"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

Saturday 19 October 2013

The Play By Play



At Wednesday's meeting in the Council Chamber , the man in the  far right corner of the  front row admonished me  from his lofty perch.

"We don't want to hear that back and forth stuff,"he said. "We're tired of all that"

I   had told the  applauding crowd  that The Presence  had told them what she knew they wanted to hear.

I thought  the man in  the corner had scored a point.  Then I remembered . I can continue this discussion on the blog.

It's such a comfort.

If the unrequired school site turns out to be the issue  the Councillor intends to hang his hat for re-election or a bid for the chair,  he can no longer do so without the rest of town knowing  his strategy.

The Auroran will tell them. I 'll fill in details with the play by play.

The buzz around town is whether The Presence is grooming the  Junior  Councillor for a run at the chair.

Or  do both  Mighty Challengers intend to  exploit the incumbent's faltering start?

Has  a   Faustian deal been made not to attack each other  but combine attacks on the incumbent.

Former Councillor and Mayoralty candidate ,Nigel Keane could  advise the Councillor  on that.  He learned from sad experience.

So...if the meeting was  a campaign kick-off  in disguise , defence men were  strategically placed in the crowd . Purpose being to shift the puck  to provide opportunity for  repeat slap shots by the candidate.

No other team  was on the ice.

The  audience was by invitation.

Not much of a challenge.

Whether or not a vacant site becomes a park  is neither here nor there .

In the grand scheme of things , the Candidate -Councillor  doesn't need to be  fully informed before taking a position.

No debate is taking place.

There  was  a rallying  cry from  Gaertner the Valiant , who rose to her full height and  called upon the crowd to recognise  The Presence .

"She who always fought for you "

It  obviously wasn't in the script.  The response was tepid at best.

So ... cynical,,,you  say.

Not so, I say.

It's a  particularly sly and virulent  but less than subtle style of politics introduced  in the community a few years ago.

It's not Aurora style.

The path behind  is littered with the fallen, from the political , administrative and  citizenry of Aurora  who  unwittingly ran afoul of The Presence and her followers, the Councillor-  undeclared- candidate being one.

They will not forget.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can see them bullying councillors into trying to stick a park into that restricted space. The majority did vote against their own tree by-law and against legal advice just recently. The problem for them lies with actually creating the park. It calls to mind the previous council's endless court appearances against West Hill. Cost a fortune, had no chance of succeeding and failed.

Anonymous said...

If Gallo is going for mayor, not distancing himself from her will sabotage his chances. By now reinforcing the connection, it kills his campaign at the outset.

Anonymous said...


This little man is still a boy.

Anonymous said...


We have seen it all before . The same group promised to bury the wires on Bayview . Didn't happen.
The play is right from the Romans. You get support if you provide the citizenry with circuses.

Anonymous said...


Thank you 11:18, your analysis is perfect. But if by some fate of luck Gallo was to win (vote splitting or whatever) would this make her "Presence" the defacto mayor?

Anonymous said...

15:32
I agree with the gender of your ' Presence ' but believe I'm not thinking about the same individual. I'm focused on someone with good planning skills , etc. who wants to pull the strings.

Anonymous said...

We do not want to get the horse in front of the cart here. It is still early with no evidence of who might run for office. If you just look at Council, Councillor Ballard is just as likely to be thinking the top spot as Councillor Gallo. Our speculation is premature, IMO.

Anonymous said...

Let’s please try to get off the topic of Gallo running for Mayor….I just had dinner.

Anonymous said...

Is Gallo try to be

"Hair to the throne".

Damn that funny.

Anonymous said...

17:27
Mort de rire. Merci !

Anonymous said...

Passing strange that one who claims not to care about his personal appearance would avoid that Movember guy-thing with the whiskers.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant post , Absolutely Brilliant !!!!!