"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 25 February 2017

ORANGES AND LEMONS WENT THE BeLLS OF ST CLEMENTS

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "VAMOOSE": 

Healthcare isn't within the purview of municipal government, 18:20. You're not just dealing in apples and oranges, you've confusedly mixed up all levels of government into some kind of fruit salad.

(BTW, your dollar total re: the purchase of contract is too big.

Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 24 February 2017 at 20:21

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"Health care is not within the purview of municipal government" 

That is a correct statement. It is not wrong. 

And ....it begs the question of why we  have a Public Health Board with  a medical Doctor in charge 
and public health nurses on the municipal  payroll more than fifty years after the advent of 
Government  Health Plan . 

And....while true different levels of government impose, collect and spend  tax dollars ,there is but one level of  taxpayer to foot all  the bills. 

The  Ontario government has decided to pay for sex change surgery .

Without going into  intricate details, such cannot be cheap. Equally obviously ,the surgery is not 
a question of life and death or even good health, so-to-speak.  

If there a valid comparison between sex-change and saving the life of a sick child, I don't see it. 

That's  a contrast between apples and oranges? 

The comment above states the figure given for purchase of  culture ,$500,000,is  too high. 

A day or two ago,a calendar of events was  posted to prove a point; quartets,piano concerts,
youth  art exhibits and such. 

No financial details accompanied the documentation. 

A charity group has used the facility for an annual craft show. 

They can only have it on a Sunday. 

If another group with greater priority comes along after it's booked  ,the charity group gets dumped.

Rent for the space for the day is $800.00. 

The Culture Board pays no rent. Makntenance and utilities are provided at no cost. 

At the beginning of the contract , $350,000 cash was transferred from the town treasury. 

Maintenance costs  were calculated  at $147.000 a year.

Renovation of the facility cost $3million. It was turned over rent free.

Each year since, increase in funding has been provided on request. 

Maintenance, utilities and rent are still nil, although cost has undoubtedly increased. 

What started as half a million dollars from the town must perforce be substantially higher. 

Revenue from events certainly must keep the coffers overflowing. 

We can call it shoveling money into re-election for current council members. Or we can call it support for the arts. 

Whatever we call it, Aurora taxpayers are getting the shaft. 

More so now  than in the beginning . 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...



I have read all 41 pages of the Cultural Precinct study that was presented to Council late in 2015.

This is worse than the Joint Ops. This is worse than anything imaginable.

And yet these morons on Council continue to plod ahead with Protenn Consulting to the next phase.

There should be NO phases.

This is beyond the moron stage. Is an imbecile worse than a moron? Does brainless come close?

Anonymous said...

While healthcare is not a purview of municipal government, I understand what the commenter was talking about when when using the "quality of life" reason for spending taxpayers money. If Aurora can spend over 1/2 a million to a program that is duplicated all over this town and nearby municipalities, how much is the province mispending that can go into healthcare for those who truly have quality of life issues. Evelyn again is correct, there is only one level of taxpayer to foot all the bills. This cultural program is a shameful waste of money.

Anonymous said...

It's amazing how the Town hires a planning and urban design firm from Toronto. We don't have any such people right here in this Town, surrounding area or the Region? So much for supporting businesses within our own Town or area. Such BS hypocrites. I understand how there are probably not very many staff members who are not from this Town and don't give a damn about supporting this Town, but I would think that the council members who are, could at least
look at businesses in your own backyard. Not only does this Town seem to enjoy overspending on projects, but also likes spending taxpayers money elsewhere.