Thursday, August 20, 2009

2 out of 4 papers agree

At the risk of seeming like I'm just blogging on what The Toronto Star is writing about these last couple days, I have to mention one of its editorials posted up early this morning. With Don't muzzle pet critics, there is now strong acknowledgment by two out of four of Toronto's main newspapers that there is something very wrong with the Toronto Humane Society management under prez Tim Trow (I'm not sure where The National Post stands in all of this and as for The Sun, well, I'm guessing they'll keep on backing Trow regardless of what he's guilty of as long as Trow's got pal Worthington in the editor's seat there).

In the wake of the recent THS rejection letter muck-up, The Star has this to say:

Only members are allowed to speak, and vote, at the society's annual meeting, where the agency's governing board is elected. The organization's bylaws allow disqualification of anyone whose interests are deemed in conflict with those of the humane society; but the current effort to keep critics out suggests president Tim Trow is attempting to retain power by silencing his opposition.

That's exactly what critics of the THS have been saying for a very very long time - like years - but it sure has a lot more impact coming from the big booming voice of a newspaper with a circulation of over half a million.

So, first of all, thanks Toronto Star and, secondly, what took you so long?

One important thing the editorial brings up is the responsibility of Ontario's Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee whose mandate is to oversee the correct running of charitable status organizations. You know, to make sure charities don't abuse their status by, say, interfering with proper voting procedures in electing their board of directors or not being able to account for missing donation receipts - that kind of thing, the exact sort of things for which THS management has been accused.

THS critics held a demonstration outside OPGT offices a couple of weeks ago to try and light a fire under their combined asses and managed to get some chit chat time with a security guard and an office clerk but the main guy they needed to speak to ran home sick - allegedly when he heard about the demonstration. Nice job with facing your public, OPGT. For an enforcement agency, that's awfully passive aggressive I'd say.

So, what then has the OPGT done about the THS situation? Ummm ... nada? Or maybe they're working on the case right now. Or maybe not. Or maybe they're thinking about doing something about it. Maybe they're thinking about if they want those pink pickles in their falafels at lunch. Ach .... bureaucrats.

Now there's an article The Toronto Star could do: What exactly are we paying the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee for?

More here.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

In T.Bay we have one newspaper. It will print letters to the editor in regard to the HS, but not actual news stories. In fact, it even printed an editorial about pit bulls entitled "We are best Rid of them"
Hence why I hate living in such a backwoods, redneck city.
I would email you the article but it would just make you want to punch yourself in the eye

Fred said...

I might be more inclined to want to punch someone else in the eye first.

Joanne said...

Why not send the article? Then people working against BSL can write the paper and try to educate them. If you let them get away with it uncorrected, they have confidence that they are correct in their stance.

Unknown said...

I would Joanne but since we only have the one paper, they have no obligation to print our side of the story. We have tried, but they have the monopoly and do whatever they want. Luckily, a lot of people in this city are against the BSL and several have expressed this through letters to the editors. But as for writing a story on the CONS of BSL...never going to happen at this paper

Also, our HS is just as biased against pit bull like dogs as well. There have been a few instances that I have heard of, where dogs have been identified as pit bull like when they are clearly not. It drives me crazy that people continue to remain so uneducated

thsprotest said...

Now they don't even have to bother with rejection letters. They have flat out declared on their website today that they will not be issuing any new memberships until THE DAY AFTER the AGM. What a nightmare.

www.torontohumanesociety.com