"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 14 October 2012

A Febrile Argument

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Three Questions And Answers":

"It's reasonable therefore to take that to mean strong sentiment within the community."

No, it isn't reasonable to make that extrapolation. A group of people (with various concerns and motivations) putting pressure on a smaller group (Council) doesn't equate to widespread dissatisfaction. The vast majority of the "the community" is disengaged and/or apolitical - they remained oblivious to any issue.

************
So, if the "vast majority" is "disengaged and apolitical" it  means those who are engaged should be discounted.

Town Council, although elected to represent the entire community , equates to a "smaller group" and doesn't count either.

So it is argued, by default, the community supports a three point annual increase in the tax rate to support free access to art and culture and free facilities to  pedal  non-adjudicated art and culture  from throughout York Region and beyond.

Facilities that already provided space for groups pursuing artistic endeavour could be raided to fill  space at Church Street School
to make it seem like a success.

Even  the Seniors' Singalong was  encouraged to abandon the beautiful facility provided , also at taxpayers expense, to be held  at the pirated museum facility, to justify  thievery. 

So that the elite among us could tilt their noses  and claim to be the elite among us. 

"Out, Out , damned spot"  you say
But nay!
All the Waters of Arabia, do not sweeten the sell-out

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Reverse snobbery is a very unattractive trait.

Anonymous said...

The engaged and political measure only a small number of our town's residents. A dispute or issue amongst that group can't be claimed to be town-wide.

Those calling for change and those responding to that call were only a tiny fraction of the populace. The overwhelming majority of Aurorans just went about their daily lives without an inkling of any kerfuffle.

You may find that sad, or hard to believe, but that's the situation. How many even bother to get out and vote one day every four years?

Anonymous said...

It all boils down to the free use of an Aurora owned building that continues to gobble up taxpayer dollars. The town never could afford such largesse. It certainly can no longer sustain the unjustified drain.

Anonymous said...


The existing agreement with the Centre signed in June, 2009 contains 10 pages, the last primarily for signatures.

The lease agreement of same date runs to 17 pages and really does not require "renegotiation."

The Town Solicitor's Report to Council in December, 2011, totals 8 pages, the last primarily for signatures. But the gist of the report's observations and recommendations could be put onto 4 pages at most.

So how do we arrive at a report from the Ad Hoc (Ad Nauseam) Negotiating Team to be presented to Council 73 pages in length?

How long will it take Council to consider this and has the Town Solicitor made a contribution to either the drafting or will he by way of opinion to Council?

Anonymous said...


Do you know if the services of the Facilitator were required by the Ad Hoc, and if yes, at what cost?

Anonymous said...

3:23 PM Say what? Are you trying to pigeon-hole residents again? To try & guess about income, background and education & then form assumptions? Again? If there is any envy appearing on Evelyn's Blog, it originates in your comments. You cannot actually ' do ' yourself & it infuriates you to read what is written. But you can't break away, can you?

Anonymous said...

Some people seem to think that we can afford $500,000 a year along with free reign of a building, in support of a subsidy for black tie cultural events and yet we don’t have a dime for the food bank. What does that say about us as a community ?

Anonymous said...

To: 9:14 AM

Will you get off the Food Bank band wagon. It is not the job or responsibility of a Municipality to fund Food Banks!

You don't get it!

Anonymous said...

Actually supporting the Food Banks depends upon the town. Maybe it involves a by-law, but it certainly is not a cut-and-dry affair. Georgina supports their version although some of the residents believe that they should give more. I can't imagine such a thing in Aurora which is sad given other instances of hand-outs.

Anonymous said...

I have read what Mr Garbe say, although it is puzzling how and why he spoke about this matter to the press. Who authorized him to do so? More to the point, this is not a ' new ' working agreement. It does not even come into effect until 2014 which makes it distant at best, Nothing changes in the mean time. And that is what all the stalling has been supposed to accomplish.

Anonymous said...

"It does not even come into effect until 2014 which makes it distant at best"

No, the NEW agreement comes into effect in 2 1/2 months (1 January 2013).

The Aurora Room arrangement will be implemented a year later, although the whole Aurora Collection/Heritage Park situation could make that unnecessary.

Anonymous said...

11:48 AM You sound so positive. It is still a bunch of malarkey. The stalling tactics worked. The White Knight's attempt to negotiate in secret ate up time, money and good will.