Maybe his health is getting in the way of his effectiveness in being Mayor?. Maybe he lacks the leadership skills to bring about change?. Maybe he's brought and sold by the developers in Wasaga Beach?. Whatever the reason might be, Mayor Cal Patterson must be defeated this fall.
This past term with Patterson leading the town has been one screw-up after another. A couple of years ago he was on 97.7 the beach when he announced on live radio that local resident and business owner, Donna Mullen had passed away. The history between the two of them has never been one of friendship, but for the Mayor to go on live radio and make this announcement without checking the facts is a complete lack of judgement. Not only is Donna still alive, the Mayors announcement was quite upsetting to the friends, family and business associates of Donna's.
Another screw-up was when then candidate, Dr. Kellie Leitch was seeking to unset, MP Helena Guergis. Cal Patterson as both Mayor of Wasaga Beach, and Warden of Simcoe County wrote an endorsement letter on County letterhead supporting Leitch. When Patterson was confronted with the letter, and using his position as Warden to endorse Leitch, he in typical Patterson fashion denied that he wrote the letter, and signed it. Patterson claimed that the signature was a stamped signature that he keeps in his office, and it was his staff who signed the letter and sent it out.
Everyone knows that Patterson is a strong Conservative supporter, and during his terms as Mayor of Wasaga Beach, he's had to deal with a Liberal government at Queens Park. As a person who knows first hand that Patterson is not liked at the Provincial level, he's not been able to deliver to Wasaga Beach things like a high school, and more funding for various projects that the town needs. One of the first lessons they teach you in politics 101 is to not be partisan when it comes to dealing with the other levels of government. Party politics should be kept out of municipal politics, but in true Patterson style he felt that the PC party would win the 2007, 2011, and 2014 elections. This is just another example of poor judgement on the part of Patterson.
While there's been a ton of talk about Patterson's connections to the Levy brothers, all I will say is that Patterson yet again put his faith and the reputation of the town in the hands of these extremely poor businessman, and look where we are today. We have a Beach Front which Patterson promised in his 2010 election platform would be developed by the end of his term in office. This is yet another example of poor judgement, and the lack of vision from the Mayor.
One just has to take a look at the committee's that the town has, and who sits on these committee's. The Mayor is the one person who decides who sits on what committee. If you take a good look at the committee members, and even the board members on Wasaga hydro, they are connected in one way or another to the Mayor. Most recently the son-in-law to Patterson was hired by the town, and I'm sure the order to hire him came directly from the Mayor himself.
Now I can go on and on about Mayor Patterson, but I think most of you get the picture. This election is most likely one of the most important elections in the history of Wasaga Beach. With the closings of the 3 major bars along the beach this long weekend, and the continued lack of vision and leadership by not only Mayor Patterson, but the rest of council, voters need to wake up, and vote into power the candidates who can bring about change. Ask the hard questions to each of the candidates, and if they won't return your call, or respond to your emails, then they are not worth your vote.
Until Next Time!!
