"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

Friday 23 October 2009

Councillor Bob

Mine was not the only vote against the Mosaic Lighting issue. Councillors Marsh and Collins Mrakas did vote for it . They were persuaded the safety of the residents was a factor and the Town was responsible.

Councillor McRoberts was not in favour of it from the beginning. But Bob tends to be very canny and careful. That's not a failing. But in this Council, if you are too canny and careful, it's easy for your voice to be drowned out.

It wasn't that way with Bob on the Mosaic issue. The agreement that eventually came before the Council had the two parties paying half of the $10ks to connect Canadian Tire lights to the
public lighting system

The annual cost of power coming from our system to theirs,was in the single digits. Bob pointed out if they split the cost of power it would take several decades to spend more than the $10k it took to break out the cement to run the power through. Why wouldn't the parties simply agree to share the cost of power.

At one point, I pointed out anybody else doing that would be charged with stealing. People in the UK do stuff like that all the time. It's different culture. Different political history.

Sometimes people can't see simple simply because it's so simple.

When the Irish were dying of starvation during the potato famine,there was no shortage of food. Only potatoes. People were allowed to die because there were no potatoes. No potatoes to eat. No potatoes to sell.They had no means to buy anything else. So.... they died.

Or left Ireland in their thousands, to go across the Channel to the UK or the Atlantic in leaky boats to New York.... as refugees.... not from a famine.... from a society that didn't care...from a place where they would hang a seven year old child for stealing a loaf of bread.

In the Mosaic lighting issue, the Mayor vowed, "when people come to me for help, I am going to help them, no matter what".

The rest of Council didn't have anything memorable to say. All that was needed from them was their acquiescent vote. Which as yet, they have never failed to deliver.

4 comments:

someone who loves this town more than politics said...

When I read a blanket statement like "when people come to me for help, I am going to help them, no matter what".

You can't help but discard this as another example of our Mayor acting "wholly political"

For someone who prides herself on protocols and procedures she sure seems to turn her back on them when it comes time to serve the public.

Replace "public" with "special interest groups" and the picture is complete.

Countdown to Nov 2010 said...

Special interest groups, and good ol' fashioned pork-barrel politics will be on the agenda for the next year.
It's our money, and we have every right to call her on any expense.

Anonymous said...

"When it comes time to serve the public"... A lot of politicians talk about their calling to "serve the public" or their sanctiomonious "call to public life." As far as I can see politicians are only interested in their egocentric need to serve... their egos, their own agendas and their own ambitions. The rest of us can go to hell if we don't have a use in "serving" or furthering those needs. Mayor Morris is a particulalry good example.

Anonymous said...

" had the two parties paying half of the $10ks to connect Canadian Tire lights to the public lighting system " - sounds like the town paid 50% would be incorrect

Correction needed -

" had the two parties EACH paying half of the $10ks to connect Canadian Tire lights to the public lighting system"