The Light Dawned

Another  motion  I presented last night raised the ire of the righteous ones.

I moved space  provided to Sport Aurora  be terminated.

It's the use of a desk along with the town hall address and telephone number

It was like the night I  asked for a report on information about a bar at the firehall.

One after the other ,Councillor's rose to  address the chair and excoriate  me for my  dastardly deed . We didn't have microphones.

I learned that night ,beer was  being dispensed from a coke machine . I did not know that.

Nor  was I aware the firehall was a popular watering hole for those in the know, including the postman.

There had been a food drive at the firehall on Saturday. I received a phone call that two merry men in full uniform,drunk as skunks  and perfectly congenial were receiving donations.

My caller did not identify himself.  He was probably a public works  employee. There was  some discontent  there. They had asked permission to have  beer in their frig to have with their lunch on hot summer days.  Angus Macgregor, public works supervisor , no doubt with his own sense of mischief , forwarded the request to Council.

It was refused.

I asked for a report from the Fire Chief  about beer in the firehall.

The night it came forward volunteers' wives were in the audience.

Every  Council speaker defending the volunteers' contribution to the community was vigorously applauded.

Jeers and catcalls were my lot .

A coke machine appeared later on the verandah of a house on Metcalfe Street.

The same struggle was  reported in other places in Canada as Volunteer Brigades were replaced by full-time fire departments

Councillor Abel was applauded last night by a single spectator.

Sport Aurora has been given space and the town hall address to process grant applications from other levels of government.

The funds ,it's  said , are used for the benefit of community sports organizations ten thousand participants strong.

I listened to my colleagues.  I drove home in a mood of contemplation.

I was distracted for a bit with news of  Senator Mike Duffy.

 Then  my thoughts returned to the issue at hand.

Sport Aurora , I realised ,  by definition is a lobbyist  for sports organization in Aurora.

As if they need it.

In Toronto lobbyists have to register.

In the States , lobbyists  control the  government.

In Aurora,  a lobbyist gets a desk, a telephone and a Town Hall address.

Courtesy of your elected body.

How cosy is that?

Or chilling  depending on one's perspective ?