Please see this link for the latest statistics on charitable giving in Canada and just how terrible the stats are for Quebec.

In this video Murray Levine is escorted out of a city council meeting after Marvin Rotrand misrepresents himself. (The previous blog post expands on that.) Rotrand left out two sentences of what Levine wrote and what he referred to as being in small letters was actually in much larger letters.

In Levine’s personal opinion, Marvin Rotrand is a politician in the worst possible sense, and is no longer a person. It has reached a point where Levine says that he actually finds Rotrand to be pathetic.

In this video Murray Levine is refused the right to ask a question.

A mise en demeur has been signed for by Montreal and Montreal may be sued for infringing on my legal right to ask a question, as is guaranteed by the Cities and Towns Act.

All are strongly encouraged to forward this blog to Marvin Rotrand MRotrand@ville.montreal.qc.ca and ask him why he makes promises to do what is in the best interest of all of us, and then reneges on doing so.

The following is exactly how things went down and anything written/said to the contrary, is not the truth!

An open letter to Marvin Rotrand, City Councillor; All of the following is in Murray Levine’s personal opinion, and the facts are the facts. Anything to the contrary is BS. Please note that Murray Levine is a FULL TIME volunteer, loves what he does, and does not get paid a single cent for either his activism or fundraising.

Dear Marvin,

As you are aware I am a volunteer fundraiser and activist. I have actually been one since 1988.

Ideas that I have had have raised countless millions of dollars per year for charities. If people in your political party had brains, hearts and integrity, far more would be raised every year!

Years ago, Jack Herrity, a Vice President of the TD Bank wrote to me; “Two words that you must be very familiar with are tenacity and perseverance, for they are an embodiment of your character.”

For the past 19 yrs., as you are very aware, I have been on the case of Velo QC, as they will not add a fundraising component to their events. Years ago you supported the goal but I never asked you, or for that matter anyone, to support my methods. Remember, I am an activist. When logic does not prevail, I embarrass people into doing things that they should have happily done, without being embarrassed. While I would much prefer that people listened to reason, and did what is in the best interest of all, unfortunately the overwhelming majority do not.

You are now a perfect example of that. In June, at the CDN-NDG borough council meeting, I asked and, you agreed to WRITE (emphasis added) to the presidents  of the NYC Marathon and Bike NY. You were to ask them for the pros and cons that their events have experienced by raising $$ for charity. You were then supposed to send the letters received to Mayor Gerald Tremblay, to Velo QC and to myself.

At the October meeting you agreed to ask Velo Quebec for a to whom this may concern letter, welcoming all charities to piggyback upon Velo QC events, in order to raise funds for their own charities.

You did not fulfill either of your pledges.

You advised at the October meeting that you had called the NYC Marathon, had spoken to an underling who directed you to their website, and then YOU decided without doing as you had pledged, that the presidents of the two events would not write such letters!

You later changed your story, and mentioned that you had left phone messages (but not for the presidents) that were never returned.

Both of those presidents (and I have never spoken to either) replied favourably to me when I asked if they would write to Mayor Gerald Tremblay, if he asked them the same questions that you were supposed to ask them both. The two presidents replied affirmatively within 18 hrs of my sending them the emails.
Mayor Tremblay refused to do as I asked him to do, after you reneged on both of your pledges.

A week ago I received from Access to Information a copy of your letter to Velo QC. There was no mention in it whatsoever of what you had pledged to ask them for. While you mentioned that you allowed the letter to be released to me via Access to Information, we both know that since the letter was not private correspondence, the letter was available to anyone upon request.

Both of my requests (that you agreed to) were made verbally, and printed copies of the two requests were handed to the borough representative at the two council meetings. There was no question of forgetting what the requests actually were.

You have sworn an oath to do “fully what is in the best interest of the public”. As it is in the best interest of the public to see that more funds are raised for charity, especially in QC, whose median annual receipted charitable contribution (from those who donated) in 2010 was a disgusting $130, while in poorer 9th place New Brunswick it was $300. in my personal opinion you have broken your sworn oath of doing what is “fully what is in the best interest of the public.*

In full view of this you tried to discredit me publicly at the last borough council meeting. I find your behaviour repulsive and I only have rachmunis (pity)for you.

You belong to a political party that saw Velo QC, receive $974,000 (that I am aware of) in funding and support from the Ville de Montreal/STM in 2009 or 2010, while charging charities and NPOs staging athletic events that actually raised funds for charities, $170,000 at Parc Jean Drapeau alone! That is not a very good example of doing “fully what is in the best interest of the public.*

Above and beyond your position as a city councilor, I have been told that you earn another $63,000 from the public treasury for doing jobs that Mayor Tremblay appointed you to. Is an additional $63,000/yr the difference between doing what is in the best interest of the citizens, and what Mayor Gerald Tremblay dictates to you?

Last summer, both Mayor Tremblay and you mentioned that if I changed my tactics that perhaps people would support my efforts. I did as you both asked and as a result all that you have done is waste seven months that could have been put to far better use.

All who are in a position to help solve any of Quebec’s numerous sociological problems, deserve to be deeply ashamed of themselves, if they do nothing. IMHO both you and Mayor Tremblay, should be deeply ashamed of yourselves.

Do you ever intend to live up to your oath of office and do “fully what is in the best interest of the public”?

Murray Levine
“Social Activist/Consciousness Raiser/Charity Activist”

Please see the disclaimer at the bottom of the page.

For some unusual reason, many, if not most people, have little faith in most politicians.

At the June borough council meeting of CDN-NDG, Councilor Marvin Rotrand agreed to contact the presidents of both the NYC Marathon and Bike New York. (Participants in the 2 events that chose to raise $$ for charity raised about $35 million in 2011.) Two months later, Councilor Rotrand advised me that he spoke to an “underling” at the marathon who directed him to their website. He then told me that he felt that neither official would get back to him. According to his response, he backed out of his pledge without even attempting to contact both presidents.

On Dec 18, I emailed both presidents  and both replied favourably within 18 hrs. To this day, I have never spoken with either. (Note what Rotrand says on the 2nd video below.)

I then asked Councilor Rotrand early in  October (at the CDN-NDG meeting), to acquire a letter from Velo QC confirming for ALL charities that they could piggyback upon Velo QC events and raise funds for their own charities. Rotrand advised that he would do this. 

He advised on several occasions since then, after being reminded of what he himself had advised that he would ask, that Velo QC had not replied.

On January 13, Access to Information forwarded me the letter that Councillor Rotrand sent to Velo QC. The question that Councilor Rotrand was supposed to ask did not appear. In fact there was no question whatsoever so there was really nothing for Velo QC to respond to. Please note that when I make an initial request of a politician (as I made of Tremblay in the first video) the request is made in writing.

Marvin Rotrand has wasted seven months by failing to do, not once, but twice what he promised to do at the CDN-NDG council meetings. By failing to do as he has promised to do Marvin Rotrand has failed to help not me, but you, me and humanity at large.

Councilor Rotrand is the elder statesman of municipal politicians in Montreal and in my personal opinion is equal to the worst that I have ever had the unfortunate displeasure of encountering, not only in politics, but in life itself.

A man who pledges to do what is clearly in the best interest of all, does nothing and then has the audacity to claim that he has lived up to his pledges, is in my personal opinion beneath contempt.

If you would like to have a copy of the letter that Councilor Rortand actually sent to Velo QC, please send an email to:

liar.liar.pants.on.fire2012@gmail.com

Please note that in neither of the following videos has Councilor Rotrand contested what I mentioned regarding the letter that he was supposed to have written, or to whom.

He cannot attack the message, so he felt compelled to attack the messenger. This “messenger” welcomes such attacks because such attacks show the opposition for exactly what they are.

More Greetings

” Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive. “

What Marvin says below is definitely NOT what he said to me at the CDN-NDG Borough Council Meeting on Dec. 5

As far as what I wrote being “a veiled threat”, what I wrote was a promise. PLEASE NOTE THAT MARVIN READ ONLY PART OF WHAT I WROTE TO HIM (IN ORDER TO ILLUSTRATE WHAT HE WANTED PEOPLE TO HEAR) AND THAT HIS MENTIONING WHAT I SAID ABOUT IT NOT BEING A PHYSICAL THREAT, WAS NOT IN SMALLER TYPE BUT ACTUALLY LARGER.): “Marvin; I expect you to deliver on both promises fast. If you don’t, I swear to you, that you will regret it, as I will embarrass you with your words, as you deserve to be embarrassed, to no end. You ain’t seen nothing yet. This is a promise (a real one)! And don’t worry, this is NOT a physical threat.

(Marvin neglected to read the following)

I will simply ask you questions, demonstrate in order to bring attention to exactly what you are, until you live up to your word (both cases). You are a hell of a lot more convenient than Mayor Tremblay.

Don’t bother responding to this email until you have something very positive for me.

Happy Chanukah!

Murray”

This blog and the demonstrations/efforts to attract viewers to it is what Marvin Rotrand considers to be; “a veiled threat”!  )

Most do not have the stomach for activism. I do and I have been very successful with it.

I am an activist NOT to live up to anyone else’s expectations, but simply to live up to mine.
I do it because I enjoy bringing about change for the better.
Those who do nothing are great at second guessing, those of us who do!

I find it very amusing that the President of the Council is making like he is talking to me asking for me to essentially apologize in writing. The only problem is that he was hamming it up for the camera, and I was no longer in the room. I was being escorted out as I was saying that I wanted to hear his answer.

I have written to MAMROT (Municipal Affairs Ministry) regarding the matter of Rotrand essentially announcing that he took what I wrote as a “veiled threat” when it was explicit that I would embarrass him as any activist worth his salt does. Making threats, veiled or otherwise is a criminal offense and Rotrand’s mentioning that it was a threat shows IMHO just how low he is.

This council is a complete sham and while I try and increase charitable giving in QC, the worst place by far for it in Canada, these politicians gave $1 million of your tax dollars to Velo QC while they charged charities $130,000 to stage fundraising athletic events at Parc Jean Drapeau “Let them call me rebel and welcome, I feel no concern from it; but I should suffer the misery of devils, were I to make a whore of my soul.”Thomas Paine

Please send this blog post to Marvin Rotrand along with your best wishes for a healthy and good 2012!  Just click on his email address : MRotrand@ville.montreal.qc.ca .
It’ s as easy as that. He gets them directly on his Blackberry and if you are lucky he may read your e-mail at a council meeting.   

.

The following articles are the best that I have seen regarding the integrity or lack thereof on the part of politicians.

Click here for a Psychology Today article entitled: How Power Corrupts Leaders to understand how the mind of a politician works and click here to see why they become arrogant and break the laws they take oaths to protect.

To be continued, and that is a promise!

My letter to the editor concerning this cartoon was published the next day.

” Under normal circumstances, being the complete prude that I am, I would take great offence over Aislin’s use of a phallic symbol to illustrate what Mayor Gérald Tremblay has been doing to the public for over 10 years. If I were an opponent of Mayor Tremblay in the next election, with the permission of Aislin, my political signs would consist of that cartoon, and my promise not to do the same! “

Murray Levine Montreal

Did Murray try and have La Presse emulate The Gazette Christmas Fund, and obviously benefit more less fortunate Quebecois, because Murray is a racist? Did Murray put his neck on the line, and possibly face a lawsuit when he defamed and libelled La Presse publisher Roger D. Landry, CC, OQ. in order to have him do good for all humanity?

McGill raises over seven times what the U de M raises. The Ste Justine’s Children’s Hospital would have raised $113 million last year, if its constituency were as charitable as the constituency of the Montreal Children’s Hospital. Instead, only $20.8 million was raised. Quebec has some obvious major sociological problems and unfortunately the Quebecois are in denial regarding the one that Murray (and Murray alone) is attempting to solve.

At the previous council meeting, Murray told Mayor Tremblay that nobody should be ashamed of the statistics, but anyone in a position to improve the situation should be ashamed of themselves, if they did nothing, like Mayor Tremblay. (See the previous post for the video.)

Note how Tremblay tries to shift the onus onto Murray to change his behaviour. Whose administration is presently under investigation by the Ministry of Public Security? Which society in Canada has the lowest rates by far for charitable giving, voluntarism, blood contributions and entrepreneurs? Which society enjoys the highest rate of pet abandonment and high school dropouts?

Mayor Tremblay is in an excellent position to improve the situation re charitable giving/voluntarism, but on the day of the last election, Mayor Tremblay’s party used Velo Quebec headquarters and employees to get re-elected. The upper echelon of Velo QC contributed to Mayor Tremblay’s election campaign. Tremblay nominated the past-President/Founder of Velo Quebec as chairman of the STM while Montreal’s funding of Velo Quebec increased by 60%, to $972,000 in 2010, and fundraising events had to pay Montreal $170,000 to stage athletic fundraising events at Parc Jean Drapeau alone!

Perhaps someone should explain the concept of a conflict of interest to the mayor, but with all of the crap surrounding the illegality of BIXI, and the ever continuing scandals at Hotel de Ville, would it make any difference at all to him?

On June 21st The Gazette published Murray’s following letter:

Re: Henri Aubin’s Tremblay won’t rule out another term (Gazette June 18); Mr. Aubin mentions that the other possible contenders are Louise Harel, Richard Bergeron, Gilbert Rozon and Denis Coderre.
Mme Harel is a soverignist so she has a snowball’s chance in hell.
Richard Bergeron speculated in his book the Bush administration carried out the 9/11 attacks as an “act of state banditry of titanic proportions” so we all know what he smokes.
Gilbert Rozon will not do very well with the woman voters, as in 2000 he plead guilty to sexual assault. While Denis Coderre has yet to march in solidarity with the citizens of Syria who are being butchered by their leader, he did find the time to march three years ago under the flag of Hezbollah, an outlawed terrorist group.
As far as Mayor Tremblay is concerned; he has experience. If one forgets about the water meters, bids without tender, spying on everyone, being investigated by the Ministry of Security, giving $1 million/yr to Velo QC while charging fundraising events $170,000 at Parc Jean Drapeau alone, etc., etc. He has appeal. Fortunately for him, the overwhelming majority of Montreal’s citizens seem to have Attention Deficit Disorder and fail to learn.
ST

At the end of my questions on the video below, Mary Deros asks that I not be allowed to ask questions in the future!

Politicians welcome democracy when it gets them elected. What happens after that can be amusing and it is my job to make things amusing at hotel de ville!

Here is an excellent rendition of Mayor Tremblay by The Gazette’s cartoonist, Aislin:
http://murraymakingadifference.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/4623977-bin.jpg

For those who did not hear, the provincial government is investigating Montreal City Hall. Is it possible that Mayor Tremblay, etc. are dishonest? How could anyone even think that?

What Marvin Rotrand (Tremblay’s pit bull) forgot to mention when he replied for Mayor Tremblay in the video, is that while he supported my goal, when I found out about “a potential conflict of interest” that will be investigated by the Ministry of Security, and I called a year ago to discuss with Marvin, I never heard from Marvin. Could it be because Marvin is the vice-Chair of the STM and the Chairman is the Founder/past-President of Velo QC, Michel Labrecque?

As far as Marvin’s response all that he has done is excuse Mayor Tremblay for not fulfilling what he has sworn to do. He did not swear an oath to do as Velo QC chooses. He swore an oath to do what is in fully in the best interest of the public, and no one else.

Please feel free to forward this blog post as a training video to your friends, etc., on how to deal with politicians who forget that they are supposed to serve US and not their friends. Feel free to send to Maire_du_Montreal@ville.montreal.qc.ca  I am sure that you can imagine that he likes to see me asking questions of him.

As far as my use of the word “crap” is concerned; from the dictionary: 3. Foolish, deceitful, or boastful language.