"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

Monday 8 March 2010

One Last Try

I spent three hours this morning on a post. It was in response to Chris Watts attempt to understand my position.

He has not heard me state opposition to the Westhill Development application so he has assumed that means I support the development proposal.

Three hours is about average for an initial draft. I throw everything in as it comes to mind.

My task then is to reduce, refine and render it intelligible.

I often devote five contiguous hours to the task. Today my son Stephen called to say he was bringing his father for us to have lunch together.

Intending to save what I had written I clicked. Instead I published the post. It wasn't ready. I deleted it as soon as I realised my mistake. Three hours of work wiped out. Sorry Chris, I'm not doing it again.

The problem is, my experience goes back too far. How does one condense almost fifty years of knowledge into a manageable bite. .

It ain't easy.

But let me say this again. The Westhill Development site plan application will not be decided by the town.

The Ontario Municipal Board is seized with the issue.

I am in favour of consistent, orderly management of the town's affairs within the law.

I am in favour of using our resources to marshall the best argument, supported with the best evidence, to ensure the OMB decision reflects the best that can be made in the interest of the town.

I do not support spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in repeated and futile attempts to re-write the law so that I can project myself as a phony-baloney champion of baffle- gab.

That is easy. Look who is doing it.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

We all appreciate the time spent creating your posts.
With the short time you had on this one, it is concise, speaks clearly to the point, and should be heeded by all.
Buy the way, we are all dissappointed when we click on your site and there is no new post.
Keep up the cause.

Resident said...

I think we all know what it's like to lose digital work. That nasty feeling as you realize your mistake and the realization that there simply isn't enough time to recreate.

I for one really appreciate all the time you put into this blog.

Anonymous said...

The time you spend creating your posts is appreciated.
And, with the short time you had on this one, it is concise, speaks to the point, and should be heeded by all.
By the way, we are all dissappointed when we click on your site and there is no new post.
Keep up the cause.

someone who loves this towm more than the Mayor said...

Thanks Evelyn,

I think your phone call helped clear up my misunderstanding.

cheers

Chris

Something Fishy in Aurora said...

Best bet might be to compose the body of your messages in a document editor (Microsoft Word) or Notepad or Wordpad. Save often. Once you are happy with the content you should then be able to copy and paste it into your blog posting.