Did She or Didn’t She?
Posted by auroracitizen on April 22, 2010
Much debate in the local coffee shops about whether Mayor Phyllis Morris lied when she said she didn’t “recall anyone asking to come and plant trees on town property”, when in fact it was later identified that Tom Taylor had spent over 1 hour discussing the issue with her before being told “NO” it conflicted with her own Mayor’s Litter day.
A couple of issues.
- Did she lie? And does this call into question past statements and her overall integrity? To date Phyllis has been very careful with her words. “I never read blogs”, but yet she knows everything about them because she has someone else read them and tell what is in them. If this is true then she is legally correct — but morally and ethically corrupt. Clearly Councillors are reading them, so are we to believe that she never discusses them with her fellow Rat Packers. Will our Integrity Commissioner be asked to investigate?
- Should she as Mayor allow her own feelings toward Tim Jones to influence her decision-making on behalf of the tow — many of whom supported and voted for Tim for many years. Phyllis has spent considerable town dollars trying to find dirt on Mayor Jones — unsuccessfully it would appear because she has never brought any findings forward. Most people “in the know” are fully aware of these feelings. However, this latest move by Phyllis clearly demonstrates her personal feelings are getting in the way of Town business. Not the kind of leadership we need.
Is this the first time we have caught Phyllis Morris twisting the truth to suit her own needs? Probably not, we’ll see come election time.
Aurora Citizen 
Thanks will be Given come October said
It is said that if you want to predict the future, read a history book.
Phyllis Morris conduct this term was entirely predictable.
A look back at her actions in the past as a councillor reveals her true personality, skills and methods.
Obviously sheep farming is alive and well in Aurora, she pulled the wool over many eyes.
We’ll just have to wait until October to do a little shearing.
Huh? said
“Some 62 municipalities, including the cities of Toronto, Hamilton, Oakville and Aurora, have adopted resolutions demanding legislation to protect grassroots activism.”
See the whole article here:
http://www.leaderpost.com/technology/Anti+SLAPP+laws+touchy+topic/2937050/story.html
Richard Johnson said
I see how ironic your above noted quote appears to be.
By our town’s solicitor’s actions towards this Blog, the town’s insitance on residents and local media having to resort to Freedom of Information requests in order to get simple answers (which are then in some cases followed by a list of prohibitaive costs required to get any answers), as well as the Mayor’s attacks on her fellow Coulcillors and her support for firing the Intergrity Commisisoner and presumably others… one can only wonder if the Mayor has not learned a thing or two from the developers who’s tactics she appparently abhors. It’s a strange world we live in.
The following quote from the link you provided seems to suggest that the Mayor’s tactics to disregard and in some cases even intimidate are not far off in at least some respects.
“Developers are targeting small-town activists, the ‘concerned citizens’ groups, because they’re most vulnerable,” said the lawyer, who was named Earth Day Canada’s “hometown hero” for 2008 at the height of his legal battle. “So many (groups) have chosen silence over financial ruin.”
One has to wonder if Aurora’s town staff and at least some councillors also feel the same way these days ? Silence vs ruin… hmmmmm, what to do, what to do ?
We know what Councillor’s Buck and Marsh chose to do and it appears that a whole lot of staff have left the town’s employment for one reason or anthoer, so maybe hard ball tactics are effective in some ways, but this story is far from over just yet… we’ll have to wait for October 25th to see how this all plays out.
Richard Johnson said
The list of examples of this type of twisting of the truth to suit is as long as my arm ! Why do you think that Phyllis supports the Federal Conservatives… because of their environmental policy or because Tim was running for the Liberals ? Take your pick.
Why do you think that Phyllis suggested to a reporter (quite possibly even after receiving a cease and desist order to stop spreading falsehoods) that the initial Integrity Commissioner was dismissed a day after releasing his first decision in part because he falsified his resume to the town? Of course this was not the official stance given by the town and there was apparently no truth to it, but that did not stop Her Worship from lambasting David Nitkin in any number of ways at AMO, in the media and at council. Phyllis appears to make up her own reality to suit.
What about the claim that she was unaware of any pending code of conduct issue when discussing the decision to hire an new Integrity Commissioner in order to replace the recently fired one? Did she forget the unsubstantiated or disclosed claims that remain posted on the town’s front webpage concerning Councillor Buck, that she also claims can’t be removed because that would constitute revisiting an earlier council decision ?
What about Phyllis not dealing with the less than professional or civil actions and statements of Councillors Granger and MacEachern while she goes after Councillor Buck for daring to have an opinion that differs from hers? All the while claiming to be setting a new higher standard of conduct and accountability.
What about her promise to set a new and more positive working environment at the town when we see over 20 senior staff members leaving or being fired in recent years; some even having to resort to seek legal advice related to concerns of wrongful dismissal or effective dismissal. We have also heard of more than one staff member having to take stress leave. Why would that be? This does not appear to me to be walking the talk.
Don’t even get me started on the claims she has made and inconsistent actions she has taken surrounding the power supply issue!
Just hold on to your hats, the electoral spin has just started !
Broderick Epps said
RJ wrote:
“Why do you think that Phyllis suggested to a reporter (quite possibly even after receiving a cease and desist order to stop spreading falsehoods) that the initial Integrity Commissioner was dismissed a day after releasing his first decision in part because he falsified his resume to the town? Of course this was not the official stance given by the town and there was apparently no truth to it, but that did not stop Her Worship from lambasting David Nitkin in any number of ways at AMO, in the media and at council. Phyllis appears to make up her own reality to suit.”
What about a person whose resume touts over 10 years HR experience only to be party to one of the worst staff turnover situations in recent memory. One could say their resume was embellished or worse falsified.
Richard Johnson said
Further to my earlier posting… what about Phyllis’ promise for a more open responsive and transparent government ? I’m not sure as many Freedom of Information (FOI) requests have ever been filed at the town to get simple answers.
It is also hard to explain the apparent increase in the town’s legal fees and the legal department’s approach to free speech on this very blog, for a government that was supposed to be more professional, more productive and more open to dialog and input.
Just ask the three councillors that are ignored so frequently how the concept of an open and accommodating dialog at council is going ?
As far as I am concerned, this Mayor and her council need to be held to account for their clear and apparent disregard for the promises that were made in the last election let alone the apparent manipulation of facts that we seem to be witnessing so often these days.
It will be very interesting to see how the Mayor’s growing team of speech writers dance around the pattern of behaviour and the record that has been so well established at point.
fed up said
one more nail in her coffin—the only litter I want removed from the streets of this town is the mare herself