GRAVENHURST - MAYOR'S MINUTE REVIEW - FOR OUR GOOD, OR COUNCIL'S?
I will never poo-poo on efforts by local council to communicate with constituents. In fact, I nag about this all the time. So when I was handed a "first edition" copy of Mayor Donaldson's "Mayor's Minute," newsletter, I was delighted to get something……anything from the folks we elected to captain our ship. I think it is a positive step to a public relations void at town hall, and offers some potential, to actually be a decent conduit of information in the future. But here's the problem. Most of us don't have issues with major town events and celebrations, grants applied for and received, and whether there is sidewalk sweeping or that we have a booth at a flower show; a steamship in the local fleet approaching an anniversary, or a new BIA project co-ordinator. The local news publications seem to be able to provide these insights, without a dime of expense producing a newsletter. Here's what would be useful. Initiating discussion about more pressing issues facing this town, and sparking some substantial feedback, versus not much of "anything" that will actually improve "something." Most of the newsletter is abstract, evasive, non-committal, vague, undefined, such as what "MCTS" and "Star Stuck" means, and why did we need a grant of $36,600 to pay for it? So what is a "Make a Splash Event," and why did we need $28,000 as funding? The Covenco Report is just a teaser, right? What is written in the box of the newsletter, on this subject, is not even mildly interesting to any one who has an appetite for fact, and revelation, because we know there's more to the story than this sprinkling of public notice. Where is information about The Barge? Why is there nary a mention of a very important project, that we have no real idea, if it is complete or still rotting out there in the bay. Why not? I'm sorry to inform the mayor of this, but the work and progress on The Barge, for many of us, trumps having a booth at the Canada Blooms show. If we're going to have a newsletter, from the head of council, here's the thing…….use it to full advantage as an information conduit, not as a "flower in a vase," promotional, "good times were had by all," piece of irrelevance.
Most of us know more than the mayor, if this is any example, because we see and hear what's going on, because it's in our best interest to find out what's happening. So what the wee newsletter does for us, who really, really want to know, is nothing but the ordinary. It is a good news report, when most of us know it isn't as sweet as all that. If council business is brutally tough, and decisions incredible difficult, and drastic measures have to be taken, for God's sake, we can handle it. If you read the newsletter, and then a front pager, detailing a huge council conflict, what are we supposed to think? First of all, transparency isn't all that big a deal. Or so it seems by the nature of the newsletter. As a matter of some unfortunate coincidence, transparency issues are tearing both the provincial and federal governments apart at the seams. What problems with the air ambulance program? What fighter jet miscalculation? So everything's peachy at Gravenhurst Council? No it's not. If it is peachy, something's wrong. There are too many things to be shaping and revamping in this town, for anybody to feel all is well and calm. The mayor's report is nothing more than a thumbnail sketch of nothing in particular that's going to impress ratepayers, that there is an identifiable nitty gritty going on over there, at town hall, beneath that very expensive new roof.
I think a monthly note from the mayor is a positive step but a pointless one, unless it contains some information, more than "alluding to the fact" information exists somewhere, just not in print. It needs to be beefed-up, so that we know there's more going on at town hall, on our behalf, than what these snipits of information contain. Or I'm really going to start wondering what they're up to over there.
Here's a recommendation I made a long time ago, after the last municipal election. I suggested that the mayor make herself available to the press,……not me……but all those paid reporters for local / regional print publications, each month, for a little news sharing scrum, that would allow the press the opportunity as a group, to ask questions before being fed the sanitized answers. The mayor is the head of a multimillion dollar corporation, and needs to recognize that, from time to time, the press…..our conduit to information, will have questions, uncomfortable or not, that need to be answered. A failure to answer means we are left with that transparency thing again. We understand, as ratepayers, that there are council matters that, do to legal constraints, and personnel sensitivities, can not be released casually for public consumption. But much that is withheld, because it may be judged controversial, and troublesome, by some councillors, does fall within the bounds of our right to know. We hear about a lot of these situations, long after the horse has left the barn. I think availing herself to the press, for monthly "Q & A's" is good for council and the press, and inevitably for us, who would like to know more than a newsletter is ever going to provide.
I applaud the mayor for making an attempt to connect with us. It has a future, and I'm glad it asks for input. But honestly, we know how to get a hold of our council members, without the aid of a newsletter. The plan here, should be to make us appreciate what's really going on at town hall, and how we are going to avoid cost over-runs in the future.
I like the mayor, and the fact she is highly visible and active within our community. Council? Haven't got a clue? They could also benefit from a regular sit-down with the press as well, because frankly, we don't know much about a council, we might assume from coverage of council meetings, is even less controversial than the mayor…..despite the fact this was one of the most controversial years in the town's history. We still have an unresolved issue with the Recreation Centre re-fit, that one year ago, put our town on the front page of the Toronto Star…..and for more than one issue. So if you've got this far, in this critique, and been in denial about controversy at town hall, adamantly believing we don't have any, well, that's not quite true is it? In my way of thinking…..and maybe it is very presumptuous, the Town of Gravenhurst, on this anniversary of big, bad headlines, should be working on the citizens' behalf, to demand a follow-up from the Toronto Star……an explanation or an apology, for a story that appears to have become much less important to some……..while many of us still feel insulted the issue was never fully followed-up……unless there's more to come soon. How do you just forget the drubbing we got, and the money and delays of the entire project, caused by this debacle, which I believe, we have to cover as taxpayers? Someone needs to act on our behalf. Remember? That municipal election thing! The oath of office? It was a town issue, and one year later, it is still a town issue. It needs to be addressed, out of respect for the integrity of this town.
There is news we should know about and questions that should be answered. This will take meeting face to face with the press. A newsletter just doesn't cut-it, if all its going to do, is present the overviews in a kind light. Some things just don't look good in a kind light.
ELECTION COLLECTIBLE FROM ANOTHER ERA -
YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO FIND OUT THERE
JUST WANTED TO SHOWCASE A NEAT LITTLE MUSKOKA COLLECTIBLE, I FOUND RECENTLY, AT A LOCAL SECOND HAND SHOP HERE IN GRAVENHURST. IT REMINDED ME OF THE ONLY TIME I WAS A MEMBER OF THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY. I WAS A HUGE SUPPORTER OF FRANK MILLER, WHO DID BECOME THE PREMIER OF THIS PROVINCE, IF ONLY FOR A SHORT TERM. AS A CUB REPORTER, I HAD TO ACCOMPANY FRANK DURING HIS WEEKEND VISITS TO CONSTITUENTS, FOR ANNIVERSARY AND BIRTHDAY PRESENTATIONS, AND SO MANY OTHER PERSONAL APPEARANCES FOR RIBBON CUTTINGS AND UNVEILINGS, BACK IN THE 1980'S. WE WOULD HAVE LUNCH TOGETHER IN BETWEEN ASSIGNMENTS. HE TREATED THE REPORTERS WHO HAD TO FOLLOW HIM, VERY WELL, AND IT WAS NEVER A CHORE TO ACCOMPANY THIS HARD WORKING MEMBER OF PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT. SO WHEN I CAME UPON A LARGE COLLECTION OF VINTAGE BOTTLES AT THE GRAVENHURST RE-STORE, ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON, I COULDN'T BELIEVE MY GOOD FORTUNE. THERE WAS A BEER BOTTLE IN THE MIDDLE OF SODA BOTTLES, WITH FRANK'S PHOTOGRAPH ON THE LABEL. I REMEMBER THE GIMMICK BOTTLE, WHICH (AS PHOTOGRAPHED) WAS A RE-LABELLED SORT-OF-STUBBY OF "MILLER HIGH LIFE," BEER, WITH FRANK'S FACE ON THE UPPER LABEL, WITH THE RIM BAND READING, "BUILD ON THE STRENGTH OF ONTARIO." I NEVER GOT ONE AT THE TIME BUT I SUPPOSE IT WAS FOR INNER PARTY MEMBERS, CLOSER TO HIM THAN I WAS. ANYWAY, IT'S ONE FOR MY MUSKOKA NOSTALGIA SHELF HERE AT BIRCH HOLLOW. I MIGHT OFFER IT TO HIS SON NORMAN, ALSO A MPP, IF HE HASN'T GOT ONE……ALTHOUGH IT'S LIKELY THE FAMILY HAS A FEW STASHED AWAY AS KEEPSAKES. I HAVE A LOT OF FOND MEMORIES OF THOSE DAYS, WHEN BOTH OF US STOOD FOR HOURS AND HOURS, AT EVENTS ALL OVER THIS HUGE DISTRICT….THE POLITICIAN AND THE PHOTOGRAPHER. I COULD HAVE USED A BEER THEN.
I WORRY ABOUT MORTGAGE DEBT IN THIS COUNTRY - AND THE CAPACITY OF THE FOOD BANKS TO MEET FUTURE CHALLENGES
I'VE NOTED THIS MANY TIMES IN PREVIOUS BLOGS, BUT I DIDN'T BECOME ANY OF MY THREE PROFESSIONS TO GET RICH. I'M NOT A NOVELIST AND I'VE ONLY PUBLISHED SOME REGIONAL HISTORIES IN BOOK FORM, AND MAKING THE BIG BUCKS AS AN HISTORIAN ISN'T IN THE CARDS. I KNEW THAT WHEN I GOT INVOLVED IN EACH, AND WHILE I'D BE LIEING TO YOU IF I SAID MONEY WASN'T IMPORTANT, IT'S CERTAINLY NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN HAVING AN INTERESTING LIFE. I'M EMPLOYING EACH PROFESSION ALMOST EVERY DAY, AND I'VE GOT A BIG MIRROR HERE IN MY OFFICE, BUT I'VE NEVER YET WATCHED MYSELF STARVE TO DEATH. EACH OF MY CAREERS KICKS IN A LITTLE MONEY, SOME OF THE TIME, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN TOGETHER, STILL CHASING THE ELUSIVE FORTUNE THAT ALWAYS SEEMS TO EVADE OUR COLLECTIVE GRASP.
HAVING TO BE RESOURCEFUL IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. THE FACT MANY YOUNG FOLKS ARE LACKING IN RESOURCEFULNESS THESE DAYS, IS TROUBLESOME TO AN OLD FART LIKE ME, WHO KNOWS THAT IT WILL SOON AGAIN, BE A NECESSARY SURVIVAL SKILL. I DON'T CARE WHAT THE EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS LOOK LIKE, AS BLACK AND WHITE STATS, BECAUSE THE ONLY REALITY I NEED TO KNOW, IS WHAT HAS AND IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING AT STREET LEVEL. HOW ARE WE DOING? HOW ARE OUR BUSINESSES FARING THESE DAYS? ARE INCREASES IN HYDRO, WATER, AND TAXES HURTING THE BOTTOM LINE, OF WHAT'S LEFT AT THE END OF THE MONTH? ARE YOU HAVING A HARD TIME MAKING ENDS MEET, BUYING GROCERIES THAT ARE SOMEWHAT HEALTHY, WITH A FEW BUCKS LEFT FOR GAS TO GET BACK HOME? OR DO YOU EVEN HAVE A CAR ANY MORE? THE PROBLEM IS, YOU SEE, WE'RE NOT SURE OF WHAT THE REAL, DAY TO DAY LIVING REALITIES ARE, FOR THOSE WHO ARE MOST SERIOUSLY AT RISK. SEEING AS THEY HAVEN'T CLOSED ANY FOOD BANKS DUE TO LACK OF INTEREST, IT SEEMS VISITATIONS ARE STILL HALE AND HARDY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS.
I HAVE NO FAITH ANY LONGER, THAT THE LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO WATCH KIDS WAKING ON EASTER MORNING, BUT FINDING NARY A CHOCOLATE. AND IF YOU WERE THINKING IT, OF COURSE I AGREE. HOPEFULLY, THE CARE-GIVER WOULD HAVE USED THAT MONEY TO BUY SOMETHING NOURISHING, AND MAKE UP FOR THE SHORTFALL OF CHOCOLATE, BY GETTING OUTSIDE AND ENJOYING WHAT IS FREE AND ABUNDANT. LIFE AND TIMES DON'T HINGE ON EASTER BUNNIES. I'VE LIVED THROUGH MANY TOUGH TIMES IN MY LIFE, BUT AS LONG AS I COULD LATCH ONTO OTHER NEAT THINGS, FRIENDS, FAMILY AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS, I FOUND THE WAY TO MOVE ON. WHEN THE BOYS WERE YOUNG AND WE WERE BROKE, WE NEVER ONCE, LET A DAY GO BY THAT WE DIDN'T EMBRACE THE GOOD GRACES OF HUMAN LIFE. AND WHILE THAT MAY SEEM SICKLY SWEET, IT WAS INFINITELY MORE FULFILLING, AS A FAMILY, NOT TO BE DEFINED BY INCOME, OR SOCIAL STANDING, BUT HOW MUCH NECTAR WE SUCKED OUT OF THE LIVES WE WERE AFFORDED. IF WE HAD TO PORTAGE OUR OLD CANOE ACROSS TOWN, TO GET TO A LAKE, WE'D DO IT, AND PADDLE FOR MOST OF THE DAY. WE GOT THE CANOE FOR FREE, AS IT WAS SUZANNE'S GROWING UP. WE TOOK PICNIC LUNCHES TO ALL THE TOWN PARKS, FROM WEEK TO WEEK, AND SUZANNE MADE US FABULOUS SANDWICHES ON A TIGHT BUDGET OF INGREDIENTS. WE CERTAINLY SURVIVED, IN THOSE DAYS, WHEN OUR HOUSE, AS IF PART OF SOME MAGICIAN'S TRICK, DECREASED $30,000 IN VALUE. IN ONE YEAR ONLY, DURING THE LATE 1980'S REAL ESTATE COLLAPSE. WE MADE OUR BED AND AS THEY SAY…….
What I see today, are a lot of dangerous parallels, to what we experienced of the good, bad and the very ugly, of those days. When I say we lost $30,000, that was on paper only. Like many American homeowners have suffered, we couldn't sell it for any price at that point. The on-paper figure was much better that the actual selling price would have been, if we had been forced to list the house, or return it to the bank. I can remember borrowing just over $100,000 and thinking, it was the most frightening venture I'd ever undertaken. It was. Even though we both had multiple good jobs, and made more than enough money to cover costs, we had know idea how wild a fear of recession could become, even before it was fiscally speaking, a true economic recession. Gads, I went from three jobs to being an antique dealer, and a writer / historian-for-hire. Suzanne was of course the anchor, as a teacher, but we had the debt load that required me to be a professional athlete, or a business magnate. What I'd like to tell young folks today, is that there are no sure-bets when the poop starts hitting the proverbial fan, and what you thought was cast in stone, was actually made of gingerbread. Almost every day, for three years, we were petrified to go to the mail box. We had all the colors of the rainbow, in those "overdue" bills, that were actually so numerous, our postal carrier wrapped them in an elastic band. We'd bring them in the house, and just toss the packet of problems on the table, picking the right time and mood, to removed the elastic. Ours was not an unusual situation at that time. Many of our friends lost their homes and possessions, and in our hole-in-the-wall antique shop, (which allowed us to sell off our stuff) we sold their heirloom pieces, and it was enough to break your heart. It wasn't just young people hurt by this. Many were friends nearing retirement. Some declared bankruptcy. A few killed themselves because the outcome was so bleak. When I read the story this week, about the Greek pensioner, who killed himself recently, because he couldn't face the balance of life scrounging for food, I thought about those difficult times for us……which were a thousands times better, than what some citizens are facing around the world. My point is, resourcefulness is the only way to survive a parallel downturn that isn't so far away.
I remember, in the late 1980's, reading about massive line-ups of buyers, waiting for the opening of sales offices in new city subdivisions, and reading about them selling-out all their properties in a day. Then I remember reading about the thousands of buyers who forfeited their deposits after the real estate collapse. The exact same thing is happening today, in Toronto, and with these auctions on re-sale houses, where asking prices are topped by many thousands of dollars, you have to wonder how long the nonsense can last. How many condos are too many for the available market? Is Canada growing that fast? How will young people be able to live in the city, with these prices continuing to escalate for family homes? How are we going to be hit, here in the hinterland, if the trend shifts northward? Many have already had to sell because of rising expenses and taxes. What's going to happen if the interest rates go up, as they can in a heartbeat? We were suffering with a mere hundred thousand dollar mortgage-debt. Geez that's a tiny one by today's standards. Yet it still has to be paid back, just like ours, and we still have a couple of years to go. There's too much b.s. out there, and vested interest, in oh so many ways, in order for most people to truly understand what the risks are, the economic trend will suddenly downturn without warning. When we bought our first house, in the mid 1980's, the vendor then had a mortgage at 17 percent interest. Now that's a nose-bleed rate, but stuff happens, and lending institutions don't apologize for making money, and getting you to pay-up regardless. With the volatility of fuel prices, and cost of living expenses rising continually, having a three hundred thousand dollar mortgage, to me, is like being written into the plot of a Twilight Zone thriller, because unless you've got that amount stashed aside for an emergency, by golly, you should pray Spain doesn't default, or Iran lob a missile at Israel, because there's nothing like world turmoil to raise costs for one and all.
I'm shocked to read about the large number of mortgage holders who have know idea about penalty clauses, to get out of a fixed term mortgage. Does any one read the paperwork they're signing? Cripes, it's a pretty crappy hit, when you find out you owe fifteen grand in interest, for breaking a mortgage contract. I think there are a lot of home owners who have been foolishly naive, and gotten themselves imbedded in responsibility, they only know in part……which was the part they when they got the keys to new digs. Yup, resourcefulness got my grandparents through the Great Depression, got my parents through the war years and a half dozen recessions, and it got us through a couple of dandies. I often kidded Suzanne about being the head of her class, as a teenager, in the 4-H Club in Windermere, and her years associated with the Women's Institutes, and the Windermere United Church association, that did so much for the community on so few dollars, but employed major league resourcefulness, and togetherness, to pull off what would have seemed impossible tasks. As they say, the price of success is hard work. Suzanne and I both came from similar backgrounds, where money was tough to get, and hang onto, and things had to be stretched to a razor-thin edge by plain necessity. We employed every resource at our disposal, and we overcame a huge deficit by relying on old fashion resourcefulness. Nothing fancy.
We've got young people with huge mortgages who can't cook for themselves, if the microwave oven is on the blink. How the hell did they get a gigantic mortgage? The balance has been tipped, and the collateral damage of a collapse in real estate values, (which to me seems inevitable considering the present nonsense going on), will certainly require many more fundraisers for the local food banks. Greed and insatiable need for more! It killed the American real estate market. And it's going to hurt us real bad, when it finally dawns on buyers, they've fettered themselves to something pretty insecure……that in a mighty wind, will be gone, gone, gone.
I'm not usually this negative, but I've lived through this nonsense before, and I'm sorry so many folks are going to find out they gambled too much over too long a period, in a precarious world that doesn't follow a script.
Thanks for joining today's blog. Happy Easter. Please join me again soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment