"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 10 April 2016

NO APOLOGY HERE

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "HE PUT IN HIS THUMB AND PULLED OUT A PLUM": 

"He looked after himself and himself alone."

This coming from such a 'team player' as yourself. 
Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 10 April 2016 at 13:29

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In the years of participation in town politics, I often disputed the comparison  between Council and a sports unit. 

The concept of "team" does not allow for pursuit of  different objectives .

The goal  is victory at all cost. 

Even the rules are not sacrosanct. If the referee didn't see it, it didn't happen. 

The photo finish of first across the line determines who takes home the prize. 

Victory  is always conclusive.  

A majority vote of Council means a resolution is approved. It doesn't always mean the community is well served. Often the opposite turns out to be true. 

No rule requires a Council to vote unanimously. No shame is attached if it doesn't. 

Although the community may take some assurance if a vote is unanimous. 

They may take equal comfort the issue was properly explored, if it isn't. 

I often voted differently to the majority.
Often I voted with the majority.
Sometimes I managed  to persuade the majority. 
Other times I failed.
At no time did I regret voting for what I thought was best for the community.  

I took my lumps. 
will let my record stand. 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It does not take the electorate ,or those of it, paying attention to figure out when a slate of councillors are moving in tandem. It must get to be irritating to stick to an earlier agreement -sometimes a slight crack appears. One I quite enjoyed was a remark by a councillor that it was much easier for him to understand the thinking process of a person opposed to definite topics than to figure out the mind of one purported to be on his side.

Anonymous said...

They really should have taken those courses that were given to the newly elected. Cost a bit and involve some travel but probably save communities money in the longer haul.