Springwater News – Deputy Mayor Facebook Rant – Yikes!
My lead in on this one is “Holy Crap!” This is what Jennifer Coughlin Deputy Mayor published on her Facebook Page a few weeks back. Her words are in italics my comments in parenthesis and bold print. You decide if she really is supporting local business.
Coughlin Writes:
Absolute BLATANT LIE! Absolute BLATANT LIE!
In today’s edition
of the Springwater News, (referring to the March 4th edition) owner/editor
Michael Jacobs states that I was one of three members of Council who “voted not
to support local businesses in their municipality.”
This entirely
false statement pertains to a vote of Council regarding a print media report on
February 17th. ….. Jacobs, in his self proclaimed bias musing, does elaborate
on comments made by other members of Council, however failed to mention the
following.
….. I affirm that
I would not support an increase to the print media budget and indicate that we
could redistribute the existing budget to include communication in the Barrie
Advance (Doesn’t that take away half of the Springwater
News Revenue, a Springwater business and give it to a Barrie Business?) I suggest that we
reach out to our residents to determine how they would prefer to receive
municipal updates. (Idea has merit but that was not the subject matter
of the Report. The Report specifically was on the use of Print Media, nothing
else.) I state that “under no circumstance am I
suggesting that we pull out of print media” and subsequently indicate my
support for option three in the report (Option 3- That
the Township advertises on a weekly basis shared between the Barrie Advance and
the Springwater News.) with no budget increase. (How can you do
that unless you cut the Springwater News budget in half?) Again … I say
that the township needs to “remain present in every issue of the Springwater
News”, and yet again two minutes later reiterate that “we remain visual in the
Springwater News”. (How do you do that with no budget increase and be
in two Print Media at the same time? I guess she thinks Springwater News will
merrily still provide all the free space that they have for years for the
Mayor’s column, Library and other announcements, even though the Township would
have turned their backs on them. I wish I lived in her fantasy world along with
her mentor?)
I voted against
option one, the status quo “that the Township continue with the ongoing
services of the Springwater News on a bi-weekly basis and does not engage the
regular services of the Barrie Advance”. (I don’t think
that is a vote of support.)
Just as there are
some residents who either can not get or choose not to receive the Advance,
there are residents who choose not to open the Springwater News (Well we know by
her post that our Deputy Mayor reads it.). Just as there
are residents who rely fully on electronic news sites and social media to keep
up with what’s happening locally. (This was not the
subject of the Report. Possibly an attempt to distract the audience I guess)
Jacobs also states
that “to lose the income from the township would shutter the Springwater News”.
The Beer Store just announced it is closing. Should the township start bulk
orders in an attempt to subsidise this local business too? (I don’t think we
use the Beer Store for Print Communications and since when did advertising in a
local newspaper become a subsidy?)
I personally and
professionally support our local businesses. (Not doing a
good job with Springwater News!) What I do not
support is a less efficient, less effective use of taxpayer dollars in order to
maintain a status quo. If we can reach more residents for the same money, why
wouldn’t we? (Sounds logical but the Report was only on the use
of Print Media? If the Report had been a review of communication media in
general, then her comments would have made sense.)
I also take exception that her Facebook heading states Deputy Mayor. Doesn’t that make her caustic comments an official position of Springwater Council?
Township Support for Business
When the Council was discussing broadband over a month ago, there was some suggestion of possibly dipping into the Community Improvement Program (CIP) funding. In these times of COVID maybe we can learn something from our friends in Barrie. One thing they did at the beginning of the COVID crisis was to provide a COVID kit. It included, floor stickers for physical distancing, samples of signage, “shop local” stickers for doors, face shields and even some small containers of hand sanitizer. I know this as I volunteer and manage an organization’s hall in Barrie and I touched base with the City and the next day they delivered my COVID package FREE. As far as Springwater and the use of the CIP funding over the past year, I didn’t see a lot of applications for the type of improvements funded under the CIP, so why not take some of that money and develop a special temporary COVID relief program for local business? I know of some local businesses that have spent thousands of dollars on glass and plexiglass barriers, special sanitizing and fogging equipment and other PPE’s. With a motion from Council some of this funding could go to help our businesses as they struggle through this pandemic. Maybe grants of 50% of their costs up to a $1,000 might be an idea. I would even suggest using some of the funds to launch a media campaign on radio, TV and yes local print to encourage all of us to shop local. If we are in it together, which seems to be the elected official catch phrase these days, shouldn’t the Township belly up to the bar and not just hide out with Zoom meetings until COVID passes?
A special note to the Coughlin Posse. Again, please
remember these are my thoughts and I am not asking you to agree. I respect your
freedom of expression and encourage you to SPEAK UP, before that freedom is
taken from us!! One of our previous Councillors (Coughlin’s self proclaimed
mentor) tried to do that about 7 years back and tabled an unsuccessful gag bylaw
resolution, just so you know.
