"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

Tuesday 31 January 2012

Mountain of a Molehill Of Blame

I have removed a letter I had cut and copied from a  link provided. A friend is convinced I could be sued and the prospect is causing him considerable disquiet.

Mr.Maclean's letter is but one of a deluge published in the local press. 

 Councillor Danny Wheeler signed the Bylaw as Acting Mayor.

Still no evidence the Mayor declared a pecuniary interest or absented himself from the meeting when the question was debated and the vote taken.Legality of the meeting itself is not established.

Righteous rage  over criticism is  a  peculiarity of  the modern- day breed of politician   After battling  their way  into the boiling roiling pot of politics, some of the little darlings, huff and puff in the heat and  in a new tactic,beat constituents about the head and shoulders with public resources  for daring to exhibit any signs of opposition.. 

I think it's the fault of the baby-boomer generation .They spoiled their kids rotten ,created unreal expectations and fostered  grandiose delusions.

That said, there is nothing extraordinary about staff being directed by Council. Council is the authority.

The  Mayor  is not  unless delegated by Council. Even then, staff  ignore a Mayor at their peril unless he is a de-clawed pussy cat.

If  no record exists of direction from Council, staff are left with posteriors uncovered and exposed to  the elements which  are the vagaries of politics. Teflon hides are de rigeur.

The current  over-run of the project  is $1.6million.  Add various potential costs of  litigation and it's big money.

Residents have a right to be infuriated  and concerned about  source of payment for over-run and litigation.

Development charges and  grants, would  cover expected  costs.

Contingency  allowed for  change orders,will not likely stretch to cover the overage.

That the municipality  may  sue the project consultant for a mistake in measurement as reported, is extraordinary.

 Normal advice issued to all and sundry, in the matter of litigation is as follows;

Button up....Zip your lip....Hush yo mouth,baby...Let the lawyer do his job.

Letters to the editor can be ignored. Litigation can be an excuse not to talk.

But Grossi's Mountain cannot be obscured.

Save maybe in a white out of man made precipitation.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Keep in mind that I think it was reported that the cost of this toboggan run was $16 million, which must come close to what some councils give their food banks, but then again I could be wrong.

Anonymous said...

Wow!
Great letter from Mclean ! Not going to be a roll-over.
Did Grossi ever pick the wrong target!

Something Fishy in Aurora said...

I wonder if they can fit a museum in it?

Anonymous said...

ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

This just in.... Municipal governments are corrupt! Film at 11.

Anonymous said...

To anon 12:45PM

Oh ya they are.
This is why they are afraid of ghosts.
Aurora has lots of municipal skeletons.
That Heard fellow should drag people through the town and tell
tales about how politicians give
us the creeps.

Anonymous said...

Imagine being sued for $125,000 for writing a letter like John McLean's... wow ! It’s hard to imagine what anyone was thinking when they supported the use of what could be hundreds of thousands of tax dollars for that purpose ! Too bad that G's council has been muzzled by their tax funded lawyers. I'd love to hear the logic that tries to explain this mess away.