Constituents Betrayed

Representatives of the Niagara Property Owners Association made a third attempt, Oct.2/14, Jan,29/15 budget meeting regarding NPCA funding and then again Feb. 5/15 in a vain effort to the find relief from a total financial onslaught by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.

When attempting to present their story, they referenced the plight of members being abused by the NPCA. For that the region's lawyer Jennifer Feren (not the same region's lawyer Mickey Cruickshank persecuting landowners) tried TWICE to censor any reference to cases before the courts. Fortunately, Councilor Wayne Redekop (also a Lawyer) intervened stating that a reference was not discussing the details of any case before the courts.

What is interesting is the reaction of the councilors. Immediately following the property owner's presentation, the presenters and a couple dozen victims of the NPCA left in silence. Not a single councilor cared enough to ask a question or show even a modicum of concern for their constituents being abused and evern bankrupted by their (still) out of control bureaucracy.

However, at the end of the council meeting under 'other business' our 27 year veteran Councilor George Marshall rose to question the property owner's right to present to council!. 

Councilor Marshall suggested it was akin to having people line up to complain every time the police are on the agenda. Strange how Councilor Marshall thinks the Niagara Regional Council has some say over the police and the police budget yet no sway what so ever when it comes to the NPCA!

Fourth term Councilor Brian Baty, and NPCA Board Member and also past chair of the infamous 'CORK COMMITTEE', readily agreed with Marshal and proceeded to suggest that the property owners should take their concerns to the NPCA, which is the very body that is abusing them!

Even our popular councilor Bart Maves, and NPCA Member not only agreed with Councilor Marshall  but added that a letter be sent to the property owners to guide them to other venues.

Last but not least councilor Bruce Timms, the actual Chairman of the NPCA also agreed with Councilor Marshall that the victims of NPCA abuse should bring their concerns to his NPCA board for a solution.

But Bruce Timms also says his gang doesn't trespass on private property even though that is exactly what happened in the Barnfield case!

Get a load of CAO Carmen D’Angelo's comment that 'we prefer to settle our charges out of Court'! Of coarse they do, but if their victim refuses to pay as is the case with Gail Ross and Rick Scime who were given an ultimatum to pay $tens of thousands or face court at a much greater cost! And this from a guy that can't even look after the NPCA books, sends NPCA Liars to attend Court or keep track of NPCA files!

The comments of the four regional councilors prompted a conversation on how the region's bylaw rules can be changed to block interest groups from presenting to council. Sound much like Councilor Baty's failed attempt to totally ban Niagara Citizens from ever speaking or presenting their concerns in their public forum known as Niagara Regional Council.

http://wwwniagarawinnerscirclec.homestead.com/Inventing-Darkness.html

http://wwwniagarawinnerscirclec.homestead.com/Perpetuating-Darkness.htm 

Never mind the four vocal councilors advocating for the banning of citizens groups from being allowed to make presentations in their own public forum to their own Regional Councilors!

The question is why did the rest of the councilors sit in silent and tacit approval of a ban on their constituents? Not one of the silent councilors raised objections to sending the property owners back to the bureaucracy that they were complaining about.

Democracy or the illusion of democracy