"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 13 September 2012

The Meaning Of Ethics

I'm having trouble with   comments again.
A response to a comment made at  a particular time is not useful  I can't keep going back  down the list looking for the time to identify the comment. 
Yesterday a comment referred to" a red-haired troll with a blog"
There's only one red-head on the scene I know. She is not a troll and she doesn't have a blog. But I published it anyway.
Later, I understood.I removed the comment.
It 's a pain trying to figure out  the comments .Not worth the trouble.
I am  going  to be more stringent. 
Ethics have been mentioned in the last couple of days. It reminds  me  of  Ethics  Professor, David Nitkin, the town's first Integrity Commissioner for ever such a brief time. . 
He  was so looking forward to the opportunity to elevate the level of discourse at the municipal level of government. 
First he scheduled two workshops,. To teach ethics.
They are not about morality. Nor  legality. Nor religion. 
Ethics are a separate discipline. 
Three people missed the first workshop; the Mormac duo and Councillor Gallo.
I asked at the end ofthe session,, how much experience the Professor  had had  with Municipal Councils?
He referred to collegiality.
Told us he had dealt with governments with blood on their hands. 
I shook my head sadly and warned him, not for the last time, they will not let you do your job. 
The second workshop was cancelled.  
Replaced with an oft-repeated  public display of  hubris about where the power lay. 
A lesser man might have been intimidated. 
 

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Chris Ballard ‏@Chris4Aurora

@dlkyorkeditor Not getting any support for the #Aurora councillor in question. Majority respondents say she's in a conflict. Out of control!

Something Fishy in Aurora said...

Seems you have raised the ire of the St. Kitts once again.

But Ebery ting be Irie Mon….




From George St. Kitts Blog.

http://georgestkitts.wordpress.com/

Get Your bids in for Music Festival 2013
Posted on September 12, 2012 by George St Kitts
Aurora Councillor and Champion of the people Evelyn Buck will put forward a motion for bids from other parties for a music festival in Aurora town park on the long august weekend. The Buck woman claims that this would resolve the serious problem of private business getting an opportunity to realise revenue from a public resource.
Ever since the Jazz festival started in 2009 this woman was against it, now she would like here friends to run it and would stop at nothing to keep St Kitts Music from being in involved. The Jazz festival is a non-for profit organization and no matter how much you say it, she would have you believe that the festival is a private business.
Let’s get the fact checkers out and prove this person wrong. Last year the festival donated $6000 to two charities. She’s been getting her facts wrong and lack the morality of a politican to say anything good about people unless it’s her friends. This what I say, hate me all you want but you can not take away the fact that I did this festival without your help and it was successful despite all your efforts to stop us we beat you at your own game.
So Bring on the Bids, who ever gets it will understand how much work and municipal support it takes to put on a music festival, you have no idea, no clue the work that is involved. I don’t have to prove anything to you, my record and talent speaks for itself.
I think the DM would love to have his own music festival, I hear he plays guitar.

Anonymous said...

Do I hear the squeal of cornered rats? So educational to have both Ballard & St. Kitts on the topic of ' ethics'. With the steady strum of rain, that makes my day!

Anonymous said...

Could someone please explain these 'Tweat ' things? and how we are getting them? I know zip about computers but Ballard claims to be an expert in communications. Could this be someone else using the heading? Surely he should not be this stupid? We should be careful unless someone is certain of the source of these items.

Anonymous said...

Of course Mr St. Kitts' group is non-for-profit. Everyone involved gets paid more than the 2 charities which are not even located in Aurora. Everything has already been said that can be said about that deal. It is simply a business operation and past time for Aurora to treat it as such. Nothing to do with music or charity.

Anonymous said...

For 10:29 AM (linked from Cllr Ballard's blog):

https://twitter.com/Chris4Aurora

Anonymous said...

Chris Ballard ‏@Chris4Aurora

#Aurora Councillor Buck - stop your political interference in the affairs of the #Farmers' Market. It is an independent group.

Anonymous said...

Ballard refers to " majority respondents ". Who would those individuals be besides good old Toby and the rest of the lemming? Not sure how many Council members are speaking to the little man. ( I use the diminutive as others have said that it offends him ).