Communications

Just because I haven't been posting doesn't mean I haven't been writing.

Correspondence between residents, staff and fellow councillors takes up more time, all the time.

I received a copy of the Arboretum News letter on Friday. June Yates is the editor.. June is an excellent photographer.  The newsletter is graced with  many beautiful pictures of blossoms of various species.

It  acknowledges financial  support from the TD .A  photo of very fine informational signage identifying various species made  possible with their  financial support is featured.  Pictures of volunteers in yellow slickers planting the rain is a positive sign of progress and appreciation is  expressed. 

What is  missing is acknowledgement of  financial support  of $100Ks from the town budget and the  hard lifting of  employees of the  town parks department which makes this project possible, is also absent..

I am sure it's an oversight. But  hardly excusable. Members of the Arboretum have been heard to express profound satisfaction in the town's confidence in their competence  to the extent of annual allocation of  $100Ks of town resources to spend as they will.

Last year,  $87Ks  was spent  removing construction debris from around the Aurora Family Leisure Centre to make room for flower beds bordered with expensive stone.

I was not thrilled.

But the new council and  Mayor were perfectly satisfied and allocated yet another $100ks for similar enterprise while contemplating a substantial increase in taxes and water rates.

I think the failure to acknowledge the town's contribution to the project in finances and manpower,while puffed up with their own success  in the scheme of things, denotes a total lack of respect to the corporation for which I am at least partially responsible.

I take exception.

But I have  learned over the years, the more toadying, the less respect  paid to the taxpayer, a corresponding lack of respect is engendered for the political body.

It's  weeks now since $5Ks was  turned over for a "Platinum " sponsorship to the St. Kitts Jazz Festival,fronted by Susan Morton Leonard. Promotional material had already been distributed without acknowledging  town support. The material had been printed prior to the town's commitment, it was explained.  It didn't stop the organisation from using the town's commitment to obtain a Trillium grant.

Council has  since not received any indication of  the return expected for the sponsorship award.As time passes that also is  an area of diminishing return.

There does seem to be an impression  money doled out so carelessly and  generously  may  not  in fact be connected to  the pockets of  long-suffering taxpayers. The Corporation may have printed it in the basement, found it somewhere or won it in a lottery.

Perish the thought, it might  have been squeezed out of a pension cheque or the limited resources of an unemployed  principal family provider hard pressed to make ends meet.

We are obviously of  such affluence. none of that needs to be considered.

Let them eat bread from a food bank and enjoy circus in the park. After they have paid for admission to their own park of course.