"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 8 March 2014

It's About Service

Someone noted in a comment this morning that an opponent to the Heritage Designation is a friend of mine.

It's absolutely true.  Our friendship extends back forty years. Since before they bought their property.

Before we had a planning department.

When she came to see me in the Mayor's office to find out if their intention for the property would be acceptable to the town.

It  certainly was.

More than one generation of pre-schoolers  received warm nurturing care ,including two of my grandchildren , while parents worked to provide.

More than one single parent received desperately needed support, during the worst time of their lives.
when it could be accessed nowhere else.

I  saw two old,  shabby, idle,useless buildings  lovingly restored and  brought back  to use to add
substantially to the  town's assessment base.

They  asked for nothing.

Invested everything.

Enriched the community by their efforts.  And were good neighbors into the bargain.

Yes indeed , I am proud to call them friend.

As are all property-owners who invest  of themselves in  the community and make the  greater contribution to the well-being of the community.

They make no demands .

They expect  nothing but to be allowed to get on with their business without interference or  certainly in the case of  Heritage Designation , actually being deprived of their property rights.

If they ask I will advise . If they seek answers, I will provide them.

If they need my support against an uninvested bureaucracy, they shall have it.

I do not run for office to surrender my rights and become subservient.

I run to protect my rights and serve the rights of  others.

If that means head on collision with the entitlement class, I will do that with gusto.

If it means persuading people to their  best interest ,I will take that on as well.

It's a job worth doing and worth doing well.




5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, would that be one of those comments that you choose to not share with the group?

Anonymous said...

I think we are all finding that we have friends among the opponents of this project. I recognized someone in the crowd whose Dad worked for us when we first came to Aurora. He was about the same age as our kids. Now he has grown up, has a family and owns property the value of which is being threatened. I will not be asked for my opinion as we are in a different district. Nor will I intrude on their group. But they have my support right up to and including at the polls.

Anonymous said...

The question should have been how could you not have friends opposing the designation ? It appears to be broadly based and growing.

Anonymous said...

I apologize if this question has already been asked ...but how much did this SE Heritage Designation Plan cost taxpayers?

Anonymous said...

17:40
- Including the years of meetings & staff time blown on a blasted " vision " for a select few ?