"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 16 December 2012

Political Chicanery

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Library Is Different":

In the Globe Tabatha Southey compares buying fighter jets to buying shoes. There is no reason not to compare that stupid waste to the Centre's on-going fiasco. Size doesn't matter : Stupidity does. ***********  
When comparing public facilities.  management  process, cost of same and  size  does matter.  It is a comparative factor.
Church Street School, a publicly-owned building,  has square footage of  programmable space, less than .half the size of an  average elementary school  of eight classrooms, a gym and a library. The old school  has a  third less space than the Seniors centre,   About ten per cent of  library space.  
Yet it has a  board of management, independent and autonomous  to govern how it will be used. 
The board pays no rent to recover public funds invested. No costs  of maintenance are charged.
The board  decides who will pay for use of space
Who will not.
It keeps all  revenues 
Nothing about the relationship with the town compares with any  other town  group or organisation  having  access to  public space. .
Culture as a specific, has never been identified  as a need or a desire in any master  plan. ever drafted.
Aurora's  cultural groups have  always preferred to do their own thing.  
Into the  board's bargain, hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax resources are funneled into their coffers to spend as  they  will.
The Board meets in private. How members are selected  is not
generally.known. It may be like the Aurora  Historical Society who interview candidates to determine suitability.  
They wheels and deal in secret. 
They launched a full scale  hostile and aggressive campaign, using public resources , to challenge authority of  elected representatives of the community.
Which community owns the frigging building.
We have elected members prepared to overlook  the utter disrespect shown to the community they are sworn to serve. 
Stupid is not a word I would use to describe the situation. 
Scandalous comes to mind. Appalling  ignorance of how our communiy functions. Outrageous. Political Chicanery at its worst.
Lacking  integrity.... transparency....public accountability. 
Heads should roll. 
Heads did roll. 
Yet the outrage  is recommended to continue .
On January 15th 2013, we will understand ,who understands that the  Oath of Office is a promise to serve the community with honesty, fairness and equity.
The scandal  must end forthwith.
Let that be the community's New Year Resolution. 

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Heads should roll.
Heads did roll."

The cultural services agreement v2.0 has NOTHING to do with MorMac.

Anonymous said...


Can we possibly get Central York Fire Services to cordon off the building while a detailed analysis is made of its ability to withstand all the heat that seems to keep increasing in connection with it? Is this from within?

Failing that we might suggest to the York Board of Education that if there are surplus teachers manning the picket lines from time to time some of them could come and picket the building on behalf of Aurora taxpayers.

There are all sorts of other publicity-generating events that could be organized, including a huge shoe sale.

Anonymous said...

This Council has no problem dispensing money. It fairly oozes through the doors of Town Hall, They do have difficulty with generating income. The Centre could be a source of revenue and is the complete opposite. Not a great deal of money would be required. Just a fair share. And the land around the Old Library sits undeveloped while talk goes on about purchasing real estate on Yonge Street. Money has to flow in as well as out.

Anonymous said...

4:52 PM
Sure, sugar. And pigs fly too.

Anonymous said...

I am afraid to say that Anonymous 4:52pm is right. The new services agreement has nothing to do with MorMac.

The current council has it in their hands to turn it around and/or do something different. But all that seems to be happening is tweeking a bad setup.

Where's the business plan of how they are going ahead? Why hasn't anyone reviewed what has alreay been delivered and reviewed the financials. What has been delivered for what the Town has provided? Why is there no review? If Councillor Ballard is so keen on business plans for Town programs why isn't he up in arms about the Cultural Centre.
Anything going forward is now on the shoulders of the current council not the past.

Anonymous said...

The Provenance of the Centre's Agreement is not the subject of debate. The Fiscal Responsibility of the Agreement is what is under discussion. Mormac was only mentioned by a complainant to divert attention . None of us posted that comment.

Anonymous said...

Read the quote, 7:05 PM. To whose heads do you think Cllr Buck was alluding? She posted the reference.

Anonymous said...

8:53 PM
You are deliberately mixing past & present. The reference was to the past while the problem is current. But you do know that. don't you?

Anonymous said...

11:00 AM
What are you talking about? Topics are all over the gamut and disagreements are actually encouraged because the rhetoric can be fun. Your tunnel-vision does not allow you to see past your precious Centre. There are other items on the week's agenda. Try addressing one of those for a change.