Uncivil disobedience

The images from the riot on Fleming Drive are shocking, especially to someone like myself who spent more than thirty years teaching students at Fanshawe College. The destructive behaviour, even by heavily intoxicated youth, is almost incomprehensible.

But equally incomprehensible was the characterization of what occurred as “the worst case of civil disobedience."

Binging your colleague

Council is on a bit of a break and so am I. In both cases, it’s probably a good thing.

For those who take their council jobs seriously, this will be catch up time. Although what most of the public sees of councillors at work is a few hours every third week on Rogers TV, the fact is that there are a lot of other meetings to prepare for and attend, as well as constituent concerns to deal with and resolve. Getting a week free of meetings means being able to catch your breath and perhaps do some research on a special project or plan ahead for upcoming events.

Learning how Ontario Works

In London and around the world, the Occupy movement has renewed attention on the growth of economic inequality, especially for those at the margins of society, the young, the jobless, the recently arrived. Although the movement has often been criticized for not providing a comprehensive set of solutions to these and other problems, in London it led to the formation of a Citizen’s Advisory Panel. On Monday, it was afforded delegation status at the Community Services Committee (CSC), consisting of Matt Brown (chair), Nancy Branscombe, Dale Henderson, Bill Armstrong and Harold Usher, to present its report on the Social Assistance Review and Economic Inequality in London, Ontario.

Drive throughs and cut throughs

 Ali Soufan had scarcely time to do a high five on the Sunningdale and Richmond deal, getting an Official Plan amendment and a lucrative zoning change for a property designated medium density and suddenly getting high density without having to lift a finger—the planning committee did all the work for him—when he was before that committee again, asking for what he really likes, drive throughs on small parcels of land at busy intersections.

If at first you don't succeed

To understand what happened at the Planning and Environment Committee on Monday, a meeting that lasted from 4 p.m. to past 1 a.m. with only two 15 minutes breaks, it would be helpful to read Discount days at planning. In fact, I could just simply re-post that entry with only a change of dates. It was déjà vu all over again. The only difference was that Dale Henderson and Judy Bryant had replaced Denise Brown and Joni Baechler.

Capping trinkets and trash

Last week’s blogs were taken up with the budget which was finally put to rest at the council meeting last Tuesday. But before the issue of the budget came forward at 7 p.m., council conducted its usual business, dealing with recommendations from it various and ever-increasing number of committees.

Zero means nothing...and everything

There was something a little curious about the debate on the affordable housing contribution that I didn’t touch on in yesterday’s blog. That was the vacillating behaviour of Dale Henderson.

A budget debate unlike any other

It was a budget debate unlike any I have ever witnessed. Fortunately, there won’t be another until next year.

Not that there were many surprises. Councillors had already laid out their positions at meetings of the Committee of the Whole and subsequently the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee which preceded council’s deliberations on Tuesday. Most seemed firmly entrenched in those positions. The votes had already been counted.

Last chance

Tonight sometime after 6 p.m. will be council’s last opportunity to debate the various elements of the budget. Once the final vote is cast, there will be no turning back.

Susan Eagle on Affordable Housing

The following appeared in the London Free Press on Saturday, February 18, 2012. It is reprinted here with the permission of the author, former Ward 9 councillor Susan Eagle, a tireless advocate for affordable housing.