Tsubouchi is Our New Integrity Commissioner
Posted by auroracitizen on January 24, 2010
Well it appears Aurora has a new Integrity Commissioner with the approval of a recommendation that David Tsubouchi be appointed the new commissioner to an upside of $60,000 per year.
Tsubouchi is a lawyer. One with no obvious experience dealing with integrity issues — but lots of experience dealing with politicians. It will be very interesting to see how he deals with this group of politicians.
It would also be very interesting to have heard the conversations that took place before he was hired to do their bidding regarding Councillor Buck.
I am sure we are all looking forward with great interest to his first ruling.
Aurora Citizen 
Anonymous said
Ok so does anybody now how we contact our new integrity commissioner? I wanted to ask him how it’s possible that the latest complaint has come about?
Richard Johnson said
Call the Town Clerk and he can direct you.
White Knight said
I remember Mr. Tsubuchi at a time when his mother was discharged from hospital and referred to Home Care. We had a waiting list at the time but he made enough stink about it and she bypassed it. He was a provincial politician at the time. That does not speak to ethics and integrity in my book. Neither do his callous remarks about the “cans of tuna” when he was a cabinet minister.
However, it all seems to be a fit with the exemplary scruples of the GOS.
Nigel Kean said
To Broderick,
Regarding your comments on Jan 31: I am disappointed that you have chosen to speak about something that I know that you know nothing about. That being your statement that Morris and I had a pact to attack then Mayor Jones and not each other.
To set the record straight the only time that I chose to go after Tim was at the last debate at Howard Johnsons. When the then mayor, said that Morris and I were the problem on that council I did defend myself.
That I did and I actually told Tim that I was sorry for my actions. Right or wrong, it was not a pact with Morris.
Broderick Epps said
Nigel. You can’t rewrite history. Fact is you never held Phyllis accountable for any of her actions as a councillor during the campaign. You are right I don’t know as much as you nor do I volunteer as much as you. Sounds like I touched a nerve.The truth hurts Nigel. Doesn’t it.
Nigel Kean said
Broderick,
History is history and you really do not have your facts right.But you are entitled to your opinion.
Anonymous said
I am sitting watching the council meeting tonight and cannot believe the crap that I am watching. What drugs are the GOS smoking? I want some!
They still went ahead and appointed an Integrity commissioner at at the cost of up to $60,000.00 even though the only thing that they want is to hang Buck. The Mayor with her fake smile said that there is nothing pending at this time. What about the issue with Buck isn’t that pending.Did they forget? I don’t think so!They mayor said that she reprsents and speaks for council yet she clearly does not speak for McRoberts, Collins-Marakas nor Buck so how can she say that. Oh wait it was in the cue cards.
This is a farce.
At least I saw one resident, Nigel Kean, get up and speak against the hire much to many nasty looks from Macmorris.At least he has the guts to stand up for what he believes that is best for the town.
Grainger is an idiot and cannot put two words together and make sense. Wilson is just as bad and he does not like the people saying that he is doing a bad job. Gee Al, you are not doing a bad job, you are doing an awful job and should start thinking for yourself and not what the mayor tells you to do.
Gaertner,Oh my God. She asked questions of the Fire Chief that actually made her look worse than we thought in the past. The lady is a mental midget. It is a wonder that the new chief did not decide to quit tonight. She should stick to when is Rememberance Day.
Gallo, oh well he is appointed by the mayor so we all know where he stands. He added nothing again tonight.
Macheckern, WOW, which pills did she forget to take tonight? She is like a bitter person who really has no sense of what is happening. Councillor McRoberts really stood up and was a shining light tonight again as was Coolins Marakas.
mayor morris was as usual herself with the darts and arrows shot at Buck and morris was her arrogant self tonight not allowing Buck to finish any statement but allow bobblehead Grainger to stumble through everything he said. Grainger right now on TV is trying to get a ward system question and cannot get his point made even with morris.WOW what does he do for living? He sure is not a thinker if he has to use a sentence.Oh Boy.
Morris, of course took everything, as if she was the only person who did all this, the code of ethics, the code of contact, the helping of the people who need transplants, the founding of Aurora, etc, etc. etc. She really is a legend in her own mind.
PLEASE<PLEASE<PLEASE let us get rid of the GOS in the next election.
Integrity Citizen said
The Mayor stated Mr Nitkin had “no previous experience as an integrity commissioner “.
Once again she is a fool because my understanding is the new one does not also .
Good call Mayor ,you do not surprise me anymore with your lack of wisdom .
AURORA IS DESERVING OF MUCH BETTER >>>>>>>>>>>>OCT 2010
Integrity Citizen said
I was proud of Bob for his efforts and standing up for what is right for Aurora and its not spite and hate that is the GOS .
Someone said to myself that he needs to be more firm and direct .
I say that has not worked for the last term .
Respect and dedication to your belief you are doing whats right for Aurora and not whats right for you ,like the GOS.
Allison cares alot for Aurora but the beat down by the GOS has clearly taken its toll ,but I love her moxy and spirit .
Broderick Epps said
Well put Anonymous. I finally watched as much as I could of the spectacle known as Aurora Council. Just to echo some of your points. Wendy Gaertner continues to amaze me with her depth of questioning and knowledge away from her strength saving trees. Her namesake on Howard Stern may be more intelligent. Granger is much about BS baffles brains or at least he tries to. He can’t even BS. Wilson is still trying to get over the shock about being elected on platform of fighting crime and lowering taxes. Otherwise content to let MORMAC tell him what to do or say. Gallo from the Morris farm team the Environmental Advisory Committee is much about BLAH, BLAH,BLAH… What else should I say Phyllis.
Evilina, have you ever seen a more angry person. Its really sad… but this person has personal issues.
Finally, our esteemed Mayor who last election made a pact with another candidate (Nigel Kean) not to attack each other but rather attack Tim Jones. Hence a lot of her skeletons remained in the closet and the voters of Aurora bought the Morris line. Like her working experience highly suspect.The sooner the GOS disappear the sooner Aurora can realize its potential.
Tim the Enchanter said
Well, at least THAT’S out of the way.
Aurora just may have stumbled on a secret formula here – create fantasy jobs and then hire recognizable names to fill them.
What’s on deck – Aurora Anti-Terrorism Czar?
Maybe Ernie Eves could have that one unless he’s holding out for the Commissioner of Farmers’ Markets spot.
What a funny little town.
someone who loves this town more than Anonymous said
“Commissioner of Farmers’ Markets”
thanks Tim, that’s the best laugh I’ve had on this blog in awhile
Of course we all know that this position was indeed a fantasy job created for none other than Sher St. Kitts.
It was proposed by Granger, and when the $ was shot down during the budget meeting, had to be re-proposed as a loan.
Regardless Sher will no doubt be crowned, and use the title “Market Manager” but “Chancellor” would be more fitting.
What a funny smelling town.
Something Fishy in Aurora said
If I’m reading the town’s website correctly looks like St. Kitts is also looking for the town to spend $5000 for somebody to manage the Canada Day Parade this year.
Since she quit as a volunteer, I wonder who she has in mind, to be a paid position. hmmm.
Something Fishy in Aurora said
Just read the article in the Auroran about the Canada Day Parade. I stand corrected on my statement at 10:32 Jan 26th.
Robert the Bruce said
I read the article about the parade and I have to wonder if the large amount of peroxide or bleach that Ms. St. Kitts uses has done some internal damage. She states that the parade is important this year because it is an Olympic year!
Now, we are talking about the Canada Day parade – held on…. help me here Wendy….. July 1st. The Olympics – WINTER Olympics, begin in a couple of weeks. The Summer Olympics will be in two years. What does one have to do with the other and how the the Olympics make Canada Day any more special?
I don’t get it.
Fuimus
Knowledgeable in Aurora said
“Some members of council don’t seem to have any regard for (town) staff and are critical of staff in public. It’s only out of respect for the community and respect for the taxpayers that we are trying to provide the tools to allow the staff to do their jobs,”
This quote is extremely offensive to those of us that have witnessed first hand Evelina’s verbal and written treatment of staff during this term. Unfortunately most of them are no longer around! She doesn’t know what the word “respect” means.
Thanks will be Given come October said
Isn’t the front page article in Monday’s Auroran a little premature? I thought the unanimous decision at the General Committee meeting was to allow Tsubouchi’s appointment to be debated and then approved or not at the January 26 Council meeting. Of course the standard six to three vote will no doubt happen so a correction in next weeks paper won’t be required.
Broderick Epps said
KIA.
When I read that quote I nearly barfed. Evilina Mac, who has dissed more staff in public since being elected than all other Aurora politicians past and present combined now is defending the honour of staff. Are you kidding me? Even her past running mate,Walter Mestrinaro has taken his shots disparaging staff in public.
Of all people how could the Banner pick Evilina to quote.Says a lot about the character of the reporter and the newspaper.
Anne said
I had to turn the meeting off tonight. ’nuff said.
Knowledgeable in Aurora said
Me too Anne. I was so disgusted. I have never witnessed such an obvious group of hypocrites in my life. I’m glad that more people are recognizing it and hope everyone remembers in October.
Kudos to McRoberts and Collins-Mrakas though. The motion to defer the IC was excellent, well thought out and presented. But of course the absolutely predictable GOS block vote defeated it.
Richard Johnson said
Good points are being made by all. Lest we forget how all of this started and how much it has cost the town financially and how it has impacted more than a few people.
Evelina’s reference in the paper that suggested that the council is trying to protect the town staff from attacks by going after Councillor Buck, says it all. This is the same lady that sends offending e-mails to people late at night while copying “all council”.
This is the same council that changes the job description of a lady that has been doing a great job with the town’s communications department for years and now she has to re-apply for her own job, which she is now technically not qualified for because the job description was changed just enough for the Mayor to get her way.
This is the same council that is being sued because it tried to use legal means to hijack the democratic free speech process while at the same time the Mayor received a cease and desist order as a result of calling into question the professional interiority of an Integrity Commissioner that she fired a day after he issued his first ruling, which she then tried to pawn off as some kind of “big coincidence”. The fact that Mr. Nitkin advises governments around the world on good corporate governance issues and ethics seems to be irrelevant given that the Mayor has determined that what Aurora needs is a lawyer. Even after receiving the cease and desist order the Mayor apparently told a reporter that Mr. Nitkin had misrepresented his resume to the town which then prompted Mr. Nitkin to tell me that he had dealt with third world countries from around the world but he had seen nothing like Aurora ! I have since determined that the official reasons that the town used to terminate Mr. Nitkin had nothing at all to do with what the Mayor was trying to pawn off to the reporter as the town’s official logic.
This Council has “encouraged” any number of qualified people to leave the town to the point that annual staff reviews were not even done for the past couple of years in at least a few cases because of the staff turn over and yet they try to tell us that “all is well”.
We’ve seen how staff and fellow elected officials have been treated by this council (on camera) and we have heard that the town’s staff are walking on “pins and needles” every day, so I would love for the staff to be surveyed in order to solicit their thoughts on who is protecting staff’s best interests and who is influencing the work atmosphere at the town.
The apparent smoke screen that this gang of six is blowing is something that should not allowed to stand untested.
Integrity Citizen said
Dear Mr.Tsubouchi
I am praying you will do your research and investigate why this complaint actually became a terrible mark in Aurora and its history .
When many lash out against one person in particular it sometimes , if looked into ,can be bullying .
In this Town there have been many examples of bullying by members of our chambers towards citizens and witnessed by innocent bystanders .
This needs to be looked at also because you may find that the character of those that accuse are flawed .
We are said to be a Character Community and I respectfully ask this be removed from the Town Hall as there is nothing of the such happening in that building and Clr .Buck is not the only one wrong .
THEY ALL ARE WRONG .
Get over your petty personal hatred and agendas from the past and Mayor stop insulting every ex – politician that graced those chambers .
You have indeed done this and also done this in public to our citizens .
Shame on you all I say and move on .
Sir I ask you do the right thing and ask the citizens in your investgation .
I would like a meeting also and I will bring my Lawyer if needed .
Bullying is a crime of society and the bystanders get hurt also .
someone who loves this town more than Anonymous said
Let’s hope David Tsubouchi approaches ethics differently than writing poems, in one he described shooting and killing a mime with his finger.
Also dabbling in Film and Television Mr. Tsubouchi has been on SCTV and started in David Crononberg’s 1983 hit Videodrome.
You can view a brief profile on Wikipedia here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Tsubouchi
There’s an interesting online artwork gallery in response to his welfare food debacle from 1995 here:
http://www.walnet.org/members/deb_waddington/40_stomachs/index.html
On Thursday September 10th 2009 he was on a panel The Agenda with Steve Pakin where the topic was “Keeping Ontario Accountable”
He made a comment at 25:01 that all of us in Aurora can relate to:
“Unlike the corporate sector where you have to justify your choice to sit on the board where you do have to bring skills that advance the corporation don’t forget the political process involved with selection of these people, these people are political appointees that doesn’t necessarily mean, in some cases, that they actually have qualifications.”
That seems to sum up the gang of 6.
Sidney Reilly said
“I am sure we are all looking forward with great interest to his first ruling.”
Not really, no. MorMac will get their Soviet-style show trial and the result is a foregone conclusion.
One can only hope that the electorate shows their disgust of the Buck witch hunt at the polls.
Brickbat Returns said
Hopefully he has the highest level of integrity and knows that Blogs are part of todays society .
I also pray he wont suggest our citizens using The Food Pantry ask for two cans of Tuna if one is dented .
The Gang picked a winner at our $ 60,000 .
Remember always ,that this ONLY happened because Clr .Buck asked questions a citizen wanted answered .
Sher and Granger never answered one in regards to “The Dream Team ” and July First Parade mix ups .