"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Thursday 29 December 2011

A Very Good Year.... It Was Not.

Though elected in October, Council did not take office until December 1st 2010.

The ousted Mayor  kept herself busy up to that date with amendment to a secret lease agreement with the Department of National Defense which benefits the town not a whit, and pursuing  legal action against various town residents with public resources, perhaps unknowingly, authorised by councillors,  also defeated in the election  and the town's  administration.

Council met once in December and  cancelled  the lawyer retained by the ousted Mayor or  town solicitor. It's not clear.

In the New Year, we spent a further $8,500. to still  another lawyer  to advise if the town  had an obligation to pay bills for legal action against three citizens for exercising their democratic rights.

Newly elected, flushed with support from the electorate to undo horrendous damage of the previous four years, nevertheless, Council  did not have sufficient confidence in their own judgement to say;

"NO! We will not acknowledge responsibility for public resources  being  pissed away without purpose"

The  $55,000.bill was paid. We were elected in time to stop it. We did not. We added $8,5000.

The case continued to court. To be thrown out months later with a tongue-lashing from a judgefor a totally  inadequate  performance.

Approved by a  brand new council, taxpayers of Aurora  paid $55,000. for  a lawyer to pursue a will-o' the- wisp  argument, apparently of insufficient substance to pass the test.

The case continued.  Three Aurora families were obliged to  expend family resources to defend themselves against  charges which ultimately failed and failed miserably..

How it continues for recovery of costs and damage to  reputations is not known. I think we can be assured, it is not over.

We live in a country which guarantees rights granted under a legal charter.

We do not expect to have to spend personal resources to defend them.

We particularly do not expect to have to defend them against those trusted,with authority in a civil and orderly election  at the level closest to the people

Yet with the abused force of money and power combined, that is what happened.

Under our very noses.

No checks or balances exercised.

Incredibly.

Unthinkably.

Evil triumphed.

And continues..

10 comments:

Lest We Forget said...

don’t worry this act will never be forgotten ,especially by those responsible for turfing them out of office, If any of them have the balls for another run at it in 2014 , they will once again embarrass themselves at the polls, Remember not once in 149 years has a sitting Mayor been turfed in favor of a non sitting politician of any kind, Rest assured a repeat performance is not in the cards for this Well Educated, Hip and Upscale electorate

Anonymous said...

Whack !!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

The singularly weird thing is that there has never been an apology from any of the participants, not even the hint of regret evidenced by Scrooge after he took a good look at his personal spooks. And there is a growing suspicion in town about the identities of those who might be funding legal matters in order that they will continue to drain the town's treasury and the bank accounts of local residents.
So you are right, Evelyn, it has not ceased. A huge example of CYA by indifferent stake-holders from the past and present.

Anonymous said...

" But, your Honour, We were merely following orders."

Anonymous said...

A tragic| comedy of many parts costly to a small town of ordinary people.

Anonymous said...

Councillor Gallo was quoted in the Auroran that his
religion did not not allow him to lie. Isn't it possible to lie by omission?

Anonymous said...

Two well-paid senior staff still guiding the town and advising the Council, What does that tell you about responsibility and accountability ?

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous 29 December, 2011 8:26 PM

It tells me that you get what you pay for. We have elected officials making sometimes multi-million dollar decisions but are paid a salary that is below the poverty line. I have been a long-time supporter of paying elected officials a wage that rivals what they would get in their private lives. This would allow people much more qualified than the lot of losers on council now (and previously) to run for office and not be left wanting financially.

It is time we, as a country, realize that being an elected official is not a part-time job that is done in a person's spare time. Even reading Ms. Buck's last post about having issue with the schedule of meetings, imagine how difficult it would be to attend a meeting if you had a "real" job as well.

I would much rather pay a realistic full-time wage to 9 people than the silly part-time wage the part-timers get now and they have to rely on staff to do the work.

Happy NEW YEAR to all.

Anonymous said...

I couldn't agree more with anon @8:26PM.

And how would we pay for full-time councillors? I think that we are finding more than enough fat in our budget - cutting the financial support to the "Cultural Centre" and the Arboretum would just about do it - to pay for most or all of it.

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous at 31 December, 2011 10:35 AM

I think you don't understand the point. If the salary offered was on par with the salary earned in the private sector, you would have a BETTER quality of people looking to serve the public's interest. With a better quality of people in office, the problems you see in the past would be reduced (bad apples can still get in). You would haev people that have taken courses in ethics and understand the how the real world works.

These council positions are not for the housewife who is loking for a night out every other week anymore. This is a multi-million dollar corporation run by a bunch of people who think they are running the local sports club.