"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

Saturday 12 September 2015

ALL WILL BE WELL....WE CAN DREAM CAN'T WE

Chris Watts has a post on Aurora's communication system. Safe  to say, without contradiction, Chris is a communications guru. 

Cost and corresponding level of competence has been a bane of contention for some time. 

Me too . For a different reason. 

Chris is pleased Council has agreed with Councillor Humfryes , to direct  staff to make the town's budget more understandable to taxpayers. Councillors Thompson and Gaertner strongly support improving the system. 

The Interim CAO  agrees the town needs to do a better job. 

On the positive side, that's nice. A step in the right direction. Plaudits are  extended  in every direction. 
Take a bow people . For doing the right thing. 

Just a minute ; let me look at my watch.  12.38p.m. on  Saturday, September 12/2015.

It's a cloudy day. Leaves on the magnolia are changing colour. 

Remember where you were when you read a positive comment on this chronicle.

That's all you get.

I think of millions spent over a relatively short period, increasing every year, for information services
less than informative. 

Of a Mayor/ CEO , five years content with a program that didn't quite fill the bill. 

A CAO presiding over an administration that obtained Certificates of Excellence from an Institution that provided such certification for a price, but without an adequate  information service. 

Chief Financial Officer, whose job it is to provide clear and succinct rendering of details of the town's budget in a manner easily understood by those whose pockets are picked annually like peas from a pod. 

For me ....the question is not whether we got what we paid for all these years.It is now acknowledged by everyone, we did not. 

My question is why not? Who is the responsible party? What's being done about that?

Two years ago a consultant was retained at a cost of $65,000. to report on town service levels 

He reported higher than normal costs were accounted for by higher than normal levels of service. 
We now find that is not true. 

The consultant also advised, a reduction of costs could be achieved by reducing the number of Directors.

And so it came to pass. The Director of Legislative Services was disposed of within a year of retirement with a severance package. Which  would likely have paid for another year of service. Instead we hired another municipal clerk .

No savings there.

An incoming comment this morning poses the question; why do I keep telling stories from the past?
Why am I so negative? 
Why not more positive? 

Concerned about readers,I regularly ask myself that question. 
The answer is;  I do not make this stuff up. It's real. It's authentic. I write to inform not hurt. If it hurts people who hurt me,that's a bonus. 

I do not write fiction or gung-ho promotional material. 

My stories are  the way things were and still are; mostly negative, I agree.
it has been a terrible time.

On the positive side, I hope for happy ending .I am an eternal optimist. 
Bad guys will get their comeuppance and good guys will triumph. 

All together now: 

We will accent the positive 
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative 
And don't mess with Mr, In-Befween 

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Funny -this is the same interim CAO who was quoted that the town was in good shape.
Sounds like he has taken a better look. Certainly the move on reducing taxes " sounds " positive.

There. A positive comment.


Anonymous said...


Many companies have a bonus system that rewards employees who come up with ways to do things more efficiently or that will reduce direct costs.

These bonuses often take the form of a percentage of the calculated efficiency or cost reduction and are given in the form of cash or vouchers good for travel, restaurants, tickets for sporting events, etc.

Maybe our council and/or staff could come up with something similar.

NO CONSULTANTS PLEASE!

Anonymous said...

Whatever happened to that neat idea from a staff member for a way to maintain rinks in out
unpredictable winters ? That was maybe going to have a prototype made up ?

Anonymous said...

Wet Night in the Park
Not Positive

Anonymous said...

If he's a communications guru, then I must be your biggest fan.

Anonymous said...

Yep, not positive for those who paid for tickets in advance.

Anonymous said...

17;33 -all those who read Evelyns blog are fans.

Anonymous said...

I believe the Region may be the ones with the"ruducing" direction. About a year ago or so the Region asked the Towns to try and hold off on capital projects. The Region is $3 billion in debt and growing quickly. The Town can try and hold on to their 1.5% tax increase but the region increase will be a whopper.Let's not forget who represents us at the Region.

Anonymous said...

The entertainment still had to be paid. they did try to tough it out but the rain did not let up.

Anonymous said...

You're right. This direction has been handed down by someone other than the executive team. This should give all residents a heads up for things to come . The region is postponing their infastructure development to east gwillimbury.

Anonymous said...

Things must be ok - the geese have started to move

Anonymous said...

8:32
& at South Lake too, That is not going well as far as I know.

I Hate to Break It To You said...

No, 08:17, not ALL.

Anonymous said...

A couple of Canadian kids have won the U.S. Open Boys' Doubles Championship in New York.

What's That All About? said...

Yes, this seems to be the place to get all the tennis news.

Reality moment said...

Evelyn
I know he has his fans and he has his haters, however, Mr Watts is certainly not a Communications Guru. A Guru would offer advice to improve rather than continually put down and make attempts at humour. The problem with his critical slant is he is thinking in a world of unlimited funds and unlimited resources and quite frankly in a world where maybe those in charge are not that interested in meeting his ideal of communications greatness.

A lot of businesses today are trying to determine what their core business really is. You see this in companies that have acquired huge portfolios of different companies and realize that their core business is not being done properly. What is the Town's core business? Certainly not communications - yes it is important - but to important enough that the Communications Gurus of the world will be happy.

Anonymous said...

Re: Ribfest... I paid for 2 wristbands for both nights. $20 total.

Went both nights and enjoyed it. Dress properly and there are no problems. Lawnchair, umbrella, rainboots---perfect!

Not like last year when the storm was so bad on Friday that the headliner Glass Tiger was cancelled.

Anonymous said...

22:23
If it is positive, sure.

Cheap Chot said...

08:10
Glass Tiger was cancelled... I thought so... However, The Auroran said it was Platinum Blonde. I guess they are using "Error Banner" editors now.

Anonymous said...

09:49
Unless it is Aurora Community Tennis Club news, no.

Anonymous said...

12:08
Are you really suggesting an item about Canadians doing well in a tournament does not belong
in comments on Evelyn's blog because they were not playing local community tennis ?
How quaint of you.

Anonymous said...

11:57
Glass Tiger was last year

Anonymous said...

14:23
"Our Town and Its Business" can be very quaint.

Anonymous said...

17:23
Glass Tiger was supposed to be last year on the Friday but was cancelled because of the thunderstorm. Saturday last year was Platinum Blonde.

In last week's Auroran, it said that the Platinum Blonde concert was cancelled because of the thunderstorm. Erroneously