By Pepper Parr
December 16th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Recently a commenter using the name Burlington Bob wrote in the comments section of the Gazette:
“Mr. Stern accused the CAO of a word so bad the editor of this paper won’t even allow it to be said. That seems to be lost in all of your arguments in favour of what he delegated. Eric has posted his delegation with the word and so has Pepper but for someone like myself to just repeat what he accused is not allowed to mention it. If that isn’t disrespect I don’t know what is. If he has proof is one thing, but to just throw it out there in his delegation that staff are being dishonest is wrong every day of the week unless he has proof of such.
Eric’s delegation had many pertinent facts but the minute he made his accusation he lost all credibility to his argument and was rightfully called out on it by first Nissan and now the mayor.
Bob Mannell, a Burlington Transit bus driver and winner of a National Bus Driver award.
“Editor, if you’re going to delete the word Mr. Stern used then you’re proving the mayor and councillor Nissan correct in admonishing him for using the word.”
The problem with the statement from Burlington Bob is that Eric Stern did not say what Burlington Bob calisn he said.
It took a little time, not something I have a lot of, to dig out what Eric Stern said. I sent him a note asking:
Eric did you say Hassaan was a liar? I don’t think you did. It doesn’t appear in the transcript I am working from.
Just confirm for me please.
Pepper
Eric Stern: The exact statement made was:
“It was interesting to watch Mr. Basit present a 4.97% on November 4th when the Halton Police budget had been made public on October 30th. Did Mr. Basit knowingly misrepresent the truth?”
All Eric Stern asked was a question.
This kind of twisting what was said and attempting to spread false information is not going to be tolerated.
Burlington Bob is in real life Bob Mannell, a Burlington Transit bus driver and winner of a National Bus Driver award. He no longer has the privilege of writing comments in the Gazette until after the 2026 election.
Not getting this whole ‘Burlington Bob’ thing, I don’t have any problem with mixing it up a bit with anyone, I always learn something, and I find censorship never accomplishes anything useful.
Editor’s note: It was not a matter of censorship it was the deliberate posting of information that was not true. Turns out he had a reputation of doing this kind of thing and didn’t actually live in Burlington
Whilst Mr. Stern did not out and out call the CAO a liar, he did in my opinion imply that. Mr. Stern’s question was “Did Mr. Basit knowingly misrepresent the truth?”.
The dictionary definition of “misrepresent” is “to give a false or misleading representation of usually with an intent to deceive or be unfair”. Whether or not Mr. Stern’s “facts” are actually facts is irrelevant. The CAO being intimately involved in the creation of the budget and being well qualified for his position, he would of course know the origins of those numbers and their veracity. It is impossible for the CAO to disclaim those numbers. Mr. Stern knowing that did by his question to all intents and purposes call the CAO a liar, in my opinion.
There are some evil people out there, and you’re best to keep a certain layer of protection for yourself, all publications require an email address, and social media sites require your full name. I don’t see a problem with user names.
The facts Burlington Bob requested are laid out in this Gazette article.
https://burlingtongazette.ca/stern-asks-mayor-what-did-i-say-to-cause-the-mayors-comments-on-social-media/
Some completely unrelated quotes:
“Accountability feels like an attack when you’re not ready to acknowledge how your behaviours harm others.”
– Tamara Renaye
“Responsibility equals accountability, accountability equals ownership, and a sense of ownership is the most powerful thing a team or organization can have.”
– Pat Summit
Pepper. Yes, but he can re-emerge as Burlington Justin, or Harold or Pierre. Because of that permissiveness, I have as of late used my first name only. I believe all comments to the Gazette should include both given and family or surname.
I remember the good old days of printed media when, if someone wanted to write a letter to the editor expressing an opinion, they actually had to provide their real name, address and contact information. Pseudonyms and aliases weren’t allowed. Perhaps we should restore that protocol? That way, we might improve and elevate the overall quality of discourse and debate, and tame those who believe that in the world of online social media anything goes.
And for the record…BRAG members, including myself, actually use our real names when posting on the Burlington Gazette. We don’t hide behind aliases. Some of us actually believe in standing up for what we believe in, and we aren’t afraid to be accountable for it.
Stephen – while I generally agree with you I’m afraid that I don’t on this. I generally comment in my own name, but sometimes I don’t. In all cases, however, I try to be open and respectful. In today’s media environment with the prominence and ubiquity of social media and the existence of internet trolls and stalkers, it really is understandable that people would sometimes prefer to be more anonymous. This is neither cowardice nor dishonesty but, occasionally, common sense and prudence. People should be able to express their opinions without fear of reprisal or undue repercussion. Unfortunately, in today’s society, I believe that this is not always the case. As you know from your human resource teaching and from experience, employers now often check a prospective employee’s social media posts to get a more intimate perspective on their views and personality – their possible fit with the company.
I find it somewhat problematic when you say “and for the record…BRAG members, including myself, actually use our real names when posting on the Burlington Gazette. We don’t hide behind aliases.” A noble declaration indeed but how can you be sure? Is there spyware on all your computers? 😉