You May Have Heard About This

Susan Morton Leonard approached Council some weeks back and stated a charitable foundation had been created this year and requested the town buy a $5Ks Platinum Sponsorship for the Jazz Festival.

Staff recommended something different. But Morton Leonard came back again and demanded the full $5Ks. Council voted to accede.

A press release was forwarded to me last week  announcing a Trillium grant of $25Ks.

Not a mention of a  charitable foundation anywhere in  the press release. No sign of the Morton Leonard  name either. Note the  e-mail contact

.“The AFA is thrilled to receive this funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation,” said Sher St. Kitts, Chair of the Aurora Festival of the Arts. 

 This grassroots festival also supports charities: Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness: www.abusehurts.com and Safehaven: www.safehaven.to Volunteers & Sponsors are invited to contact sher@stkittsmusic.ca

 

From Kathy B

May your heart always be filled with Love and May the Light of your Spirit guide you...
Love & Light

They Didn’t Do “Green” Back Then [Can you relate to this?] In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. The woman apologized to her and explained,        “We didn’t have the green thing back in my day.”          That’s right, they didn’t have the green thing in her day. Back then, they returned their milk bottles, Coke bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, using the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But they didn’t have the green thing back her day. In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks. But she’s right. They didn’t have the green thing in her day. Back then, they washed the baby’s diapers because they didn’t have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that old lady is right, they didn’t have the green thing back in her day. Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And that TV had a small screen the size of a pizza dish, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn’t have electric machines to do everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used wadded up newspaper to cushion it, not styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, they didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she’s right, they didn’t have the green thing back then. They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty, instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled pens with ink, instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But they didn’t have the green thing back then. Back then, people took the streetcar and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus, instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint. But they didn't have the green thing back then!

Here's Something

An e-mail to the Mayor and Councillors  about  the town paying  legal costs for litigation against three citizens has prompted this one.

I am reminded  legal  bills started  within the month after the 2007 election. The first target was the previous Mayor, also a contestant in the election. The purpose was nothing less than total annihilation of his reputation and character.

One lawyer was retained , then another and I'm really not sure how many others.  The effort lasted almost two years. Finally the last lawyer was requested to attend an in-camera meeting.

His advice was clear. Even if there had been  intended "invasion of privacy" which was not evident,the only action possible was litigation for damages which could only be undertaken  privately. It would not be a matter for the municipality.

He was surprised to learn Council had not been privy to his previous correspondence.I think the effort by the dreadful duo to make him  see things differently,  the apparent purpose of the conference, might have surprised him even more.

Though not in this instance, I remember seeing the price of  lawyer attending council for a conference at $5 Ks .

Council never did see the fees for that futile exercise.

But Council and staff were complicit in the fees being incurred.

I may be able to discover what that episode cost now the way is clear.

It's probably time we had a tally. Just for the record.

The former Mayor had files  she carried about. The cover would be tattered with the weight of its content,A great bundle of keys were part of the accoutrement. 

I heard  there were  days of furious shredding in the office before the  final exit. As well as ongoing consultations with the lawyer. We paid bills dated well on into November. Six weeks after the defeat

A Little Bit Of This And A Little Bit Of That

I usually rise  with  clear intent. It's easy to write when there's a single thought in mind. There's a crowd of them this morning and none that I really want to pursue.

Greeting me was a message from Mr. Spock. He chooses to believe his comments are in the form of discussion but  as usual, this one was full of invective. Of course he knew it would not see the light of day. He assures me I know who he is.

He was pretty sure I would read the comment.  I did.  It will be the last one I do.

He  refers to  age and what it does to a person.

There's a perspective on life that only comes with age  I'm sure, if I tried,I could think something clever  and cruel to say to him.

 I wont though. There's little point in adding to his misery.

Water Rates

Somethings been rolling about in my head, growing in size, like a dust bunny since Tuesday night.

The Treasurer referred to  legislative requirements that add to  cost of  water. The requirements are not new. They have been in effect for several years.

The Mayor, presumably in support of an  increase in rates, said ;

"water is the best bargain we have"

Indeed?

The treasurer referred to the Walkerton scandal that  left seven people dead and hundreds with lasting damage.

"Municipal Councils are now personally responsible  for water safety" he said.

What irony ?

The Harris government, in a drive for economy, disbanded  Ontario Water Resources Commission.  It was  a watchdog agency and a resource to municipalities all over the province, to guarantee safe water.

Walkerton, with shallow wells.  surrounded by fields drenched regularly  with pure, unadulterated  manure  and fertilisers and other chemicals peculiar to the "natural " environment, hired two guys without competence, to ensure  purity of the town's drinking water.

One of them, who wept on the witness stand , went to jail for causing the deaths of seven residents.

No-one responsible for giving him the responsibility, suffered any consequences whatsoever for dereliction of duty  resulting in death.

Now,after that fact, municipal councils are personally responsible for the safety of  drinking water.

The Ontario Water Resources Commission has not been restored. 

In Aurora,  our wells are hundreds of feet deep.  Water being drawn to the surface  has been carbon dated and determined to be thousands of years in the ground and is as cold and  crystal pure as could be, having filtered through layers of natural purifiers for hundreds of years.

 We are now required to add  to it multiple chemicals to remove such contaminants  as surround the shallow aquifer  of the Town of Walkerton.

According to our experts. that  is  reason to justify the rate increase for water . That makes water a bargain.

I don't think so.

Part of the rational  for the last increase was  a change in estimate of water loss from 8% to 12%. When I asked for figures to support the estimate, they were refused.

The reason? I might twist them.

Firefighters refill tankers from hydrants after fighting a fire. A tanker is built to be driven with a full tank. Hydrants are not metered.

Parks are irrigated in hot dry weather from sources without meters.

Childrens' water parks are spilling out clean water in hundreds of thousands of gallons in the summer. The source  is not metered.

No records can be kept. No  accurate estimates  made. Charges cannot be made against a town department budget.

Is that where the  increased  water loss estimates come from?

If  water used for town services which should be charged against taxes,  are rolled in to increase rates charged to consumers for water, does that mean  residential and commercial users are charged for water they did not use?

I  think so.

I think consumers are being misled into believing they pay only  for  water they use.

If I do not have the authority to issue that challenge on behalf of the consumer, who the hell does?

Is it my job to sit comfortably in that chair in the council chamber, feeling puffed up with my own importance and pretend everything is as it ought to be, when I do not believe it is? 

This is not rocket science.  I get angry when I think somebody else thinks I'm not smart enough to recognise  the game being played. I have a hard time staying calm in the face of it.  I am not there to play nice while  being taken for a  fool .

On Tuesday night, my reaction was strong. I make no apology. The anger was righteous.

Afterward, Councillor Thompson took it upon himself to proffer assurance of his confidence in a job well done. 

The Mayor said. "Water is the best bargain we have"

Last year's increase in water rates was 12%. This year's was 10%. In two years , the increase is 24%.

It  passed on Tuesday without further ado.

That's how Topsy grows.

A Circuitous Route

Took me  on to John West , through Tim Horton's parking lot , on to the shared  new road with St. Max High School onto Wellington Street and round again on to Industrial Parkway going north.

What a transformation the school has made to Wellington and the Industrial Parkway. That was one of the last remaining blighted areas on a main entrance into town.

The change was stunning. I couldn't help thinking how it might not have happened if it hadn't been for former Councillor Al Wilson using his own independent judgment.

It was one of those times when each member of the power elite had a script.. Councillor Gaertner said the teaching and other jobs didn't amount to much and Aurora taxpayers had enough to bear with  properties that didn't pay taxes.

The board had  done their planning. Received  permission. Assembled  lands. The last thing  needed was permission  from  Aurora Council for something or other. Lord alone knows how long it took to get to that point. But that's where it almost stalled. That's where it might have had to be an Ontario Municipal Board Hearing with both sides spending thousands of taxpayers' dollars on legal fees.

When I first came to Aurora I heard  how hard it was for  Our Lady Of Grace Parish  to buy land for a church. How many roadblocks were put in the way.

Seventy  or so years later, a high school was being blocked. Half the council voting against it were catholics. Half  of those voting in favour were not.

One person's vote  and a delegation  led by Elizabeth Crowe board  trustee , Father Don Maclean and parents representing each elementary school in town made the difference.

And there it is.

It's nothing but good.

Any Catholic parent of a high school student should be delighted to have it.

Any parent of a public  high school student should wish for the same opportunity.

Thought You'd Like To Know

St. Maximilian Kolbe principal named one of Canada’s outstanding principals

St. Maximilian Kolbe CHS principal Domenic Scuglia has been named one of Canada’s outstanding principals for 2011 by The Learning Partnership. Mr. Scuglia was nominated by St. Maximilian Kolbe CHS staff because of his strong commitment to Catholic education. He took his first teaching job at St. Paul Catholic Elementary School in Newmarket in 1982. Nearly 30 years later, he is still with York Catholic, having served along the way as phys-ed department head, coach, vice-principal and principal. Beyond his school obligations, Mr. Scuglia is also involved in Rugby Ontario and serves as a board member with the Toronto Marlboros Hockey Club. He and this year's other 31 honourees will be celebrated at a gala in Toronto on February 8.

Photo: York Region Media Group, Mike Barrett

I Read

 And comment  on Aurora Citizen blog . When Chris Watts posts. I  receive an alert . I 've tried to comment on his post but had no success yet.

I spend many hours doing what I love best on my own blog.

Comments  are always read. I  do post  those  with a different perspective

Occasionally I post  invective to illustrate the mind set of  opponents. But mostly I don't.

You don't have to be a  wizard  to disagree without being disagreeable.

This week ,Mr.Spock posted a  disagreeable comment and added :

"You are the only one who believes what you write"

He has now flitted over to  the Citizen blog to complain  that I quoted him without posting his full comment.

Well now that's just silly. It's not as if I  damaged his reputation.

It's not as if the remark could be taken out of context. It says what it says. It stands by itself. Mr. Spock who cannot identify himself, nevertheless, is sure he  speaks for the universe.

He also contends  I owe him the courtesy of  a platform .

At risk of offending him again, I  politely decline.

Anyone with a computer who pays to be on line can create a blog at no expense . Attracting readers is   another story.

I do what I do and people log in daily to read what I write. When I meet them around town ,they tell me ;
"keep it up. I  log in every morning"

Sometimes an initial greeting is like continuing a conversation.

That's heady stuff.

There's not much point in writing if nobody reads it.

My impression is more people do not own a computer than do. Those who do are not necessarily on line. If on line, they do not necessarily read blogs of any kind.Some people are adamantly opposed to allowing  social media into their lives.

Obviously I have taken to it, like a duck to water. Still, I do it within my own limits.I make my own  rules. I haven't broadened the scope much since I started. I'm not hesitant but I am  no guru and  steps into the unknown are taken gingerly.

So Mr. Spock, the blog is mine not yours. If  you want to speak to me with civility and respect, I may share it with you.

If your intent is  to insult and abuse me....get lost.

The Deed Is Done

Several pots are simmering  on the fire  and that's a good thing. Too many cooks spoil the broth  they say but when there's more than one potage  it should   be O.K.

Yesterday I posted  a  preference in the federal election. Instantly received a volley of abuse. Comical when one considers the circumstance. It's my blog. I can say what I like.

Mr.Spock wrote  last night," You are  the only one who believes what you write".

Why do these people  log in to my blog. Several  have started blogging. some with a pseudonym, some without.   Guess What !!!

I don't read them.

This is my soap box.  I will decide who shares it with me.

We finished  the  tortuous round table discussion on  the budget on Tuesday.

There was a smattering of applause.

I did not join in

My home is modest. It fits in the neighbourhood. Market value has taken the assessment to slightly above average. Fixed income of  Canada pension, Old Age Security and Gains is little more than $12Ks a  year. Even people with private pensions are not much higher. Public sector pensions are a different
story.

I know people who are unemployed  through no fault of their own at a time in their lives when  it will  hard to be re-employed and living on unemployment insurance and desperately hoping to find a job before the UIC runs out. I believe  their income is not much better than a pension .

Their homes may be modest like mine. They may be of higher value. Light and heat are essential. You can cut down. You can't do without. A mortgage is likely. Possibly dependent children still.

This year's expense for taxes and water , only two of the essentials of  living in  a  modest home  in Aurora, will be $4562.54  That's an increase of more than $200.

Next year it will be closer to $5 Ks.

From a possible  income from pensions or  unemployment insurance  of approximately $13Ks.

The town will purchase culture on our behalf to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars .

Platinum sponsorships of several thousand will be purchased to help provide employment for musicians of a particular genre.

 $87 ks  for  contracts to  create  planting beds suitable for seeds  not natural to our environment.

Hundreds of thousands  for expertise on staff, plus  thousands more on consultants  to assist them in their labours.

Millions are planned to be spent on grandiose facilities  to make room for all the employees we have and are  planning  to hire.   Operating  costs will balloon commensurately.

Salaries will continue to rise as well as  being  re-evaluated  to cost even more.

Water meters will continue to be used to convey the  impression that what you use is what you pay for
Well that's false.

User fees will continue to be waived for groups with  political influence. But not for those without clout.

Heritage planning staff will be carried , while consultants are hired at $60ks a crack to protect a particular portion of  town heritage at the request of a group with a foundation of three.

Fees have been  paid  to finance litigation  by a politician against citizens,  in an  amount of $60 Ks.

And the beat goes on ..La...di...ya ...  di...ya.

At the end,  around the table, in the rarified atmosphere of  the town hall , there was applause at the  prospect .

I do not applaud the budget.

I understand why recipients of   largesse dispensed by Council are pleased by the outcome.

Visions of sugar plums dance in their heads.

While the spectre of  food bank is the lot of a growing number of others.

Gross inequity is not the basis of a just society.

About The Play

I  have to post the ideas as they come to me.

It should be an Annual  Revue

In the Council Chamber . The town hall is designed  for performances. We wouldn't need  a set.

I think of Mary Walsh  in her gladiator costume and periodic  invasions  of the Parliament Buildings. Do we have the courage and  wit to do what's  needed  to bring our community together again and restore our confidence? 

I think so.

Do we have the material?    You know it.

Who would  the players be? Well I don't know anyone who could play me better than me. I'm sure there's plenty of talent at the table. How hard could  it be to just be ourselves?

We would need  directors with a true sense of the absurd. Chris Watts comes to mind. Matt Maddock.

The Monty Python movies came together in a  haphazard fashion .They never knew how funny they were  until they teamed them with an audience.

Remember the fish dance.

I'm not thinking of fame beyond our boundaries. Just the stuff in the family, the stuff we all know about .
Like the politician who thinks people should be sued with their own money for saying something critical about said  politician and  finds a lawyer willing to state there is a case to answer ,accept the retainer   and get  paid from funds belonging to the people being sued who have to use their own funds  to defend themselves and be under threat of losing everything they have in the process.

Well you know, I think  it's  the pure stuff of Monty Python.  It's the connection of insanity to reality that makes for laughter close to hysteria, painful because  it's true. 

Picture the scene in court. Here come de Judge. Complete in wig and robe. Our honorable friends. She who must be obeyed. And hapless defendants trying to find  something solid to fasten on to within  the body of the  insanity.

And the complainant!!! We would have to have someone else play the  role of  plaintiff. The town has tapes to study.

Now we have the seed. What chance the Trillium Foundation has another $25K looking for a recipient?

Cowardy, Cowardy. Custard...Can't Cut The Mustard

No sooner did I click on publish than a vitriolic comment was posted in response. Presumably from a red-neck conservative.

He had nothing of merit to say in defense of his fearless leader.

Contented himself with flailing away at me personally.

This bird with republican stripes is more commonly seen south of the border. Like that zebra muscle contaminating our lakes in recent years, our politics are not improved by its invasion.

But the comment tells another story. Somewhere,an anonymous, faceless individual without the courage of his convictions, with antennae stretched to full extent,is lying in wait to beat up whoever may stray across his path. Hardly the way to win friends and influence people. But obviously taking a leaf from his leader's campaign strategy. I am not even a candidate in this fight.

Cowardy Cowardy Custard.
Can't spell mustard.

Stcks and stones may break my bones.
But names will never hurt me.

And they won't win any support for your candidate either. Quite the opposite in fact.

The Election Pending

My daughter  Heather has worked in several federal elections. This will be her fourth. The job  starts to-day. It adds to the interest.

The media seems to have decided the incumbent will be  Prime Minister again. They are always in such a hurry to predict.

They say people are not interested . The starter pistol  has  just  been fired.  The horses are barely out the gate. The media are in their own race to accurately  predict the winner. They're always in such a hurry to win the pool , they  eliminate  the excitement of the race.  

I think they're full of it. Every day has the potential for something electric .

It's  a long time since I decided the NDP is not a real political party.It was hard for me to do.  The people who finance it and provide the leg power are not really interested in forming a government. They are content to have it as the political arm of  organised labour. They ignore eighty-five per cent of their potential constituency.

It leaves me with only one choice. It is not the Conservative party.

Still,  the media  does reveal.

We already knew the  current First Minister has never held a real job. Involvement. prior to politics was  with a right-wing think tank. He has never chosen to mix with the common people. He isn't doing it now. The morning after his first election, he walked his six year old son to school, wearing  a long overcoat and gloves. He bent down and shook hands with his little son at the school gate.

People who attend his events have to pre-register. He takes only five questions from reporters. He apparently believes  protecting  himself from the possibility of normal spontaneous  interaction  will get him  home safely.

The Conservative campaign thus far has essentially poured all its efforts into destroying the character of Mr. Ignatieff rather than  promote the qualities of their leader.

That's a mistake. People make an intuitive choice. Mostly about trust.Why doesn't the Conservative machine talk about their leader's past? Is there anything to tell?

Is nothingness a good thing?

Mr.Ignatieff on the other hand. has held some very impressive posts in private life. People have a great respect for  professional qualifications and achievement.

He  has a  strong but  severe face. His opportunities to be seen have not provided much opportunity to show himself. An election campaign  is different. We see  him walking,talking to  ordinary people. He is comfortable  in his skin.He reminds me of  former Conservative leader, Robert Stanfield.

He may not yet have all  the attributes of a skilled politician but he is not afraid to show and share  himself. That is an imperative.

Jack Layton is a skilled  politician but he  has  an unenviable role. The U.A.W  leader, whoever he is,  never allows the N.D.P.to have  a leader. On the eve of every election , the  President  jumps into bed  like a cheerful strumpet with the Liberals.

I think this  election has promise.  National  politics could become ours again.Like they were before. 

The Conservative leader has  had every opportunity to make his mark. It is barely intelligible. It's how he wants it .

Ignatieff  gave up a position in life that brings nothing but praise  and accolades, for the hurly-burly of  politics which offers something completely different. Without his challenge , we could  continue to be  governed by  the  cold, colourless, secretive, contriving and  controlling personality of the current prime minister.

What is he  anxious to hide? Why is he unwilling to share ? Is  he  afraid  we won't like him if we knew him? Is that a person who can  lead us to better things?

 I do not  think so.

If I were asked  to place a bet ...I would place it on  people's intuition.

If  indifference  is the sleeping giant in this election, we must all do our best to poke and prod  the lazy beast awake.

Yes, I will take a  red sign please.

About The Play....Later

The List You Might Have Missed

I've been asked the point of publishing the list of salaries of the Town's Executive team.

There doesn't need to be a point. Provincial legislation requires publication of salaries over $100K.

The town published them. I just thought readers may have missed the list.

The list only tells half the story. Probably a  large part of the money finds its way in taxation to the Provincial and Federal government.

It goes straight out of your pocket ,gets funneled through the town treasury into provincial and federal coffers.It doesn't even get spent in the local economy.Although the  level of affluence is used to rationalise higher spending by the municipality.

If the senior levels  can find a way to tax someone at the poverty level ,imagine what they must be taking from someone in that income bracket.

It was your money. Collectively, you are the employer. Why should you not know these things?

People in the same jobs in other  municipalities and the Region itself,  earn the same and more.

Toronto is surrounded by Regions with salaries are on a par with each other.

One of the things I've noticed over the years, people who earn that kind of money, tend not to be too  concerned about tax hikes.

People who stand to benefit from municipal spending with hand-outs and such, tend not to object
either. In fact, they seem to think taxes should be higher..

It's probably hard for them to imagine what it's like to be live on $14 K a year.

Well how could they?

It stands to reason, if you worked for a company that couldn't stay in business with overheads like that,
The possibility of the company going bust might help to keep you grounded.

Time was  people employed  in  public service were paid less than others. Security of employment was considered to be an  offsetting benefit.

Nowadays, some public service employees have pensions and benefits that make them better off  in retirement than they were while  working.

Politicians at senior levels are grappling with the problem. Grappling is about it.. They are not above mixing into pension and benefit issues for public service employees  with contracts subject to arbitration.

If it means s substantial block of votes at election time, it may not be cheap  but it's definitely better than spending their  own money on campaign expenses.

The Play's The Thing

I think I 'll write a play.

What?

Yes. Why not.

You've never written  fiction in your life.

You know that and I know that. But those who read the play don't need to know that. Doesn't mean I can't. Shakespeare did  it.Fiction has to be real to be believable. A play has to be credible  to be enjoyable.

You are no Shakespeare.

That's true. A good thing too considering he's been dead for a while.

 Some people would say Shakespeare is an anachronism.

You know that's not true   I know it's not true . People who quote Shakespeare all the time, know that's not true.

So what would your play be about?

Politics in a small Ontario town somewhere between Lake Ontario and  Hudson Bay.

Why do you think people would be interested in a play about politics?

Why would they not?

Because it's dull, dreary,pedantic and predictable.

You are dull, dreary , pedantic and predictable. I think I will write a play. It will be therapeutic.Not a Shakespeare type play. I don't want to depress people. It will be more of a Monty Python like  production. With my own stamp of course.

 Good luck.

You're being sarcastic.

Well yes. Put it  in your play.

In Case You Missed It

Sunshine list (people who make more than $100,000):

Town of Aurora COOPER CHRISTOPHER Town Solicitor/Director Legal Services $154,224.92

 Town of Aurora DOWNEY ALLAN Director of Parks & Recreation Services $136,865.84

 Town of Aurora ELLIOTT DANIEL Director of Corporate & Financial Services $147,084.05

Town of Aurora GARBE NEIL Chief Administrative Officer $174,737.40

Town of Aurora LEACH JOHN Director of Customer & Legislative Services $144,730.44

Town of Aurora PROCTER MAIO LOUISE Chief Executive Officer, Library Services $123,563.80

Town of Aurora RAMUNNO MARCO Director of Planning & Development Services $136,865.84

 Town of Aurora SIMANOVSKIS ILMAR Director of Infrastructure & Environmental Services 
$147,084.05

Town of Aurora VAN LEEUWEN MARIE Director of Building & By-Law Services $136,865.84

The Power Of Words

A thought ran through my head. The word dearth came to mind. I found myself thinking...  that's probably another word, the word police believe shouldn't be used . 

Because it's not familiar .

Because it sounds like something else.

Because we live in a  time when  people of  little  moment   suggest  a word  similar to another   should  have its meaning stolen and substituted for something else. .

The behavior is  a relic of the recent past, when  ignorance of some members was  such  as to be  totally  ignorant of their own ignorance but being assembled in numbers, completely confident of their own erudition, had they even  known what the word meant.

Anachronism is a word heard recently.  I had been meaning to look it up in the dictionary. I use the book  for accurate spelling. I acquired my vocabulary mainly from voluminous  reading and from a pure love of the language I speak.

I hear music in the cadence of  language. I cringe  to a malapropism as with  flat note in music. Or with a word ending with  ng pronounced as  nk. I cannot understand how a person reaches maturity without learning to pronounce something or  anything  properly. Is that a speech impediment..or what?

Anachronism means " a person or thing that is chronologically out of place: one from a former age that is incongruous in the present".

How can that  be applied to a word in a living language  How can  language not be living.

Like  great river is a moving body of water.

It starts with a gurgle, flows and twists and turns and gathers strength and  roars and swirls and eddies and whirls into a pool,  murmurs and rages and  tumbles in a waterfall and races out to the sea.

Many words  are not used in everyday  language. Beautiful words. Words which perfectly suit their purpose. Words which convey  a thought completely. Promote laughter. Prompt tears. Words which reduce  excess verbiage tenfold. Words not used because of a lack of a sense of self. Or  joy in life.

Time-worn words never fade in their meaning.  Never fail to comfort or scourge.

Where did  words come from. How were they formed . Like diamonds or pearls. 

They are found treasure,  free for the taking by anyone and  everyone with the inclination or  courage.

No license  required. No permit needed. We live in a time and place and culture  where  the  law guarantees  our right to free  use of our language.

Imagine a time when that was not true.  There are those unwilling to accept it still

We  also have among us  unlikely self -important, self- appointed arbitrators of the use of words.

It is their right  to portray themselves  exactly as  they are.

On This We Must Agree To Differ

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Council Did Not Authorise The Law Suit":

Evelyn, I am a supporter of yours, but I think that you are wrong on this. By any logical definition, "any and all" includes litigation, and, "ANY and ALL" other courses of action that anyone can contemplate.

Litigation was not explicitly sanctioned, that is clear enough, but it is simplistic to think that means litigation could not be launched, given the VERY BROAD and ALL-ENCOMPASSING directive that was given. ANY and ALL means ANY and ALL, including litigation. Period.

Any of the former councillors who were in the closed meeting and claim now that they did not know what that meant were either naive then or are disingenuous now.

*********************

Five Councillors agree with  the comment above. Councillor Michael Thompson and myself did not.

It was not an easy decision. I do not criticise my colleagues for the position they took. I came down on the other side.

It was clear cut from my perspective. I was  there. I've seen the ongoing  cataclysmic harm to so many lives.  I watched the melodrama play out day by day.


I've served many  terms of council. As this term unfolded, I thought maybe  there  had been changes over the years that made it permissible for an elected official to retain and  have free and untrammelled  access to legal counsel  paid by the town.

I did a poll of municipalities within the region. There had been no change.  Individual  elected officials do not  deal directly with legal counsel retained in the service of the municipality.

Council deals with legal matters through the town solicitor.

It only makes sense. How else could costs be controlled?.

Appointed officers of the corporation have authority to spend up to a certain limit.

Elected officials do not.

Appointed officials are  governed by procurement policies. There is an entire bureaucratic process
to follow to ensure no  abuse of public resources.

We have nine members of Council , each with  separate responsibility to mind the store.

Statutory officers have  authority under the law to ensure the town's business is conducted
in accordance with the law.

And yet...

Legal Fees Like I Promised

 
Defamation Matter
Summary of Legal Fees as of April 4, 2011
(all totals inclusive of HST)

Aird & Berlis LLP

For services rendered from September 16, 2010 to September 30, 2010
	Invoice Date	Invoice Value	Paid to Date	Net Interest	Balance Owing
Replacement Invoice (No. 402821)	01/14/2011	3,806.04	0.00	2.44	3,808.48
For services rendered from October 1, 2010 to October 31, 2010
Replacement Invoice (No. 402823)	01/14/2011	36,299.70	0.00	23.27	36,322.97
For services rendered from November 1, 2010 to November 30, 2010
Replacement Invoice (No. 402825)	01/14/2011	9,123.49	0.00	5.85	9,129.34
For services rendered from December 1, 2010 to December 15, 2010
Current Invoice (No. 401436)	12/16/2010	6,066.37	0.00	7.81	6,074.18
AIRD & BERLIS LLP TOTAL (all bolded balances owing)					55,334.97

Paterson, MacDougall LLP

Invoice Number	Invoice Date	Invoice Value	Paid to Date	Net Interest	Balance Owing
178/61532	12/31/2010	1,835.69	0.00	0.00	1,835.69
					1,835.69

Weir Foulds LLP

Invoice Number	Invoice Date	Invoice Value	Paid to Date	Net Interest	Balance Owing
204958	03/24/2011	5,650.00	0.00	0.00	5,650.00
					5,650.00

TOTALS - SUMMARY

Aird & Berlis LLP Total	55,334.97
Paterson, MacDougall LLP Total	1,835.69
Weir Foulds LLP Total	5,650.00
TOTAL AMOUNT OWING (inclusive of HST)	$62,820.66

Council Did Not Authorise The Law Suit

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Grace Marsh Said:":

Rightly or wrongly the council of the day approved the legal action and the expenses they incurred. The new council turned off the tap on any further expense, but unless they abide by the last council's decisions how can we expect them to make their own decisions on anything this term.

Now if the lawsuit unfolds and it appears the town can recoup those expenses from the former Mayor I am sure that avenue will be taken.
**************

It doesn't matter how many times  we go over it. It seems to be  hard for the reality to sink in.

The last Council did not authorise litigation against three members of the community.

Council were in recess. We were in the midst of an election campaign. Those members who voted to seek a legal opinion about whether the critical  blog comment brought to an in camera meeting  without notice and without an opportunity for a staff report was defamatory, learned  about the legal action in the media as did the rest of the community.

The comment was brought to the table by the former Mayor. Despite  the decision being contemplated involved a pecuniary advantage , she participated in the discussion and urged the decision.

The law firm which  advised the comment was defamatory, accepted the contract to pursue litigation. Without a Council resolution.

I do not believe  a majority of  the Council members who agreed to seek an opinion would  have agreed  as well to pursue litigation against three members of the community, who were not even identified as publishers of the comment.

Two members of council did not attend the in camera meeting because the item  was not  town  business  and  had no right being  discussed by councillors t a session of council.

A third member, who did attend the meeting, repudiated the decision to seek an opinion  when it was publicly reported out.

Candidates on the hustings challenged, by voters, denied  knowledge of the litigation .They did have no knowledge  the action had been  taken. There had been no meeting held to inform them or seek authorisation for litigation .

I've been asked  how the numbers went from $41 K to $68K. I will provide the answer when I receive it. Hopefully some time this afternoon.

Grace Marsh Said:

Grace Marsh has left a new comment on your post "The Big Push":

Evelyn,

I'm sorry but this spreadsheet is very misleading.

The change in property tax payable by a local business has many factors that are beyond the Town's budgetary increase and the obvious Regional budget changes.

During the time period shown on the chart there were at least 5 Province wide reassessments and the taxes are affected by each reassessment.

Also in 1998, the seperate business tax was eliminated and combined with the property tax. This had a big effect on the total property taxes, however in 1999 legislation was introduced to protect business properties from large increases (capping/clawbacks) a a result of those changes. This is all Provincal legislation.

On top of that the Region has jurisdiction over other tax policies that greatly effect buiness taxes such as the tax ratios that determine the tax weight each class bears along with the amount of the clawback to be assessed.

I'm sure eveyone's eyes are glazing over by now, but my point is, the Towns budget is unfortunately just one small factor in the overall business tax levy.

*********

Grace Marsh is  a tax consultant,who learned her craft working  many years in municipal treasuries,including the Town of Aurora.

In the 2006, Grace  was elected  to Council ,highly regarded as a person as well as  for a recognised  ability to make a substantial contribution to political  affairs. A year and a half was all  she could handle of the politics of envy and shrieking paranoia before Grace  resigned for her own peace of mind.

That being said, the details  of  a  small business operator's  tax experience in Aurora don't change the picture. It is at the municipal level, a business owner should expect to find  understanding of the various changes that impact his ability to survive.

Like a homeowner, taxes are not the only bill that has to be paid. Heat, light, maintenance and water and food on the table are  essential  to keeping body and soul together.

Is it the town's function to drive people out of  their homes and businesses with stuff like  purchases of culture,flower beds in arboretums,platinum sponsorship  scams that   produce nothing, nada, nil,zilch and zero.

Is it randomly waiving  fees for town facilities which cost money to provide and growing the bureaucracy willy-nilly despite the fact town  growth is coming to an end.

 Is it listening to the people in the comfortable pews who think taxation is a licence to steal. 

I don't think so.

In 1969, the province adopted market value as a measurement  for assessment.We see  now from Grace's details how well that  worked out.

 In 1991, the Mulrooney government signed a Free Trade Agreement.

Manufacturing jobs left Canada  by the millions and some people made more money than ever. It was  argued  service industries would provide the jobs.

Now we see how property taxes and other bureaucratic burdens , have reduced at least one small industry in Aurora by two jobs. No doubt that experience is multiplied thousands of times over in Ontario until we have been brought to the status of a have-not province.

We don't have to look beyond municipal boundaries to understand why.

Nero fiddled while Rome burned.

Not Done Yet....March 29th Draft

We worked again until eleven last night. Pared off another one per cent. It was an  awkward  session
but it could not be otherwise. Nine people around the table, each with something to say can never be
a smooth and efficient operation. A new council with everything to learn needs. to have that opportunity. It takes time but it's not wasted time.

The first item on my list was to include funds in the budget for a curator in order to re-establish the Heritage Centre. Apparently museum is an old-fashioned word which does not  describe a modern
facility. . The curator is essential  to the museum. It must be someone of experience and authority. The task is to organise the collection and give guidance and leadership to the volunteers for best use of their time to make the facility  the dynamic, living experience it must  be.

I did not intend  to increase the budget. Council supported the addition of funds but not my suggestion to take it from the Culture Centre budget. They did agree however the Culture Centre agreement needs to be re-visited and sooner rather than later.

I didn't get a freeze on new hires. The Arboretum will continue to have $100 K to spend  without being accountable.

A number of staff recommendations were challenged . Some  changes were  made.

A full-time bylaw officer  was recommended with a salary of $85K. That was changed to a contract position and  cost reduced to reflect seven  instead  of twelve months.

None of the changes were made without lengthy discussion. Like I said, there are nine of us

...

.

Continuance of Previous Post

It seems I may have reached a physical  limit of some sort on the previous post.This part  is the explanation of why I  copied the information  received. 

I don't know if  the figures are  accurate.

It shouldn't  be hard for treasury to affirm.

I believe it would be useful for new councillors to contemplate.

Consider how much we spend on a department whose purpose it is to encourage business to locate here and provide advice about why they should stay and then look at those tax increases again.t

Consider the experience of the small business operator and decide if the town's spending growth has been  beneficial  or detrimental to his interest.

Ask yourself . Who  was  responsible for the various extravagances adopted by the town in  recent years on the pretext of  improving  our economy?

The administration? The political body?

Neither? Or both?

As an elected representative, am I allowed to ask that question? Or is it perceived to be a malevolent attack on town staff? Like harassment perhaps?

Do not  forget the  confident declaration by the C,A,O, that staff have presented a completely defensible budget.

I suppose it's good that someone is confident. I certainly am not.

Not in any way shape or form  am I prepared to tell the small entrepreneur,  the money we spend on
consultant studies for heritage neighbourhoods, promenade studies,strategic plans, buying culture,lawyers to sue residents, integrity commissioners,codes of conduct, meaningless platinum sponsorships for  this and that fan dangle , hundreds of thousands of dollars in the hands of non-accountable volunteers to construct  flower beds, replacing underground services which are still brand  new, millions of  dollars constructing roads with either bad designs or incompetent  supervision which have failed  miserably in short order,  thousands of dollars to construct something for salt abatement which abates none whatsoever  and a whole host of other items that represent money spent with  no advantage  to anyone outside the walls of the town hall except for the various individual  beneficiaries of the town's excess largess.

As much as anyone, I have been responsible for  time taken  not  to approve this budget. To make some inroads on the excesses of the past and assure the community this council will make a difference. We will remove the outrageous accumulated fat in past budgets from this budget.

We will make sense of the tax grab.

Councillors have spent many hours ,one- on- one with staff and  various non-accountable agencies. They  have allowed themselves to be persuaded the various projects that soak up public  resources are valid and defensible.

I have done what I could.

The Big Push

Town staff are obviously hoping Tuesday's general committee meeting will see approval of the 2011 budget.

Mr.Elliot has invited Council members to submit items for adjustments to the budget. He will assemble them in a document  to be dealt with by the chair. If memory serves, it will be Councillor Gaertner's turn in the chair on Tuesday.

 An aspect of concern to me is how an increase is presented for public consumption. We are told what it means in pennies each  day. Total increase is presented separate and apart from the Region's and the Board of Ecucation increase.
The object being to ensure the public understands who is responsible for what.

The purpose is to save the town harnless  from blame for the other two insitution responsible for increasing taxes.

As though there has been a real effort on the part of the municipality to keep taxes as low as possible. To paraphrase; to ensure there is no fat in the budget.

It's not true. By any estimate,fat abounds in the budget.

Last week a resident forwarded an account of a small business tax experience in Aurora  and how it has shrunk his enterprise. I reproduce it  below.

There is a businessman in Aurora by the name of Jamie and he is trying to find a new location for his transmission repair business in Aurora however most landlords apparently do not want to accommodate an automotive use for some reason. If you know of a landlord, or if anyone in the town's economic development department feels that they can assist this gentleman please note his contact as follows:

Aurora Transmission Inc

25 Industry St, Aurora, ON L4G 1X6 (905) 726-3736

He is looking for 1,500 to 1,800 sq ft of industrial space in the range of $1,500 to $2,000 per month (i.e. approx $13 psf per annum, gross). He used to employ two other people however his increased costs have not allowed him to support additional employees in recent years.

Tax increases over the years may have been an issue. When he first started in 1992 the taxes were approximately $2,700 per annum (+/-) and they are now approximately $8,500. This increase appears to have out stripped inflation over the same period of time (as far as I can tell), but I'm not sure if these numbers make sense given that the increase seems to suggest an average commercial tax increase of 6% over the past 19 years which is considerably more than I would have expected. I thought there were years of zero increases and most residential increases have been less than 4 or 5% as far as I know, so I'm not sure if these numbers are correct.

Bank of Canada inflation calculator LINK: http://wzus1.ask.com/r?t=p&d=us&s=a&c=a&l=sem&o=15141&ld=5858&sv=0a5c407c&ip=ae701af3&id=3F3B4C61006EBE4D22CCEA237E6FC353&q=canadian+cpi+increase+calculator&p=1&qs=2417&ac=729&g=5035RVRlWWGUVv&wz_cu=0&en=te&io=0&ep=&eo=&b=a004&bc=&br=&tp=d&ec=1&pt=Inflation%20Calculator-%20Other-%20Rates%20and%20Statistics-%20Bank%20of%20Canada&ex=tsrc%3Dtled&url=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bankofcanada.ca%2Fen%2Frates%2Finflation_calc.html

The above noted inflation calculator suggests that inflation has increased average costs by 41% over the time period in question (less than 2% inflation annually). The costs of the town's commercial taxes would have averaged 6% if the numbers below are in fact accurate.

This is not an exact calculation but here is an idea of how the costs have increased.

year	Base year taxes	6% approximate annual increase	Revised Taxes
1 (1992)	$            2,700.00	$                   162.00	$            2,862.00
2	$            2,862.00	$                   171.72	$            3,033.72
3	$            3,033.72	$                   182.02	$            3,215.74
4	$            3,215.74	$                   192.94	$            3,408.69
5	$            3,408.69	$                   204.52	$            3,613.21
6	$            3,613.21	$                   216.79	$            3,830.00
7	$            3,830.00	$                   229.80	$            4,059.80
8	$            4,059.80	$                   243.59	$            4,303.39
9	$            4,303.39	$                   258.20	$            4,561.59
10	$            4,561.59	$                   273.70	$            4,835.29
11	$            4,835.29	$                   290.12	$            5,125.41
12	$            5,125.41	$                   307.52	$            5,432.93
13	$            5,432.93	$                   325.98	$            5,758.91
14	$            5,758.91	$                   345.53	$            6,104.44
15	$	$                   366.27	$            6,470.71
16	$            6,470.71	$                   388.24	$            6,858.95
17	$            6,858.95	$                   411.54	$            7,270.49
18	$            7,270.49	$                   436.23	$            7,706.72
19 (2011)	$            7,706.72	$                   462.40	$            8,169.12

Satisfying Results

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Bedtime Story....Not":

Councilor Buck confirms for us, what we have suspected all along, that bylaw officers (and by extension police officers) are expected to give tickets. That's how their performance is measured, at least in part.

"One of the key performance indicators for a traffic and parking offence officers are numbers of tickets issued. His record was solid and consistent. Never a complaint."

In this case, the bylaw officer in question, it appears his problem he's making the other bylaw officers look bad. They're sitting in the Town Hall all day.

"He had however been outspoken about full-time officers not pulling their weight. Seldom leaving the town hall in fact. He felt sure of the reason for recruitment and suspected his would be the contract not be renewed."

*****************

The  response above  assures me  my post has been well understood. I appreciate that. Though I did not intend to convey the impression all bylaw officers are not pulling their weight.

Bylaws are passed to control problems. Tickets are issued to enforce  Bylaws. If there is no problem,there would be no bylaw. Bylaw officers would not be required, nor police officers either for that matter.

Since the task is  to enforce bylaws, it stands to reason tickets must be issued. The numbers are certainly an indication of work conscientiously undertaken.

When his   contract was not renewed,  an explanation was sought.  Modern employees have that right. None was offered. A severance package was provided.

The officer, a resident of Aurora, had no obligation  to  remain silent in the face of what he perceived to be  injustice, incompetence and a lack of integrity.

A member of Council was an entirely appropriate resource for his confidence. 

A flurry of comments made the usual accusations. Many people  are eager to advise  what the job of a Councillor is not without actually having any idea what it is .

I may be the Councillor  in Aurora with the longest experience and certainly  the longest span of  involvement. I have seen the most change. I certainly do not need to be advised  about the nature or degree of change.

It  always intrigues me when  a person without experience feels qualified to condescend to advise on the limits of my understanding.What is it about my bearing that encourages people to believe I need to be advised.

I conclude it's due to a lack of  experience.

Being experienced, I usually refrain from drawing attention to the obvious.

Feelings can be so easily bruised.  

A Councillor receives many confidences.  If a person in despair for whatever reason, can think of no-one else , they may turn to a Councillor they trust.

Sometimes it's just for a sympathetic ear.

I may be  able   to help or direct  to a  resource. An experienced Councillor knows of  resources  or  where to inquire.

Certainly, a  Councillor is a legitimate resource to an employee.

The  bylaw officer knew that when he called me. He needed someone to witness. He told me before the recruitment process was set in motion. It unfolded  as he said it would.

He was not the solitary victim of the last term. I can refer to it now because no more harm can be done.  That I couldn't change anything  for him and others , remains a well of regret but not forgotten.

Circumstances  have  changed .

An additional full-time bylaw officer with a salary of $85K  has been recommended to Council in the current budget.

Not surprisingly, I am not confident the recommendation has merit. I have no obligation to accept it and none whatsoever  to withhold my rational.

Being a Councillor is not about being all things to all people.

Council is not a philanthropic organisation  with a handful of elites making pleasurable decisions about  how much will be handed to who...whom...whoever.

Authority to impose taxation is not authority to distribute largesse,

Councillors have to be able to say no.

They are  accountable  to the people who elected them, who pay the taxes.

The administration is  accountable to Council.

A single Councillor may seem like nothing more than an irritant,depending on a variance of  council environment, administration attitude or a combination of  the two.

We are at the beginning of a new Council. I anticipate  a sea change.