ANA BAILAO IN TROUBLE - AGAIN

THIS IS ONE VERY TRICKY AND CONNECTED WOMAN

There are a LOT of questions being asked about Liberal-connected Ana Bailao and the company she keeps. It's not just the questionable financing from outside the ward which may be mostly the construction-developer industry that Scott Dobson has uncovered ( see his comments on the Junction Triangle website: http://www.junctiontriangle.ca/node/441?page=1#comment-1931 ).


It's also whether she has subverted any supposed journalistic integrity amongst Portugese- only newspapers. AND perhaps is skirting Toronto Elections campaign limit laws?



NOW Magazine has uncovered another questionable tactic by Ms Bailao alleging that she herself is writing 'news stories' that appear in supposedly separate, hopefully neutral publications. http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=177246
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"SENSO was founded by its current editor-in-chief Jack Prazeres, a co-owner of Trican Masonry and a director of the Masonry Contractors' Association of Toronto. Although he's donated to multiple campaigns, including Bailao's, he also declines to speak saying "I don't get involved in politics"
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Troubling as well is that many members of SENSO seem to also be key volunteers on Ana's campaign - and - were also part of a company Ana used to design her signs, flyers and website: a company called Creative7 (C7).

Toronto City Council had passed motions that prohibited corporations and unions from directly funding election campaigns to level the field for candidates and make the process more transparent. Ms. Bailao it seems has found a lot of ways to do an end run around those laws.

Some questions it raises in my mind about Ana:

1. Can we trust her? If she is so willing to use at the very least questionable tactics and at the worst, possibly illegal tactics, now during a campaign - what kind of councillor will she be?
2. Is she saying one thing to Portugese-speaking only residents and another to the rest of the ward? (This has always been a Liberal trick when dealing with French in Quebec)
3. The big construction and developer ties she obviously seems to have must mean that she is heavily indebted to them. In 2003 she raised about $70,000 to run a campaign. Limits this year are supposed to be $28,747.30 per candidate, and she has raised twice the limit. If she gets in power will ward18 be ignored as she votes to pay back her big development buddies?
4. Just how much might Ana be hiding from Toronto Elections in regard to what is spent on her campaign? She is indeed supposed to diligently track the 'goods and services' that might be donated to her campaign, giving them a reasonable market fair value as part of that campaign limit. When she deals in a language most of the ward cannot understand, what other 'free help' might she be getting?

If this kind of behaviour were to happen with Ana as Councillor, she'd no doubt be investigated by the Integrity Commissioner. In an election campaign, does she just get away with it?

*Update: Other blogs writing about this: http://marcio9.wordpress.com/

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*Update: Letter by local resident and well know activist:

" As a resident of Ward 18, I am very distressed that Ana Bailao has been allowed to publish an article in the Potugese magazine, Senso, and distribute it, just before the election. It is not a secret that the Liberal Party supports heavy real estate development, and that Ana has a potential conflict of interest between construction firms, developers and the best interests of a priority Ward, which is truggling with a massive diesel rail expension by Metrolinx, and the closing of Ward 18 schools. There are two conflict of interests in Ana Bailao's campaign - the first between party and municipal politics, and the second, between the best interests of citizens and business lobbyists. Both are significant and legitimate problems and her campaign costs are much higher than permissible levels as well.

As a citizen who has been trying to protect the health and welfare of Ward 18, and its parks and schools, I believe this must be investigated legally. "

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We need attentive minds and investigative approaches with Ana Bailao it seems... Can we really trust her? Questions need answers because...

DAVENPORT DESERVES BETTER

MAYORAL RACE BIG MOMENT

ROCCO ROSSI - DID - DROP OUT OF THE RACE !

Twitter is all a-twitter with speculation that Rocco Rossi is going to announce at his 9pm news conference that he is going to drop out of the race.... It is 8:57pm as I type this... You okay, Toronto? Breathe, just breathe...

New poll out today says Smitherman at 31%, Ford at 30% , Pantalone at 11% and Rossi at 4% and going down. They also say 25% of Torontonians are undecided (I think the undecideds were higher, based on all the people I talked to).

So, TO?

Do you like Liberal George Smitherman who will bring his big party political machine to City Hall.... or Rob Ford who will (try) to bring a big Conservative party political machine to City Hall.... or Joe Pantalone, who will continue on as is with the NDP-leftist party machine at City Hall?

Or maybe now the media could realize there are other mayoral candidates in waiting like Himy Syed? Nah, that would be expecting a media that does real journalism.
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Of course, both Sarah Thomson and Rocco Rossi names will still be on the ballot..... Toronto could still vote for one of the two as a 'None of the Above-I am not happy with my choices' vote.... hmmmm ?

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Seriously. We have NO CHOICE of not having big partisan party politics at City Hall now?

I can just see candidates across the 44 wards drooling at the thought they might suddenly be CONNECTED because of their big party machine ties.

In Ward 18:

Ana Bailao must be dancing thinking her man Smitherman will give her some juicy plum job...
or maybe she's waiting to inherit Ruprecht's old job (plan B)?

Kevin Beaulieu must be praying that Joey Pants suddenly wakes up and campaigns for real so he can get a plum insiders job - again.

If ever there was a time we needed an INDEPENDENT CITY COUNCILLOR in ward 18 it is NOW ! We need someone with the guts to stand up for all groups in our community, not someone who might toe the party line and hide in the shadows.

DAVENPORT DESERVES BETTER !

Does it Matter if a Candidate Lives in the Ward or Not?

Where Ward 18 City Councillor Candidates Live:

(I checked into their publicly available qualifying addresses on their registration forms at Toronto Elections. City Hall, shows date of registration)

Ana BAILAO = 9 Southview Avenue M6H 1T3 January 27, 2010
* YES lives in ward 18 near Dovercourt Park.

Kevin BEAULIEU = 593 Gladstone Avenue M6H 1T3 April 28, 2010
* YES lives in ward 18 just north of Gladstone Library

- Doug CARROLL = 46 Boustead Avenue M6R 1Y9 May 27, 2010
* NO lives in ward 14 High Park the other side of Roncesvalles

Frank de JONG = 210 St. Helens Avenue M6H 4A3 April 23, 2010
* YES lives in ward 18 near MacGregor Park

- Abdirazak ELMI = 275 Shuter Street M5T 1B8 July 14, 2010
* NO lives in ward 28 the other side of Moss Park east of Yonge, Jarvis

- Nha LE = 23 Sullivan Street M5T 1B8 January 5, 2010
* NO lives in ward 20 near Grange Park east of Spadina

Joe MacDONALD = 34 Pauline Avenue M6H 3M8 ?
* YES lives in ward 18 just northwest of Gladstone Library

Mohammed MUHIT = 667 Brock Avenue M6H 3P1 June 11, 2010
* YES lives in ward 18 just northwest of Gladstone Library (close to Joe)

Kirk RUSSELL = 433 Jarvis Street M4Y 2G9 ?
* YES lived in ward 27 near Allan Gardens, east of Yonge when papers filed, but now lives in ward18 on Edna (updated after talking to Kirk)

- Joanna TELIATNIK = 11 Michael Power Place M9A 5G3 ?
* NO lives in ward 5 near Kipling and the 401

- Hema VYAS = 54 Alhambra Avenue M6R 2S6 February 9, 2010
* NO lives in ward 14 High Park the other side of Roncesvalles

Ken WOOD = 355 Lansdowne Avenue M6H 3Y2 September 10, 2010
* Yes lives in ward 18 across from West Toronto at College & Lansdowne
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This interest was sparked by the National Post article by Peter Kuitenbrouwer of October 12th called " Representation From the Outside " http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/10/12/peter-kuitenbrouwer-representation-from-the-outside/ as wells as by residents and candidates wondering where other candidates actually live.

Of the 35 incumbent councillors seeking re-election, about ONE THIRD do not live in the wards they represent. People like: Gord Perks, Adam Vaughan, Cesar Palacio, Giorgio Mammoliti, Shelley Carroll and more.

Many voters are not aware that anyone can run in their wards, even if they don't live there.

Rules do not require council candidates to live in Toronto, let alone their wards

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One point of impact on this is our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which specifies MOBILITY rights: http://www.charterofrights.ca/en/15_00_01 which may be why election laws are the way they are...

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Still would it be right to have a ward 18 City Councillor who lives in, say, Barrie ?

Is this something that needs to be changed? Or just something voters have a right to know?

I guess voters will be the judge of it all in the end. Information that is good to know because

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DAVENPORT DESERVES BETTER

Election Signs Confusing?

ELECTION SIGNS - ANOTHER VIEWPOINT

Maybe because I, like most Torontonians, have suddenly seen so many big, small, coloured, creative and bland election signs of late - I've been thinking a lot about them.

In the Ward 19 debate I attended a while ago, one resident was really angry that Mike Layton (son of Jack in Ottawa) had on a corner of his sign: Re-Elect Chris Bolton School Trustee. His point was that people saying okay for a Layton sign were not asked about incumbent Chris Bolton (who was in some trouble of his own, having used school children to send campaign literature home).

The more I though about this the angrier I became. I think its because it is clearly underhanded and does not respect the right of voters to choose. Or - perhaps it is the sense of entitlement Mr Layton exercises even though he is not yet elected. Or both.

I also think of the little CBC Toronto news snippet done a week or so ago in which they talk about the sudden proliferation of signs, using ward 18 as an example. They spoke with Hema Vyas (who has a link on her website that seems dead now * ) who appeared proud of the fact her signs were out there, as well as Frank de Jong, who commented as a seasoned politician that in the home stretch it is an important sign to voters that a candidate has widespread support.

* Here is a better link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eE8cU0UnFI

The telling downside of this was that the CBC news reporter interviewed a woman who had a sign on her lawn and asked "Will you be voting for that person?" Her reply was, "I will vote, for sure not for him!" (no mention or view of which him it was.)
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Previous posts have dealt with whether election signs really work http://davenportdemocracy.blogspot.com/2010/10/election-signs.html ...
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But today I am wondering if they are sensible. Certainly there is the environmental arguments to consider... This Star story talks about an eco-conscious ward 16 Beaches candidate, Sheila Cary-Meagher, who goes to creative lengths to try to make e-signs useful after e-day: http://www.thestar.com/news/elections/article/874190--election-ephemera-candidate-attacks-himself

I've seen comments on a lot of sites where people suggest outright banning of election signs.

What are we saying as candidates to voters when we just put BIG NAMES on their lawn with nothing else, except perhaps a colour choice (Liberal RED, NDP Orange, Green - Green, Conservative - BLUE - except for some strange reason, NDPers Layton and Beaulieu?). Are we just thinking voters can be programmed if we just pound our names into their heads over and over and over and... you get the picture. Where is the respect for voters?

Some do have slogans, but pretty meaningless ones when you think of it:

Committed to Our Community (you'd better be if you want my vote)
Change for the Better (Rob Davis in Moscoe's old ward - prove it I say)
Works With Us, Works For Us (Isn't that a given for the job?)
and even my own, which is at least a hope: Davenport Deserves Better

There is not a lot of pertinent information given out on e-signs.
Maybe they should be banned - or at least better controlled.

We should also remember that with the city campaign contributions rebate program, 3 out of 4 signs you see for any candidate are likely paid for by taxpayers. Is it right that citizens should pay for candidates to get name recognition? Often a local candidate is just building recognition for another office at more senior levels. Or to get more business connections.

Thinking about it all confuses me. Are we confusingvoters too?

*Update: Here's a wonderful YouTube video that shows some greart post-election uses for all those election signs: http://tinyurl.com/2besre9 (My personal favourite is the frisbee)

WARD 18 CANDIDATE ATTENTION GETTING BETTER

SEEMS BIG MEDIA IS WIDENING ITS SCOPE ON LOCAL RACE?

The Star today did a surprisingly fair and (almost) inclusive article on the happenings in our Ward 18 Davenport: " Good bye Giambrone, Hello Anyone But... ":
http://tinyurl.com/282huqk in which they pretty much tell us the core views of 7 of the 12 candidates who are running. Here's who they did cover with my biased perceptions:

Beaulieu, Kevin - Humble, hard-working city hall insider. NDP party affiliation. Sings the 'everything is fine, be happy song'. Last job? assistant to Adam Giambrone. Not sure where he lives now..? If age is important to you, The Star called around to get them. Beaulieu is 39.

Bailao, Ana - Portugese immigrant flogging her roots and early life in the community. Trying for a comeback after she lost the 2003 election to Giambrone. Lived elsewhere until just before she registered to run again in ward18 where her parents live. Liberal party affiliation: Sings the songs as directed. Last job? Banker I believe. Age = 34.

Vyas, Hema - Public servant, proud of being an 'independent ' with no official party allegiance - except to public bureaucracies I guess. Very much a newbie to running for office, frequently reads her resume when responding to any questions. Sings the Diversity Song and hopes ward18 will warm to her even though she lives elsewhere (ward13) and, as Joe Macdonald pointed out, ward18 is her second choice. Last job in non profit sector. Age = 37.

de Jong, Frank -Most experienced political campaigner of the bunch, was recently the President of the GREEN party. Lives in ward18 and is a likeable school teacher. Avid cyclist and environmentalist, proud of being a politician, he has run 13 times for all levels of government - unsuccessfully. Resilient and optimistic. Age = 54

Wood, Ken - The low-income guy on disability trying to give back to his community. Activist type who chained himself to a tree during the Lansdowne Narrowing to fight City Hall. (He won - trees are still there). Completely independent with no party affiliation (partisan parties aren't what they used to be; now they just want power at any cost). Not working now - but not by choice. Age = 61. (so, does that mean I am the senior lobby favourite as well as the low incomers friend? Age is silly - its experience and character that count, at any age)

Russell, Kirk - Despite the liberal-red colours of his campaign, claims to be an independent. Calls his candidacy 'The Kirk Russell Movement' - an arrogant or confident statement? Owns his own construction company and his background claim to fame is working with Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club. Looking for big Dundas West BIA support as he promises the businesses $ for the Giambrone-inspired parking fiasco. Age = 34.

MacDonald, Joe -Decades of political backroom experience helping the NDP party in a variety of roles (like senior advisor to cabinet ministers), also an advanced academic (working on a Ph.D. in political science at York University). Family man living in ward18.Says he is an independent now with no NDP support. Age = 56.

The other 4 NOT MENTIONED were:

Carroll, Doug -Software developer with a great interest in governance issues. Interested in process of city governments. NDP or independent? not sure. Age = 54.
Elmi, Abdirazak -Lives in ward 7 where he was going to run for Mammoliti's empty seat, jumped to ward18 when Mammoliti came back to run. Still not sure why he is running.
Nha, Le -Liberal party member, worked for Tony Ruprecht. Ran several times for city council in ward18 getting about 250 votes each time.
Muhit, Mohammed - no idea who this is. Not campaigning. No response to emails.
Teliatnik, Joanna - Her slogan is Back to Basics and told me although she is not a career politicians, she has trained many of them from working in bureaucracies. Running a quiet door knocking campaign and has not attended any of the debates so far.

For more detail on all the platforms, in their own words, see Inside Toronto community news: http://www.insidetorontovotes.ca/wards/bloor-west-parkdale/ward-18-davenport/

I think The Star could have at least mentioned the names, but I should be happy they've gone beyond the blind choice favourites of the B&B twins ( * ) - Kevin and Ana - who can only seem to spout platitudes and jump on neighbourhood issues after the bandwagon has already pulled out.

( * ) Be like Adam Giambrone, who ignored several sectors of the ward and was too busy fulfilling his own ambitions to pay attention to constituents, or, Be like Mario Silva (former do nothing ward councillor, now do-nothing federal Liberal MP), or Tony Ruprecht (current do-nothing provincial Liberal MPP) who only shows up for photo ops then disappears to Cuba most of the year. In either case, people schooled by buzzword politico-spin speeches with no real action.

Or maybe I should call them:

Kevin the Deflector - for ducking the mistakes made by Giambrone when he was an integral part of his office as Executive Assistant and was his former Campaign Manager, while at the same time trying to take credit for improvements or successes that were pretty much the result of others in the community. Same old, same old - NDP.

Ana the Opportunist - for popping up two elections later when Giambrone self-destructed and left an open incumbent seat and for only now being seen talking aboiutDundas West BIA parking issues and thge Lansdowne Narrowing fiascos. Same old, same old - Liberal.

Please voters, when you vote look behind the easy endorsements, the meaningless words, the party ties and elect someone of substance.... but in any case, please VOTE because

DAVENPORT DESERVES BETTER

Election SIgn Pollution Hits Ward 18

OVERDONE ? IS THERE NOT A BETTER WAY ?

http://spacingtoronto.ca/2010/10/09/election-public-space-invaders/

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/869978--campaign-signs-invade-toronto

Various signs spotted today around Bloor and Lansdowne and area....

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And meanwhile, another kind of sign: Neglect at Councillor Adam Giambrone's usually vacant constituency office:

Appropriate, since he neglected large parts of Ward 18. P.S> His campaign issue when he first ran was.... removing graffitti from the ward....

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And.... another kind of sign... CHANGE in Housing on my street

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TREE SAVER KEN BECOMES DOG HUGGER KEN

BEAUTIFUL STRAY DOG CAUSES SCENE AT BLOOR and LANSDOWNE

About 10:30am I was having coffee at Coffee Time with some people who care about animal issues and wanting to do something to remedy the cat overpopulation problems both here and in Hamilton. We were trying to come up with humane solutions to find homes for abandoned animals, and talking about the need for mandatory spay-neuter of animals to prevent suffering, when.... THIS GUY:

(Red and white, Border Collie mix about 2 years old) goes charging down the middle of Bloor headed east, looking scared and lost. No owner in sight. Thanks to the sharp eyes of Terry and George, we were able to rescue him.

After a 4 block chase one way and then the other, we were finally able to grab him, pull him over to the sidewalk in front of the Bloordale Pantry (great food by the way) and kept him safe.

I called 311 and was impressed with their response. Within 25 minutes or so an Animal Services officer took him into custody. No collar or tag, not neutered and probably not microchipped (only sure way to protect your animals, cat or dog). He will be held pending the owner being contacted or looking for him at Toronto Animal Services. *

Note: This was not an abused dog and likely not an irresponsible owner as he was very healthy and looked well cared for. Someone said he is owned by someone in the area (I will put up posters).

I want to thank the many people who tried to help catch him (including two younbg guys who were faster than I was). You all made my day.

Guess it was just one of those "the universe puts you somewhere you're meant to be to do some good" things..... Ken Wood's Scorecard: Saved several trees, Saved one dog... (and other stuff) If nothing else happens, I can live with that.

* IF THIS IS YOUR DOG: He is being kept safe at: City of Toronto Animal Services SOUTH Region - Call 416 338 6668 ID #A568294