"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

Wednesday 2 October 2013

Tid Bit

At the close of the debate on the tree Bylaw last night, Councillor Gaertner had one last question.

"Is  $100,000. the maximum  penalty we can impose who cut down trees without permission"

Penalties and punishment  do appear to pre-occupy the councillor's attention.

It seems the group are still following in their mentor's footsteps.

Councillors Ballard and Gallo apparently brought an academic, a Professor no less, from Toronto University to  convey to people who attende their meeting that Aurora was in cure staits for loss of tree canopy.

Does anyone re-call the Professor who came from Trenton to testify that power lines caused
leukemia in children. The third and last time she came she had a suitcase full of gadgets to schill to protect   residents from "dirty"electricity in their homes.

The  fear strategy worked . the votes from that side of the town put the former Mayor into the chair,

Then there was the promise existing hydro lines would be buried deep in the ground .

That was never going to happen.

 But who remembers?

Oh yes  and  there was  another  Professor from York University invited by Her Honour to take the podium  during a Council meeting  and proclaim  to the world that his research proved all decisions  made by municipal councils were in favor of developers.

He had checked election expense statements of  Councillors in the GTA , but not Aurora, and determined it to be so. Kind of like reading the entrails.

He appeared on Roger's Cable with Jamie  Young a couple of times  and made the same clam.
Never  heard of again  after that.

Considering how many  government agencies have their hands on development proposals during the ten or fifteen  years it takes to get an application approved, the last  one being the municipal Council, I'm not sure how the less than eminent Professor came to his conclusion.

 I would concur  however  whoever benefits from Aurora Council decisions an  inordinate number  are not made to the advantage of the people at large.

 Ergo...the Bylaw to Permit Injury and Destruction to Trees

The vote last night was five to four. With Councillors Humfreys,Gaertner,Gallo and Ballard voting in favor   of the insanity.

It still has to be ratified by Council next Tuesday.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...


THE FOUR STOOGES.

Anonymous said...

I have absolutely no idea why there is this fixation on punishing those who disagree with you by that tight little unit. Councillor Ballard at one point on his Blog was ranting about dragging a property owner away in hand-cuffs for what he saw as a tree offence. Councillor Gaertner wants punitive fines, the higher the better, and Councillor Gallo still thinks a defamation suit which was tossed out by the courts has validity. It's all very old-Testament and frightening.