Big Baby Politician Takes Football and Goes Home
Big baby City Councillor Gord Hume has cancelled his proposed trip to Nanjing, China after fellow members of council questioned the benefits to London taxpayers in regards to Hume's request for $1,200 to cover his travelling expenses.
Hume will be attending the Olympics in Bejing this summer and hoped tax-payers would foot the bill for a sidetrip to London's "sister city" Nanjing. He was planning to present high-ranking Nanjing muckety-mucks with an "official greeting" from London's mayor Anne-Marie. Written on paper and everything. Probably in the form of a scroll.
London first twinned with Nanjing over a decade ago but no one has bothered to keep in touch following the kickoff junket led by then-Mayor Diane Haskett in 1997. Nanjing has similar relationships with 18 other 'sister cities.' When contacted by the Sonny Drysdale Presents Media Empire, the receptionist at the Nanjing Chamber of Commerce asked, "London WHERE?"
Yesterday morning, Hume could be heard pouting and sulking during two appearances on London radio when callers pooh-poohed the notion that tax-payers fund his side-trip vacation.
When one caller asked why Hume didn't simply pay for the side-trip out of his annual $3000 travel budget given to all city-councillors, Hume's lame response was, "Oh, I didn't think of that."
Hume puts the importance of maintaining a relationship with our sister city in perspective by saying that if his fellow politicians at City Hall are going to question his motives and hurt his feelings then he just won't go. So there. Instead of Nanjing, he plans to visit the archeological site containing the terra cotta collection of 8,099 real old, life-size statues of warriors and horses near the tomb of the first Chinese emperor.
It is uncertain if his visit there will have any more impact on the ancient statues than his proposed trip would have had on the citizens and business community of Nanjing.
Hume will be attending the Olympics in Bejing this summer and hoped tax-payers would foot the bill for a sidetrip to London's "sister city" Nanjing. He was planning to present high-ranking Nanjing muckety-mucks with an "official greeting" from London's mayor Anne-Marie. Written on paper and everything. Probably in the form of a scroll.
London first twinned with Nanjing over a decade ago but no one has bothered to keep in touch following the kickoff junket led by then-Mayor Diane Haskett in 1997. Nanjing has similar relationships with 18 other 'sister cities.' When contacted by the Sonny Drysdale Presents Media Empire, the receptionist at the Nanjing Chamber of Commerce asked, "London WHERE?"
Yesterday morning, Hume could be heard pouting and sulking during two appearances on London radio when callers pooh-poohed the notion that tax-payers fund his side-trip vacation.
When one caller asked why Hume didn't simply pay for the side-trip out of his annual $3000 travel budget given to all city-councillors, Hume's lame response was, "Oh, I didn't think of that."
Hume puts the importance of maintaining a relationship with our sister city in perspective by saying that if his fellow politicians at City Hall are going to question his motives and hurt his feelings then he just won't go. So there. Instead of Nanjing, he plans to visit the archeological site containing the terra cotta collection of 8,099 real old, life-size statues of warriors and horses near the tomb of the first Chinese emperor.
It is uncertain if his visit there will have any more impact on the ancient statues than his proposed trip would have had on the citizens and business community of Nanjing.
posted by Sonny Drysdale at 5:23 AM
13 Comments:
Hahahahahahahaha, I don't know why Hume doesn't just take the money out of the ambassador program. Of all the scams city council make up to go on junkets, Hume takes the prize for the most obvious.
Actually, officials from Nanjing visited London in 2000. The relationship has resulted in McLarty Farms Inc. of Delaware, Ontario and Baconmaker Inc. of Lambeth, Ontario, exporting $650-million-worth of Canadian pork products to the People's Republic of China during the last decade.
Never underestimate the value of these relationships in furthering jobs and economic activity.
Honey Pot gets the "Bamboo under the fingernail treatment" for being a full-time cynic ad nauseam.
Controller Gord (Chinese Wall) Hume would make an excellent ambassador to the Chinese mandarins.
He is truly a man of the whirld and a Man for all Seasons.
Ya know... I wouldn't begrudge 1200 bucks for Gordie Arbuckle to pay a neighbourly call to Nanjing. It makes quite a bit of sense. But if he's going to throw pouty little tantrums the moment someone asks "Why?", then maybe it's best we wait for an adult to come along.
The mistake Controller Hume made was not presenting his proposal with more specific details and working collaboratively with his council colleagues on the proposal, in advance.
Gord has created some resentment among his council colleagues with his high-handed mannerisms and criticism of others.
He knows about this character flaw and actively tries to deal with it by toning it down. Nobody's perfect, excepting of course the pundits in the media and other arm-chair quarterbacks who couldn't organize a tea party for two if their lives depended on it.
Gord's a bright guy but he needs to work on his bedside manner.
I think a two-day stopover in Nanjing to press the Chinese flesh is a great idea. He could drop off a few dozen copies of that $120,000 Ambassador London video translated into Chinese.
Might even bring himself back a Chinese Doll to do the laundry and draw his bath.
Gord has aspirations of being elected King of London someday.
But his feelings of entitlement and sucky-babe attitude when he doesn't get his own way show that he's just not Mayoral material.
Dropping a couple hundred pounds has made him a bit thin-skinned when it comes to criticism.
Sonny, would you vote for Joni Baechler for mayor or is Spud Polhill still you main man?
I'd vote for Joni - if only because she spells her name the same way as Joni Mitchell.
But I'm really hoping Russ Monteith will run again - and will go for the brass-ring this time.
Russell the Muscle has recently been appointed a citizenship court judge hauling down the extra-rich sponge cake with icing.
He no longer wants to be the Chief Magistrate of this municipality.
His ship has already come in and he was waiting at dockside to board it.
No more Monteith election signs that spin in the wind like a Rotary Club motor.
Hey, Honey Pot Sugar Scoop was over at my place last night for pizza pie and suds.
She can really pound them back like a thirsty lizard.
You been training her for the Beijing Olympics?
News Release
Minister Finley announces citizenship judge appointment
Ottawa, December 18, 2007 — The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced the appointment of W. Russell Monteith as a citizenship judge in London, Ontario, for a three-year part time term.
Judge Monteith is a lawyer and the sole practitioner in his own law firm. From 1997 to 2006, he was elected to the City of London Board of Control and served as Deputy Mayor and Budget Chair. He has served on many municipal boards and committees such as the Affordable Housing Task Force, the London Transit Commission and the Community and Protective Services Standing Committee. He has also been an active member of his community through involvement in many different boards and organizations such as the Children’s Aid Society of London and the Rotary Club of London West.
Citizenship judges are responsible for making decisions with regard to citizenship applications, presiding over citizenship ceremonies and administering the oath of citizenship to new citizens.
For further information (media only), please contact:
Tim Vail
Press Secretary
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064
Thanks Butch for the breaking news item. It's a Sonny Drysdale Presents bona-fide scoop.
If the Ross-meister ain't running, I'm going to have to put all my weight behind David Winninger.
I'd kill to listen to His annual State of London address.
He's the only guy on council who makes any sense.
Notice that I left out the ladies on council when it comes to making sense? That's because other than SOME of them (who aren't named 'Cheryl' or 'Gord',) they too are the only ones on Council who make any sense. Other than the rare utterance from my hero, Paul Van the Man.
I have half a mind to vote Mdm. Branscombe for Mayor after she recently was the only one in the whole damn town to have the balls and take Drew-lo to task for deliberately letting Locust Mount go to blazes.
Dining with the Stars
Sonny, as two bona fide media representatives in Melonville, we're entitled to have dinner with the council in the 12th-floor cafeteria during the supper break at 6:30 p.m. on every other Monday night.
Toy could even bring along that cute steno with the nice rack that you hired last year to assist with your blog.
It's just under $30 per person for a full-course meal for media types.
We should do it some time -- we could even walk out with a doggie bag for Honey Pot Sugar Scoop.
Breaking bread with your faves on council is a great way to spend an hour on a Monday night.
I've done it several times and can tell you unequivocally that Cheryl Miller looks hot hot hot when she's chowing down on a pork chop with her bare hands!
"Toy" is the affectionate Bulgarian term for "you."
Yo, Butch - around the Drysdale household, I am usually referred to as 'Toy' - so I just took that fer granted.
Thanks for the dinner invite. But I have to work every other Monday night.
Too bad. $30 seems pretty reasonable. I usually spend more than that in tips on a night on the town.
But hope to see you soon -it's been a while.
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