"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

Sunday 14 October 2012

Three Questions And Answers

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Draft Agreement is On Hand":

How do you arrive at that million dollar cost? You usually quote a half million, but isn't the actual tab in the $300 thousand range?


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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Draft Agreement is On Hand":

"The one we had was not acceptable to the majority of Council and the community."

The community? I don't recall any poll or vote involving all the residents seeking a majority of opinion.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Draft Agreement is On Hand":

And just how is His Mayorship doing with that promise to have streaming by early fall? We had hail today - time's running out on his assertion. I keep hearing and reading about the need to involve Aurorans. Could we just do this one little thing? I still have a bet that the cheque for the ' trial run ' has been cashed. Tuesday is also a Presidential Debate. Attention is not just waiting for Council to collect. If there is a conflict, we should be able to get both. Please.

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First; The  annual grant started at  $340,000.
The agreement called for the town to match any donations received by the Culture Centre Board
A donation was made by,  I want to say the Toronto Dominion Bank but I'm not sure they were still under  that name. 
The town matched it.
Maintenance of the facility was $147,000. the first year. 
Allocation for renovating and furnishing the facility for a museum still had $261,000 remaining in the budget.  It was intended for display cases. The Board got that. 
No  rent  was charged for the building. No reserve fund created to provide for ongoing structure maintenance. 
That first year, funds and space provided for the board's use was certainly in the million dollar range. 
$261,000 was not repeated. Nor matching funds for a $50,000 donation.
Still the grant was increased by 3%. to $347,000.
Donations  received by the Centre were $12,000 one year and $15,000 another. Both would be matched by the town according  to the terms of the agreement.
Maintenance of the building would  rise by  increases in the union  contract;  probably 2,5 %. No doubt supplies  saw an equal increase. 
Rent was still; not charged.
Still no  fund  was created to pay for potential repairs. 
Exhibitions and displays were advertised as free .
Had there been return on capital investment in the building calculated , no doubt the annual  cost to the town was  close  if not over  a million. 
 $2.5 million was taken from the Hydro fund . Interest  as  return on capital  is the least that could be charged as cost of occupation. 
Had I known of  plans  to steal the building out from under  the museum,  and spend a million dollars a year on a contract to  purchase  art and culture services, there would certainly have been no support from this Councillor to rob the Hydro Asset Fund for that purpose.
Damn Right the contract needs to be tossed.
Despite all resources on the payroll to ensure the community's interest was served. 
The community's interest was betrayed. .
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Second; The majority of  Council  has indicated dis-satisfaction with  the contract  and direction has been given to change it. .
I believe  it should be tossed.
It's reasonable therefore  to take that to mean strong sentiment within the community.
Representative of  both  parties have worked  together for  six months to come up with a draft  new agreement. 
It  can be acknowledged  the intent is to change the agreement to better serve the community's interest.
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Third: The pilot study for streaming meetings  is for six months. That's what we are paying for.
Whatever date it starts, I hope will be Tuesday. it will be six months from then when it ends.
The leaves are still on my maple tree. 
I am in no hurry to herald the winter.    

 

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Maintenance of the facility was $147,000. the first year."

That cost would have been incurred regardless of the building's purpose.

Anonymous said...

"It's reasonable therefore to take that to mean strong sentiment within the community."

No, it isn't reasonable to make that extrapolation. A group of people (with various concerns and motivations) putting pressure on a smaller group (Council) doesn't equate to widespread dissatisfaction. The vast majority of the "the community" is disengaged and/or apolitical - they remained oblivious to any issue.

Anonymous said...

My, the negative gremlins are busy. Always betray the single origin by quoting the current target. Quote, leave a space, then insert nit-pick. For goodness sake, add some variety.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the info on the " streaming ". I am hoping we don't have to register & can just access it with a computer. It would certainly help with communications.

Anonymous said...

"...then insert nit-pick."

A guilt shared? Pot. Kettle. Black.

Just Sayin' said...

I don't see you countering those comments, 2:41 PM. Some might say you're only nit-picking yourself.

Anonymous said...

To Revisionist 12:38 PM
If we accepted your version of events, please explain why it was deemed necessary to import bodies to that Council Meeting in order to intimidate Council members? And, before you hit the trigger, I was there and met some of the ' inter-lopers '? They were generally very nice but hadn't a clue that they were being used. Some had never visited the Center. So the group ' putting pressure on a smaller group ' were not even residents. You have to all ass-backwards as usual.

Anonymous said...

Revisionist? The irony of being called that on this of all blogs is as hilarious as Mr Watts today criticizing another blogger about a typo.