"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

Monday 12 January 2015

To be precise

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Code of Conduct 2":

It's too bad we can't discuss this without the political side-bar. It would have been better, perhaps, if the complaint in Newmarket had come from a different source. It muddles our thinking.
I kind of keep going back to Evelyn's phrasing that if something isn't good enough for everyone it should not be made available to anyone.

Posted by Anonymous to Our Town and Its Business at 11 January 2015 at 16:57


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

The actual quote was ; "if we  can't do it for everyone ,we can't do it for anyone"

It was made  in response to a question I was asked at an all-candidates' meeting organized by Sport Aurora. 

Council gave the  organization office space  telephone service and address at the Aurora Town Hall. 

I opposed the decision. 

I was asked why I was opposed to volunteers in Aurora sports organizations being given the consideration by Council.

I found out later most of the organization members were not from Aurora..

Sport Aurora sells associate memberships at $250. a crack. 

St Andrew's College is a member. St Andrew'built an ice arena and didn't have to pay the development charge like everybody else.  I think they are now in competition with the town for the 
sale of ice time.

I wonder if that will have the same impact on their  tax status as the Soccer bubble did on the Legion field. 

Sport Aurora also publishes a magazine. It is essentially a successful advertising publication and competes with the Town and local media  for advertising  business. 

As a not-for-profit organization, Sport Aurora  is eligible for  Trillijm grants because of the
contribution they make to the community.Having  the town hall as address no doubt helps.

When then Cojncillor Ballard  successfully argued in his first year,if the St Kitt's Jazz Featival didn't get support from their own municipality , how could they be successful in an application for a Trillium grant.

Council increased the "sponsorship" and the  Snowball,group did  receive $75,000 Trillium grant.

I didn't  support that vote either.

St. Kitts were  MLA  Ballard's guests in  the  Legislative Assembly at Queen's Park recently as prominent residents of the  town.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

"St Andrew'built an ice arena and didn't have to pay the development charge like everybody else. I think they are now in competition with the town for the sale of ice time."

That was a ludicrous decision. Millionaire alumni soliciting subsidization from Aurora taxpayers was preposterous - but that's how you get to be wealthy, I suppose.

Anonymous said...

I could be wrong but I thought the town had some sort of deal with St. Andrews in regards the waving of those development fees.

Anonymous said...

I think there was a precedent, 13:28, that SAC made sure to remind the Town.

Anonymous said...


Unfortunately we usually only get to pass judgement on MPP's every four years.

As for who is prominent or are prominent residents of the town, I can only let that pass as a piece of wishful thinking on some dummy's part.

Anonymous said...

13:28
At the time, the town was ASSURED that there would be no competition & that town residents would be able to use the facilities when the school did not require their use.

Anonymous said...

The St Andrews vote was a lesson.
At the GC there was a very strong case made by most of the councillors that SAC should pay its share. By the time of Council meeting, the same individuals were going in the other direction. I was really disappointed in a couple of them - that courage thing again.

Anonymous said...

Lack courage?... Maybe. Of was it one of those obligation things?

Anonymous said...

Council is going to have its work a mite heftier this term. The list of people and groups wanting a chunk of the Hydro money grows ever longer. I am guessing the tennis folk who rejected the bubble idea are going to the end of the line.