"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

Tuesday 28 April 2015

WAMS....$440,000. SOFTWARE.......REMEMBER NOVEMBER 2011

This Saturday is Spring Planting Day in locations across Aurora, Newmarket,East Gwillimbury and 
Georgina.

Thousands  of trees  provided by South Lake  Conservation Authority will be planted by hundreds of volunteers organized by Neighborhood Network. 
More volunteers are needed.

Former Mayor Tim Jones continues to be involved with the helping organization contributing to the town's well-being eight years after leaving office.
I am reminded of early years when a location for planting was denied in Aurora. 

A small example of Mormac determination  without good intent. 

A comment this morning adjures blog-readers to
move on from Mormac. Easily said. 

Apparatus set up then through staff replacements and re-organization effectively and systematically centred the control.

Recent resistance to Council's attempt to exercise budget control is a sample.

Staff obstruction to a reduction had full support of the Mayor. He opposed the motion for staff to provide information on spurious logic there is not ongoing control in the treasury dept. 

What precisely was that $440,000.software for Work and Asset management system bought in November 2011 all about ? Is it up and running yet and how much more needed to be spent to get it there?

The disgraceful episode of obfuscation took place in public. How much goes on behind closed doors? 

The apparatus set up by the former suits the current Mayor just fine. Staff can safely ignore or challenge Council direction so long as the " repository" of  control is dominated by the head of council. 

Councillor Mrakas motion requiring specific information should have been immediately amended to reflect Councillor Kim's observation the decision can be made without further ado or information. 

As the Mayor said; "it is Council's prerogative"

The unseemly tussle between elected and appointed should have ended promptly and the cut made there and then.

It may still happen. It should. 

Maybe the days of bafflegab are coming closer to an end.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...


When you get two weak people as the heads of different municipal government functions, elected and hired staff, it is inevitable that the operation of both will be abysmal.

So we should not be surprised.

We pay out a lot for leadership which simply does not exist.

Anonymous said...


Tim Jones was probably the best mayor we've had in the last 20 years.

I'm not expecting everyone to agree.

Anonymous said...


One hundred years ago, almost to the day, the following words were put to paper:

IN FLANDERS FIELDS

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you from falling hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.


Lieutenant Colonel John McRae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army