"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 7 March 2012

What You See Is What You get

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post 

So, judging by the four like-minded participants, will today's episode be called "Perspective"? I'm sure we can anticipate a balanced, objective discussion of the issues from these four on-the-record termination proponents.

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

It 's  understood Councillor Ballard and the Culture Centre Board were invited  to participate and declined.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Really, Tracy Smith declined the cameras? Awesome !

Anonymous said...

No wonder they declined, it would be an ambush.

The Board does not answer to the TV hosts/players - why would they participate? I think the majority of the public is on their side anyways - whether they live in Aurora or not.

Anonymous said...

I believe Councillor Gallo also declined. I have often wondered what it would take to make John Gallo admit to an error. This is a biggie! He sat back and watched his fellow councillors be bullied when he knew that the real problem was the ACC refusal to negotiate. A bad mistake because it resulted in Aurora seeing the way the ACC conducts their business. What was originally a cursory look at the operation has been replaced by resentment and anger. They certainly brought it down on their own heads.

Anonymous said...

I have watched the first 15 minutes of Perspectives this afternoon.

Apparently Councillors Ballard and Gallo together with Mayor Dawe and ACC president Layton were all invited to participate. All declined. The ACC Board comment was an exercise in excremental verbiage.

Ballard, Gallo and Gaertner are anthropomorphic characters from a bad play. It's interesting how they all appear desirous of celebrity, notwithstanding that they have no redeeming values whatsoever.

I can't help but wonder how an adult male has the brass to appear in public hirsute in black and white stripes; was this intentional or an accident? Was this the result of a lost wager? What did this cost and who can replicate it? Was this local or imported?

On the other hand, the fair Windy has improved her appearance immeasurably as a result of her coif. The third sports a gel job best found under an automobile when the mechanic sneezes and misses the pail.

But these are side issues.

It appears that the ACC had legal counsel during the drafting of the three agreements that form the relationship between the Town and the Centre. This seems to have been funded by the Town despite the Town not having a competent professional to represent its interest and this situation no doubt contributed to the poorly drafted agreement that is now the subject of much discussion following the Town Solicitor's Report dated December 6, 2011. What particularly rankles is that the Town apparently paid in the order of $8,000 for the ACC's lawyer, who now turns out to be a former Councillor and who apparently sat in glowering attendance in the front row at the Council meeting on February 28.

What disturbs me is Mr. Ballard's propaganda paper presently on his website, fomenting continuing public outcry over the treachery that has been unleashed by Councillors Able and Pirri concerning their apparent attempt at destroying the ACC. This sort of thing must stop and Ballard should be publicly admonished to control his neurotic outbursts.

If the parties have another three weeks to attempt a negotiated resolution, the less said the better by the emotional hyenas baying at the moon in our town hall. Let the process work and see what is produced.

Anonymous said...

I guess that asking elected officials and those folks spending the town's money to answer tough questions based on fact wouldn't fit with the program.

Anonymous said...

Where the blazes is Mayor Dawe?

Anonymous said...

4:54 PM
You are only entitled to speak for yourself. The majority of Aurora taxpayers voted in the last election and they certainly didn't elect ' the board'.

Anonymous said...

I marvel at the thought? process of 4:54PM There speaks one who Occupied Town Hall lecturing about ambushes. Gimme a break!

Anonymous said...

Ballard is the absolutely perfect example of that boy who cried ' Wolf!' When he hollered that the ACC was under attack, there simply was no attack, although I had wished for one. Now they may well be under attack and their lawyer is going to be studied by the Law Society. Such is wish-fulfillment. Mine, for sure. We have a group of very nasty selfish people in out town and it was Ballard who cried ' Wolf!'

Anonymous said...

I watched the program and saw Bill Hogg make a determined effort to show how the ACC might argue, difficult as not a single one of their board was ' available'. But Jamie Young had better watch the waters around his job. Either Bill or Alison could replace him without any effort. I think it would be good if they alternated shows. That would allow them to keep up with their regular jobs. And they should be paid, unlike now with Alison where she works free for the Auroran.

christopher watts said...

In response to 4:54 PM

As a panel member last night I would like to address the notion brought forward (not suprisingly by a cowadly anonymous nobody) that representation by anyone favoring extending or negotiating the extention of, opposed to termination of the currently flawed Cultural Services agreement would be an "ambush".

Here again we witness reference to confrontation and rhetoric of war and fighting. None of which was present last night and I believe the show is a record of a debate that the community wanted desperately to have on Feb 28th and instead the majority of council bowed to a circus who wanted not to debate the motion but instead the fear that the termination of the CSA would immediately mean the cease of culture in our town.

The Board of the Cultural Center and the Town of Aurora are clearly emboiled in a communications nightmare.

If this anonymous nobody claims to speak on behalf of the board to say "The Board does not answer to the TV hosts/players" then who exactly do they answer to? The agreement places an all to convenient (for them) arms length arrangement to answer appropriately to the town.

Why would they participate?

Because it is incumebt upon them in their communications strategy as per the allmighty Novita report.

Because they constantly claim they are accountable, yet accountability seems never to fall outside the rigidity of the CSA that has been recognized by legal opionon as containing no fewer than 28 omissions and shortcomings.

Because they agreed at the microphone to do better in regards to communication.

Becasue by not participating they do nothing to reinforce the "good faith" that they continue to expect in their dependant partner : The Town of Aurora and all of its stakeholders.

Because by not engaging those with specific questions regarding the components of the agreement the Centre and its board does nothing but reinforce a stand-offish position and one that does nothing to serve its desire to be a "hub" for all of Ontario.

As for thinking the "majority of the public is on their side" perhaps some evidense of this would go a long way to support this claim.

A Facebook group with friends including dogs does not.

A bunch of passionate people riled up by fearmongering does not.

A large pause follwing a simple question at the microphone regarding willingness to cooperate does not.

Those that chose not to participate last night did so for their own reasons, but whatever they were they only served to add to the growing disapointment in the operational and governance of the Cultural Centre and emphasizes the need for the town to step up to the plate now, more than ever.

Anonymous said...

To 4:54 PM

"An ambush" ! Answering a few factually based questions is not what I would call "an ambush" unless of course you can’t defend your position.

At least no one will be fired or sued with tax payer dollars for something they didn't do or something they had every right to do. Now that's what I call an ambush !

Something Fishy in Aurora said...

Any chance the program will be available to view online?

Anonymous said...

11:27 AM
Are you really comparing the secretive, manipulating ACC board with a committee? A committee that refuses to negotiate, masses outside, ill-informed supporters under the pretext that the ACC doors will be shut, who refuses to let the Mayor of Aurora report to his own Council ? The list goes on and we do not expect sincere negotiations anytime soon. Do you ? Some committee !! !!!

Anonymous said...

11:27 AM
Yet another Quibbler. Enough voters went to the polls to elect the current Council. Enough is just fine. Would you care to comment on the Mar Report and set a precedent for ACC supporters?

Anonymous said...

"The list goes on and we do not expect sincere negotiations anytime soon. Do you ?"

I do. Fortunately, they have already started, despite Councillor Buck's wish to derail them. Luckily for the town's residents, saner heads are prevailing.

Anonymous said...

7:48 PM
Those would of course be secret negotiation not involving the people who pay the bills. Just more smoke-screen and mirrors. A protected interest is being shielded for greedy free-loaders as usual.