Posts
Much has been said about the activities and behaviour of the current Council under your leadership this term -- some positive and some negative. Now that you have started to write a column in the Auroran, it would appear you are trying to communicate more regularly with the citizens of Aurora. We wanted to offer you the opportunity to engage in a true 2-way dialogue and interact directly with your constituents.
You can do this either by sending comments to be posted to the site or we can set you up as a guest author so you could post on any topics you feel are important at anytime.
In every case your comments would be posted without editing or censorship -- so you will also be assured that your comments are expressed exactly as you desire.
We think the citizens deserve access to their government if it is to be truly open and transparent. One of the things we learned from the campaign of President Obama is the importance of the online channel in communicating with people. We are offering you this vehicle as a means to facilitate this open communication.
Will you accept our invitation?
Use the envelope and pencil icons immediately below to forward this post to friends or leave a comment.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
67 comments:
You people appear to be control freaks.
Your site is dedicated to portraying the mayor in a negative light; petty negatives abound.
You are powered by a small group whose objective is to discredit the mayor and council by any means.
The people setting up this site are unable to model transparency; they choose to remain anonymous.
I have contributed to this site and those responding to it have assumed I am the mayor or a member of council. I am neither.
I choose to post anonymously because I choose not to be a focus of attack by the supporters of this
site.
There is nothing open or transparent about this site.
I hope the mayor chooses not to participate for the reasons I have listed.
With so many opportunities to communicate in positive or neutral venues, I hope the mayor does not take your bait.
It may be of interest, in the interests of full disclosure, that I do not know the mayor but I do know Nigel Keen, Evelyn Buck, and Grace Marsh, and do know, from personal conversations, that they have a bias and their motives are not pure, but are VERY personal.
To Anonymous who seems to know all. I also know Grace Marsh and Nigel Kean ( at least spell his name right) and I know that they both care very much for this town.
You claim to have personally spoken to Marsh, Kean and Buck yet you know not Ms Morris. You also do not want to use your name as you are full of crap.People like you are either back stabbers or just a liar. If you have spoken to Marsh, Kean and Buck then I take it that you call yourself a friend of theirs and therefore Judas would be a good name.
The only reason Morris is using the Auroran is not to communicate with the residents but rather than try to win back the many residents that she has disaapointed. The election is getting closer and if you are that closed mind to think that others hate her then you have a major problem.
"The people setting up this site are unable to model transparency; they choose to remain anonymous."
The moderator posts the topic, and WE CAN ALL add our input, our concern (and in some cases, comments that do nothing but show how angry you are that you don't know who runs the site.). Heck, you can even suggest a topic!
I've said it before, but would it help if the site owner(s?) said that they were Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Public? I think not.
Nobody said that the AuroraCitizen was run by a member of council...simply somone who thought to put this together for everyone to use. Read the sidebar where it says the views expressed here are not necessarily those of the AuroraCitizen.
The Mayor has a website, so she certainly knows the value of online advertising and communication. Her website isn't always current - but it's there, which is a step in the right direction. I hope she DOES post to the Citizen.
For those of us trying to follow all of the anonymous posters... You would be easier to follow if you could please pick a nick name so the rest of us can keep track of who's who.
I think the Mayor SHOULD take advantage of contributing wherever possible, with whatever means are provided. I also think that's her decision.
Here is a perfect example of what I notice in this site.
The person responding to the comment writes an obnoxious comment. Did I spell all that right?
If I make a typo, that will be attacked.
That's why this site is regarded as an attack machine.
Each of us has different experiences. I would think that the person writing had contact with Kean (did I spell it right?), Marsh and Buck. It doesn't mean the person was a friend at all.
Yet nastiness is the response: "you are full or crap", "either back stabbers or just a liar"," Judas would be a good name".
What was written about the threesome could be said about most politicians. Not an unusual comment.
But the response stands out as significant to me.
I continue to feel that the nasty campaign opposes this mayor and council.
The effect is that I don't believe the anti- mayor forces. I don't believe they have serious issues at all. Seemingly they have the LOW road all staked out.
Thanks, that's what blogs are all about.
I read, I become informed in ways the contributors might not expect. Nothing turns me off more than nastiness.
And for full disclosure I do not know the mayor, anyone on council, or Kean (did I spell it right) or Marsh.
I do read what they write and I do read minutes of agendas.
I try to keep informed about my town but I don't have personal contact with the main characters.
It seems that on this site there's no place for people like me.
I think you have to be in one camp or other.
"I do read what they write and I do read minutes of agendas........on this site there's no place for people like me. I think you have to be in one camp or other."
I STRONGLY disagree. I think you're on the right track. Each member of council has his/her own ideas, opinions, and recollections of what transpired during a meeting. If you're interested in what's going on in the world around you, informing YOURSELF as much as you can and the best ways you can, is always the best way to go - regardless of whether the topic is politics, weather, entertainment, etc.
Council minutes give an excellent summary of the decisions, but they don't include the actual content of the debate. I've sat through a lot of meetings and find that listening to everyone's opinions often sheds a different light on things. Especially when I go in thinking "Nah, that idea will never go anywhere."
Then I listen to everyone state their opinion and (hopefully) why they think that way, what facts they have... and make a more informed decision from there. The whole process is MORE interesting when there are delegates, or people who come forward in open forum to say what they think, or describe how a decision one way or the other will affect them personally.
Isn't that what it's all about? Forming your own opinion?
Amazing how much Heather Sisman contributes to this site. I understand she neither lives nor works in Aurora.
Aurora must have something, or someone that Newmarket doesn't.
Interesting, too how she pontificates, letting us all know what we should be doing, how we should be forming our opinions.
Of course not all of us live a life that includes so many meetings and so many blogs (this one, her own, and Buck's).
Some of us are busy with family and job responsibilities. Maybe it's just a question of priorities, and time-management. I don't know but I can be sure someone will set me straight.
But then again, that's my opinion.
"But then again, that's my opinion.
That's the beauty of this, everyone can comment. What's wrong with that?
I don't pontificate - I was sharing what I've learned. Agendas and minutes only show the 'bare bones' of what goes on. That's the part that counts, sure, but I'm always interested to hear the dialogue that transpires.
It sounds like you don't like the premise behind the AuroraCitizen. I think it's great.
"But then again, that's my opinion. Cheers!
What's all this stuff about Heather Sisman?
It's my understanding that she is Evelyn Buck's caregiver. She takes her to all her meetings, takes care of her blog, and I'm told she takes her shopping. Doesn't that constitute working in Aurora?
It's pretty clear that Evelyn would be unable to function without her, so let's show her some respect.
You go girl!
To Anonymous 11:03 Since you bring up your opinion that you think Evelyn has her own motives and they are personal, I have this opinion to share. A person comes to town 48 years ago, has made her home here as did you, brought up 7 children here, has been apart of Aurora's political scene. She has been a councillor to many times to count, the MAYOR, the Reeve, sat at the top of the table with the highest amounts of votes, has been to umpteen conferences across this beautiful country and some in other places of the world. Has moved with the town as it has gone from the Old Town Hall on Yonge St., to the Town Hall on Wellington to where it is now. This is a person who has a love for the TOWN OF AURORA. She has never stopped loving this town and putting the people who live here first. She has history here. She has made history here. I do know Evelyn personally. I grew up in her house where people called at 3:00 in the morning because their basements were flooded due to a storm. At 3:00 in the morning the works department and the fire dept. were called out to pump out their basement. Their homes were dry by noon. I have many memories of people calling the house for one reason or another. Evelyn always responded. Then, as today people didn't always like what she had to say but she always respected them enough to be straight forward, they always knew where she stood. This is not a person who has personal motives in this town. Evelyn's personal motives have been to make the Town of Aurora the best it can be! Something wrong with that!
Why IS it a secret whose site this is?
Whose ox IS being gored(to quote Ev, the teller of truths)?
" Doesn't that constitute working in Aurora?"
I don't know which part of Aurora you're from, but on our side of town that sounds like friendship....which, incidentally, has nothing to do with this blog.
I think Mayor Morris should contribute to the town, the papers, the blogs, however she sees fit. Wasn't that the question?
It's my site. It's my blog. All better now?
This is one silly Blog!
Heather Sisman is simply Evelyn's friend. I suppose there is something wrong with that to. Boy I can only hope that when I get to be XX years YOUNG that I can have all my whits about me, can do the things I enjoy, have a friend who is younger than me and enjoys my company, likes to talk about the things that are dear to my heart, oh and don't forget enjoys shopping and writing (a blog in this case). Wow what a world we live in when we can speculate about someones life just because. I don't hear about any other Councillors private life being speculated about. What business is it of yours or mine to speculate about Evelyn's. I think some of you people might like to think about where you will be in a few years. LIVING your life or the one your children think you should live because they don't have time for you. I hope you have lots of money and assets because you will be needing them! There are seniors who are XX young and those that XX old. I have seen old. I can only hope I am as young as Evelyn when and if I hit my senior years.
Lets stick to commenting on the story and stop with peoples personal tangents! Hope I spelt that right. If I didn't oh well!
I am disappointed that the first anonoymous has used my name and said that by personal conversations with me has determined that I have bias and that my motives are not pure. When anonomous two at 8:29 Feb 2nd called anonymous # one "a Judas and that they should at least spell my name right" it was great to see that others who know me know what I am like.
Anonymous # 1 states in the first letter that they did not know the mayor but they had had personal conversations with me only then in their 2nd letter say that they had never spoken to me but had read my letters to the paper and minutes of agendas. Well, all I can say is that I have at least had the guts to use my name when I write the paper and you cannot get anything that he/she is referring to from agendas.He/she on the other hand will continue under anonymous.
I am a critic of the mayor and I, as a voter with concern for Aurora have the right to do so. I am responding using my name as I believe that the town has lost many good employees under this mayor's past two years. Why are these talented people quitting and in most cases going to other towns?
As a former councillor I have a certain amount of knowledge when it comes to Aurora.
I admire former councillor Marsh and it was too bad that she stepped down as she was good. How many other mayors have had a councillor quit on them? Grace Marsh is a very intelligent lady with a lot of municipality knowledge.
Ms Buck has always been outspoken but she has also added a lot to this town in the past and still has a lot of local knowledge.
If at any time anonymous one would like to get together and discuss with me any points that they want to please call me.
In the meantime please do not hide behind the anonymous name.
You should also take the time to meet with Ms Morris and discuss how she feels the town is being run.
Nigel Kean
Nigel, you might look back and see that there are two different people that wrote as Anonymous. The way I read it, anyway. Hope this helps.
Some people do say you're just mad because you lost the election. I don't think that but that's what some say.
Course they say that the councillor quit because she didn't get her way. Nobody else quit so how bad can it be?
Thank you for your comments anonymous Feb 5th at 5.15 PM.
I am disappointed that I lost the election but not mad. I continue to be very interested in this Town and I do feel that things could be done better. I guess I am an arm chair politician.
I will not hide behind anonymous names rather than my real name. I am proud of what I did in politics and will continue to work towards a better Aurora.
Thanks again,
Nigel Kean
Please don't mention Barak Obama's name in the same post as this mayor. She will start to believe she has some credibility.
Wow, I’m surprised my name is getting so much air time here.
For the record, I read this blog when I have time and I respond when the issue is important to me as a taxpaying resident. I also use my name when I respond to an issue. I don’t think you will find any personal attacks against anyone by me on this site.
As for why I quit, that was documented pretty clearly at the time. It had nothing to do with not getting my way. In fact, for the most part when I raised an issue and spoke clearly and honestly about the issue, I did get Council’s support.
Unfortunately though, some Members of Council started to reject some Councillors motions and some staff recommendations based purely on who put them forward rather than the issue itself. In my view, that is just wrong and certainly not in the best interest of Aurora.
Was that your perception of bias Grace, or was it real?
If someone opts out of a serious commitment, without trying to make a positive impact, if someone takes on a job after standing for election, and chooses to leave, in good health, I consider that a breach of contract.
I voted for you and am shocked at your flimsy reason for opting out.
Many people I know hang in, having a lot more challenges than what you faced.
I do believe that you are saying that because things didn't fit your expectations, you walked away, showing no regard for those who voted for you.
I feel you violated the trust handed to you.
Don't be so hard on Grace. She did hang in there and struggled to believe she was making a difference.
She never anticipated how much personal animosity would come her way just for putting forward her experience and knowledge
Why would she? Where is the logic?
As a person confident of her own dignity and integrity,she was devastated to discover the reality of this current council. She grieved as from a personal loss
I tried to assure Grace that people are paying attention. Just being there to represent them with dignity. honesty and intelligence is what most people hope for in a person to represent them. Grace had to leave to discover it was true.
As a battle-scarred veteran.I had learned it. But I think it's something one learns by enduring. By being so bloody-minded,I refuse to surrender to posterior orifices of the world.
I hope Grace will come forward again. She has a great contribution to make.
I hope she will be persuaded by those who understand and not by those who totally underestimate the corrosive effect of this current council,
Dear Anonymous Feb 10-9:45: It was very real. Out of the public eye, the comments made about other Councillors and staff were not censored in any way, however, since there is no way to prove that, it's every residents choice whether they belive me or not. I'm extremely sorry that you feel violated. The decision was not made lightly.
This is my first visit to this blog. Having read a few posts, I'd say the Mayor would be nuts to put anything on this blog. Clearly, this site has been established by a few who can't stand that the woman beat their boy in the election.
I guess that with the Auroran now trying (a little bit) to be more balanced, the "old boys" need some place to vent. It's really quite funny -- and pathetic.
I didn't work for the mayor in the last election. Didn't vote for her, either. But I will do both in the coming election. And I won't be back to this place.
You know Grace, I have this problem that I hope you can solve. You wrote,
"Unfortunately though, some Members of Council started to reject some Councillors motions and some staff recommendations based purely on who put them forward rather than the issue itself. In my view, that is just wrong and certainly not in the best interest of Aurora."
If your reason for packing it in were real, I don't understand your active support of Evelyn Buck whose behavior, whose writing exemplifies that which you profess to revile.
She attempts to humiliate the mayor and council members in print, for all to see, disregarding the actual facts.
On her blog she proudly shared that she refused to support another council member on a joint committee with Newmarket re fire fighting services.
She made it clear that although others voted for him to chair the joint committee she refused to do so because she does not like him.
At the same time she refused to join the committee having a picture taken with Mayor Morris because she does not like her.
Last Post...Anonymous Feb12 4.06pm
Talk about disregarding the facts. I have stated previously, clearly and succinctly, the Mayor enjoys neither my confidence nor my trust. Since he lost in the 2003election and I won, Councillor Wilson has done nothing to win my respect. Quite the opposite in fact.Whether or not there is affection between us,is neither here nor there.
I am regularly the target of insulting, demeaning and patronizing attacks from both parties and their friends in and out of Council and in comments to this blog. Fortunately, blandishments are not essential to my well-being or my enjoyment of politics. I put greater score on a logical exchange of ideas,
It is frequently claimed the Mayor and Council are "undermined" by a single vote in opposition and by my inclination to voice my often solitary position.
Are they embarassed by their actions or because they have become public knowledge?
If my "spin" misrepresents facts. Why not try putting their own version forward.
The remedy is in their hands. Stop with the doublespeak,underhanded maneuvering,name-calling.mud-slinging,character assassination,
and let's see what you have left to show for yourselves.
I will not hold my breath.
Evelyn Buck you make a mistake in putting SO much blame on the mayor and other councillors. By now they probably deal with you as an inconsequential irritant.
Others in this town have watched you thrive on generating attention at all costs. As we all know it is pretty easy to inspire negative comment, and you have spent your political career doing that.
"By now they probably deal with you as an inconsequential irritant."
Did you see the council meeting on tv this week? I wish they'd air it in the evenings.
The bit about the donating of the naming of the parks for the hospital. I think it's a great idea. Did you hear the Mayor tell everyone that she received a letter of thanks to the Mayor and Council for the 'donation'? Councillor Buck said that the thanks should be to the entire Town of Aurora, and the Mayor jumped on her "Right, we can't control how a letter is adressed".
The mayor totally missed the point, I think. I understood Councillor Buck was trying to show that it's not the mayor and the council who deserve the thanks and the recognition, but the entire TOWN that deserves it, all the citizens, etc.
I guess the mayor wanted to be the beloved. Either that or she just didn't get it. ??
I agree with Evelyn. We all pay. The letter should have been addressed to the whole town. I hope that the donation was made on behalf of the town and not from the Mayor and Council.
Whether the Mayor has control of it or not she should not have jumped on the councillor, she should have acknowledge the point!
Keep standing your ground Evelyn!
Dear Anonymous Feb 12 4:06pm:
I’m not sure what you mean by “active support”, but in any event, I will tell you what I personally know about Evelyn Buck:
1.She has always treated me with the utmost respect including the time when she was a Councillor and I was staff, while I was fellow Councillor, and after I resigned, that has not changed.
2.She always respected my right to vote differently than her, and very often we did not agree on the issues but we never took it personally. In fact she always gave my opinions ample consideration, as I did hers. We learned from each other. She appreciated the value of my municipal and private sector experience as I appreciated the value of her political experience. But at the end of the day we made independent decisions on the issues and then moved on.
3.She did not demean or degrade staff in public or private. As a former staff member it was very unsettling for me meeting after meeting after meeting to watch professional people being sworn at, yelled at, embarrassed and degraded. Evelyn never did that. Others did.
For these reasons, and simply the fact that she is a warm hearted, giving person she will always have my support.
As always the prickly pettiness boggles the mind. The supposed sensitivity would put a fragile neurotic to shame.
Grace, when I read your last response it gave me pause. I am grateful for the opportunity to express my views about you leaving the job you actively sought, one filled with characters you knew, because they were known, previously viewed politicians, or high profile citizens.
You say you saw the municipal political scene from both sides.
It now seems that you could not be objective. You were in there from the staff point of view. Sometimes that's a problem. You are too close to see the whole picture, too easily pledging loyalty to the staff.
My coworkers privately will talk about the deadwood on staff. Publicly they defend our colleagues.
Secretly I hope for someone to bring a new set of eyes and to act on rooting out the rot.
I like the change in staff.
New staff for new times!
You see I voted for you, but poof you up and quit and led to another diversion.
You hijacked the political agenda. Your decision created a block in the normal flow of conducting town business.
You support Ev Buck who also drags down the town business, picks at things: to oppose, sits back
behaving like a defiant adolescent who chooses to build a reputation as an attack machine. Even fans of the NHL are getting tired of the one-dimensional
enforcer role.
It doesn't work.
Time to build a better world, focus on building, not destroying, not gotcha politics that thrives on attacking, criticizing, demeaning, labeling colleagues as unworthy. Check out the names who criticize and demean their colleagues. Think about what it means that one person on council has her own blog devoted to declaring how brilliant and superior her views are in comparison with the majority of council.
Different points of view contribute to dialogue that is essential for a community to thrive.
Put-downs, personal attacks, and filling OUR COMMUNITY arena with smelly red herrings impede our ability to thoughtfully navigate the challenges that await us.
Time to seek out that which elevates us, draws us together, inspires us to appreciate all the good that surrounds us.
Time to tune out those who would focus us on petty differences, those who carry on personal vendettas based on the past.
To Anonymous 12:40 PM - You said:
"Think about what it means that one person on council has her own blog devoted to declaring how brilliant and superior her views are in comparison with the majority of council."
Oh my goodness! Are you concerned because one member of council has her own blog and nobody else thought of it? Or are you concerned because she says what she thinks on her own blog? Is that what upsets you? As far as I know, because her blog is not associated with the town itself, she can say whatever she wants. If Evelyn Buck wants to talk about how green the sky is, and how blue the grass is...she can do that.
WHO CARES? If you want to read what Evelyn Buck has to say, then read it. If you don't want to read what she has to say, heck, don't read it!
I really fail to see what the big deal is. Evelyn Buck says what she thinks. If you have been in Aurora for more than 5 minute, you'd know that already. If you don't care to know what she thinks, don't worry your pretty little face about it.
I plan to keep reading Evelyn's blog (and this one too). I think it's great that we have the technology to do these kinds of things!!! If you don't like it. Don't read it!
As for your comment that Grace's resignation led to another diversion - that's nobody's fault, but the GANG OF FIVE who voted to appoint Gallo instead of having a by-election. Unfortunately 'we' gave these people the power to make these decisions (regardless of how many citizens came forward requesting a by-election!), and we have to live with it. For a short time longer.
You also said:
"Put-downs, personal attacks, and filling OUR COMMUNITY arena with smelly red herrings impede our ability to thoughtfully navigate the challenges that await us."
You're allowed to make put downs and personal attacks though, obviously. ?? As for the smelly red herrings that are impeding your ability to navigate the challenges awaiting you... maybe you should find another hobby. It seems that hearing multiple views on community issues is impeding your ability to ?? what? Form your own opinion?? I don't get it.
"It seems that hearing multiple views on community issues is impeding your ability to ?? what? Form your own opinion?? I don't get it."
Seems like the person who wrote this doesn't seem to understand their own words.
Why so angry? Someone expressed ideas that don't reflect yours? They formed a different opinion?
Seems like someone hit a major nerve.
Good for them.
There are many points of view.
Everyone is entitled. Share the wealth. Don't try to suppress.
I thought the person had interesting ideas.
Wow. So few people, and so much rage, over such small potatoes. If you don’t preach to the choir on this site, you incur the wrath of Buck and her acolytes. So scary, so predictable, and, in the long run, so irrelevant.
The Aurora Citizen has come to represent all that we don’t want in a municipal government – people with hot tempers, cold feet and stale ideas. But it does provide the occasional chuckle, which is why I check back now and then. Thanks for the fun, gang. See you next month.
I agree totally with Anonymous Feb. 17 12:07 AM.
I don't think that "nobody else" thought of a blog.
Anyone alive in the last decade is probably aware.
Many realize the problem with blogs. I assume Ev learned lessons about blogs in the long run. She realized she didn't want open and transparent communication. She realized that she wanted Blog to fulfill her fantasy of writing whatever she wanted, without the constraints of an editor. She is doing that now, declaring that she chooses not to publish comments with which she does not agree.
She has those rights.
I have the right to say that I believe her approach to politics, an approach that holds that she believes that voters vote for her BECAUSE they support her judgment, is decades behind the times. The fact that she is using technology to spread her message only helps me realize her message takes us back to the past.
She seems upset when council responds to the needs, concerns, complaints of us Aurora Citizens. The decisions may be right or wrong but I am okay with Council making decisions in response to us, my community, me. You know we all get a bee in our bonnet. I like to see my neighbors pleading their cases. I like that Council responds. We all learn from the outcome. We all learn from OUR choices. That"s how I want to experience my community.
I don't want to go back to the days of Ev Buck, expecting one person to tell me what I should think, and one person who believes citizen needs shouldn't be considered.
I was interested in the take on Buck's blog. I read where she was urging people to call police and members of parliament to unseat the mayor.
She has a right to that and to publishing her blog and a comment to the blog at the same time ( I don't get how that's really possible; maybe it involves ESP).
She tries to divert attention to herself.
She is Aurora's " Watch-Out-the-Sky-Is-Falling character".
I'm not sure if that is in aid of meaningful democratic discourse.
But then, what do I know?
Anonymous 2:54, you said "I read where she was urging people to call police and members of parliament to unseat the mayor."
Really? About what?
And Anonymous 1:19 - you said "I believe her approach to politics.....she believes that voters vote for her BECAUSE they support her judgment, is decades behind the times."
If you don't have a 'burning issue' then how do you choose who to vote for? I have heard of the Sports Coalition, the Ratepayers' Association, etc. But if you don't have any such affiliations, doesn't it make sense to vote for someone who you know can make sound decisions based on the topic at hand, and also who will listen to reason?
I'm not saying that I do or don't support Evelyn Buck - but that's what she put forward when she ran this term, that she had sound judgement, etc... and that's exactly what she's delivering. I don't think that concept is outdated at all.
How did you choose who to vote for?
My take on Evelyn not publishing some comments is that they are simply mean and nasty adding no content to the subject at hand. Wouldn't you do the same.I have read many of those same types of comments here. People seem to feel they need to comment on the nastiness.I think that Evelyn posts many comments that don't agree with her, they, unlike the nasty ones add to the discussion.
Bias, it's all about bias. One person's ceiling is another person's floor.
We need to look for bias in all things: research, media reports, blogs.
That's why it is an issue that the people RUNNING this blog choose to hide.
It is different for those responding.
Someone has chosen to construct a blog, yet is not prepared to declare themselves. Why?
It has to do with understanding their bias.
What is posted? When? Why?
Whose bias is being served? And if it is not suspicious why the secret?
"Someone has chosen to construct a blog, yet is not prepared to declare themselves. Why?
It has to do with understanding their bias.
What is posted? When? Why?"
It looks to me like the Citzen publishes everything. I've made a few comments and they've all been posted within a few hours of my hitting the publish button.
There have been positive comments posted, and negative comments. I think the moderator could certainly show a bias through the posts s/he writes, but I haven't seen one yet.
You prove my point. You who is defending the anonymity of those who run this blog has your comments published within a few hours. I hear that some have been held up for more than 24 hours, immediately followed by countering comments.
I experience the bias, you do not.
Does that tell us that there is no bias, or does that tell us that this site has a bias FOR your point of view, and a bias that OPPOSES my point of view?
It is, at least, food for thought.
I can't imagine, at this time in history, that anyone would vote for a person who says, "Leave it all up to me, my judgment I don't need to hear the voters' needs and concerns."
We learn that we need to keep a close eye on the games some play when elected. We need to be aware of those willing to play politics, for their own advantage.
Those who go to great lengths to attack, not criticize, send off a warning buzzer in my head.
To Anonymous Feb.19 Why are you so intent on knowing who has charge over this blog. Why don`t you just enjoy the discussions, good or bad. Why drive yourself crazy wanting know. Maybe you are really the control freak that is referred to in the first comment. Lets just face it we don`t and can`t have control over everything. So just go with the flow and move on or out!
"I hear that some have been held up for more than 24 hours, immediately followed by countering comments."
Comments need to be either approved or rejected, and the moderator actually has to log in to do this - which could explain the differences in turnaround time.
I can tell you that Blogger doesn't allow a moderator to EDIT a comment. It either gets posted as submitted, or rejected in its entirety.
Does that help? If your comments are posted after a lag, there shouldn't be any comments quoting/countering YOURS directly because they won't have shown up online yet for others to see.
"So just go with the flow and move on or out!"
Thank goodness that we live in a democracy where this type of advice is not the majority opinion.
There are other options.
It remains valid to question why those who back this blog are so committed to secrecy.
Once again I note how quickly the last comment was posted.
No harm in observations, and questions.
I agree with Anonymous 2:29 PM.
Why the secret?
Why the unbecoming response?
Move on or move out?
Wanting to be informed is an important goal.
Good for you 2:29 PM.
You are not alone.
The open invitation to Mayor Morris asks, "Will you accept our invitation?"
Who is "our"? Who is doing the inviting?
Who wants to know? ;)
Aurora Citizen said...
Who wants to know? ;)
Hahah!! I love it! The Anonymii want to know, of course. Maybe it's the 'control freaks', or the 'attackers' or the 'attackees' or the 'biased ones'.
They just don't want to tell you their names. Go figure.
I needed that laugh, thanks!
It is clear that if you raise an issue that Sisman does not understand, you will be ridiculed... not my idea of an open forum.
Sisman is not an Aurora citizen I learn from skimming this blog.
I do believe that this site does not represent my experiences in Aurora.
I think it probably serves Sisman, whoever she is.
I don't understand who this blog serves but it is pretty clear from reading through it that it is not my friends and family in Aurora.
I guess I stumbled on the underbelly of Aurora.
I guess every town has that.
It's negative.
I just don't understand why The Auroran supports it.
I guess not being around long enough to understand the context leaves me at a disadvantage.
The blog felt mean-spirited to me.
I was surprised because from it's mission statement I thought it was wanting to open up ideas.
Now I understand why people keep asking who is doing this blog.
Who is Heather Sisman and why is she overly represented on this blog? Is it true that she doesn't live or work in Aurora?
If that's true what is her motivation?
Does she want to put Aurora down, to make her Newmarket look better?
She seems so pushy, with no respect for our citizens.
I love Aurora and I don't like the idea that someone from Newmarket wants to put down people from Aurora who want to have their say about what someone is doing in their name.
Those last two comments seem dangerously "us" vs. "them" to me. I AM a citizen of Aurora, and I certainly don't have a problem with outside constructive criticism. I don't think people from outside of Aurora should be excluded from contributing either. Imagine if we took a foreign policy stance of not criticizing a country we don't live in! We should all look out for each other.
I do agree that mean comments are not helpful, regardless of the town people come from. Although I'm not quite sure which specific comment is so mean here.
Nobody else sees the irony in all the anonymous people who poke and prod to find out who runs this blog?
The very first anonymous comment here (Feb 2, 11:03 am) said s/he chooses to post anonymously because s/he doesn't want to be the focus of attack by supporters of this site.
Yet it's not acceptable for the site moderator to remain anonymous?
Does anybody see the irony in that?
This site set itself up as a masquerade.
Whoever is behind it chose to maintain anonymity.
It created suspicion. Why hide behind the name Aurora Citizen?
It is not ironic that others would post anonymously.
Few attend a masquerade party without a costume.
People attending try to figure out who is behind the costume, play, then leave.
A masquerade is not a forum for meaningful exchanges of ideas.
There is no credibility, no honesty, no trust.
People in masks do not inspire thoughtful communication, or real community.
Nope, totally disagree with you about that, 5:31am. Who writes the topics does not matter. Take even the newspaper. Sure, there are names for the articles, but how many people care who that person is? If you want to know biases, you can simply read the article and see them. The great thing about a blog is, you get to point them out and discuss them.
Nope, to me, all this "who are you" talk only says, "I have nothing of value to contest what you are saying, so I'm going to try to distract from that." Or else it says "I wanna know who I get to be mad at." Neither is very helpful in adding to the discussion, is it?
"People attending try to figure out who is behind the costume, play, then leave."
Maybe they should stick around and chat? Some do. Some stay though, just so they can throw hors d'oeuvres at the ones who take off their masks to let everyone know who they are.
WOW!! After fifty-four comments does anybody remember what the original blog was about.
I guess it shows what people reading are interested in, and how naive, defensive and gullible some are.
It is also of interest that some "spam" got posted.
I'm very interested in what that secret "spam" was about.
I'm hoping someone saw it and will share.
And if someone did see what the spam was, how are they going to share it with you if you're Anonymous. You think the moderator's going to allow it to be posted again.
Gimme a break.
They might post on the blog what the "spam" was about, so we might better understand the spin of this site, N.E. Buddy.
You see some of us continue to find this site suspicious, and since the site chooses to use the title Aurora Citizen, well let's just say we're like Community Watch.
I think you'll totally understand my position, as I understand yours.
Perhaps we are separated by tone and intention, but not much more.
Of bigger interest, N. E. Buddy, is why the moderator posted, and then by morning deleted. Then called the posting "spam".
If someone did see it I'm sure that the moderator would be obliged to post the person's general description of the dearly "deleted" subject matter. It would tell us a lot about the openness of this site. We all benefit.
I do believe there is significance, and I also believe someone will have seen it.
I hope you consider my response gives you the "break" you requested.
Looks like it's all been cleared up in the most recent post anyway. I think we need a new topic.... Does anybody have a favourite restaurant in Aurora? Anything particularly good? Any good deals anywhere?
Moderator - feel free to steal that as a new topic. I know we've got lots of good eats in town, I like Jonathon's, and the Fish & Chip place on Wellington Street West (I don't remember the name).
Not the least bit cleared up, N.E. Buddy.
You may be looking for fried fish on Wellington, but I'm looking for full disclosure.
The explanation offered up smells fishy to me.
Food for thought, that notion of open and honest dialogue, eh.
if you read these comments through a reader you would have seen it. It was a comment posted by an Anonymous person masquerading as someone who always uses his/her own name and userid.
I can only guess that the moderator thought that person forgot to log in under his/her own name, and because the writing was obviously his/hers...the comment was posted.
Now it's gone. Anonymous copied it from somewhere else letting on like it was his/her own.
Obviously that person, Evelyn Buck, according to her own blog, has, at the very least, VERY SPECIAL consideration on this blog.
I have felt that from the very beginning, and now have the confirmation I need to refrain from visiting this, or her other blog.
I now understand why Heather Sisman is featured in both blogs.
Thank you for clearing things up.
I prefer to spend my time with a true variety of viewpoints.
I also appreciate the mayor not lowering herself to participate.
Not sure why you or anyone else feels Councillor Buck has special priviledges. She posts -- they get published. You post -- they get published. Does this mean you also have special priviledges? Your viewpoint seems to differ from others -- that provides variety.
Thanks for stopping by. Sorry your agenda is not being met here, best wishes on finding a conversation that suits your agenda better.
To the unidentified grump at 12:14 pm. Look, your comment WAS posted. If you're still around to read it - then you'd see that you and I both have the same special privileges. Freedom of speech. I think the only difference is that I sign my name to mine.
Don't let the door hit you...
this thread has now degenerated into the blind arguing with the stupid.
i just can't figure out who's who.
just lock the freakin' thread and move on, please.
Post a Comment