Raw Meat on a bone or a monkey on a stick

Enough already with the rules , he said.  "Give us raw meat on the bone"

I smiled . Raw meat on the bone, indeed.

 D'you  forget where you live ?

Imagine the cast ... who are the leads?

What is the theme ?

Romance...Comedy... Murder....Mystery .....Musical....Evil Intrigue  ....House of Horrors ?????

Shakespeare?

Methinks,,,none of the above.

On Tuesday, we  watched the  final fizzle of a real estate scam to separate the Town from  $11 million dollars, the price of three run-down properties touted  by staff and consultants and Councillors as "jewels" and   the investment opportunity of a lifetime.

The properties  were at  immediate risk of being scooped up by developers  eager to get  greedy hands on   the investment opportunity of a lifetime.

Months  of  staff time , $25,000  for a consultant study , and something called the Probus Presentation have already been expended to sell the idea to the community.

Before that , the Mayor's  endorsement was used to give the project credibility and entice others to do the same.

Councillors Abel and Humphreys allowed the Heritage Advisory Committee  to be used to expedite the process.

President of the Historical Society  allowed the status of that  failing organization  to be used as a front.

William Albino presented repeatedly  on behalf of  proponents who were never identified.

The  clear objective was to use  the Hydro  reserve funds , just waiting for a use, to "save" the vintage properties from  being pillaged by the private sector.

At this point, reason for backing away from the investment opportunity of a lifetime, is the inappropriate use of public funds.  And the  need for private partners to put up the money.

The motion  on Tuesday  was to defer the decision for ninety days while staff seeks private
partners to finance the project.

The Mayor said, the consultants said,  public funds should not be used. There is risk.

The private sector should fund the enterprise.

Since when does the private sector take advice on investment from the public sector.

Who ever heard of such a thing?

I did not interpret  the consultant's report  same  as the Mayor.

I did not hear it during the presentation to Council ,the previous Tuesday.

I did not  interpret the  report from  special project manager in the CAO's department,  as advice not to make the investment.

I heard the opposite from all of the parties.

The Chief Financial Officer, whose job it is to advise on the merits of  investment was neither asked nor offered financial advice.

The project it seemed  was A-Go.

Suddenly the brakes were applied.

The decision was deferred for ninety days. At the end of  which we are close to sumer recess.

 At the end of  summer recess, we are into the next election.

A Lame Duck Council.

Effectively, the project is a dead duck.

If we have staff with sufficient time on their hands to seek out partners and private investment to invest in private property, as directed by Council,  it appears .....we  may have too many staff.

That meat is as raw as you're going to get, my friend.

But $11 million  isn't chicken feed either.

Such a good thing it's no longer on the table.

Too bad  another $50,000 or thereabouts was spent to accomplish nothing at all.

Can't think of a private business that could  survive by throwing money at projects and hoping some thing might stick.