"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 4 June 2014

A Lot Could Be Accomplished in Five Months

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "It's a Long Road That Doesn't Have a Turn":

17:48, your scenario describes the opposition to the SEHCD. 


Posted by Anonymous to Our Town and Its Business at 4 June 2014 18:1


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

You're right. 

What does it mean.? 

Have we turned a corner  perhaps?

The election isn't for five months. What could we accomplish , if we put our minds to it.?

Could we make a decision on library square. All the reviewing and studying  ,seeking public input and recommending is done? We just have to do it.

We can open the  Petch House , schedule a few different events. Let staff do what they  do .Just add it to all the other nice things that happen , Maybe we should rent it out on a monthly basis.

We could  award the contract for the all season sports in the location  identified.

if the  Aurora tennis club  doesn't want to pay  maybe another club will  and that would be for the operator to decide.

The  $26.9 million joint facility  could be put on hold.

We could talk to the United Church about plans for the Yonge  Street site. Maybe we could swap
for the old library site.

We could acquire two vacant sites  on Yonge Street  near the library. Nobody's been able to come up with a plan for forty years. We set up a reserve with funds in lieu of parking . We can make it happen.

We could give the Culture Board  Notice of termination and  cut off their funding. Make them selff-suffieient.

Have the museum operating before the end of the term.

We could give notice of termination   to the soccer bubble operator  contingent  upon responsibility for regional and education taxes being paid by the lessee.

The  Farmers  Market Bylaw could be changed to reflect the town's vision of what a market should be. Vendors with stuff to sell that people want to buy.

We could make an appointment with the  minister  of National Defence and  put it to him straight. We need to take back our hydro building . They know how  it is to have to make compromises.  Giving up  a Lease on a municipal building can't  be that big a deal considering  everything they have to manage.

We could  thank volunteers and give early termination to advisory committees. See how  the town business functions without them for five months. t would save a bundle,

It's an extensive list.

I think we could get most of it done before we  ask to be re-elected.

We have enough people on the payroll that;s for sure.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

It could all be done if the will is there...
In the interim, Peace, Lady. You cannot do all the heavy lifting by yourself.

Anonymous said...

Okay, here's a challenge for everyone - try to come up with a stupider idea than this:

"We could talk to the United Church about plans for the Yonge Street site. Maybe we could swap
for the old library site."

Anonymous said...


I agree with most of your list.

The only problem is that these matters require decisions in favour by at least five of the nine.

This is unlikely to happen without deferral, referral and further study.

Some council members seem to have a problem deciding whether to get out of bed in the morning; they seem to require a committee.

Anonymous said...

20:43
You haven't been around much have you?

Anonymous said...

20:43...and don't forget a study!

Anonymous said...

A lot longer than you I'll bet, 21:18.

Anonymous said...

20:43
The only idea that more stupid is this one:

"We could make an appointment with the minister of National Defence and put it to him straight. We need to take back our hydro building."

I am sure the minister would be happy to discuss this. WTF ??

Two things that Aurora Council and the members of Aurora Council need to remember.

1. You should only deal with things that are within your area of responsibility.

2. Stop trying to go back and fix things that you feel are broken.

At the beginning of this term, council spent a huge amount of time and resources trying to do the second item above. Renaming streets, removing chicanes, etc. It appeared in the beginning that they were doing a lot of stuff. Fast forward to the second half of the term and all of those things are done and when it's time to do REAL work, things bog down.

Evelyn this council has not been able to achieve much in 3 1/2 years, it is fantasy to think that anything will be achieved in 5 months.

Anonymous said...

If someone is trying to figure out how long E's troll has been on site, it goes back at least as far as the last election. It attached itself then & seldom misses an opportunity to try to diminish her Blog and any who might comment.

Anonymous said...

Scott Johnston has another good article. I would love to see him run for council but am conflicted if that would mean losing him as a cartoonist & columnist. It would be great to have someone else at the table with a sense of the ridiculous to keep Evelyn company.

Anonymous said...

Cllr Buck, by posting this unrealistic (delusional?) wish list you expose what a fantasist you are. Maybe not the best course of action heading into an election.

Anonymous said...

@11:13
Do you not realize that Evelyn is having you on ?

Anonymous said...

11:13, she's having us all on.

Anonymous said...

12:56

Of course she is having us on... you would have to be daft to consider that anything can be achieved in 5 months.

She's a Retrograde Motioner said...

Instead of doing, it's all about undoing.

Anonymous said...


During the last term a Freedom of Information request was filed asking to see the detailed costs of outside lawyers that the town had retained for a specific length of time.

This information had been sought by a question to the former and had been ignored.

Council is accountable to taxpayers for the expenditure of public funds.

Are we going to have to go through another FOI to get similar information not just on Councillor Abel's Motion, that was voted down, but on all legal costs associated with the former in whatever role she played?

If it is premature to provide this now, the Town Solicitor should state the time at which making this information public will occur.

Anonymous said...

14:46
u r blowing smoke - so sorry to hear about your losses with the SEHD & Heritage Park - not

Anonymous said...

All the residents of Aurora lost, 18:54.

Anonymous said...

The "loss" of the SEHD and Heritage park has saved the town and residents millions of $$$.

Anonymous said...

19:55
Just reached in my wallet... and my money is still there. What loss?