Andy Wells: will miss you like the bubonic plague

Free at last. From bombastic rebuttals, bullying spume and threats to sue if you looked at him the wrong way (we'll leave a certain branch of medicine and appropriate tests out of this discussion). It's City giddy with the possibility of what might be.

Here's just some of the news and blogcasts about Andy's final leaving:

Tendering his resignation yesterday (Monday) evening, St. John's Mayor Andy Wells told councillors he'll miss (most of them) like the 'bubonic plague.' Coverage on CBC News, Feb.19.08

Sir Robert Bond Papers tells it like it is... this is Well's true legacy.

And the news we've all been waiting for: Andy Wells announces resignation as mayor, reported in The Telegram, Feb.18.08. Complete story in today's Tele.

Outspoken mayor announces resignation, in Oilweek.

Hard to say Castro and Wells in the same sentence, or blogpost, but Mark Watton says its all about health reasons.

Meanwhile, there are reports of parties all across St. John's. They may even have heard them in New Brunswick.

Questions won't end with Andy Wells' resignation as mayor

In The Telegram, February, 14, 2008

Political climate change

Sometimes the right things happen for the wrong reasons. St. John's Mayor Andy Wells will not be both the mayor and the head of the province's Public Utilities Board after all, but not because the mayor has listened to the chorus of displeasure about his plan to Hoover up the equivalent of some $280,000 a year.

Instead, Wells has been given his marching orders by Premier Danny Williams, who issued a blunt press release Wednesday saying Wells would not hold both jobs, and that the change was being made because "this issue (the double-dipping) is taking away from the fact that Mayor Wells is an outstanding appointment as head of the PUB."

Williams is not backing down from his recent support of the mayor - far from it. In fact, the premier took the time to spell out that he really doesn't have a problem with Wells doing both jobs.

"He is eminently qualified and I am extremely confident he will be a valuable asset in that organization. As well, I stand by my belief that the mayor is quite capable of doing both the job as mayor and running the PUB. We have reconfirmed repeatedly that no conflict of interest exists, with the exception of land expropriation where we have already stated Mayor Wells would excuse himself.

"That's a backhanded way of saying, "There's nothing wrong with what Wells wants to do, but you all just won't shut up about all the good we're doing here."

Nice try.

The fact is that, in several provinces across the country, Wells couldn't get within 15 feet of taking both positions. Why? Because in many other jurisdictions, it's eminently clear that an incorporated municipality delivering essential utilities like water and sewer to the public is - by definition - a public utility.

The government here must be wilfully blind to the fact that the city actually delivers those utilities to the public, and takes fees to do so, and that Wells would be sitting in judgment over a board whose decisions would affect his other employer, the City of St. John's.

But unless the whole press release was to solve a problem while saving the most face possible, it's hollow at best.

The reality is there's no way to defend holding down two full-time jobs - and two full-time salaries from the public purse - just because you've made bad legal decisions in the past.

Of course, the questions won't end with Andy Wells' resignation as mayor.

There's still the question of why Premier Williams picked Wells in the first place, and why the hiring didn't go through the usual competitive process of the Public Service Commission.

There's also the question as to why a premier would defend the indefensible for so long.And there's the question of how this all meshes with the Williams boast that, "we believe that a strengthened public service will ensure that individuals are being hired on their merits as opposed to who they know in government."

It's time, Andy, it's time

Newscasts, columns and letters to the editor are churning out fast and furious on the heels of Premier Williams request that Andy Wells resign as Mayor of St. John's prior to acceptance of an appointment as head of the PUB.

Wells has responded that calls for his resignation are part of a campaign orchestrated by "little Liberal bloggers who are just scandal-mongers and low-life vermin." [quoted in Oilweek]
and NDPers and university types [which Noreen Golfman of the Independent picked up on by responding - what's the opposite - Tories and uneducated dolts?] Each day brings a new group supposedly orchestrating the Mayor's demise.

Just some of the coverage includes:

To hear a particularly illuminating interview with an uncharacteristically deflated Andy Wells by CBC Radio's reporter David Cochrane, click here.

Also in the news:
After Andy: Contenders ready for St. John's byelection
CBC News, Fri.Feb.15.08
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2008/02/15/mayoral-contenders.html

Check out The Independent (not online) for several letters and columns (see Patrick O'Flaherty's and Noreen Golfman's who, of course, can't keep the Andy game out of their ink.
The Independent has also run a few cute little cartoons.... we'll try and get some scans for the blog.

In the Western Star, Andy says he just wants peace and quiet. Sounds like a St. John's citizen who's been rattled by a certain mayor, huh?!

And while a blog in Labrador has been following surveys on the affair running in the Telegram and on VOCM, an Ottawa blog keeps up on government press releases.

The Sir Robert Bond Papers finally has something in its blog about the Premier's dictum.

Andy Wells to step down as Mayor: Premier

Premier Danny Williams has told Andy Wells he must step down as mayor prior to taking on his duties at the PUB. Williams says that public outcry over the possibility of Wells collecting two executive salaries has been effective. Here's link to CBC news story.

And on:
VOCM Radio
February 13, 2008
Andy Wells Can't Keep Both Jobs

A major development today in the Andy Wells controversy and his appointment to the Public Utilities Board. The mayor was scheduled to begin as chair of the PUB March 1st, but had also intended to stay on as mayor of St.John's for an undetermined period. However, Premier Danny Williams has now told Wells he will not be able to do both jobs. The premier has informed the mayor that he will hold off on the beginning of his tenure at the PUB until such time as he steps down as mayor. While Williams believes that Wells is capable of doing both jobs, he says the controversy has become such a distraction for all involved that he will not take over the PUB until he leaves the mayor' chair. The premier does say that he expects that to happen sooner rather than later.

Team T-Rex: Antediluvian Andy and Dinosaur Danny

Danny Williams is fasttracking the province of Newfoundland and Labrador into a fossil history in more ways than one.

Hard to believe that we voted for a government that's basing our entire future on a fossil (as in these plants and animals are dead and they're not renewing themselves) industry. Good for one or two generations perhaps - oil spills and high probability of wrecked fisheries, ecotourism and other industries aside. But what about our grand and great-grand kids? We’ll be leaving them a far greater headache by going this T-Rex route.

Now he appoints a madman, Andy Wells, to lead the province's Public Utilities Board. A government agency that's responsible for the regulation of the electric utilities in the province.

Wells, in a recent letter to a daily newspaper rants about Global Warming, refusing to accept the international consensus that it is happening, believing it to be tactics of junk science. Premier Williams, when questioned today by reporters about Wells' position - whether it might show an inherent conflict of interest in his new post - suggested it was all just part of free speech. Well boys, he's entitled to his opinion. I like a man who isn't afraid to see both sides of the debate. The Premier expressed confidence in Wells as being 'environmentally efficient.' So are Zebra mussels in a fashion, but I doubt we'd call this a step forward.

And where does Mr. Williams stand on global warming issue? After lengthy and fancy dancing around the question, Williams suggested that the province must act cautiously. Not all the studies are in. While most scientists are in agreement about the cause of climate change, we don't have all the information. And then he plugged his government's Energy Plan (a plan that comes up so short on any real conservation and energy efficiency strategies and with a hit and run reference in support of alternative energy development it's embarrassing). But back to the PUB.

Presumably with the PUB's mandate, you'd think we'd want someone who could actually make links between global warming and energy usage, embrace ideas and innovations around energy conservation, help create a culture of efficient energy usage.

Sure, where's the (quick) money in that? Especially when you 've got legal fees to pay. ~ kl

Andy Wells contradicts City's own Action Plan

Seems people of all stripes refuse to let the issue of two salaries (we're not talking macdonalds) - one man die. Particularly now, when that man also holds antediluvian ideas about global warming and is about to helm the province's utilities board. That's plain darn scary. From letters to the editor, to media balladeers (Sean Panting on CBC Radio's morning show), to bloggers, the outrage continues.

Here's a few recent:

Thursday, February 07

CBC Radio One The Morning Show

Danny, Andy... and Randy

Is it a full-time or part-time job? Through no fault of his own, the big cheese in Mount Pearl finds himself dragged into the latest controversy involving Andy Wells.(Jeff Gilhooly with Mount Pearl mayor Randy Simms)

Listen to this audio feature (Runs 5:22)

Andy Wells and the conflicts of interest

By Edward G. Hollett

When it gets right down to it, there simply is no legitimate, defensible reason to let Andy Wells - or any other full-time mayor - hold down the full-time job of chairman and chief executive officer of the public utilities board. ...for full column, see bond papers.

Newfoundland Comedy Hour

By Yana Out East

Then Mayor Andy Wells was given a new job. He will be the head of the Public Utilities Board in March. This lead to a whole new controversy about whether he should resign as Mayor in March, triggering an expensive byelection or staying ... read full column, see yanaouteast.

And of course, the Telegram's letters to the editor page is crammed with people who've just, well had enough:

09/02/08

The debate is over - stop wasting time

I am writing with respect to Andy Wells' forum piece on Feb. 2 ("Manmade global warming?"). I think Mr. Wells is a little late in his debate on the validity of global warming. Although, a lot of money and time is still being spent studying the subject, I think it is a waste of time even pondering the topic. In the meantime, there are indeed severe consequences of our atmospheric greenhouse gas overload. These effects need to be addressed right now.

Perhaps not every part of the world will experience global warming, but there is plenty of evidence, common knowledge and proof that our global climates will change or shift, and are already doing so, rapidly, in response to the release of unregulated carbon emissions.

This and among other negative and positive, natural and unnatural contributors, is currently causing climate to quickly change. This accelerated change is something we really do need to stop wondering about and take action against.

We will spend more money and time debating the notion of global warming at the expense of our environment, our economies, and ultimately our lives. However, the real issue is happening right now all over the globe, and people like Andy Wells, our mayor, are wasting time writing ignorant articles like this.It sounds to me like Mr. Wells is facilitating some junk science he found through Google. Do not be fooled.

Dan Ficken

St. John's

09/02/08

Wells contradicts city's own action plan

I am writing in response to an article written by St. John's Mayor Andy Wells in the Feb. 2, 2008 edition of The Telegram, entitled "Manmade Global Warming?" It is unfortunate that Mr. Wells, in his attempt to learn more about this important issue, has chosen to ignore the science.

The time for doubt has passed. There is now international consensus that climate change is occurring. In their most recent assessment report (November 2007), the UN International Panel on Climate Change, a body of more than 2,500 scientists, the most recognized and respected group of experts on the subject, unequivocally affirmed that our climate system is indeed warming and linked it directly to human activity.

The fact that Mr. Wells is trying to re-open the denial debate is neither productive nor helpful - and surprising, considering that under his own watch the city created its own Climate Change Action Plan in 2006 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Mr. Wells' comments are in complete contradiction to the city's plan which states clearly that, "There is little dispute amongst the scientific community that climate change is occurring ... human activities are upsetting the balance of greenhouse gases." (Eaton, City of St. John's, 2006)

The reality is this: based on the best scientific evidence, if the world warms by two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, we can expect to see significant climatic changes that will pose serious impacts to the economy, ecology and health of our society. Delay in acting will only result in lost opportunities and unacceptable costs (economic, social and environmental). As an example of the economic costs associated with not acting, Sir Nicholas Stern, the former chief economist for the World Bank, suggests that the price tag for cutting emissions to acceptable levels would only be in the order of one per cent of global gross domestic product per year; in contrast, failing to act could cost upwards of 20 per cent per year.

The question Mr. Wells should be asking is not if we are impacting the climate, but by how much? And what he will do as mayor and CEO of the Public Utilities Board to better position St. John's and the province to meet and exceed our climate-change commitments?

Nick Burnaby

Sierra Club of Canada,

Atlantic Canada Chapter

Thanks for setting us straight, Andy - Charlie Menchions

An editorial in The Telegram, Feb. 7th, 2008, p.A6 (not on the Telegram's website)

Well, thank you, Mayor Andy Wells. You gave me my first good night's sleep in ages. I no longer have to worry about my personal carbon footprint or try to convince the world that we must cut our emissions drastically or face the consequences.

SPIN CYCLE

No sir, it's those nasty, natural planetary cycles that are causing global warming and all those scary side-effects. Whew! It must be comforting to the oil barons to know that now we can spew as much CO2 into the atmosphere as we can generate, and yay, we can even exponentially increase the amount and get on with making piles of money in the process. Andy, please give me a call or do another piece as soon as possible and inform my ignorant being of where all those CO2 emissions end up. Do they spiral into outer space or are they being absorbed by all those forests we are not destroying? But wait - maybe that greenhouse effect is all hooey as well. How can gases trap the sun's energy? Who came up with that weird notion, anyway? Ah, those "junk" scientists had a hand in that, I suspect. what do you think, Andy? And Andy, all those mainstream scientists from every major country, some of whom were at the Bali Conference - they are leading us all down the garden path while the groups that you have kindly informed us about that have the real "truth" were excluded from the Bali fiasco. What a bloody shame!

SMOKING SCREEN

It's starting to remind me of how we railroaded Big Tobacco. Remember how we accused them of hooking folks on nicotine and jimmying the amounts put in cigarettes and they brought in their eminent scientists to refute all that nonsense and, by golly, we laughed at them. Shame on all of us who were so close-minded! All the tobacco companies ever wanted was to provide us with a safe, enjoyable product, right? Hmm, I understand some of their scientists were hired to refute that global warming nonsense, too - and rightly so. Back to those nasty planetary cycles that are to blame. I swear to God I thought I learned from my early studies that these occurred gradually over long periods of time - tens of hundreds of years, that sort of thing. Obviously, I got that all wrong - don't know why I didn't flunk all my courses. So, the fact that the ice caps are melting at a rate that is surprising all those junk scientists and the coral reefs are bleaching out and dying as we speak - well, I guess maybe those cycles have speed up, eh Andy? A couple of months ago, I heard some climate/forestry people talking about how the wildfires in the United States have gotten completely out of hand in the past decade: the areas burned in that time and the number of big fires have no precedent when they look back at their records. And guess what, Andy? They were stupidly relating this to global warming and appealing to those in Washington to act quickly and start curbing emissions. Bet they haven't heard about those planetary cycles. Ah, the ignorance! And that heat wave in Europe last summer (temperatures in the 40s C) and those huge fires in Greece when hundreds died - I'm sure the surviving relatives will be comforted to know that a natural, perfectly understandable cycle is behind it all.

Charlie Menchions writes from Sandy Cove.

Letters to the Editor of The Telegram - Feb. 7th

Three letters published in The Telegram today - all very displeased with Andy Wells.

Click here to see the letters.

Mayor's moonlighting open to challenge - Peter Walsh

Here's a story from The Western Star and The Telegram published Feb. 7th, 2007, on whether Wells is in a conflict interest holding both his mayor's job as well as the PUB one.

http://www.thewesternstar.com/index.cfm?sid=106121&sc=606

Andy Wells on Climate Change

Andy, how do we put this nicely.

Go Directly Home. Do Not Collect Two Salaries. Resign, Resign, Resign.

As if once wasn't enough. Now you see him. Now you see him again.

Taxpayers in St. John's Newfoundland are justly wondering about the magical abilities of their moonlighting mayor. Recently appointed to lead the Public Utilities Board, an independent, quasi-judicial regulatory body, the mayor of this capital city tells its citizens that he intends to stay on, for now, as mayor.

Dumbfounding because he was the first to point out several years ago, at the beginning of his reign of terror, that being mayor of St. John's was a full-time job. In fact, he demanded, and got, a substantial salary rise on that basis.

Known for his belligerence and bullying, somehow Wells is considered by the premier to be a good candidate for another high - level position.

Wells first said he was staying on as Mayor until September to save taxpayers money (his numbers, it's been shown, however, don't add up - see Andy's Farewell Tour). He's recently admitted to reporters that he's taking 2 full-time jobs in order to be able to pay fees resulting from legal suits against a another city councillor.

To read some recent views on this ludicrous situation and misuse of public monies, see:

Online campaign orchestrated, embattled Mayor says. This CBC News story outlines a little of Andy's persecution complex:
Feb.6.08 CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2008/02/05/wells-online.html
Andy's Farewell Tour
http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=104071&sc=80
'Pick a job, Liberals tells St. John's mayor. 'They count for nothing,' Wells says of Liberals.
Feb.4.08
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2008/02/04/liberals-andy.html
Cut mayor's pay when Wells goes to PUB: councillorFebruary 1, 2008
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2008/02/01/wells-pay.html
Wells decides to stay on as mayor, work two full-time jobs
Jan.31.08
http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=103778&sc=79
Andy staying on, for now, as St. John's mayorJanuary 31, 2008
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2008/01/31/andy-future.html
St. John's better served if mayor leaves early: councillorsJanuary 21, 2008
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2008/01/21/wells-council.html

You can do something immediately to help get rid of Andy Wells.

i) write to City Council ASAP to demand that Andy resign immediately. You can send a simple message to Council; something like "Dear Andy Wells. Please resign as mayor immediately. I support a bi-election for mayor." Here's the e-mail addresses of our councillors.mailto:councillors.andywells@stjohns.ca, gcolbert@stjohns.ca, wcollins@stjohns.ca, kcoombs@stjohns.ca , sduff@stjohns.ca, rellsworth@stjohns.ca, fgalgay@stjohns.ca, thann@stjohns.ca , shickman@stjohns.ca, dokeefe@stjohns.ca, apuddister@stjohns.ca

iii) write to the auditor general, responsible for public sector accountability - (will the PUB best be served, and see best use of taxpayers dollars by having a part-time head for months)? John Noseworthy C.A. Auditor General jnoseworthy@gov.nl.ca
Copy the Premier on that: premier@gov.nl.ca

iii) write & express your concerns to the media: make it as short & sweet as you want, just make it:
CBC http://www.cbc.ca/nl/contact/
VOCM http://www.vocm.com/Vocmpage.asp?id=17
Telegram http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?pid=1186
Independent http://www.theindependent.ca/contact.asp
The Scope Elling Lien, editor mailto:editorelling@thescope.ca


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