Danforth Mosaic Business Improvement Association (BIA) Toronto Shutdown of
the Annual General Meeting
The Danforth has been abuzz since the October 5 shutdown of the Annual General Meeting of the Danforth Mosaic Business Improvement Association. The shutdown came just one hour after nearly 200 members piled into Woodgreen Community Centre, forcing Mike Major, Manager of the Economic Development department at the City of Toronto and Woodgreen staff to conclude that the facility was not complying with fire regulations.
The Chair of the BIA, Mrs. Pat Silver, President of Sphere Entertainment, was seen and heard celebrating the decision of Mike Major and making a phone call to Toronto Police Services from her cell phone where she requested officers arrive to "move members" out of the building. Despite the fact that Mr. Major said it was "okay" for members who were concerned and had questions could stay, Mrs. Silver and her Board members were seen by witnesses pushing seniors out of the facility. Within ten minutes three cruisers were brought to Woodgreen and made sure not one member was left in the facility.
Throughout September members of the current administration were out visiting businesses, often for their first time since they came to be on the board, pleading for support. Several members report being pushed to sign proxy forms against their will. Some members were visited by a very angry board member, who has been reported to the City and Toronto Police Services on several occasions for being harassing and threatening towards members. The Board members had used this facility for three straight years and were aware of the situation. It is obvious the decision to shut down Woodgreen was premeditated. The decision to plan the next AGM for December 2 ñeight weeks later, is also very calculating and goes to show the arrogance and lack of shame that the current administration has for members who were there to vote them out.
A BIA that was created without the consent of 500 building owners and had over 200 signatures opposing its formation is cause for a lot of scrutiny. Who started the BIA? Why was a BIA with so much opposition even considered legitimate? Many other BIAs have been shut down, but this BIA just doesn't have an expiration date. The municipal code states that one third of a BIA opposing its formation (CVA value) will topple the BIA. In this case, a BIA that is atypical of others which usually average 200 buildings, is an unscrupulous decision to begin with. But what are we expecting from a bunch of low lives with no moral scruple to begin with?
Let's do some math. First of all, this BIA is underrepresented by businesses and overrepresented by councillors. To get the record straight, Councillors who have been accused of using the BIA to subsidize their own PR and ignoring the requests of the BIA members. Is this situation crying abuse of the tax payers? Why else are members livid? Second of all, a BIA whose Chair profits from the BIA is no BIA at all. It is robbing taxpayers in plain sight. None of this is confidential information by the way. It is all public record and can be retrieved by contacting the BIA Office which is now staffed by the Chair's long-term employee ñdespite requests to the City to defer recruitment until a new board is brought in.
Fraud is easily concluded by anyone who can read the bank disbursements showing the Chair and Board members being paid for services they request, authorize and support from one another ñnot from the membership. And if our City defends fraudulent behaviour than boy are they in for a big wake-up call on December 1st, when the new Mayor walks into town. Is fraud and unethical behaviour not the same? This is what the crooks (and the lawyers) are arguing. But that is precisely why the city of Toronto voted Rob Ford in October. And it is precisely why we have boards of management reporting to a City that are obviously not accountable to members, the city, or anyone.
There is a good side to all of this. Not everyone is unethical. In fact, the members have a great team of dedicated shop owners who have mobilized. They are now prepared for a democratic election. They are composed of a genuinely terrific team of experienced and seasoned community members whose professionalism and integrity can be relied on. They will deliver a festival to all their businesses from one side of the BIA to the other and they will put an end to the abuse of the taxpayer. They will shred the current administration into pieces just because they are capable and impeccable. You can't compete with that.
The moral of this story is not to do to others what you would never want done to yourself. Unless you want your credibility to suffer and be called a crook, don't do things because you can get away with it. No matter if you are in a position of power and influence or not, your credibility will eventually suffer a cataclysmic death.
The question that lingers in people's minds is.....just who is Mephistopheles? What was the Faustian deal? The answer to this question will unfold in the upcoming issues of Your Ward News.
