"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

Thursday 26 January 2012

In The Eye Of The Beholder

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Mardi Gras In Aurora Is Spectacular ..Kudos To The...":

"It was only elite as far as people who supported the cause, were willing to contribute and have a wonderful evening of fun and entertainment while they were at it."

How is this any different than any of the events with Councillor Ballard's involvement that have been slagged here as being elistist? I see a double standard.

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You see what you want to see.

I know nothing of Ballard's activities before he became a Councillor.

I know nothing of his  current extracouncilcurricular affairs.Whatever they are is  his business not mine. I have no interest in what  the Councillor  is up to.They have hereto not been slagged on this blog.

Yesterday I had an e-mail telling me he  was tweeting from the Council table after the decision   to grant the demolition permit.  The  inquiry was  whether or not  tweeting  is permitted.

Councillors are not students in  a classroom subject to teacher discipline though I grant that seems to have become  a common  concept.

People elected to the authority of public office should  be capable of exercising  judgement.  But  different people have a different understanding of judgement and ethics.

That's why a Code  for either  is a ridiculous concept.

Shameless pandering in my opinion is utterly degrading to everyone involved and completely lacking in decorum,judgement and ethics

Councillor Gaertner thinks it's  exactly a councillor's duty  to do what "the people " want.  The Councillor  is a strong proponent of ethics and good conduct. She always recognizes when either have been  contravened. 

And  My Goodness," the Code"  cannot be dismissed  for fear of being accused of not being in favour of proper conduct or ethics or both

And put at risk of running afoul of the judgement of someone like David Tsubuchi., an erstwhile Minister of Social Services who thought impoverished mothers should negotiate with supermarket managers for a lower price on a can of tuna in order to keep their children nourished.

For all I know, Councillor Ballard could have been tweeting for  advice about what to do once the vote was cast. He tried to get the item pulled after the agenda was approved. He called twice for recorded votes after a majority  had raised hands  in support of the motion. Like councillors might change their vote when they realised  their votes  would  form part of the record.

He tried everything he could think of to win the argument. He even plagiarised some of Christopher Watts comments. No wonder Christopher  was pleased with  the Councillor  comments . They were an echo of his own.

When all else failed  the Councillor tweeted.

I didn't see it.

Maybe we need  to consider  an  amendment to  the procedure bylaw.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

For those that need a reminder of the acquisations - including one from you Evelyn - you claim it did not happen here... here are some links.....

http://evelynmbuck.blogspot.com/2011/04/plot-for-play.html

http://christopherwatts.posterous.com/when-the-levee-breaks

http://christopherwatts.posterous.com/mission-accomplished