"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

Friday 29 April 2016

SANTA CLAUS IS ALWAYS COMING TO TOWN

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "ONCE MORE WITH FEELING": 

I could be wrong but I suppose that these directors have also the job of being part politicians as well. When a new CAO is in Town I would imagine that there are going to be some directors on their way out.  

Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 29 April 2016 at 08:30

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There are nine politicians at the Aurora council table, each trying to make his/her presence felt.

They're not hard to read. 

Some think before they speak. Some are entirely predictable. Some read lines together like a script 
prepared beforehand .Others wait to hear what's said and keep tabs on agreeability. Repetition is oft repeated. Logic is rare and vastly under-appreciated.  Lap-tops became a feature last term and reduced the level of debate a notch or two below zero.

Chairmanship is key to success.All can be made right by an experienced chair. Failing that, hours of fulminating pass without actual achievement. 

There are as many Directors at the Council table as Councillors.

A revolving door at the town hall is not a positive sign.

 Under certain circumstances it may be unavoidable. 

In no circumstances can it be seen as indication of a town previously well-managed. 

Try making a list of accomplishments in Aurora in the past ten years.

Name them.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Uh, I think the Pet Burial Site is on track and should not be costly. But that does not appear to be the work of any councillor. It is hard to get a photo-op out of that. Credit Mr Heard and residents one that one.

Anonymous said...



What is an accomplishment?

Anonymous said...

Oh my....still trying to think of one.

Christopher Watts said...

Here's a few.

In pursuit of an exceptional quality of life for all The Town of Aurora can boast the following accomplishments over the past 10 years:

- Found a sustainable use for the Petch House.

- Held enough business and recreational events to sustain a hotel.

- Put shovels in the ground at library square.

- Revitalized the downtown core.

- Invested over $600,000 total in yearly grants to the Aurora Historical Society for them to properly care for a collection, maintain a National Historic Site and create a Heritage Centre.

- Maintained and improved well capacity of the town's aquifers, reducing the need to blend water from Lake Ontario.

- Translated the successful reduction of energy on Earth Hour to a noticeable townwide reduction in every other hour.

- Meeting the needs of MAGNA, retaining their corporate headquarters in Aurora.

- Applied pressure where required to reduce daily parking rates at Southlake Hospital to less than $10/day.

- Achieved the gold standard of democracy through the implementation of a code of ethics and enforcement by way of issuing a necessary SLAPP lawsuit on citizens.

- Championed for a radio station, the exact mode of media that everyone has been scrambling to build here in town over the past 40 years yet were stymied by overwhelming competition.

- Invested $20,000+ in a pretty study on the private interest led Hilarity-Macintired project.

- Maintained a thriving Chamber of Commerce that has adapted to the needs of business while never entering a deficit situation.

- Elimintaed train whistles at all crossings in Aurora.

- Stopped a cell phone tower from being erected in a completely different municipality.

- Set an example by purchasing a SmartCar for staff to use to perform duties with no risk to their safety. Added bonus the car was such a hit sales spiked at a local dealership.

- Adopted a tree protection policy that has prevented massive clear-cutting of trees by developers.

- Brought in the Joint Ops centre on budget and with a gold LEED standard.

- Operated an Architectural Salvage program, retaining and caring for items from the numerous heritage homes that have been demolished thus saving elements for adaptive reuse

- Brought in the Family Leisure Complex renovations without issue or cost.

- Implemented a South East Heritage Conservation district through ample consultation and communication with impacted residents.

- Effectively traffic calmed a section of town through use of chicanes and one-way street restrictions at negligible cost resulting in no accidents.

- Implemented an up to date Communications plan, social media strategy and Crisis Communications Plan.

- Fixed the broken LED sign at Aurora Heights & Yonge.

- Hosted Prince Andrew’s dedication of Aurora’s Queen Diamond Jubilee Park in Aurora.

- Through working together with the local MPP implemented an effective graffiti program that meets its objectives.

- Conducted a thorough site evaluation before purchasing the Aurora Armoury

- Rolled out a fully mobile website on time, migrating all content.

- Rolled out streaming of committee meetings.

- Put Aurora on the Cultural map through leveraging a Heritage Centre into a Cultural Centre thereby allowing the booking of acts of superstars like Dan Hill to draw in sold out crowds and boost tourism.

- Maintained the town's corporate identity and logo by keeping the retired flag securely shelved and not flown around town.

- Accounted for all water in the town with no reported losses.

- Implemented a "Cultural Roundtable" that is inclusive of all cultural groups in town including the Aurora Museum & Archives.

- Implemented a Glad Clear garbage bag policy for waste diversion, instantly solving the town's rampant abuse of the waste collection program that was in place.

Anonymous said...

The Old Library still stands and there does not seem to be any enforcement of the 3 bag garbage limit. That would be 2 negative accomplishments , I guess.

Anonymous said...

BROKEN VOWS: Tony Blair The Tragedy of Power

As complete a condemnation as you are likely to find between two covers.

What is astonishing is the gross ineptitude displayed not only by Blair, but also by every single minister of his cabinet, both senior and junior. Pretty well all the characters we meet in this comic-tragedy, civil servants, the military, advisors at every level, are incompetent, some with no experience whatsoever.

Makes Aurora look good by comparison.

Anonymous said...

14:12 Christopher Watts

These are truly brilliant, even extraordinary, better yet outstanding, and in conclusion remarkable.

What have these achievements cost taxpayers, what benefits have been provided?

And our councils still roll merrily along costing and accomplishing nothing.

Anonymous said...

Not really.

Anonymous said...

The quality of life for the entitled has improved.