"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

Friday 16 August 2013

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

When a  question is decided, it  is not  allowed to be considered again for a period of six months.

Unless and except if a  motion to re-consider is brought forward by a member who voted with the majority and the motion is supported by two-thirds of the members. 

No member  who voted with the majority, there were five, put forward such a motion on Tuesday or referred to the poll. 

Had the agenda proceeded to New Business, the Auroran Poll and  the 87%opposition to the Youth Centre space might have been raised. Likely, it would have been ruled out of order by the Chair.

The statement has been made ,Aurora is not a small town any more. 

I suggest, in the minds of some, Aurora is not a town at all. it's little more  than a unit of  the Region  of York. 

Maintaining  the town 's character is  generally a solemn commitment  by candidates at the time of  election.  I doubt anything less would  win support . 

The population is 55,000.   The election list is around  33,000.  It's bigger than it was  fifty-three years ago. Proportionately, Aurora is  NOT a big town. Not too big for the people to understand the disproportionate level of spending and taxation. 

$52. million  operating budget is staggering. 

Too big for  people  not to have a  sense their interest is not being  well served. 

The Mayor is  certainly not alone in his  view  the town no longer belongs to the people it serves ,

I am  equally sure I am not alone in my view ,the town  continues to belong to the people and Council is elected to serve the community at large. 

Theoretically,  we will not discover  the numbers on either side until the next election. 

In the meantime,  I will continue to believe  I know what this community expects of me. 

I don't think this Mayor has anything to teach me  that I need to know about the Town of Aurora 

He most certainly doesn't believe  he  can learn from me. 

I was here fifty-three years ago.

I am here now. 

I have a better sense of  change than the Mayor, 

I've seen more of it. 

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

I moved here in 1960. I  was a candidate for the first time in 1963.  First elected in 1967.





3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I believe the people of Aurora believe we are a town standing alone. But…Unfortunately we are a very small unit of the Region and from what I can see, staff reports and the Mayor are reflective of that. Not only do we have to pay attention to Aurora council, but to the Region and it’s council to understand or to make sense of Aurora’s budget and growth plans. Unfortunately our Mayor is the only representative for our Town to the Region. I don’t think anyone really knew about the Region’s $2 Billion debt! And I really don’t think anyone really understands that Aurora is part of that debt!

Anonymous said...

10:22
The Region's debt has been discussed on thisBlog on numerous occasions. Some comments have been very knowledgeable & specific about how & why this happened.[ Not from me as I had not known then.] And why it keeps getting worse. It is too warm out for me to start that ball rolling again. Maybe someone else has the energy. Suffice it to say that the debt is not new news.

Anonymous said...

"I moved here in 1960. I was a candidate for the first time in 1963. First elected in 1967."....

And you still think that we should run the Town like it was in the early 60s.

If Aurora is NOT a big Town, what is the point that it becomes a big town? 53 years ago I assume it was a small town? Are we still a small town? I know of cities in Ontario that are smaller than Aurora (by population).

Most people that I talk to think the Town is responsible to pick up their garbage (it says Town of Aurora on the blue boxes and green bins). Everything else is a York responsibility.