"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

Sunday 10 April 2016

HE PUT IN HIS THUMB AND PULLED OUT A PLUM

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE PROBLEM": 

@15:36

You mean the one-term mayor who was turfed out on her ass by a raw political rookie? 

Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 9 April 2016 at 23:16

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The raw political rookie had a lot of help. About evenly divided between the previous Mayor's  performance and those who watched in horror, powerless to stop it until the election. 

Re-election was hardly due to the rookie's stellar performance in his first term. It was never going to be easy but he didn't even try. 

It's tempting for a candidate to believe voters recognize superior ability.  It's hardly likely.Voters will give a rookie a shot providing there's an opening. In this instance, it wasn't an opening ,it was a crisis. 

The norm is for incumbents to be re-elected Rookies are given a chance to show their mettle. 

The turn-out in the last election was poor. The oft-heard complaint was lack of choice between Mayoralty candidates. 

The challenger was the residual from the previous gang of six.

The incumbent had never accepted responsibility as head of Council. He looked after himself and himself alone. 

We have a new CAO  selected by this Council,  presumably based on full credentials. 

Yet nothing changes. 

The Mayor voted correctly on the Mavrinac land. It was bought improperly from cash-in-lieu parks fund. The Master Recreation Plan has established parks in the neighbourhood are better than adequate and further recommends the land should be sold and funds restored to the Reserve fund for intended use.  

Despite expert advice on his side,  the Mayor failed to lead Council in the right direction. He seemed content to cast an independent vote. 

It's not good enough.

The Mayor's role is spelled out in the Municipal Act. "Provide leadership,and guidance to Council"

As representative at the Region, the  Mayor is not subject to Aurora Council's direction. His vote is subject to his own judgement. 

He  repeatedly allows his  authority to be challenged by Council without offering the rational to properly  guide them. 

In his first term, the Mayor  secretly attended closed meetings with the private corporation created by the previous council to control newly renovated Church Street school. The solicitor advised him 
against the practise. He chose  to betray the trust of council and the community he represents
and look after his own political interest instead. 

Being a rookie in the sixth year of office is  neither an excuse nor a defense.  

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

"He looked after himself and himself alone."

This coming from such a 'team player' as yourself.

Anonymous said...

Most of that group had a cake walk to first get elected. It was a happenstance unlikely to occur again.

Anonymous said...


We will ever see an accurate expenditure or projection to completion of the the joint operations centre ? He was going to make it happen at any cost.

Anonymous said...



14:59

Yes, but no "shovel ready" university to whip into shape.

A five-star hotel would be nice, perhaps on library square. Hotel with condos above.

A centrepiece for "Our Town." No designer sidewalks.

Anonymous said...

We won't hear anything more about hotels until just prior to the next election. Maybe not even then if enough possibilities have ruled themselves out. Gallo's "leads " obviously were contingent upon his election. He have quite a number of promises and leads floating around.
I'm still waiting for that wonderful radio station to be run by the guy from Bradford in a town building.

Anonymous said...

19:42- He'll present them again in a couple of years.

Anonymous said...

That raw political rookie, along with his greenhorn deputy, certainly greased the wheels on your demise as a politician.

Anonymous said...

It's a recording studio and election tool.
Radio station my arse.

Anonymous said...

Look. the election is safe in the distance. I would settle for loosening up the traffic on Yonge. That actually could be done with the help of the Region. Right now Council is in snooze mode.