"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

Sunday 6 January 2013

Who's Up To Bat?

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "We Shall Not Be Moved":

I was wondering if maybe Mr Smith has finished the 3 terms that the Centre board claim to be allowed to i individual. Not sure that it matters.

*************
The agreement between the town and the board of governance was beforeCouncil in August 2010. Signers for the board were an interim chairperson and interim secretary, Susan Morton Leonard.

It's not three years since.
My understanding of the board's constitution is a member may serve three two-year terms.
At the last Council meeting when the proposed new agreement was received  two persons from the board attended. I was informed when I asked, one was "The President".
I'm not sure if that is the new title oftheheadof the board. or an addiotanal office.
in any case,the board has  not existed long enough for anyone to have served three two-year terms.
I did hear Susan Morton Leonard did not serve beyond interim.
I have also heard Mr.Smith is no longer a board member.
I have heard Mr. Layton does not intend to be a member much  longer.


  1. It's quite extraordinary I think,for Council to be handing over so much to a group of individuals we know nothing about. Who's up to bat?

The Mayor knows because he has been invited to attend their meetings.
While sworn to secrecy of course.
It really is an odd situation that. The Mayor attending meetings and agreeing to keep secrets from Council.
I'm not sure how that fits in with the role of the Mayor to provide Leadership and Guidance to an
Institution,required by law to conduct public business in public.
It occurred to me last week when I was listening to  problems the U.S. government was having arriving at an agreement to prevent going over the fiscal cliff; we have heard   Repeatedly the problems are related to "earmarks and entitlements"
The giveaways politicians can't be persuaded to give up.
We never had those before.
They were created by the last Council.
 Namely $50,000.  to the Historical Society for no service in. return
A hundred thousand to an eleven. Member volunteer. Group to spend as they see fit.
A million dollar giveaway to a culture group  to spend as they will without  accountability.
They started  in one term as earmarks. In a second term, they have become, with a new Council,
Entitlements
If we can't get rid of them  now, what chance the exception will become the norm.
The Municipal Act  permits Councils to make grants.
I am not aware of a section  of The Act that provides for earmarks and entitlements.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's another serious problem with dealing with the Centre. If something does go wrong, they will simply reply, ' This is a new Board ' and deny any responsibility. We have already heard them do it once.

Anonymous said...


Evelyn:

The agreement and lease between the Town and the Centre are dated June 9, 2009.

Accordingly I do not understand the date you reference in the first sentence of your post.

The Centre signatories to both documents were "interim."

Anonymous said...

Tomorrow in a Toronto court, we will see more about how the Municipal Act works or doesn't. If you are planning to go out on a limb, please make sure you have checked with individuals who understand that blasted thing. Off hand, I can't think of anyone who knows how it operates.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, sure. They can simply pull a " Ballard " & run for Council. Although it might not work quite so well a second time. Smith is much further down the alphabet & we already know him from the Centre. Once, maybe. Another time, maybe not. Just saying.

Anonymous said...

On Saturday, John Lorinc had an article in the Globe on Ford's appeal. It appears that his lawyer will argue, among other things, that the entire thing went wrong because the Integrity person made an incorrect call in ordering Ford to repay that small sum of money. There is nothing in the law that allows her to do such a thing.

Anonymous said...

"...is much further down the alphabet..."

It's funny how being at the beginning of alphabetical order benefited the now-deputy mayor.

Mighty Casey said...

... and who will strike out while swinging for the fences?

Anonymous said...

!2:23 PM & 12:25 PM
You really have to get a grip and stop double-posting nonsense. Casey knew when to hold fire and wait.

Anonymous said...

Someone is still seething because the electorate went right past it's name and all the way down to select Councillor Thompson.

Anonymous said...

"Casey knew when to hold fire and wait."

Too bad you can't exercise the same restraint - you need to "get a grip" on your compulsion to respond to my comments.