings in some cases), universities, school boards, hospitals, nursing homes and long-term care facilities, police, and children’s aid societies. The Ombudsman of Ontario's authority with respect to this sector is the most limited in Canada." Then there's a graph, "How the mandate of Ontario’s Ombudsman compares to other Canadian Ombudsman in key public service areas" at: www.ombudsman.on.ca/en/hot-topics/push-for-mush.aspx Check it out and see the complicity of the Province WITH municipalities in their Great Pretend. * Agree Stephen Wahl Jun 29, 2010 10:42 AM Barberite? Yup that’s me alright The definition of ‘Barberite’ as stated by one of the authors of the phrase; is obviously meant to be a slur upon such persons who may fall into the category of being, by definition, a Barberite. While I can agree to the definition; I cannot agree to the sentiment which it is intended to convey; therefore, I will now mark ‘disagree’ to both the comment containing the phrase Barberite and the definition of Barberite. And; I suppose, by definition, I am a Barberite. * Agree 3 fomm Jun 29, 2010 10:40 AM @Stephen, pacroust PLEASE do not feed the trolls. * Agree 4 pacroust Jun 29, 2010 10:28 AM @Stephen I'm sure you already knew that [Bb]arb[ea]ite is meant to be an insult. Mantis in particular likes to use it to refer to anyone who expresses an opinion he doesn't like. He has lumped me in there, for example. For the record, much to my shame I voted for Hazel last time round. (What can I say, I believed the hype.) I have never voted for Donald Barber and I never would. I find some of his positions rather extreme and, to be honest, absurd. On the other hand, he was screwed over by the City of Mississauga, no question about it. I do support getting him justice and making sure they can't do it to anyone else. * Agree 8 The Mississauga Muse Jun 29, 2010 10:13 AM The Inquiry will only be worth is if the Commissioner urges a major changes to the 2001 Municipal Act and then especially insisting the provincial government give the Ontario Ombudsman full investigative authority into Municipalities (he has none now). If the Commissioner comes out with a report suggesting the City of Mississauga hire its own investigator after what he's seen/heard?... the Inquiry was both a Waste and PRETEND. That said, I recognize that politicians have infinite capacity to pervert. Evil would counter full investigative authority into Municipalities with a pooch-lap-dog instead of a Ombudsman-watchdog. But that's the signal for me. Whether the commissioner realizes Mississauga corruption and bunglefest is not unique to Mississauga --but likely rampant. * Agree 7 Stephen Wahl Jun 29, 2010 8:44 AM What is a Barberite? I have read the article and as I look at the other reader’s comments I frequently come across the term “Barberite”; sometimes with different spellings and sometimes without a capital ‘b’. The arguments presented by the commenter sometimes seem to make sense up until the point where the term Barberite is used. I cannot find it in a dictionary or other reference source. Is it an archaic term or pop-culture phrase? Is it meant to be a slur or is it supposed to be a compliment? * Agree 1 DeValera Jun 28, 2010 10:35 PM Like Kenny Rogers said " you gotta know when to fold" OK - we are going through my pain point. Lets stop the spending now and I will just need believe that Madam Mayor was guilty and I won't pay my share of more money to find her innocent. What more could we learn of her son to put him in a positive light? Toss in the hand. * Agree 3 Home Page - Main Table of Contents - Back up a page - Back to Top [COMMENTS BY DON B. - ] |
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