Trash Panda’s Take On Inspector’s Report

There was a little spilt ink regarding the Medicine Hat Owl in the 207-page tome authored by a provincial inspector. While it pales in comparison to the barrels of smudge used to describe the darkness of the City of Medicine Hat’s dysfunction, it’s worth a response.

As has been the wont of city hall over this term, it has yet again failed to highlight any specific article or broadcast this organization has published which would justify its repeated sanctimonious blather about the Owl.

The city would best be served by its citizens asking why an organization full of employees being paid six-figure salaries is hamstrung by a trio of Hatters who, like many residents, are just scraping by.

The comment by an anonymous city staffer regarding the Owl stating that, “they don’t fact check, they just put opinions out and people think it’s true,” is bizarre as not one specific article is mentioned where that is the case. Nor has city administration ever asked for a correction, except once which the Owl addressed. At the same time, it’s constantly stifling our ability to fact check. They did so to the point the privacy commissioner intervened with a reprimand against city administration when it tried to quash the Owl’s ability to file freedom of information requests.

It’s especially cringe worthy when the one specific article mentioned in the inspector’s report which would fit such a description of not fact checking and just putting opinions out there came from CHAT News.

A February article by CHAT quoted an email written by manager of planning Robert Sissons regarding the Mustard Seed which was provided to the media organization anonymously.

Sissons – who was the only member of the city’s management team named in the story – told the inspector that the article, “included personal identifying information with opinion and commentary.

“The email to council was regarding an enforcement process to cease and desist Land Use based on a Municipal Planning Commission decision.”

The Owl is not the reason for city council’s dysfunction.

 It’s not the general public’s fault either.

It’s the self-absorbed personalities at city hall who have collectively put their pettiness above the needs of Hatters.

And despite council being in possession of the damning inspector’s report for the last three months, they still seem more concerned in prolonging the chaos, finger pointing and not giving a shit about the day-to-day challenges of Hatters.