I pushed myself away from the computer and went to look after something else. But the thought about how crazy it is to be collecting taxes from people to buy "culture" for them and the stuff written to support the concept stayed with me.
My thoughts kept right on rolling. Everybody has their own culture.Even if they don't call it that.
Some people hang out at a favourite bar.
I thought of how I used to enjoy watching Cheers, a weekly series about a group who spent their lives in a bar in Boston.
I loved that show so much, I thought. if there was a bar like that in Aurora, I would hang out with a group like that.
Of course it was fantasy. I have a very hard time paying what it costs for drinks in a bar.
Comes from never having money to spare, I guess.
Then my thoughts flitted to Councillor Ballard's notice of motion about Councillors and staff not being allowed to buy booze on the town's tab.
I don't know who does that.
But supposing a motion came forward for the town to acquire a property to create a pub like Cheers , lease it to a self-appointed board for a dollar a year, provide all costs of maintenance and half a million dollars a year to buy the booze and the entertainment.
Well that would certainly make it easy for me.
What would poor Christopher say then, poor thing.
The Councillor fully favours buying culture with tax money.
Hanging out in a bar is culture for a lot of people.
Some like sports bars with televisions all around the room with a different game on each. You can't hear yourself talk. So people yell at each other all the time.
Others like music. One room could have a piano bar. So people could be elevated by the bootstraps by culture with a subsidized glass of white wine or Dom Perrier. in their hand at all times.
We could ventilate the room and smoke thin black cigarillos in long holders to keep smoke out of our eyes and things could be excruciatingly elegant with everyone calling Darling and Precious.and captivating each other with erudition.
We could be the Culture Centre of York Region. and attract all kinds of related business enterprise.
All we need to do is hand over millions of dollars of tax money to provide the popular amenity.
If we build it, people will flock to our doors.
We already know how to practice the scam.
Who among us would argue against us ?
ReplyDeleteYou are on a roll ! Great material. The Agenda is grudgingly being delivered. Take care. It looks long with weird stuff like asking staff to waste time predicting what the town population will be in 2031. I did not make that up. The world has gone mad. Berlesconi is running again !
Please do not refer to Councillor Ballard as ' Christopher '', There is only room for one of those in Aurora & he ain't it.
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ReplyDeleteWhat a magnificent idea. I especially love the thin black cigarillos in long holders.
Accompanying this "culture/booze centre" should be a casino, maybe just Blackjack and slots. Roulette takes up too much space.
You wouldn't need a penny of taxpayer money to finance this. A corporation could be incorporated with two classes of shares, one for residents, the other for aliens; additionally a bond flotation to cover whatever the stock sale does not.
An offering prospectus, replete with photos of dancing girls and guys, an array of bottles reflected in a gigantic mirror behind an impossible bar, a trio muttering jazz in a far, smoky corner. Ah! Bliss.
And Aurora would be tax free for infinity. No more small-minded bookkeepers hiding behind closed doors. We would be the beneficiary of a public corporation with professional management, for a change.
And so, dear Evelyn, a toast to you and may many more ideas leap forth from your nimble mind.
We are getting so sanctimonious. The Mayor wants to get rid of teens smoking illicit tobacco. They don't although in grade 9 the grade 10's try to get them to chew tobacco. And Councillor Ballard is after drinking too much and charging it to the town. Which staff do not do since the new council came in. Let's call it a draw and leave both stupidities behind us where they belong.
ReplyDeleteTwo words I am so sick of hearing from politicians and politically minded people: culture and passion. If I could delete these from our current Engish vocabulary, I would rid them in an instant!
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