"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

Thursday 26 June 2014

Double Dealing is Risky Business

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Vice and Virtue..... Vice Vercae":

He is right!!! And you of all people should be supporting his thoughts. The fact that this project continues to be delayed "thanks to GALLO" and the other Morrisite stragglers is an absolute disgrace, and councillor Able is trying to make a point about how disgraceful it is.

Posted by Anonymous to Our Town and Its Business at 26 June 2014 09:31

*********************t

The thing about having nine members  on Council is opportunity for differences to be 
considered. By the time  each member has  had an opportunity to put forward an aspect and voted the decision may not be unanimous, at least everyone has been heard. 

It doesn't work when a  clique have already discussed  and  decided prior to the Council meeting. 

It  doesn't  work if after  the decision , the clique  hatch a plan to  change it by underhanded means,

 Like  using an advisory committee meeting  yo provide a second kick at the can.

Once decided  the Rules do not permit the question to be raised again within six months. 

The Code of Conduct  clearly states  all members shall  have goodwill toward one another and treat differences with respect. 

Rules of Order require Councillors not criticize  or "impugn"  each other's motives. 

Self-preservation would suggest the same thing.

Procedure is  Council's first  order of business after the solemn Oath of Office. I've never seen any  member unmoved by the moment. 

The  Rules are  immediate commitment of goodwill towards and respect for each other's differences  and  to work together in community interest. 

It is what people expect.

It  sounds easier than it is. Discipline is required and  is usually acquired by practice. 

It's easy to slip. 

Therein lies the essence of the  presiding role ....to remind  Councillors of obligation and commitment and  precedence of  municipal interest. 

If   the Chair chooses to use  authority to permit the jabbing  and accusing and  seldom misses  an opportunity to have a little of that for himself, there's little hope.  

There is no air freshener manufactured that masks the odour.

Without trust there is mistrust.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is sad to see the dropping of the gloves. I had hoped for better from this council - all of them. My sense is that the first few months of the term set the bar very low with sudden vote switching and secretive meetings that confused the electorate.
But then I can only speak for myself.

Anonymous said...

Uh, I think the person who wrote that angry comment is incorrect. It was Councillor Thompson who introduced the motion to refer the matter. No ?

Anonymous said...


Sorry for having to use you to point out a large error in this week's Auroran.

On page 9 an article regarding a potential loan to finance the Joint Operations Centre states that the annual cost for interest at 3.27% on a $25,000,000 loan would be $6.3million.

There is an obvious miscalculation here and the paper should print a correction.

Anonymous said...

Totally Off-topic
CBC News: Wimbledon: Milos Raonic, Eugenie Bouchard roll into 3rd round.

Anonymous said...

This town needs some work on empathy.We exclude Habitat for Humanity.We ignore the Food Pantry and now we cant include people in parks and farmers markets.This is not Oz; this is sad.

Anonymous said...

Going to into debt for this joint operations centre is shameful. But hey...let's continue letting this council spend our money whichever way they choose.

Tyler Barker said...

It is my own opinion as someone with a physical disability cerebral palsy from birth unfortunately there is a lot of attitudinal barriers the perception that some have about people with disabilities is ignorance.

I went to the meeting in January for the park if you heard some of the comments you would be astonished one person even asked me with my parents take me to an accessible park if it was accessible when I was five years old yes they would have.
Also the perception that people with disabilities make more noise then able-bodied kids is inaccurate kids make noise deal with it

Anonymous said...

Hey Tyler…I will take any kids noise over this councils noise all day long, and you’re very kind with your description of people with attitudinal barriers and their ignorance. I would have described them a little differently.