"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

Thursday 20 December 2012

Not Gossip....Political Dialogue

A public planning meeting was held  last night. A rezoning application for a property on Wellington Street that had another application in 2009. 
The new application is for a  twenty-two unit residential building
with a thousand square feet of commercial at street level. 
I recalled the previous application. The consultant representing the owner was the same.
It was for a spa with bedrooms and a bathroom above referred to as an inn. For overnight accommodation. 
Sometimes, when you have to sit  for a long time awaiting a turn, to speak all kinds of thoughts occur. 
The zoning description sounded quite extraordinary. It suggested a House of Hanky-Panky to me. I said so. 
Well, my dears, I might as well have thrown a bomb .Righteous outrage and tumult erupted. 
Naturally, many details of  last night's presentation brought that detail to mind. 
I repeated it.
Councillor Gallo intoned with grim countenance;
"You said other words as well" 
Councillor Gaertner quickly jumped on  the tumbril to  echo Councillor Gallo. 
It  reminded me of the other words. 
In response to the outcry I said;
" What!!!!!I could have used other words.  Like  House of Ill Repute or a brothel."
I did exercise discipline, I did not use the word "whorehouse"which was the first that came to mind.
Anyway , here it is three years later, revealing once more  the righteousness of the gang of six.
I had actually given the pair of them the benefit of a doubt.
After the meeting ,I drove  to Walmart to pick up a few odd and ends.  They're open twenty-four hours. While driving, another memory popped into my head.
Councillor Gallo was a candidate in the 2010 election. He didn't win. 
I was in the habit then of calling candidates who didn't win, to congratulate them on their showing  and encouraging them  to try again. 
I ran three times before I was elected, I know how it feels to win and I know how it feels to lose.Winning is better.
Councillor Gallo beat me to the phone.
In the poll, he had come in behind the runner-up,who came in behind the last man elected.
Councillor Gallo called  to ask me to step aside and let him have my seat.
People have different ideas about what represents an obscenity.      
    
  

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now that I had never heard. Thank you! So funny !

Anonymous said...

I was offended by your statements in 2009 and equally offended now.

Sormeh was/is a vibrant business in Aurora. If you got off your puritan behinds long enough to see for yourselves you would not have to make bone-headed statements like this. Honestly, what year is it?

Anonymous said...

1:48 PM
Heavens to murgatroyd! Laughter at the council meeting ? Off with her head! I've been to Sormeh and the gals there have a sense of humour. You need to lighten up.

Anonymous said...


Gallo was an unsuccessful candidate in 2006.

It was the resignation of Grace Marsh that led to Morris appointing him to serve out the balance of her term as the next highest vote getter. 90% or more wanted a by-election.

This was simply another example of Morris' Golden Rule - the public be damned.

Anonymous said...

To 3:34

Of course the girls there have a sense of humour. I think that you mis-read what I was saying. There is NOTHING wrong with their request four years ago and nothing wrong with it now.

Four years ago the request was denied - in part to Councillor Buck thinking that the place was a brothel because they wanted to put beds in there.

I was offended that a prudish stereotype has cast a dark cloud over their request. This is not a rub and tug in some industrial mall in Woodbridge for crying out loud.

Anonymous said...

4:45 PM
You are easily offended: they were not. Your political correctness is a pain. It was a joke - period. Now go and clean your plaque for the code of conduct. This is Aurora and we will laugh,. It is like Ballard being hugely upset by the word ' niggardly '. Full of sound and fury and plain ignorant.

Anonymous said...

To anonymous 4:02 PM.

Another part of the tragic comedy surrounding the resignation of Councillor Grace Marsh was the difference between what Her Worship Morris said the reasoning for the resignation was and what Grace ultimately explained. I guess it comes down to who you trust to tell the truth and I’ve come to learn that people tend to act in character.

I think that losing Grace Marsh from council was a huge red flag.