Very clearly, one of main issues facing us in the entire City is the \u201creign\u201d of Jim Watson as mayor. Please believe me, Mr. Watson is not what he pretends that he is in public. This man needs to be fleshed out for what he really is \u201ca career politician\u201d, more concerned with controlling his own legacy and re-elections than what is needed for the ordinary citizen.<\/p>\n
History<\/span><\/p>\n Jim Watson was mayor of Ottawa prior to amalgamation from Jan.1998 until August 2000. Then, for reasons never properly explained, he left office before the end of the term to become president and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission. Due to Mr. Watson jumping ship early, Allan Higdon became interim mayor and served out the rest of the term.<\/p>\n McGuinty Inner-circle<\/span><\/p>\n All citizens of this city must recall that Jim Watson then became a cabinet minister with the Liberal McGuinty government. He served in various portfolios, including becoming Ontario\u2019s first Minister of Health Promotion in 2005. From 2007 until 2010, he was the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. He was a member of the provincial government from Oct. 2003 until Jan.12,2010 when he resigned from cabinet in order to run for mayor of Ottawa. Why is this important to us? We must remember that Watson was in the inner-circle of the McGuinty government when so many bad decisions were made, including the terrible Green Energy Act. Therefore, he was part of the group responsible for making our hydro bills sky rocket. Furthermore, he was an important part of the government that very secretly \u201cborrowed\u201d $4 billion from the \u201cDebt Retirement Charge\u201d on our hydro bills in 2009. Thus making the \u201cDRC\u201d increase exponentially again. This fact was not disclosed until years later. [1](Christian Blizzard newspaper article \u2013 March 26\/ 2014<\/a>)<\/p>\n Budgets<\/span><\/p>\n Having learned some questionable financial practices as a member of the McGuinty Liberal government, Watson\u2019s agenda when approaching a budget has clearly been \u201ctax and spend<\/span><\/strong>\u201d. To me, you don\u2019t go into a budget consultation process with the idea to simply \u201chold the increase to 2 to 2.5% per year.\u201d With the large tax base now available to the City of Ottawa, they do not have an income problem, they have a \u201cspending problem<\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n It must be emphasized that there is also an ugly little fact that Watson never mentions in his \u201cbudget process\u201d. Since Jim Watson\u2019s tenure as mayor, the city\u2019s total debt has more than doubled to $1.65 billion<\/strong><\/span>. He is shoveling more and more on the debt to make it \u201cappear\u201d that his increase is only coming in at 2 to 2.5% per year. What smoke and mirrors! I can\u2019t say this more succinctly \u2013 we are being conned<\/span> with Watson\u2019s shell game with these budgets.<\/p>\n Some City services are now starting to not be funded because approximately 5.4% of every tax dollar is already being used to pay the debt. To me, this is like paying for \u201cair\u201d for us as municipal taxpayers. I, for one, am worried about leaving a legacy of debt for our children and grandchilderen.<\/p>\n Council Control \u2013 Bobbleheads?<\/span><\/p>\n One of the major concerns I have had with the tenure of Jim Watson as mayor has been the way he has handled council. During his tenure, Watson has maintained a tight coalition of councilors who have voted with him on almost every<\/span> issue. There have been very few instances when an issue is brought forward without Mr. Watson knowing what the outcome of the vote will be. In far too many instances to be classified as a \u201cnormal functioning council\u201d, these votes on a countless number of issues have resulted in the entire council voting unanimously<\/span>. Any challenges have only occurred on a couple of occasions.<\/p>\n Moreover, debate and open decision-making have not been allowed. Watson has often even “scolded” councillors for asking too many questions at Council meetings. In fact, at times the tight control has become so bad that this Council has often been termed \u201cbobbleheads\u201d. In my opinion, this is very unhealthy<\/span> for a democracy. Council should be a debating chamber, not a “rubber stamp”, as it has far too often been during Watson\u2019s tenure. For the last four years, generally speaking, we have had no idea regarding the input any<\/span> representative on council has put into an issue. Municipal government, more than any other level of Canadian government, should be a forum to truly represent the citizens at the \u201cgrassroots\u201d level. At the municipal level ideas and input should come from the \u201cbottom up\u201d not the top down. Watson has totally neglected this concept!<\/p>\n Rural Concerns<\/span><\/p>\n Since amalgamation, in our areas the problem of rampant City spending has become a serious concern. Despite the way the City tries to \u201csugar-coat\u201d it, in about 8 \u2013 10 years our taxes have increased by approximately 25%. Without question, in rural areas we are paying this, more than ever, with very little<\/span> more in core services to show for it.<\/p>\n Moreover, Mr. Watson very clearly has little or no concept of the rural areas. I recall seeing him appear at the Greely Community Centre during the 2010 election campaign and literally \u201cgushing\u201d about his \u201cnew \u2013 found\u201d appreciation of the size of the City. It was as if he had never been out of the City in his life!<\/p>\n During his tenure there have been many examples of Watson not being willing to represent the interests of the rural people of the City. One good example would be when the people of North Gower brought forward the concerns about windmills in their area. At that time, Mr. Watson merely said \u201cit is out of our hands\u201d, once again simply mirroring the wishes of his Ontario Liberal government \u201cmasters\u201d. Of course, in Osgoode Ward, we will never forget how Mr. Watson handled the Rideau Carleton Raceway issue. Watson had absolutely no<\/span> understanding of the bigger picture and what the raceway meant to our Ward.<\/p>\n Furthermore, Mr. Watson has entered again as a candidate as our mayor, saying he will announce his platform \u201cover time\u201d. However, if you look back at Jim Watson\u2019s state \u2013 of \u2013 the \u2013 city speech from this January, it is quite revealing about what he really stands for. His speech included five themes that he is pursuing for the future. His themes concentrated on such areas as beautification, design, infrastructure, transportation and a reference to \u201cthe people\u2019s City Hall\u201d. The most telling aspect that can be drawn from this is the fact that there is no mention<\/span> made of what he is going to do for our rural areas. These are our<\/span> taxes being spent, what is he doing for us?? A Tweeting Failure<\/span><\/p>\n Jim Watson and this Council have fumbled the ball on so many<\/span> issues it is really quite puzzling why the media reports he has the level of support he does. Obviously, he is the \u201cKing of Schmooze\u201d and constantly attempts to control the media, public, council and the message. However, in actual fact, he has failed to make tough decisions and show any real leadership. Indeed, if one examines the record of Jim Watson and this Council the following \u201clitany of failures\u201d is really quite compelling:<\/p>\n \u2022 More than doubled the city\u2019s debt to more than $1.65 billion with little to show for it. In summary, this list is by no means \u201cexhaustive\u201d, as there are numerous other examples of failures resulting from the mismanagement of this mayor and council. Mr. Watson\u2019s approach has been to so tightly control the agenda and the message that he has completely lost the \u201cgrass roots\u201d concept of who<\/span><\/strong> municipal government is supposed to represent. Obviously, Watson has spent far too much time micro-managing everything behind closed doors and very often did not respect the views of council and the constituents of this City. Furthermore, if Mr. Watson and this council did not have their eye on \u201clegacy projects\u201d and just concentrated on improving the \u201ccore services\u201d important to ordinary citizens we would have been a lot better off!<\/p>\n Our Savoir Faire<\/span><\/p>\n Throughout his political career Jim Watson has definitely been very much an \u201copportunist\u201d with \u201cimagery\u201d being so much a part of his persona. The old saying is that Jim would even attend \u201cthe opening of an envelope\u201d.<\/p>\n So interested in using the media and being available for a possible \u201cphoto \u2013 op\u201d, Jim Watson is said to have attended more than 1,200 events between 2011 and 2012. In fact, his ceremonial events calendar became so filled that the City was even forced to hire a scheduler for the deputy mayors at a cost of $75,000. [7](City of Ottawa looks to hire new scheduler<\/a>) Clearly, his event scheduler is right over the top, Jim Watson is \u201ceverywhere\u201d!<\/p>\n In politics it certainly helps if one has a bit of a sense of humour. This penchant Jim Watson has for being \u201ceverywhere\u201d, led me to remember a cartoon I used to see in my childhood called \u201cSavoir Faire\u201d. Savoir Faire was about a rather sophisticated mouse who constantly steals food from the people with the catch \u2013 phrase \u201cSavoir Faire is everywhere\u201d! You can draw your own conclusions as to whether this in any way reminds you of our mayor Jim.<\/p>\n [8]<\/p>\n
\nAlmost everything is handled behind closed doors. Therefore, Council meetings have now become a huge disappointment for anyone interested in true open<\/span> \u201crepresentative\u201d democracy. Watson spends most of the first part of Council meetings conducting ceremonies handing out awards. Then, he blasts through the agenda, often in less than one hour, congratulates everyone and then adjourns. This has unfortunately even been the way \u201cbudget\u201d consultations have preceded!<\/p>\n
\n(See [2] Jim Watson\u2019s Iron Fist<\/a>
\n[3] Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson often experiences little opposition.<\/a>)<\/p>\n
\n[4](Five themes in Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson\u2019s state of the city speech<\/a>) \u2013 Wed Jan 22, 2014.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Little effort made to stop tax increases
\n\u2022 Mismanaged contracts \u2013 arbitration loses and lawsuits
\n\u2022 Unaccountable city management and legal team
\n\u2022 Still extensively using consultants
\n\u2022 Sole \u2013 sourcing on contracts
\n\u2022 Council : – lack of serious debate, managees citizen presence at Council
\n\u2022 Back \u2013 room deals, walk on votes, controlled message
\n\u2022 Deflects agenda \u2013 ex.. spends $25,000 on \u201cOrder of Ottawa\u201d ceremonies.
\n\u2022 Political flip – flops
\n\u2022 Hidden Orga \u2013 World audit
\n\u2022 Bi \u2013 weekly garbage collection, green bin project.
\n\u2022 Increased user fees at local facilities
\n\u2022 Imposed even more bylaws
\n\u2022 Questionable missions to China \u2013 Watson traveled to China twice this term
\n\u2022 Lansdown Park \u2013 completion \/ tenants not as promised. Cost overruns have occurred, ex.. \u2013 north roof repairs.
\n\u2022 Lost the grey cup game for 2014 due to delays
\n\u2022 Fumbled the ball on Double A baseball \u2013 kicked out tenant, allocated tax money, stadium now sits empty until next year … Maybe??
\n\u2022 Expensive refrigerated rinks and art galleries at City Hall [5](City hall art gallery costs six figures \u2013 Sun Feb. 1,2014<\/a>)
\n\u2022 Delays and overruns on bridge construction projects \u2013 Airport Parkway, Hazeldean Bridge at Carp River, Standherd \/ Armstrong and so on.
\n\u2022 Disjointed urban planning: Intensification, high-rises, infill rules, urban sprawl.
\n\u2022 Water pollution \u2013 little done on Ottawa River Action Plan \u2013 nothing done on 6KM sewage tunnel required. (How often do we have E. coli at Ottawa beaches during summer months??)
\n\u2022 Crumbling infrastructure \u2013 increasing number of potholes on roads, water \u2013 main breaks, sinkholes
\n\u2022 Political control \u2013 ex.. Mr. Watson attempted to get himself on NCC board of directors to push through agenda on next phase of LRT
\n\u2022 Selected new auditor from inner-circle of city tax department.
\n\u2022 Often tweets journalists or citizens who disagree with him. [6](Watson\u2019s Electoral Death Wish<\/a>)<\/p>\n