Sunday, 8 January 2012

YES Or NO

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Culture Centre/ Minus Museum Advertisement":

why don’t we just conduct another one of those informative and representative polls in the Auroran ,that Alison does so well, Keep it simple
DO YOU SUPPORT SPENDING $500,000 EA.YEAR OF TAX PAYERS $ ON THE CULTURAL CENTRE
YES:
NO:
***********
The question is not simple. Aurora has  a myriad of organisations  contributing to quality of life in the community. All begun with the initiative of  an individual with a vision.

The Aurora Theatre started productions, building sets in basements and providing  props from each other's  homes. Opportunities were  provided  for amazingly talented actors, directors and producers  to  hone their skills. They have entertained the community for over fifty years  with  theatre  that was and is as  professional as any to be found, at a fraction of the cost.

The  Aurora Art Community was  organised  by two young mothers with nothing but a God given talent, and a vision. Mabel Pearson and Cathan Schoniker, neighbours in Sunray Place and Jasper Drive, joined forces and made it happen.

The town's recreation director, Ernie Batson  provided support, encouragement and found space for them to be and grow. Soon  we  had an annual Juried Art Show, an outstanding level of  professional art

They asked  for nothing  but advice and they stood on their own feet. The community supported them and they never looked back.Neither have lived in Aurora for many years now. But their vision is with us still.
 
Service clubs  exist with a sole mission  to contribute  one way or another to the quality of life in the community.

Aurora  has always had a strong structure that provided for whatever shared vision presented itself.

Hand-outs from taxes were never  necessary. Never even proposed.

St Maximillian Kolbe, our newest  high school deserves a visit from every Aurora parent. Facilities to allow young people to achieve excellence in every field are incredible. They have to be seen.

Community support on all sides have made Aurora the place it has always striven to be.

There was never a need to burden taxpayers with the cost of providing cultural services at the Church Street School.

Any proposal to change the community structure to shift responsibility for every art, sport or leisure activity onto the backs of homeowners and business in the form of taxation is utterly ludicrous. 

The question on a poll would have to be that.

Not whether the outfit currently occupying Church Street School should get 3 points of the tax burden to indulge their fancy, with an automatic 3% increase every year without accountability and enough money left over for a political advertising campaign to maintain the status quo.

With or without advice from Town of Aurora staff.

19 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. " Gosh, darn, Son. Look what you've gone and done ? How many times have I told you to be careful where you aim that thing"

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  3. It seems to me that history predates culture by many millennia; our earliest ancestors were history, nothing more. At some point the concept of culture came to exist, primitive drawings on cave walls, a pipe or two sticks being knocked together - sounds.

    It seems ludicrous that in Aurora it is not possible for history and culture to co-exist in the same building, possibly with a joint operating budget. The $50,000 town grant to the Historical Society is at present a waste of money. What is it doing to depict our history? The Cultural group seems hell-bent on self promotion, i.e. the latest full-page ad in the Auroran. These people appear to want to demonstrate their value to the community by sponsoring/arranging various activities during the year, many with a potentially wide appeal, others quite esoteric. What percentage of our town's residents attend, or feel one way or another about any of these?

    We would all applaud the efforts of these two groups if they could work together in harmony. But this would take a Council decision to force such an outcome. The Town Solicitor's comments on the Cultural bunch would certainly justify such an action. Let's just do it!

    Most residents see or hear nothing about their municipal government except when they get their water and property tax bills in the mail. And these always increase from year to year while the roads on which we drive get progressively worse. Hardly a feel good story.

    We appear to forget about our experiences of the past, we show no apparent ability to deal with the present, and worst of all, we appear to take no responsibility for the future.

    The previous administration was a perfect example of this. Is it a Canadian record to be simultaneously a party to three lawsuits? Possibly international?

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  4. Question : When is the former Church Street School not a museum ?
    Answer : As long as the Cultural Centre are sitting tenants.

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  5. We must bear some of the responsibility here. We were complacent and allowed the bullies to move their power base from the Town Hall to the former Church Street School. Only now are they brave enough to operate in the open once more. We blew it.

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  6. "We must bear some of the responsibility here. We were complacent and allowed the bullies to move their power base from the Town Hall to the former Church Street School. Only now are they brave enough to operate in the open once more. We blew it."

    Guess what.... All of the responsibility. There are no "bullies" here. There are people that have been put into positions of power and like it or not, they are doing what they feel is right. It is fine for us to sit back here and be critical.

    Were they given a mandate to do things a certain way? Like I tell my boss, "You can ask me to do something or you can tell me how to do something, but don't do both."

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  7. Here we go again with the ego stuff.
    " Put into POWER "
    Take away the building and the whole thing is toast.
    We cannot afford any more of this entitlement garbage. It is not your building and you have not earned the right to squat there. Aurora has genuine needs and the people who work at the food banks and throughout the town do not lecture about POWER.

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  8. Would it be your 'boss' who ok'ed the full page ad in the Auroran ?

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  9. 4:50 PM is missing a crucial point. It is the town of Aurora that covers the pay cheques for both him/her and his/her boss. So don't give us the hooey about ' put into positions of power.' Kicking and screamed to not have to accept the grasshopper pay-off ?
    Not.

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  10. Odd. More than a week after the misbegotten ad and not a peep of explanation or justification from the principals. Just little blurbs from the groveling go-for.
    Maybe they are composing a letter to the Auroran and planning yet another performance before Council.

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  11. Here we go again..... I post a comment and right away I am accused of working for MorMac. Tin-foil hat time?

    I do not now nor have I ever had anything to do with MorMac. My point - which failed to get across to some of you - is that we have to assume ALL of the responsibility for this situation. WE elected the last council, WE gave them the authority to do what they did, WE are left to pick up the pieces.

    WE have to understand that when you elect someone, you have given the job. You cannot tell them how to do the job after that, your only opportunity for that is 4 years later.

    I read all about this "Cultural Centre" and I fail to see what the end game is. Can someone please write here an answer to this question......

    WHAT DO YOU WANT COUNCIL TO DO ABOUT THE CULTURAL CENTRE?

    Maybe if there was an definative answer to that then they would know what to do.

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  12. A reply to 10:56 AM about what should be done with the Cultural Centre would be unprintable. And none of us buys for a moment that 10:56 AM is not a player.Too reminiscent of former posters who begged to be helped to understand. If you have truly read this Blog, explanations are not needed.

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  13. 10:56 AM

    Of 10 comments, only YOU mentioned Mormac.
    Then YOU complain about being linked to Mormac.
    Hard to keep your roles separate sometimes?
    Just quit, please.

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  14. Has anyone notice the signs on the 400 hwy.? How much did that cost the taxpayers of the is town and for WHAT?

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  15. "Of 10 comments, only YOU mentioned Mormac.
    Then YOU complain about being linked to Mormac."

    That's because MORMAC is the anti-Christ on this board. Anyone that is against the viewpoints of those here are MORMAC supporters. It is a given.

    This board should be "Our Town and it's Business screwed by MorMac"

    Grow up people. Evelyn has just as much an agenda as the rest of them, the only difference is she found some willing sheep to follow her. She is not out for the benefits of Aurora, she is onlt looking out for her own interests.

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  16. "I read all about this "Cultural Centre" and I fail to see what the end game is. Can someone please write here an answer to this question......"

    Whose "end game"? The naysayers'?

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  17. 10:56 AM has become 4:17 PM
    Clearly losing it. Serious concerns about the job. Well done, Evelyn. Now you are a board all by yourself. Can we vote honoraria for you or is that only on the Town's dime ? He/she should really withdraw from the field. Why is so much invested in holding onto a building? It is lovely but not enough to go to all this sweat and pain.
    Why are we being told to grow up ?

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  18. If we are the ones who are supposed to consider Mormac to be the Anti-Christ, why is it poor 4:17 PM who keeps harping on the subject. ? Mormac has been vanquished, is gone , kaput. There is nothing for you here. Would you believe we don't give a damn ?

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  19. Anonymous at 11 January, 2012 9:04 PM said:

    "If we are the ones who are supposed to consider Mormac to be the Anti-Christ, why is it poor 4:17 PM who keeps harping on the subject. ? Mormac has been vanquished, is gone , kaput. There is nothing for you here. Would you believe we don't give a damn ?"

    I had to laugh at your last sentence. I think you have not read the charter of this board and why it's here.

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