● ODT 4.2.15 Formal complaint to be laid against Vandervis
● ODT 6.2.15 Vandervis offers apology; Wilson unmoved
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Received from Lee Vandervis
Fri, 6 Feb 2015 at 9:04 p.m.
Message: Since the ODT did not print my apology, but just chose to interpret bits of it, the apology as below may be of interest.
—— Forwarded Message
From: Lee Vandervis
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2015 21:22:32 +1300
To: Sue Bidrose, Sandy Graham, Andrew Noone, Andrew Whiley, Chris Staynes, Doug Hall, Hilary Calvert, John Bezett, Jinty MacTavish, Kate Wilson, Lee Vandervis, Mayor Cull, Mike Lord, Neville Peat, Richartd Thomson, David Benson-Pope, Aaron Hawkins
Cc: Chris Morris [ODT], Debbie Porteous [ODT]
Conversation: Apology for hallway loudness
Subject: Apology for hallway loudnessDear Sue, Sandy and Councillors.
If it was thought that my Council hallway questioning of CEO Bidrose yesterday was considered to be too loud or inappropriate, I unreservedly apologize to those who thought so, especially if that included Dr. Bidrose.
I recognise today that I had become increasingly frustrated with the lack of CEO response to my earlier emailed governance complaints, and that an unacceptable Council agenda item was imminent as a result.
Happily some time was subsequently allowed for possible resolution of the Governance issues I complained of.
To prevent a recurrence of overheard unpleasantness, I undertake to make any future complaints of staff or elected representatives in a recorded medium.Kind regards,
Cr. Lee Vandervis
—— End of Forwarded Message
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Related Post and Comments:
5.1.15 DCC: Chairman denies true and correct Council record
█ For more, enter the term *vandervis* in the search box at right.
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
What if? Dunedin... 
With this complaint as a result of the altercation between Sue Bidrose and Lee Vandervis, why is it that Kate Wilson is laying the complaint?
I googled “vice president for going to jail”,
“… or the strategy of creating scapegoats at either a junior or senior level: the role of ‘vice president for going to jail’. However, despite the extensive research that …
“Finally, regulatees can also attempt to construct identities for themselves vis a vis regulators. Here work on organisational deviance is suggestive.1 Some of that work suggests strategies of avoidance that involve portraying images of compliance to the regulator whilst in practice engaging in avoidance. For example, the creation of ‘buffer zones’ within an organisation which handle the face to face interactions with regulators, portraying images of compliance whilst the rest of the organisation continues unaffected by the regulatory regime; or the strategy of creating scapegoats at either a junior or senior level: the role of ‘vice president for going to jail’. ”
[DOC]Communicative interactions create identities – London …
http://www.lse.ac.uk/…/CNIC%20research%20paper%20-%20regulatory%20id...
My dear friend Kate had better be careful. Someone may check the minutes of the Strath Taieri community board, about the time Kate was on it. Something could possibly come back and bite her on the arse.
Party discipline – For the ‘Greater’ good? After all this is her last term I believe. Therefore an expended firework lying on the lawn of life… Could she also be expendable via potentially unpopular but politically essential harassment duties?
I don’t know how Lee puts up with it. The strain of asking all these politically awkward questions and the aggro that goes with not getting answers to them, I am surprised that he hasn’t decided to end it all.
In fact maybe for his own good he needs to state ‘using a recorded medium’ (this website) that he has no intention of ending it all anytime soon. Perhaps he should consider renewing this statement here every six weeks. That way if he turns up dead one day, the police and other authorities will not be unduly distracted in their investigations by the administrationally attractive option of suicide.
I am still waiting for Appendix E of the Swimming pool report that was available to councillors in December. February 10 is the date that they have given me now for a decision on this. I am getting frustrated, but I am certainly not considering ending it all as a result – Argentine prosecutor style. Just so that Y’all know!
When one looks at the calibre of people in and around that building from the Mayor down, why should we even be moderately surprised at the manner of the treatment of Cr Vandervis? He has been ostracised by the Mayor right from day one of this trimester. “I HAVE GIVEN YOU NOTHING” says Dave Cull to Cr Vandervis when announcing the committees and chairs. This as reported gleefully by the ODT on 24/10/13. Since then it has been a “circling of the wagons” by all, excluding Cr Vandervis. Not one of the other elected people around that table have had the guts to stand on any issue and be counted. It has been an orchestrated tale of ineptitude, cronyism and pathetic limp wristed grovel.
Perhaps the most concerning aspect of this is that Vandervis was isolated in the early days of the FB when matters were first getting out of hand. Now eight years or so later almost everybody in the DCC and its senior management has been replaced on various ‘open governance’ and ‘new broom manifestos’ except Vandervis – some of them several times – and he is still isolated!
New brooms with weak bristles, Rob.
Rob; why don’t you just get your appendix taken out. The SDHB will do it in a flash just as soon as they can find an unflooded theatre and a surgeon. Both depend on first finding some money. Perhaps you could cosy up to Richard Thomson, you know, him with the financial genius to be comfortable.
The legality of excluding Cr Vandervis
{Refer to this post (5.1.15) DCC: Chairman denies true and correct Council record -Eds.}
On my request, the Office of the Ombudsmen is considering this matter right now. Even though decisions of the full council are outside the Ombudsmen’s legal jurisdiction, they have told me they are willing to discuss the matter with the DCC.
Any Dunedin [people] who believe that Cr Vandervis’s ejection from a recent council meeting by Mayor Cull was unfair could help a great deal by contacting the Office of the Ombudsmen giving Cr Vandervis support.
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{Contact information for the Office of the Ombudsmen at http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/contact-us -Eds.}
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/331981/formal-complaint-be-laid-against-vandervis#comment-67657
Three letters at ODT 11.2.15 (page 14) supporting Cr Lee Vandervis for speaking out — by Vicky Carthew (Dunedin), K.J. Hale (St Kilda) and Adriaan Jansen (Port Chalmers).
### ODT Online Sat, 14 Feb 2015
Second complaint about Vandervis
By Chris Morris
Dunedin city councillor Lee Vandervis now faces two formal complaints [one from Cr Kate Wilson, and another from an unnamed councillor] despite apologising for an allegedly expletive-laden outburst aimed at senior Dunedin City Council staff. Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull yesterday confirmed he had received two complaints from councillors after claims Cr Vandervis shouted and swore at council chief executive Dr Sue Bidrose last week.
Read more
### NZ Herald 1:24 PM Saturday Feb 14, 2015
(headline) Lee Vandervis faces two complaints after expletive-laden outburst
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11402046
Another spineless one that wants to hide behind anonymity.
Yes, well, apparently now it’s an ‘allegedly expletive-laden outburst aimed at senior Dunedin City Council staff’. No longer a disagreement with the Chief Executive Officer of the Dunedin City Council, that may or may not have included some choice words. I’m curious – how does Dr Bidrose feel about this farcical business? Is she unable to cope with an unruly staff member or councillor? In my experience CEOs are quite capable of managing different sorts of situations and I believe she is well compensated for the discomfort a job like hers must regularly involve.
So while the children argue in the supermarket isles, the other shoppers have a tendency to start doubting the caregiver’s ability for letting it continue. It appears the dear old Oddity is trying to make us see there is someone over there who might not be coping… wonder why they would do that.
The problem here is in ‘believing’ just what it is that these inherently weak people are trying to achieve by persecuting Cr Vandervis. Is it that they genuinely believe that he is bad, incompetent, not a good councillor or is it that they feel he shows them up as being inferior.
I am reminded of that fabulous ballad of ‘rocker’ Rod Stewart “Reasons to Believe” which goes:
If I listened long enough to you,
I’d find a way to believe that it’s all true.
Knowing that you lied,
straight-faced while I cried.
Still I look to find a reason to believe.
Sue Bidrose trained in psychology (in some way) and later was a manager at WINZ (in some way) – and given her career path in local government and her personal journey around all that, is likely to have heard bad language in a number of scenarios whether or not tendered in her direction. She has the coping skills. Coping skills with DCC – pressure after pressure – who can say. Councillors are simply after political mileage with the code of conduct complaints. I can’t believe Kate Wilson hasn’t sworn at farm dogs on a hill before, or maybe she really is a housewife, dear. Glory be.
Elizabeth. You have got it in one. This is just an amateurish political beat up. These local councillors make amateurs look professional. Sue had taken this job on and knows the territory. She sure as hell doesn’t need the support of any political drama queen (of either sex) for this little episode. Nor do the ever suffering ratepayers.
The amusing side of this is that every time there is a bleat against Vandervis, there are more comments in support at the oddity online. There seems to be considerable sympathy for anyone who loses patience with the numpties he has to deal with, who don’t understand you can’t keep spending on everyone’s pet project, when you’re already arse-deep in the Quagmire of Debt, and sinking.
Elizabeth before you can swear at farm dogs on a hill, you actually have to be on a hill, and that is not as easy as biking on the flat, to get a free breakfast.
Yes checkout councillor Kate in her bikie gear at Ch39
http://www.dunedintv.co.nz/content/local-advocacy-group-marks-national-go-bike-day
Is Cull after that removal in cahoots with ODT owners.
My God! did she ride all the way from Middlemarch like that, or just, as more likely ducked across from the building. No offense, but not exactly a glittering lot for the spending of $47 million on is it. All sweat, whiskers and mungo beans. Queen Kate looks the part for an old codger, but His Eminence and his concierge Jinty were conspicuous by their absence.
Typically savvy comments from you all. You never miss much.
Well, that second formal complaint arrived quickly, lickety-split as they say.
Meanwhile the believers in kangaroo courts rage at ODT Online. People who never attend Council meetings and doings chaired by Mr Chain-wielding Specious Cull.
I think Hype that after pretty much 100% supportive comments on the first Vandervis complaint article and with comments disabled on the second, the chorus is now coming properly on message for the third – Take a look:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/333097/second-complaint-about-vandervis#comment-67912
WHAT ARE THE FACTS ?
New post: DCC reality check —‘CEO Bidrose confirms no Vandervis complaint with a hug.’
@Elizabeth
February 15, 2015 at 7:57 pm
WHAT ARE THE FACTS ?
I don’t know the answer to this question but make this observation:-
One of those was Cr Kate Wilson, who said last night she would lodge a formal complaint about Cr Vandervis’ behaviour.
ODT – By Chris Morris on Wed, 4 Feb 2015
and this:-
Their feet run to evil; they rush to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of malice; desolation and destruction litter their highways.
-Isaiah 59:7
Mick, you capture it well. Scarily pure.