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Hoodwinking 101, and the Gang of 26 |
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Written by Al Hollingsworth
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Thursday, 04 June 2009 |
Anything important is never left to the vote of the people. We only get to vote on some man; we never get to vote on what he is to do- Will Rogers
Ah what a difference 12 months doth make. Had former United States president Bill Clinton come to town this time last year, I would bet every penny of my measly monthly pension that not one Halifax Regional Municipality councilor would have taken a free ticket, purchased with our hard-earned tax dollars, to hear him speak.
“Why?” You ask. Because 12 months ago, we were a couple of months away from the municipal election and had they pulled this outrageous stunt at that time, I can guarantee a number of them would have felt it where it really hurts, the ballot box.
Dan English, the municipality’s top bureaucrat, who, by the way, is not accountable to the public, suggested “the session provided a rare opportunity for policy-makers and policy advisors to be exposed to global thinking that crosses geographic, environmental, social and economic boundaries. This is exactly the approach that is crucial to the level of critical thinking that will help advance the region we serve.”
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; “Don’t eat that Elmer!”
Now, over three years away from the next vote, ten councilors and 15 HRM staff members bellied up to the trough and gobbled up the 26 tickets purchased with tax dollars at $111 a pop. All this in the name of getting a dose of “critical thinking.” I can hardly wait for Dr. No, aka Bruce Devenne’s response to this caper.
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure this one out. They are comfortable knowing most will forget the wasteful spending by the time we have to cast another municipal vote. Perhaps. Then again, there might be someone like me to remind the voters of this hoodwinking, and other similar antics.
To be perfectly fair, Mayor Peter Kelly was not part of the Gang of 26; he attended as a guest of Frank McKenna. Another councilor had his ticket purchased by a private firm.
The names of the 10 councilors should be made pubic for two reasons. First, we have the right to know who thumbed their nose at the voters by using taxpayers’ dollars for their personal pleasure, and, equally important, we need to know the names of the 12 councilors who said “no” to the “critical thinking” and single them out for praise.
I am always amused, no, make that insulted, when I hear bureaucrats, such as English, and politicians who are caught in the act, explain that the money comes from this fund or that pool. Well guess what folks, wherever pot of money they claim it comes from, all of it came from us, the beleaguered tax payers.
(Al Hollingsworth is a retired journalist and broadcaster) |
