Here's A Couple Of Thoughts

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The THings One Hears":

Here's something I heard: all full-time Town staff members received vouchers for free meals to be used at the Ribfest yesterday.
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I don't know about staff but Councillors received a voucher.
Doesn't mean it will be used. What if it is? Does it  mean the price of a man's soul is a pottage of ribs, on a paper plate, served outdoors in  the rain?  
I hear  attendance  figures for Friday hovered around seven thousand . The music was spectacular . And the Rotary  Club, operating the beer garden  worked  hard keeping the libations flowing and earning revenue to fullfil their mission.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "I Had A Call": Excuse me, please. Staff have ' now' discovered that the ' audited readership ' was flawed? NOW ? And they want to continue to advise on the same subject? After failing to provide accurate information? Boggles.
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 "Audited readership" for which The Banner received  15 points the Auroran didn't, was not necessarily flawed. It was done in 2010.  Two years ago.  Not current. Not relevant .
Credited by staff  nevertheless
Information  learned  by the CAO from comments heard during last week's  council discussion and cited in his  report to be considered on Tuesday, is  a startling revelation.
The Banner distribution  includes all of Newmarket and East Gwillimbury.  .Apparently, for the purpose of their "proposal" they did not separate out Aurora  circulation. 
Since Metroland  acquired  the  two newspapers , at least two decades ago, distribution  has always included the  three municipalities for the amalgamated publication.
Aurora staff  have  apparently not  been aware of that fact. How can that be?
An occasional  scan   reveals the obvious. 
Since the last contract was signed, the  name changed to The Banner from The Era/Banner .
 Section B of the publication which includes the  Aurora Notice Board  is entitled Aurora Banner. The names change nothing. 
If salient facts about one publication were not understood, why should we expect  awareness of the differences between the two?
The situation  allows me to put flesh on the bones of a long simmering sense of  unease about our affairs.
I've said it before.  Our town has become a mini-satellite of the Region. More of our staff are former regional staff. 
The executive leadership does not live in Town 
Nor have they since  the 2003/6 term of office.
How  can they have a  sense of the community they serve?
How can they know what they do not know?
I asked the question when   the "Customer Service Plan" was recommended and adopted;
I am a Councillor. In the front line. Why am I not aware (at that time) of problems with  customer service?
The answer ; 
Newmarket and Whitchurch-Stouffville have adopted  the plan.
The problem is exacerbated by those on  council's side of the table,  equally lacking in community awareness. 
Labour  law, does not allow discrimination against a job applicant on the basis of domicile.Neither  should it.
Recruitment  restricted to a small  area,  for a position requiring specialty skills would be useless. . 
Still, I think not living within the community one serves  is a disadvantage. 
Failure to recognise  obvious and  major differences between   two local publications being assessed for  a municipal contract a perfect example. 
The community is appalled.
Professional advice falls into disrepute 
Confidence in our institution of government falters.
The wounds are self-inflicted.