Think Like A Freak...It's a good thing

Charlie Rose is on from 5-6 on weeknights.All of his guests are interesting but some more than others
depending on one's interest.

Last Tuesday was very satisfying.  A full half hour  of discussion for each book; The Fourth Revolution and Think LIke A Freak.

My mind was still engaged when I  sat down at the Council table

Cronyism and entitlement. Think like a freak. How totally relevant to the times we live in.

There really is nothing new under the sun.

On the agenda ,a budget increase was recommended for sand and salt. Sand is considerably cheaper than salt. The winter was severe.  Stocks were used up Prices rise when demand increases.

I asked a question about re-using sand. as was the practice back in the day.

Sand collected from the pavement after winter use is contaminated.  So it  can't be used again for road maintenance. The answer was unacceptable. But if no-one else picks up on the question, I am left to spin my wheels.

The Mayor from his lofty perch will call a point of  order  and  ask  "What is the relevance?"

A point of order requires a statement , not a question, and a ruling by the chair.

I will react to the combination of  the Mayor's thin-lipped,pointy-nosed superiority and  ham-fisted  mis-statement of the rule.  At that point. I am  much more likely to break every rule in the book. The discussion will go off the rails. Maygem will ensue.

The town will continue to pay a contractor to sweep the streets, colect  the sand and truck it off elsewhere. We will probably continue to provide space in  the town's yard for the contractor to park his equipment at no cost to himself. While we contemplate with equanimity a figure of $26,9 million
for a  garage and yard.

Later in the meeting, the clear plastic bag program was recommended deferred. We spent 40 minutes discussing before  approving deferral.

In the course of discussion,Councillor Thompson revealed ,he and the Mayor had made an expedition to Markham where the program is in place, to discover how it is operating.

Councillor Abel indicated he had gone too.

I wondered  ...did they ride around on the garbage truck?

Maybe hanging on at the back?

Were they examining contents of the bags perhaps ?

Then I thought...wait a minute...why is it always these three?

The Mayor and Thompson  are monitoring financing of the Joint Facility project.

The  Mayor and Abel are  Council's representation on the secretive Vulture Centre Board.

What else are they up to , the rest of us don't know about?

They certyainly lined up the votes to approve spending $29.6 million on the joint facility?

We should re-think that name,I think.

Sounds a lot like cronyism to me. But then....I think .... I must  be thinking like a freak....because I seem to be the only one.