"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

Friday 14 December 2012

Comparators Abound

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Circuitous Logic": 
Every service the municipal government, provincial government and the federal government provide is on the backs of the tax payer -- in Aurora, everything from hockey skating, parks recreation, roads , water -- yes everything. Why do you continue ad nauseum to point out that Cultural Srvices are being provided "on the backs of the taxpayer"? The people of Aurora deserve a local cultural program. I don't go to the National Gallery in Ottawa but my tax dollar supports it -- it enriches our country I am happy it's there!
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A post suggests  culture centre costs should not be compared with library costs.

believe  they should. Since this is my blog, they  will. 
As  noted , 8.000 square feet of space  is available for programs  in the old school
The library has 44,000 square feet. On the library's web site  the following information from the budget year of 201 is available.
30,642 members.
480,809 Items borrowed
8,876     Program  attendance 
40,260    Holds on materials
183,473  Website visits
344,677   Electronic service use
42 public internet access computers with 33,047 uses.
It's  one of dozens of pages of information.
Libraries are governed by an Act. Board members were  originally appointed by local boards of education. 
Only the Mayor represented Council. 
Funds were requisitioned in the same mode as school boards .   Libraries were extended education before  higher education became generally accessible.
The seniors centre and library are not the only comparators. 
We have a band stand. User fee is $375.00 a pop.It's a cultural function. 
We have arenas, swimming pools, soccer fields, baseball diamonds. a figure skating arena,and spaces available for a variety of other activities. 
All of the above have  associations to manage their  business . All pay  for use of town  facilities.
The  last Council  created a Board for Culture in  Church Street School.  
$3million were expended on  the  facility for a different prime  purpose. A  museum use was established over thirty years with assured community support. The museum never materialised.  
The Culture Centre  Board pays rent of  a dollar  a year .
Maintenance and utility costs are provided  at public expense.
 $35o,000 cash  is funneled in  annually to purchase services at taxpayers expense. 
Every soccer , baseball , hockey  and figure skating family  that pays teir own way, should be up in arms over  gross and blatant dishonesty and inequity of this arrangement. 
In all of Aurora's history no  such logic has ever justified  the insane scheme that  currently hands over munificent resources to an interest  group within the community.
We have a tennis club enjoying  exclusive use of public property and paying  no rent. 
A lawn bowling club with the same privilege.
A mens soccer club occupies prime industrial land worth millions,  rent free.
All are in line for review. 
They do not have legal  possession of a public building, rent-free,  renovated from funds from the sale of a precious asset  for another purpose , maintenance and utility costs provided to the tune of $140,000.and stolen from its original purpose.
They do not have cash  funneled into their coffers  to the tune of  $350,000 a year. 
Yet they too provide a service.
They have  not  governing bodies. showing  absolute  disrespect for the community  by mounting an  adversarial  campaign against the town's authority,  employing staff and  forces from far and wide to support their cause  and  insist on their right  to continued  rent-free occupation  of a public facility, with  full  maintenance and   $350,000 of public funds plus  all revenue derived from the facility. 
All lavished upon them  by a previous administration  that went down to ignominious defeat when the community decided upon their stewardship.
The community's  intent  was clear. 
There would  be  no more of that. 
A Mayor and Council  were elected to ensure  no  repeat of the gravy train.
It is my job to remind Council of the community's intent.
No relevant item of information will be left off the table.
They too will  be held accountable.                 
 
  .   

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

You know, even if I agreed with you, I'm sure I would still find this constant repetition to be terribly tiresome.

Anonymous said...

Your complainants are going to be extremely unhappy. They cannot handle it when you present them with facts and examples. Which is where the bullying comes into play, using emotions instead of dealing with the basics. It happened last time around & I expect they will resort to the same ham-fisted tactics again.

Anonymous said...

Apples abound with oranges...and pomegranates...and Kumquats...and...

Anonymous said...

Yup, 12:32 PM -
You don't agree but are quite incapable of presenting any argument in defending your sense of entitlement. Now, that I find terribly tiresome.

Anonymous said...

1:53 PM, you can't prove a negative.

No sense of entitlement = nothing to defend

Anonymous said...

"The people of Aurora deserve a local cultural program"

Wow ,
Deserve ? , right up there with Demand, Entitled to , I want , You owe me, and Typical

Anonymous said...

8:18 PM
How very typical and childish of you ! When you are unable to debate factual material, you resort to nit-picking semantics. So condescending from your perch of privilege.