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There has been considerable coverage of politicians spending habits lately. The Toronto Star reported on Sat that 20 Cabinet Ministers and backbenchers will resign or retire in Britain after expenses were made public.
Here in Canada, only 4 of 37 MP's contacted agreed to disclose detailed information on expenses.
Closer to home still, Auroran's have had difficulty getting details on legal expenditures. However, it appears that legal bills continue to escalate. Even when totals are made available, getting clarity on what matters they were incurred to deal with are still murky.
Around the world politicians are being held more accountable than ever for their spending habits. Should it be any different here in Aurora?
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13 comments:
Evelyn Buck is testing ethics and slander laws.
She loves the attention, "freedom of expression" affords her.
She has set herself up as a test case.
I am very interested in litigation because I would like us to decide the type of community we desire.
For me I don't want a community in which someone duly elected to office is able to undermine the workings of council.
Call me a fool but I believe every member of council SHOULD present ideas, engage in dialogue, present a compelling point of view, while really listening to all, in council meetings.
Let me decide the merits of each opinion. Let me ask questions of members of council, as I see fit.
Empower me, the voter, to become involved.
Don't tell me that I should put up with warrior, political strategies that suit the needs of an individual who has been elected to office.
I don't care for the one-sided distortion of facts.
I don't agree that someone elected to office has been elected to do/say what she wants.
I want an elected councillor to listen and respond to me.
I pay them to do that.
You have to pay your own salary if you want to do/say what you want.
As I understand it Evelyn Buck has taken the position that politics is about competition and envy, and trying to out manoeuvre "the competition."
With that as her aim she has pushed the boundaries.
She chooses to test the laws impacting an elected councillor.
In choosing to follow that path she has instigated the use of lawyers to determine the boundaries of laws.
It is Evelyn Buck who chooses to test the limitations of law.
She relishes her role.
Since this is her choice I do believe it is disingenuous of her to complain about the financial expenses incurred for legal fees to ascertain the boundaries for elected councillors.
To anonymous June 21 4:35 ARE YOU KIDDING!!
"I don't agree that someone elected to office has been elected to do/say what she wants.
I want an elected councillor to listen and respond to me.
I pay them to do that."
I'd recommend you not vote for Mrs. Buck then. You could vote for Bobblehead, or for Al "TaxWhiz" Wilson though. Or Wendy Gaertner. They'll all do whatever you'd like them to.
I agree anyone who chooses to be actively involved in decisions about Aurora should not vote for Mrs. Buck.
You must be willing to subjugate your will to hers.
That certainly appeals to some.
Me I like to make my own decisions, after checking out the whole story.
I'm sure that Mrs. Buck fits the bill for some, but not for me.
To Anonymous June 21 4.35 you wrote
"
Call me a fool but I believe every member of council SHOULD present ideas, engage in dialogue, present a compelling point of view, while really listening to all, in council meetings."
Can you please tell me the date of Wendy Gaertner or Steven Granger's last coherent intelligent articulate discussion point in council. I hope you don't spend the next month trying to find it.
Steven Granger said "I'd just like to ask for some clarification on the points in the information presented to this council simply to clarify them for clarification pupose so that they're clear - in the interest of clarity."
Or something like that. Just don't 'visibly approach him' in a store or he gets stressed out.
"You must be willing to subjugate your will to hers."
I don't agree. Do you call your councillor (or a few for whom you voted) to let them know your thoughts on every little issue that comes up so they can do what YOU want them do? And would they?
Doesn't it make sense to vote for the person with the most....similar interests, common sense, even voting for someone who lives in your same neighbourhood makes more sense than the theory of just checking off names in alphabetical order, doesn't it? (Although, thinking back to Cllr McRoberts - he couldn't vote on the traffic calming in his neighbourhood, so my theory has a hole in it.)
I will say - you take your chances. Some councillors have suprised me this term, and some not at all - but.. to say that
you want an elected councillor to listen and respond to you - they're not going to be able to do that 100% of the time. What if your opinion differs from the next guy who cast a ballot in his/her favour? That's where I think you need to trust in the person you elected - and hope you made the right choice.
I do call/email a member of council who I trust, letting my views, needs, questions be known.
I'm happy with how it works.
My council member of trust may not shine in council meetings, but that is not important to me.
That council member is Al wilson.
I don't call/email Evelyn Buck because I do not believe she will honour my views/needs if they are not in synch with hers.
"That council member is Al wilson."
As the old expression goes, you should talk to the organ grinder, not the monkey.
You can not comment on how a councillor will react to your wants if you never ask. You may be surprised at what you can find out about a person simply by calling and asking. If saying that you do not call because you believe that you will not get the answer you wish is to assume and you know what they say about assuming! Besides I am not sure what you will get by asking Mr. Wilson about how Evelyn thinks. I am sure you will get some bias there. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Nice letter Al. Who else would say something good about you?
Obviously there are many points of view in Aurora!
Too bad some have difficulty working with that reality.
To: Anonymous - June 23 2:31
Wilson may appear to hear your points and consider them, but only until he runs to Phyllis and she tells him different. At least Evelyn will tell you directly whether she agrees or not, and if she does agree, will present even an unpopular postion at Council without clearing it through Phyllis first.
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