… And the winner of the “Best Spin Award,” i.e. receiving a service and taking credit for it while doing nothing to accomplish it…da..da..da…Mayor Chris White and Guelph-Eramosa Council. HURRAH…HURRAH! The Best Director Award for “Propagandizing Self-Serving Spin” …da..da da da…wait for it…Mr. David Adsett, Editor, Wellington Advertiser, former Mayor of Guelph-Eramosa and former Warden of Wellington County. The front-page story complete with a colour photograph makes us look good, Chris…so what if we had NOTHING to do with getting an ambulance in Rockwood. Results count right, details don’t matter – or do they? So what if I could not get an ambulance when I was Warden… I did get a bay put in…and you got one now!
Residents, the ambulance being stationed in Rockwood is the result of a compromise, a potential solution proposed by the City of Guelph, the provincially appointed Ambulance Service Provider for Wellington County. The solution proposed moving an ambulance stationed in Guelph to Rockwood in an attempt to improve the substandard ambulance service and response times in the Town of Erin. The Town of Erin has experienced the worst ambulance service and response times in the County of Wellington for the past (3) years. This change in ambulance service is scheduled to be reviewed in 6 months time, when if the provincially mandated response times for Erin are not improved, the ambulance will likely be stationed further eastward, closer to, or actually in, Erin. For now, Chris and David, lets keep patting each other on the back for a job well done, even if it was done by others. Who cares, we look good!
As an attendee to the Ambulance Committee Meeting where the decision was made, no Advertiser reporter was in attendance, nor was Mayor Chris White or any Councillor from Guelph-Eramosa. The issue of Substandard Ambulance Service was started about (3) years ago with a letter to the Committee by one of the very few Councillors who speaks for all County residents – Councillor Lou Maieron. With no service improvements in (3) years and with the Geulph Council voting down a budget measure for a pilot Paramedic Program for the Town of Erin, the much improperly maligned, (by the Wellington Advertiser), Councillor took it upon himself to do the necessary research and presented a Discussion Paper as a delegation to Mayor Farbridge and the Ambulance Committee. The Discussion Paper clearly demonstrated that much of rural Wellington County is suffering from chronic Substandard Ambulance Service and poor response times, particularly in Erin, Puslinch and Mapleton. Guelph-Eramosa ambulance response times are not substandard, so there is no real need for an ambulance in Rockwood. The entire report by Councillor Maieron will be posted on Smelly-Welly.com as soon as we have it. We know it cannot be found in the County Archives, I wonder why – too embarrassing perhaps. Residents paying high taxes for services they are not receiving…hmm.
So the ambulance stationed in Rockwood is a result of the hard work and dedication of 2 Councillors, namely Finnie and Maieron. Neither of which received any thanks or recognition in either Wellington Advertiser story, yet they did all the work. Is truth and accurate reporting no longer relevant…appears not to be when spin can rule the day for political advantage, right Mr. Adsett. Shame on you. Give credit where credit is due and deliver to the reader the whole story, and not just the spin that makes you look good.
To Mayor Chris White, shame on you as well. You and your Council did absolutely nothing to receive the benefit of an ambulance stationed in your Community. You did not attend the meetings, gave no presentation, not even a letter was sent. You’re just the lucky sod who gets the benefit from the hard work of others and does not even realize it. Where were you during this critical Ambulance Meeting? As I recall, you were having a good ole time at Taxpayers expense entertaining politicians et al in your Presidential Suite at the Royal York Hotel at the ROMA/Good Roads Conference. Photos of Mayor White and the Conference can be viewed at www.ogra.org - click on Conference on the left, then Conference Images, then select Photos from the 2008 OGRA/ROMA combined Conference. Mayor White, recognize and be appreciative of your fellow Councillors (Finnie and Maieron) who did the work regarding the relocation of the ambulance to Rockwood, if only for the 6 month before it moves to Erin, where it is desperately needed. I am looking forward to reading how you and Davey boy will spin yourselves out of this debacle when the ambulance leaves Rockwood. The residents of Guelph-Eramosa expect a lot from their Mayor, more than from the current Mayor who continually tests for understanding by questioning his colleagues instead of doing his own homework, i.e. What do you think about this? How would you handle that one? Please, please tell me! It is past time, Mayor White, that you start to do your own homework – Mayors are supposed to be leaders, not spin-doctors! You may have given some good speeches at the Conference but you sure were not working for an ambulance for Rockwood or better ambulance service in the County.
Mayor White and Mr. Adsett, congratulations on your respective awards, you clearly deserve them, planned spin actions for political gain clearly illustrates why today’s politicians are so poorly regarded and not trusted by the Public. Stop being self-serving and try being Public Servants.

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