"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

Wednesday 4 June 2014

It's a Long Road That Doesn't Have a Turn

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Gauntlet is Down.":

Wouldn't it be ironic if Tim the Enchanter is one of the Morrisites ......

Posted by Anonymous to Our Town and Its Business at 4 June 2014 13:36*


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Not only ironic. Highly unlikely any Morrisite would consistently  echo  the 
 facts I offer for consideration. 

I am a politician first and at the same time a blog writer .

Few  nuances  pass  unnoticed. 

If the blog is being used , it serves my purpose.  

I would take issue with Tim on  fastening responsibility entirely on Council.

When Mr. Albino had his blinding  flash of enlightenment about turning  three lots on Yonge Street
into a fantasy theme park, he didn't come to Council first.

He solicited support from people  of standing in the community. He persuaded the Mayor as to the brilliance of his scheme. The President of the Historical Society leaped on to the  band wagon..Brock Weir, editor of the  newspaper everyone reads gave his support.

A petition at the Home Show was signed  by numerous residents. They knew less about it than Councillors but they signed it.

With so many people on side how could  the scheme  possibly not be valid?

Yet it  wasn't.

Who shouted "bloody murder"

Who  used  every extravagant hyperbolic phrase available to draw public attention to the  proposal.

It was a Councillor. It was this Councillor. This part of the whole Council.

If part of the whole blows the whistle is it not the whole that pulls on the brakes.

It took $25,000. for a consultant. Hundreds of  high- priced man-hours went in to the exploration.

A sunshine list employee earns in excess of $100,000 a year.  More than $8000 a month.  $2,000 a week.

 Subtract vacation time, sick time, statutory holidays, golf tournaments and times spent  on sundry
collateral activities and the hourly cost of work accomplished is steep.

Statutory holidays mean thirteen four day weeks in the public service.

More than one staff person was involved.

Whatever  it took, that's what it took . The holus-bolus sweep  towards spending $11 million  on three pieces of real estate was reversed.

When the community learned what was afoot, the community took the matter in hand and let Councillors know what they thought. Council paid attention. They could do no less.

The deal was stopped in its tracks.

From start to finish, everybody had a hand in it.

I tell people what's going on.

I don't tell them what to think about it.

I tell them what I think about it and they take it from there.

I'm a member of Council.

Council makes the decision . The whole Council.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...


Why does the former's name have to be mentioned either as an "is" or as an "ite?"

Frankly it makes me want to throw up. Can you not edit it out?

Anonymous said...

I noticed last night, as the curtain fell on the Hillary/McIntyre Project, that there was an attempt by MayorDawe to blame that failure on the lack of support from other governmental groups. In the same context he complained about the high cost of maintaining Hillary. Hillary is no longer an item from the past administration. If it is costing too much, it is because THIS council has allowed it to fester.

Anonymous said...

14:58
The " former " works well, the other variations seldom appear. No big deal.

Anonymous said...

14:58
Why does it matter at all? People change the political stance over time and support one person/party one year and another the next election.

It is just a continuation on this site however of how followers of Ms Buck refuse to forget.

Anonymous said...

But I think it is important to note that no one " stormed the Bastille " to stop that project. There was no invasion of the Council Room. No threats, no rhetoric other than on a couple of Blogs.
We can accomplish an occasional miracle without resorting to the terminology and mentality of war.
Thank you, Evelyn. And thank you, Mr Watts.

Anonymous said...

@16:11
- there you go with the pigeon-holing again

Anonymous said...

The Auroran has some material up including the end of the Heritage Park.

Anonymous said...

16:11
"Refuse to forget"?...Really?? Like there's a choice? How can we NOT forget that disastrous, shameful term? How Gallo and Gartner squeaked through into this term still blows me away. Gallo had a chance right at the beginning of the term to right the wrong...and refused! It's not that I refuse to forget where he stood on that vote...HE gave me know choice.

Anonymous said...

20:38
"How Gallo and Gartner squeaked through into this term still blows me away."

Really? You are upset with the electorial process because two people were elected that you do not like? I guess you have not voted in many elections, welcome to reality my friend.

I guess this term will go down in history as the most productive one ever too?