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INSIDE AURORA: Burning Questions 2013By Scott Johnston It's time to once again look at the mysteries of Aurora with another series of Burning Questions, such as: If its location is supposed to represent some sort of entrance, why is the Aurora Gateway Centre plaza situated near the geographic centre of town and not near a border? Why is the percentage of the Aurora portion of the annual tax increase always so much more than those associated with the Region or the Board of Education? Do those people who complain so loudly when a special event results in the temporary fencing of a town park actually use those parks? When was the last time you received via Canada Post an actual letter that was personalized and from someone you know? What percentage of the town's budget for curb maintenance and replacement is due to over-zealous snow plow operators gouging the curbs each winter? When was the last time Aurora participated in any sort of official initiative or exchange with Leksand, our Swedish twin city?* Is it inevitable that the dandelion will one day be proclaimed as Aurora's official flower? How many people whose names are listed on the cenotaph do not have Aurora streets named after them? Why are most of the barbeque places that participate in Aurora's annual Ribfest from out of town? Just how much sand and salt is swept up from Aurora's streets each year, and what does the Department of Infrastructure and Environmental Services do with it all? Why do so many people complain about large-scale activities like the budget, or Yonge Street redevelopment, but when the town holds Open Houses to allow for public discussion and input, no one ever shows up? Can one be fined for having a dog on a leash in the leash-free dog park? Will all of the studies of congestion at Yonge and Wellington have to be redone to account for the increased traffic to come from the new retail and residential developments that are underway and planned for this intersection? Apart from providing them with an occasional mayor-cooked hamburger, are we doing enough to properly thank all the countless volunteers in Aurora who pick up our unwanted trash in parks, coach our kids' teams and help out our seniors, amongst numerous other things? No matter what use is made of the old library and Seniors' Centre sites, will there ever be enough parking in library square? Isn't it kind of ironic that trees must be killed to produce all the fliers that appear at our doors each spring promoting services to provide healthier trees and yards? Once the Hydro money is finally used up, what's the next logical asset for the town to sell to replenish that fund? How many people have actually seen waterfowl crossing at one of the duck crossing signs in town? Would the town encourage attendance at council meetings, or perhaps make a dent in our annual tax increase, if it had a concession stand at that location to sell drinks and snacks? Similarly, is it too much to ask that any member of the public who stays at an Aurora Council meeting past 11 pm be given free coffee to stay awake? Why were the ancient Romans able to construct roads that have lasted for twenty-plus centuries, while our local ones become riddled with pot holes every spring and seem to require rebuilding every few years? And, although preferable to the alternative, why is there always a budget surplus at the end of the year? Just asking… Feel free to e-mail Scott at: machellscorners@gmail.com |
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Post date: 2013-05-14 17:58:25 Post date GMT: 2013-05-14 21:58:25 Post modified date: 2013-05-29 01:21:35 Post modified date GMT: 2013-05-29 05:21:35 |
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