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Okay… part two of my look at the Sponsorship, Naming Rights & Advertising Policy. In part 1, below, I looked back to the Nov 2019 council meeting where admin got their orders to proceed w/ the policy. Now I want to look at what happened yesterday. /1 #yqrcc https://twitter.com/PaulDechene/status/1352334673498705922
Um… I looked at the report from 2019 & the one from 2021 side by side and there isn't much difference. Only thing that stood out was the value of contract that requires council approval dropped from $125k in 2019 to $100k in 2021. Also: renumbering! #yqrcc /2
Whoops, I said "report" above. I meant POLICY. The policy is largely unchanged from Nov 2019 to Jan 2021. The *reports* are different. /3 #yqrcc
The 2019 report contained more detail. For instance it included this chart of how the sponsorship policy implementation will proceed. We are clearly a bit behind schedule. I imagine, as w/ all things, COVID frigged this as well. #yqrcc /4
I was going through the policy itself but really, it's long and dry. This shouldn't have been a big controversy. Definitely shouldn't be a thing to make Moe blow his top. (In a 3rd thread, I'll write about Moe.) It's pretty standard stuff. I'll look at a couple things though… /5
From definitions, the notion that sponsorships are not philanthropy. Seems pretty important. In the online discourse, it's almost like, by excluding fossil fuels, we're turning down some generous gift. It's not a friggin gift, it's a product we're selling. /6 #yqrcc
What's more, WE HAVEN'T SOLD ANYTHING YET so nothing is being lost. If this policy passes w/ the oil&gas exclusion intact (but smart money is on it gets overturned), anything we earn through it is still NEW MONEY! We're still up. /7 #yqrcc
The idea that we're abandoning untold millions in oil&gas sponsorship cash is all speculation. But that that is the assumption is pretty damn telling about attitudes in this province. /8 #yqrcc
I only post this here to note that someday I'd really like to talk about some of the douchey advertiser behaviour I know about. You can SAY that advertising is just selling space but some advertisers think they frickin own you. /9
So yeah… city beware! /10 #yqrcc
Also of note, Guiding Principles. Here you have this idea that potential sponsorship partners should align w/ city values. /11 #yqrcc
In Requirements we get the notion that sponsorship/advertising ≠ a city endorsement. Kinda cuts against the notion that taking oil&gas $$ means city is okey dokey w/ fossil fuel economy. But then, sponsorships have to align w/ city values & city's goal is 100% renewable so… /12
Also from Requirements, idea that sponsorship $$ is to ENHANCE programs & services, not replace city funding. Later we learn, sponsorship $$ go to a fund w/in general revenue. This feels important. /13
I'd be curious to know how will we ensure that sponsorship $$ will be used to enhance stuff and not just become a general revenue backstop. (This is a legit Q. I'm not insinuating anything. I'm writing this to remind me to ask about it.) /14 #Yqrcc
Did I explain that right? My Q is how to make sure the city doesn't end up relying on sponsorship bucks? B/c if they do, the acquisition of sponsorship $$ can drive policy. If they just enhance existing stuff then they can ebb & flow & nobody gets hurt. #yqrcc /15
See, now this is what I'm interested in. How do you do this sponsorship thing without it intruding? Personally, I think advertising degrades everything it touches. But I'm old. I don't think kids these days get their dander up like I do. #yqrcc /16
And I say that but then, the day we found out QCIB had sponsor, I was stoked. Had been hoping to get one for years b/c I wanted to do those old timey radio sponsor breaks. /17 #yqrcc
"Friends, have you ever thought about dandruff?"
"Howdy there listeners, do you love coffee but hate the jitters?"
I tell ya, there's a '40s ad man buried inside me, screaming to get out. /18 #yqrcc
"Howdy there listeners, do you love coffee but hate the jitters?"
I tell ya, there's a '40s ad man buried inside me, screaming to get out. /18 #yqrcc
Anyway, that's my conflicted soul.
Here we come to the section that is causing council so much grief this week. Restrictions… #yqrcc /19
Here we come to the section that is causing council so much grief this week. Restrictions… #yqrcc /19
So to this list, Clr LeBlanc asked to add as item 4.3.3.8 "Whose business is principally derived from the sale or production of fossil fuels”. #yqrcc /20
Personally, I have no issue w/ that. But then, if I was on council I'd be moving a motion to literally declare war on the car. If I was prime minister, the carbon tax would've started 10 times bigger & increase faster…. #yqrcc /21
… and we'd be revoking the corporate charters of oil companies left & right & looking into sending some oil execs to jail. B/c seriously, they've known the climate crisis was coming since the 70s then lied about it & covered it up & MADE IT WORSE for 40+ years. /22 #yqrcc
But, hey, that's just me. /23 #yqrcc
LeBlanc's 4.3.3.8 (city won't enter sponsorship arrangements w/ companies "whose business is principally derived from the sale or production of fossil fuels”) was debated by executive committee & won in a 7 to 4 vote. /24 #yqrcc
Executive Committee, by the way, consists of the mayor & all members of council. It's a first public pass at certain policies & reports. They make RECOMMENDATIONS to council, not decisions. Here are some of the committee's terms of reference. I don't want to retype them. /25
So yeah, if Exec Committee says, "let's do X" & it gets in the news then the public freaks out & the premier blows a gasket & throws a fit & then at council the same councillors change direction (or stand firm), THAT'S HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK. #yqrcc /26
Sometimes you hear people gripe that there wasn't any public consultation on an issue, just some committee & council meetings. Committee meetings & council meetings ARE public consultation. That's why they're public. /27 #yqrcc
As I noted above, the fossil fuel sponsorship exclusion vote was not unanimous. Mayor Masters along with Clrs Shaw, Findura and Bresciani voted against it. I suspect after this week's hullaballoo we're going to see votes flip at council. /28 #yqrcc
I've heard Mancinelli & Mohl have already signalled on social media they may change their vote. Two votes is all it takes to sink the amendment. /29 #yqrcc
