Back in August I made a motion “that staff report on reviewing our policies surrounding secondary dwelling units, especially to address the urgent and growing issue of student housing. This report should include the impact that the recent provincial changes have on our municipal policies, any possible collaboration with Lambton College, and an overview of […]
I’ve had a few requests to do some clarifying on some of my comments around race and Canada on some previous conversations I’ve been having online. I thought I would post some of my thought process for what it means that as a Canadian, that we are all guilty of racism in one way or
There has been some press about a matter between myself and Marilyn Gladu, our federal member of parliament for Sarnia-Lambton. I called attention to her religious extremism and she didn’t take too kindly to it. Some people have asked me, “Why did you attack Marilyn Gladu?” or, “Why does any of this matter?” So I
This story is only one of a multitude where Marilyn Gladu, Sarnia-Lambton MP, reveals her bias and ineptitude for the role of MP, but I wanted to add my personal experience to the archive so that it’s on the record and that hopefully she will be held accountable one day. It’s important to remember what
One of the things that I did agree with in installing the greeter desk back in the lobby of city hall is it’s intended emphasis on hospitality. It’s important that we make hospitality a value at the center of our city. Judging by the comments of my fellow councilors who voted in favour of restoring
Tomorrow’s meeting is going to be interesting! Further to the motion that I commented on from Sarnia Councillor Bill Dennis there is another motion by Dave Boushy that is identical and then takes it even further. There are two items that he added: e) Removal of the Workplace Investigation section from the www.sarnia.ca (all reports will remain publicly available); f) Staff
Sarnia Councillor Bill Dennis Has a motion on the table at the next council meeting “that any compensation related matter (including eligible expense criteria or other financial reimbursement matters) for Sarnia City and City/County Council members be referred to a Committee of private citizens (to be established) for recommendations to be submitted to Council for their
Chris Cooke is ‘concerned’ about me and my politics. He’s not wrong to be concerned. My style of politics is a direct affront to his. I call out BS, I don’t write it. I want to see our administration thrive and he actively looks to disparage whoever he disagrees with. Let’s grab a beer sometime
The recent news of three business owners leaving Mitton Village is really heartbreaking that they found themselves unable to sustain their businesses in that area. It really sheds light onto larger set of issues that we face as a city. I’d like to make a few suggestions to guide our discourse about these things that
I have spent most of the last twelve years being the lowest paid staff of any of the businesses I am a co-owner of. I don’t make decisions based on my own financial gain, but in the best interests of the overall vision in which we are striving towards. So speaking of my own salary
Yesterday there was a motion in regards to the Integrity Commissioner to “re-issue the RFP in effort to seek additional proposals and broaden the scope of potential bidders in the interest of the Corporation” in hopes that more local candidates would apply. I voted against this motion (though the motion passed) for the following reasons:
Lower Taxes! This is the mantra of the masses, propagated by politicians. It is a message of fear that attempts to shift the citizen’s focus away from what is actually going on. An honest politician has to catch themselves feeding into the narrative that lowering taxes helps keep more money in your pocket and continually
Coming off the heels of my first budget city council meeting, a motion was made today to increase our contribution to reserves (aka. savings account) of $3.5 million (approx 1.5% increase of taxes) to start the process of tackling our looming $350 million infrastructure deficit. That motion was rejected with some of the stated reasoning
Debt is a trigger word in politics, and when we use it, we end up using it no different than how the average consumer talks about credit card debt. In business however, debt is a tool, among many, for growth. We cannot speak of a multi-million dollar corporation’s debt as if they are “in debt”
The words ‘always’ and ‘never’ in argument communicate emotions, not facts.
I ran for city council in Sarnia and I won! I’ll post a bit more often on my Facebook page. I’m excited! Here is a transcript of a 5 minute talk I gave at a Kiwanis lunch (it includes some of my thoughts on Mayor Mike Bradley’s sanctions.) Here is an interview I did on
The golden rule that I’ve been taught my entire life is to do onto others as I would have them do onto me. Jesus said it and most religions have some sort of similar proverb or guideline. I’ve recently begun to wonder if this is the best advice. Considering my privilege – the way that
The most intelligent man in the world came up to Jesus and said “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life”? Jesus said to him, “Keep all the commandments” The smart man said, “I have never broken the commandments, so what else do I lack?” Jesus said to him,
Photograph by Steve Helber I’m the kind of person that loves conflict, and confrontation, and disagreement because I think that it is one of the best ways to uncover and discover deeper truths that neither side of a conflict are actually communicating. When X debates Y – rarely is the truth X or Y, it’s
When we celebrate someone’s birthday it’s a way of acknowledging a person’s life. Another year. This seems good. A way to validate an individual, a way to affirm their existence and value in the world. We celebrate when things go well for us. If my child gets a good grade, or if I win the