"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

Saturday 17 November 2012

Ivory Towers, Castles In The Sky And Other Bafflegab.

While I have the book in hand, I wish to copy something  for your consideration. 
The cover reads Capital Investment Plan 2013. 
First para:

As a result of the concept of a singular "Cash to Capital" reserve allocation from tax levy, and the internal funding of capital coming from resultant "infrastucture" and other reserves, there is no direct impact of funding the capital budget . As such, the committee recommended capital budget is based on NEED rather than on funding issues.

Some projects proposed have a direct impact on operating costs and where applicable and significant, these are noted within each project'

______________________________________________   
  
Link to Strategic Plan. 
In preparation of this year's Capital Investment plan. staff considered the Town's Strategic Plan  Vision. Goals and Objectives., particularly 1 and 2 of the Community Goal.  ("Supporting an Exceptional Quality of Life ") and two objectives of he Natural Environmental Goal ("Supporting Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability")
Together these four objectives are:
-"Improve Transportation.Mobility and Connectivity"   
-" Invest in sustainable Infrastructure"
-"Encourage the stewardship of Aurora's natural resources"
-"Promoting and Advancing Green Initiatives"

As a result, all  Growth and New projects and Studies  and Other projects include  a statement of their link to the Strategic Plan . All 
Repair and Replacement projects are in place to insure that existing infrastructure assets remain functional.
_____________________________
 Back to me now:
I invite you to read the above critically It is what I do. I'm not sure how other Councillors approach responsibility. Judging by the last two budgets, there may well be a difference
Take the first sentence.     
As a result of the concept of a singular "Cash to Capital" reserve allocation from tax levy, and the internal funding of capital coming from resultant "infrastructure" and other reserves, there is no direct impact of funding the capital budget.

It says because  cash from  taxes is allocated  to a reserve account, when we spend it, it has no direct impact of funding thecapital budget. 
That's like dipping a hand into the taxpayer's pocket, taking out every last penny in there, putting it into a tin box , then taking it out of the tin box to spend it,  arguing it didn't come out of your pocket in the first place.
So it doesn't have an impact on the taxes you pay.
It's there in writing.
I am not making it up. 
I look around the table for a glimmer of realisation of  lack of reason . 
I see none.
Month's were spent on  $85,000 exercise of  a twenty year  Strategic Plan.  
At the end, it was  blithely adopted . Staff were ecstatic. Carte blanche was given  to design budgets for the next twenty years to meet the Plan's lofty goals. Such as providing "an Exceptional  quality of life to the community"
No matter  other factors, like unemployment,  under-employment  or heavy family responsibilities such as a single-family parent might experience, town staff  were authorised to blindly pursue esoteric 
objectives  which may or may not be relevant to people's lives. 
"Ivory towers"  has never been a more meaningful term. 
No Council has ever more willingly divested itself so completely of  authority to represent the people who voted them into office.       

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

All were duly elected.
As were you.
If folks don't like how they meet their responsibilities they'll be replaced.
That's how the system works.

Anonymous said...


We should use some of this non-money that won 't be missed because it didn't exist in the first place to construct a medium security holding centre into which we could place for varying lengths of time those members of Council - Mayor/councillors as the case may be - and senior staff, who could consider repenting their ways while in the lock-up.

They would have access to outside exercise areas where at certain times members of the community could come and throw mature tomatoes and eggs at them.

Anonymous said...

Christopher has lift-off!

Anonymous said...

There is another strange concept that has been used. When a decision is made not to do a particular project, the money that might have been spent is moved into the ' saved ' column and becomes something over which to boast.
Creative book-keeping and semantics.

Anonymous said...

Sounds a lot like ' funding issues ' to me. Not NEEDS.
Taxpayers do understand needs. They have their own budgets with which to contend. And they surely can comprehend a reserve fund. Besides Evelyn, only Councillor Thompson appears to be capable of crunching numbers. There was a single instance of Councillor Gallo discovering a major book-keeping error but that appears to have been a fluke.
Best they all just consider that every single cheque written comes from the Town's assets. Perhaps that would be simple enough?

Anonymous said...

Thank you, 1:26 PM, for your completely constructive contribution to the conversation. You are a credit to this blog.

An Honest Question: said...

Why shouldn't we aspire to an "Exceptional Quality of Life" here in Aurora?

Anonymous said...

CBC News announces 10,980 federal jobs have been cut to assist with the budget.
Balance that with: Aurora COA declares that more staff are required, the conditions for staff must be improved in the Town Hall and that the problems with the audit had to do with inadequate staffing. The Management Team have examined their section of the budget and can find no further cuts to be made.
Now, tell, me, who is living in the real world?

Anonymous said...

Neat. You take from Paul to give to Peter without making a difference in the bottom line. Doesn't work for me but it sounds good.

Anonymous said...

And there I was thinking the council meeting was boring except for Ballard's legalistic nonsense. Thank you.
I was concerned the nasty thing might be ill but see it here in 2 comments three minutes apart. All is well.

Anonymous said...

3:48 PM That was really lame. Has Maureen Dowd's writing intimidated you?

Anonymous said...


Thank you for the compliment 3:45 PM.