I have been following the Hamilton bike share follies since this time last year, when city council earmarked $1.6 million of Metrolinx “Quick Wins” funding to pay for the capitals cost of bikes and racks.
(The non-profit running the bike share is to pay its operating expenses through bike rental and sponsorship income.)
I have written many letters and made extensive inquiries with the non-profit formed to run and administer this 750 bike, 105 station bike-share.
They have not been very forthcoming with the information I have requested.
I decided to make a Freedom of Information request to find out more. The process required me to download and fill out a paper form, write a cheque to the city for $5, put a stamp on an envelope and mail it all to city hall.
Much time and effort could be saved if this Freedom of Information transaction could have taken place online, like the other electronic services available to residents, like dog tags.
Mark-Alan Whittle
Hamilton Mountain
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Healthy Rips Vaporizers
Showing posts with label accountability. Show all posts
Showing posts with label accountability. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
LETTER: Trustees must respond to their constituents
I live in a nice, quiet neighborhood in Bruleville, or “Birdland” as many streets are named after birds. We have numerous thriving schools bursting at the seams, like Cardinal Heights, and there are more children moving in, which tells me the neighborhood is thriving.
I also know there are many families without children, like older residents and empty nesters. One thing we all have in commons is the fact we all pay for public education on our property taxes.
Unfortunately, the system we use to govern our 21st century school system is about as open and transparent as a brick wall.
I have expressed concerns to both my councillor, Scott Duvall, and my trustee, Lillian Orban, by 21st century e-mail. I also sent my concerns to the chairman. To date I have not received a reply from the latter two. My councillor always replies, even when we don’t agree.
I have come to the conclusion that public school board governance is broken and a closed shop to at least 50 per cent of the population they were elected to serve.
Hopefully this letter will serve as a wake-up call to trustees, who collect over $9,000 each for a part-time job, to get with it and be more open and accountable.
They could start by answer e-mail inquiries from constituents in a timely fashion, it’s the way the 21st century rolls.
I also know there are many families without children, like older residents and empty nesters. One thing we all have in commons is the fact we all pay for public education on our property taxes.
Unfortunately, the system we use to govern our 21st century school system is about as open and transparent as a brick wall.
I have expressed concerns to both my councillor, Scott Duvall, and my trustee, Lillian Orban, by 21st century e-mail. I also sent my concerns to the chairman. To date I have not received a reply from the latter two. My councillor always replies, even when we don’t agree.
I have come to the conclusion that public school board governance is broken and a closed shop to at least 50 per cent of the population they were elected to serve.
Hopefully this letter will serve as a wake-up call to trustees, who collect over $9,000 each for a part-time job, to get with it and be more open and accountable.
They could start by answer e-mail inquiries from constituents in a timely fashion, it’s the way the 21st century rolls.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
How many teachers actually voted?
After reading that the Elementary Teachers' Federation
of Ontario voted (online) 97 per cent in favour of accepting a 2 per cent wage
increase that their members missed out on due to union intransigence, I'm a
little confused. The casual reader will assume that 97 per cent of the 76,000
members of the union voted to accept the raise. This is a false assumption as
the union will not reveal how many members actually voted from a pool of 76,000
members. Did 7,600 members vote online, with 97 per cent of those members voting
to accept the raise offered by the provincial government? For this claim to be
truthful, at least 70,000 union members must have voted (online). If this is
true, why not say so? Unfortunately smoke and mirrors works better for them than
the truth.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
City sets timeline for lobbyist registry decision
Hamilton has voluntary registry
In 2007, Toronto became the first Canadian municipality to establish this type of registry, which requires city officials to publicly disclose every time they meet with a lobbyist.
Ottawa's city council followed suit, voting in July 2012 to create its own lobbyist registry.
In 2004, Hamilton set up a program that allows lobbyists to register with the city on a voluntary basis.
As of Tuesday, the list contained only three names.
Mark-Alan Whittle is one of names. He's a semi-retired lobbyist who advocated for the voluntary list and is pushing the city to adopt a mandatory registry.
He said lobbyists, including those representing developers and also anti-poverty groups, have a “way too cozy relationship” with officials at city hall.
“If you don't have a mandatory registry to capture these guys, you're not going to know what's going on.”
However, he's doubtful that city councillors will champion the cause because they're worried about the public learning about their close ties to lobbyists, he said. “They know once this is mandatory there'll be a lot of red faces around the council chamber and among city staff.”
In 2007, Toronto became the first Canadian municipality to establish this type of registry, which requires city officials to publicly disclose every time they meet with a lobbyist.
Ottawa's city council followed suit, voting in July 2012 to create its own lobbyist registry.
In 2004, Hamilton set up a program that allows lobbyists to register with the city on a voluntary basis.
As of Tuesday, the list contained only three names.
Mark-Alan Whittle is one of names. He's a semi-retired lobbyist who advocated for the voluntary list and is pushing the city to adopt a mandatory registry.
He said lobbyists, including those representing developers and also anti-poverty groups, have a “way too cozy relationship” with officials at city hall.
“If you don't have a mandatory registry to capture these guys, you're not going to know what's going on.”
However, he's doubtful that city councillors will champion the cause because they're worried about the public learning about their close ties to lobbyists, he said. “They know once this is mandatory there'll be a lot of red faces around the council chamber and among city staff.”
Saturday, January 05, 2013
Ombudsman should have oversight of CAS
It made my stomach turn to read the recent story about the man who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing his girlfriend’s teenage daughter, who has the mental capacity of a 12-year-old. But the last few paragraphs were truly sickening — the horrible abuse occurred under the watchful eye of the Children’s Aid Society. Why are they never held to account like the perpetrators, one of which got only a 10-month prison sentence? Ontario should give oversight protection to Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin.
Mark-Alan Whittle, Hamilton
Mark-Alan Whittle, Hamilton
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