A False premise

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Dialogue is good":


One has to go back in time a goodly number of years to find a cast that would have been capable of the performance of our Council last night: namely Abbott and Costello, the Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers.

The RCMP is currently involved in a fraud investigation against four Senators and the former Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister.

I would suggest that a similar investigation should be commenced against the majority of Council members and the Mayor.

Elected officials swear an Oath of Office that binds them to certain standards of behaviour when it comes to dispensing the public's money, taxpayers' money. This behaviour requires that they are always transparent in their dealings and decisions, that these be made responsibly and that they be held fully accountable for their actions, whatever these might be.

With respect to the allocation of funds to the Aurora Historical Society that was voted last night, an entity that de facto no longer exists, Council has committed a fraud if not a downright theft.

All members of Council should by now be more than a little bit familiar with the background of this entity, and its gradual disappearance from our town's life.

But no, our irresponsible Council, possibly criminally irresponsible, has voted to continue the funding of a defunct entity to the tune of $70,000 for 2014, the same as last year.

I doubt the RCMP would respond to a request to investigate this matter. But the thought that this might occur is sufficient.

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That I publish the above does not mean I agree with it. 

Definition of fraud means intent to take from another that which does not belong to the perpetrator,

Council members are not consciously perpetrating a fraud. 

They are choosing the path most travelled. 

Each and every one acknowledged the conversation with the Historical Society needs to take place,

"But not now"

The conversation has needed to take place for ten years. Since the museum  was closed for renovations and the Town hired a heritage planner. 

Councillor Gaertner and myself are the only Councillors aware of what happened since then.

I am the only Councillor  on board since the Historical Society was created  and a museum became a reality. 

We are not looking at corruption.

We are looking at a lack of intestinal fortitude;  a common weakness among politicians.

There's the tendency to make a mental calculation of how many votes  might  be lost
as opposed to gains.

A Chief Financial Advisor has a role to advise. We don't see too much of that.  The reason I leave to your imagination. There is no clear line dawn between professional  advice and political expediency.

That didn't start in this term

This Council  has no experience with a clean clear separation of administration from political.

The malaise is not confined  to the municipal level.

$1.2 billion was swished  down the sewers  at the provincial level on the eve of the last election to save a couple of government seats.

Now we have the provincial treasurer trying  to convince  the Federal treasurer to provide more
funds to the province.

How does the argument wash in the face of $1.2 billion spent with nothing whatsoever to show?

There is no corruption in Aurora.

There's just a lack of respect for the ability of  taxpayers to be able to  properly read the game being played.

We've seen it all before.

We  recognize it all too well.

The Hall of  Fame ,the need for culture at taxpayers expense, the continuation of a grant that long since lost its justification.

They  don't even know the difference between grant and budget for a town service.

Councillor Abel is convinced the Society owned Hillary House, along with the Culture Centre Board is the taxpayers responsibility and the same as Public Library Service.

Last week, Councillor Gallo asked when was  Church Street School  acquired and how was it paid for.

The facts are available.

But  they are not required.

Facts have a way of interfering with the easier. far more pleasant task of doling out taxpayers hard-earned dollars and making friends and influencing enemies.