Putting lipstick on a corpse: county to hire T.O. PR firm

September 14th, 2009
Why don’t they just tell the truth?
Why don’t they start behaving in a manner that earns our trust?
Why don’t they stop treating citizens with contempt?
Why don’t they stop trying to stomp on disagreement and awkward questions? “Free legal advice” was the term Simcoe County CAO Mark Aitken used, when asked in court about a threatening letter the County’s lawyer sent to Stephen Ogden.
But no. Instead of addressing the core problems, Simcoe County is planning to apply lipstick to the corpse of its public image by hiring an expensive Toronto PR firm.
We hope Fleishman-Hillard International Communications will advise Simcoe County that it was a really bad idea to have their communications department falsely accuse peaceful Anishinabe protestors of wearing bandanas and intimidating county staff during an illegal blockade when nothing of the sort happened, and that they need to make things right by apologizing.
Of course, we told Simcoe County councillors that for nothing. We suggest now that they forget the high-priced help, get rid of their so-called communications (read spin) department and stop worrying about their image. If they do the right thing, the image will take care of itself.
County may hire PR firm to boost image Midland Mirror

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