By Pepper Parr
June 19th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
Is there something I’m missing?
The Mayor is playing fancy with a statement – Elect Respect.
She has taken the position that people have to respect those they elect and that civility is no longer part of public dialogue.
There is no doubt – there are a lot of people out there who are angry.
And well they should. This Mayor and the majority of her council members have forgotten that they were elected to serve the public that pays the taxes to run the city and pay each of them (with two exceptions) more than they have ever learned in their lives.
It is the Electors who deserve respect from the elected.
People in Burlington have given up on trying to influence and inform this Council.
The Mayor, in an almost shrill statement said that she would not be driven from office by people who threaten her personally.
Politicians are removed from office by the people who elected them in the first place.
As a member of Council way back in 2010, Marianne Meed Ward was a delight to watch. She wore the words “accountability” and “transparency” every day.
She did that for two terms as a member of Council and then ran for Mayor and won because she earned the respect of the people she had served.
She was respected in 2010 and in 2014 – something changed when she was elected mayor.
Something happened when the Chain of Office was placed around her neck – the words “accountability” and “transparency” were not real any more. She mouthed the words but didn’t walk the talk.
Now she chastises people for not seeing Elect Respect the way she does.
A self-described journalist who has yet to hold a media event and answer questions. Meed Ward graduated from Carleton University with a degree in journalism. She never practiced the trade – instead choosing to write opinion columns and sit on TV panel shows.
One doesn’t get respect when one gets elected. You work hard every day to earn that respect.
Ask the volunteers on her 2018 campaign about who she is and her MORAL COMPASS AND CHARACTER. She played us all fools and talked a good shtick….once she was Mayor her true colours were on full display and not in a good way. Those same 2018 volunteers didnt show up but 3 in her re election campaign. She IS playing the victim and thats her go to. She has yet to have an in person town hall, which says a lot! If you send an email to the Mayor you get the run around and never get an answer to your question. She talks about respect but she has no respect for Burlingtonians who are engaged and wanting answers to big questions. Instead, she deflects, distracts, delays and flat out ignores. She is a public figure, so talk to the public. From what I have heard, the environment at City Hall is toxic with how she treats even Councillors. Truth will always come out in the wash and Marianne is playing the shell game to try and hide her dirty laundry from you.
I agree with Lynn Crosby 100%
Well said, James
Those who talk about “the people this” and “the people that” as Cynthia has done invoke ‘the people” as if they have undertaken a best practices based 10,000 interview survey the results of which support their position. When in actuality it’s really just their opinion (to which they are entitled). In the end election results are the only thing that count.
I shook my head at the last Ford win.
Eve
If you were to read posts made to Reddit, or to X or to other online discussion platforms you would see there are many of those that have become known as Rightards, who wallow in their own self-pity at the CPC losing a Federal election for a fourth consecutive time. Not only losing it, but losing it from a 20-point advantage in opinion poles just weeks earlier. That truly is a demonstration of the people speaking. Self pity is not exclusive to any one faction.
Valerie
You appear to be another that throws out accusations without any evidentiary support. You say “Unfortunately, there seems to be an increasing tendency for individuals, once elected, to abandon the public service concept of their job and prioritize their own personal interests. It is evident that MMW and many on council seem to think they are superior to those who elected them and are therefore entitled to pursue their own agenda with impunity.”
What personal interests? Examples please.
Their own agenda? Examples please.
Officials are elected by citizens to represent the common interests and priorities of their community and responsibly manage the funds entrusted to them through property taxes collected. Unfortunately, there seems to be an increasing tendency for individuals, once elected, to abandon the public service concept of their job and prioritize their own personal interests. It is evident that MMW and many on council seem to think they are superior to those who elected them and are therefore entitled to pursue their own agenda with impunity. MMW is the epitome of ‘do as I say and not as I do’. Constructive evidence based criticism is deemed ‘disrespectful’. Unfortunately, there are few tools afforded to citizens to make officials accountable and take ownership for mistakes made other than waiting until the next election to vote.
really ??
this is your tax dollars at work Burlington.
whaaa whaaa whaaa.
If MMW is feeling “threatened” or “minimized” by criticism, surely we don’t have to remind her that she asked for this job. You campaigned hard to be mayor— not “special”, or “protected from criticism” … so now do the job.
That means cutting costs, maintaining infrastructure, managing the budget, and delivering results—not whining about how tough the public discourse has become.
Perhaps before claiming to feel minimized, the mayor should reflect on how often she’s minimized the efforts of residents who advocate, question, or complain—especially those who don’t express themselves in ways she finds comfortable.
This ‘Elect and Respect’ campaign is no different than the recent presentation by Basit ….glossy, self-serving, light on substance, and a waste of taxpayer dollars. While residents are asking for real leadership on costs, infrastructure, and accountability, we’re being handed PR fluff.
It’s a tone-deaf distraction that erodes public trust and ignores real priorities.
Criticism comes with the office. It’s not personal—it’s accountability. If you’re spending more time defending your feelings than defending taxpayers, then you’re in the wrong business. Burlington deserves leadership, not lamentation.
Perfectly said, Wayne.
Is that equal to “feeling” disenfranchised?
Couldn’t agree more. When’s the next election????
Could you kindly substantiate your negative judgements of Mayor Meed with specific examples of her ‘conduct’ and ‘record’ that are, as you say, unacceptable? I would genuinely like to know. Whatever they may be, surely you don’t disagree that everyone be treated with respect.
Dena Hill.
Editor’s response:
I will give you one for the time being.
This council has said that it supports the need for journalism. Yet the Mayor has never, ever held a media event where journalists can take part and ask any question they like. Why is that – because she doesn’t particularly like the Gazette? Well, the Gazette did an extensive interview with the MMW when she was running for Mayor. We did several interviews with her when she was a Council member.
I’ll take some time and put together other examples when I have some free time.
Respect must be earned Marianne. You have been, for me and many of my colleagues, such a huge disappointment. We could forgive you the early errors in administrative judgement – you had never administered a government before and it is entirely different and more complex than campaigning. But your flaws of character came out early and often and they can no longer be tolerated if the City is to progress.
Completely agree with this article…she and Doug Ford are a disgrace! Someone needs to stand up a listen to the people!
Who are “the people”?
Are you referring to the vocal minority that suck the air out of the room anytime something happens that they don’t like, or the quiet majority that generally don’t have a problem with what’s happening and in fact may even support it? Could an argument be made that both she and Ford are in fact listening to “the people”, just not the ones that make the most noise?
I only ask this because I routinely find myself on the wrong side of election results. What I think should be a no-brainer and common-sense is often and apparently anything but. I am usually left shaking my head wondering what went wrong. I have come to realize that my interests are often different than the interests of “the people”. My point: Don’t assume “the people” feel the same way you do.
I imagine that Meed Ward looks back with some fondness to the race of 2018 when she was the target of a very nasty smear campaign. People flocked to her because of her populist message and out of a sense of basic decency. Citizens were indignant with the unjustified abuse to which she was subjected. Those were good days for her.
The difference now is that people are angry with her on the basis of her observed conduct and her record. And they have reason. I don’t believe that she really differentiates between the two scenarios. She is still Marianne, the pipeline to permits creator of snappy slogans and feel-good messaging; the darling of the people. Except for a growing number of citizens, she isn’t a darling anymore.
Please would you give examples of what in your opinion have been examples of her poor conduct and of her poor record in office. By her record in office, I specifically mean her individual record not council’s collective record, which must be shared by all 6 members.
Back to being a victim.
Wash, rinse, repeat …
The virtue signalling Liberal Mayor is a hypocrite and should stop running for higher office and concentrate on City issues The ‘woe is me” pity party seems to only happen to liberals ,wonder why?
Right on Pepper.We the citizens have every right to challenge and judge those who work for us .Wether or not they agree ,Politics has always been a “blood sport”.