Peggy Chapman

Friday November 2, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Friday November 2, 2012

Flying over Hamilton in a counterterrorism chopper

Downtown councillor Jason Farr says he’s been given assurances by the military that he and other councillors will be told of training exercises in advance of them happening so he can prepare his constituents for disturbances.

Farr made the comment Wednesday night after receiving dozens of complaints from residents over an exercise by a helicopter squadron buzzing the former Stelco Tower on King Street West in the downtown core Tuesday evening.

He initially called for the 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron to halt the operation “immediately” because of the complaints, but has accepted it continuing. The squadron is set to take part in the exercise Thursday night after cancelling Wednesday night due to the weather.

“I am pleased that the folks involved in this operation have assured me there will be better communication well in advance of any training exercise,” Farr said.

“That to me is key. They have reassured me that in the future there will be much better communication, much earlier when these training exercises occur.”

The training over the Stelco Tower caused all kinds of consternation, even though it had been publicized in The Hamilton Spectator. Farr said he received about 40 complaints. He said he heard from “old ladies who were scared, children trying to sleep. It was the whole bit. Some of them were very irate.”

Mayor Bob Bratina was happy with the event and noted Hamilton’s ties to the military.

“I’m proud we can host an exercise like this,” he told reporters. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

 

Saturday March 24, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Saturday March 24, 2012

There’s nothing funny about Peggygate

You needed a cast-iron stomach not to have felt a little queasy watching Mayor Bob Bratina’s handling of the renewed Peggygate scandal the other day.

While senior staffers looked all but green around the gills and councillors exchanged significant glances, Bratina continued to dig a deeper hole for himself, even while labouring under the shadow of an official reprimand from council.

His disordered explanation for why he demanded an investigation with “signed affidavits” to track down the source of rumours that Peggy Chapman, his chief of staff, was on the sunshine list wasn’t the worst of it.

Neither was his unsettling backflip on a quote from Councillor Sam Merulla dealing with the controversy that appeared in The Spectator.

Bratina called the quote “useless” in his now infamous acid-laced email to senior Spec managers.

But during the meeting he told puzzled councillors he agreed with Merulla that these controversies are distracting council from more serious business.

No, the worst part of the shaky performance was his stubborn refusal to face up to stark facts.

Bratina told councillors I’d quoted his email out of context when I wrote in Wednesday’s column that he was once again blaming the $30,000 raise to Chapman on human resources rather than taking responsibility for it himself, the very thing that landed him in boiling pitch last December. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

 

Monday March 19, 2012

 

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Monday March 19, 2012

Peggy Chapman makes sunshine salary list

Peggy Chapman’s salary is once again causing controversy after Mayor Bob Bratina confirmed his chief of staff was paid more than $100,000 last year.

Bratina revealed Friday that Chapman is on the soon-to-be-released 2011 “sunshine list” for public sector employees who made $100,000 or more — even though her salary last year was $90,000.

t’s the second time in several months Chapman’s pay has incited debate. In December, councillors considered slapping Bratina with a formal censure for raising Chapman’s salary by 33 per cent, to $120,000 from $90,000.

“I believe the public will be outraged by the continued drama related to the mayor’s office,” said Councillor Sam Merulla. “We must focus our energy on priorities that matter. Unfortunately, the preceding development and drama is the antithesis of our priorities.”

Rumours were swirling around City Hall this week that Chapman’s name appeared on the sunshine list, but initially neither Chapman nor Bratina could confirm how much she made last year.

Chapman said she hadn’t checked her T4 or done her taxes.

In an email sent to The Spectator Friday morning, Bratina said his top aide was paid $100,967 last year. He explained that most of the extra pay she received last year was an $8,000 payout for missed vacation time, while her raise, which took effect in November 2011, provided the extra $3,000 that bumped her onto the sunshine list. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

Letters to the Editor 

An excerpt of a lengthy email from the Mayor, Bob Bratina, to Hamilton Spectator managers and made public in an Andrew Dreschel column:

“…unrelenting and in many cases completely false or misleading news coverage, editorial comments, and ignorant attacks on my character, and that of my chief of staff through immoral and unethical use of editorial cartoons.”

“I hope some day your wives and family experience the unhappiness you have caused my wife and family, destroying our enjoyment of this past Christmas with the unfounded attacks on my employee’s compensation…”