Thursday, February 22, 2007
Hissy fit by Imagine Abboptsford cancels dialogue
Ms. Hamilton's statement about "weekly opportunities for dialogue" with city council show just how little awareness of Dialogue in Abbotsford she has. Discussion is permitted only when demanded by city statutes. Otherwise citizens are to be seen paying their taxes but not heard.
Which probably goes a long way to explain how she could consider canceling a dialogue the way Imagine Abbotsford did would be considered to have allowed them to "... complete this first year of dialogues successfully". Avoiding unpleasant topics does not seem to me to be successful dialogue.
Ms Hamilton's statements would seem to suggest that councilor Dave Lowen is not a policy maker as he was present at the January dialogue, fully participated, was listened to and not attacked by the numerous opponents of Plan A participating in the dialogue that day.
Perhaps it is merely that Ms Hamilton considers only the Thought Leaders of Imagine Abbotsford to be capable of conveying the thoughts and concerns of the uncouth citizens to the policy makers in an appropriately gentile manner? Thus necessitating the cancellation of the meeting lest the peasants put in an appearance. It would also serve to explain why the results of the January dialogue would be made available to the "thought leaders" and "policy makers" before being shared with those who put forth the ideas.
Finally: I am aware that there was some concern expressed about Vince Dimanno's call on the Abbotsford Monitor's webpage for the public to get together at the Clearbrook Library. If this is what gave rise to the cancellation all I can do is shake my head at the poor judgment shown. Mr. Dimanno and the citizens he was speaking to and for live in the real world. Meaning, with the Library closing at 5PM on Fridays, people who have to actually work hard to pay their city property taxes would be unable to attend. Which is why, in order to be inclusive of every citizen including self proclaimed thought leaders and even policy makers it was rescheduled to Saturday at 2PM at Clearbrook Library
Which probably goes a long way to explain how she could consider canceling a dialogue the way Imagine Abbotsford did would be considered to have allowed them to "... complete this first year of dialogues successfully". Avoiding unpleasant topics does not seem to me to be successful dialogue.
Ms Hamilton's statements would seem to suggest that councilor Dave Lowen is not a policy maker as he was present at the January dialogue, fully participated, was listened to and not attacked by the numerous opponents of Plan A participating in the dialogue that day.
Perhaps it is merely that Ms Hamilton considers only the Thought Leaders of Imagine Abbotsford to be capable of conveying the thoughts and concerns of the uncouth citizens to the policy makers in an appropriately gentile manner? Thus necessitating the cancellation of the meeting lest the peasants put in an appearance. It would also serve to explain why the results of the January dialogue would be made available to the "thought leaders" and "policy makers" before being shared with those who put forth the ideas.
Finally: I am aware that there was some concern expressed about Vince Dimanno's call on the Abbotsford Monitor's webpage for the public to get together at the Clearbrook Library. If this is what gave rise to the cancellation all I can do is shake my head at the poor judgment shown. Mr. Dimanno and the citizens he was speaking to and for live in the real world. Meaning, with the Library closing at 5PM on Fridays, people who have to actually work hard to pay their city property taxes would be unable to attend. Which is why, in order to be inclusive of every citizen including self proclaimed thought leaders and even policy makers it was rescheduled to Saturday at 2PM at Clearbrook Library
Monday, February 19, 2007
When were the laws of logic repealed by Abbotsford City Hall?
How was it that I missed this major change?
Just a quick question about how it is that Mr. Guthrie can say we need to employ a Project Manager because "(City) staff is unable to dedicate neither the required time not specialist skills..."; then state that they excepted the lowest bid, even when it was grossly out of line with the three other bids on the grounds that work would be carried out by the city?
If the accepted bid requires the city to dedicate time to project management, but as Mr.. Guthrie asserts "staff is unable to dedicate... the required time..." who is going to do the work - City Halls Fairy Godmother or will it just not get done leading to further disaster on the DISASTER that is Plan A.
Citizens had certainly better hope that Abbotsford City Hall suddenly develops the ability to define project requirements correctly, accurately and in great detail. If they are so bad at defining their needs that three out of four contractors could not understand what it was that Abbotsford City Hall wanted done on a small Plan A contract such as this, just how BIG a mess are they going to bring down on the heads and pocketbooks of the citizen taxpayers of Abbotsford with the remainder of Plan A?
Just a quick question about how it is that Mr. Guthrie can say we need to employ a Project Manager because "(City) staff is unable to dedicate neither the required time not specialist skills..."; then state that they excepted the lowest bid, even when it was grossly out of line with the three other bids on the grounds that work would be carried out by the city?
If the accepted bid requires the city to dedicate time to project management, but as Mr.. Guthrie asserts "staff is unable to dedicate... the required time..." who is going to do the work - City Halls Fairy Godmother or will it just not get done leading to further disaster on the DISASTER that is Plan A.
Citizens had certainly better hope that Abbotsford City Hall suddenly develops the ability to define project requirements correctly, accurately and in great detail. If they are so bad at defining their needs that three out of four contractors could not understand what it was that Abbotsford City Hall wanted done on a small Plan A contract such as this, just how BIG a mess are they going to bring down on the heads and pocketbooks of the citizen taxpayers of Abbotsford with the remainder of Plan A?
Monday, February 12, 2007
Tsunami?
“A perfect method for adding drama to life is to wait until the deadline looms large” Alyce P. Cornyn-Selby
It looks as though Abbotsford could well have a dramatic summer on the homeless front. The Shelter is currently seeing unprecedented numbers of new faces, no longer arriving by 1’s or 2’s but in groups of 6 – 8. For the first time people who should have been guaranteed a bed, those with under 5 nights at the shelter, are failing to get a bed because of the volume of new people arriving and using the Shelter. At this point in time there are new faces, new people literally pouring into the city.
Abbotsford City Hall has always used “if we put in facilities it will attract a flood of homeless” as an excuse for doing nothing. When warned that they were facing a flood of homeless anyway and asked how they planned to deal with that, they chose not to see or acknowledge this possibility. Even in the face of common sense, human dynamics and the accelerating rate of homeless creation.
Yes Abbotsford City Hall hired a social planner and created and Advisory Committee on social issues, but to date the net result has been to allow Abbotsford City Hall to effectively procrastinate, taking no action on any of the pressing social issues facing the City, particularly homelessness and addiction.
“Waiting is a trap. There will always be reasons to wait – The truth is, there are only two things in life, reasons and results, and reasons simply don’t count.” Robert Anthony
Abbotsford City Hall, and unfortunately the citizens, are currently facing the prospect of finding the city streets awash with the flood of homeless people currently threatening to inundate the City. At which point Abbotsford City Hall will react with its patented lack of foresight, planning and intelligence. Leaving the City facing another set of expensive, messy and unnecessary problems because Abbotsford City Hall chooses not to hear or see what it does not what to see or hear.
Aristotle taught that the brain exists merely to cool the blood and is not involved in the process of thinking. One would almost think he had meet those at Abbosford City Hall.
It looks as though Abbotsford could well have a dramatic summer on the homeless front. The Shelter is currently seeing unprecedented numbers of new faces, no longer arriving by 1’s or 2’s but in groups of 6 – 8. For the first time people who should have been guaranteed a bed, those with under 5 nights at the shelter, are failing to get a bed because of the volume of new people arriving and using the Shelter. At this point in time there are new faces, new people literally pouring into the city.Abbotsford City Hall has always used “if we put in facilities it will attract a flood of homeless” as an excuse for doing nothing. When warned that they were facing a flood of homeless anyway and asked how they planned to deal with that, they chose not to see or acknowledge this possibility. Even in the face of common sense, human dynamics and the accelerating rate of homeless creation.
Yes Abbotsford City Hall hired a social planner and created and Advisory Committee on social issues, but to date the net result has been to allow Abbotsford City Hall to effectively procrastinate, taking no action on any of the pressing social issues facing the City, particularly homelessness and addiction.
“Waiting is a trap. There will always be reasons to wait – The truth is, there are only two things in life, reasons and results, and reasons simply don’t count.” Robert Anthony
Abbotsford City Hall, and unfortunately the citizens, are currently facing the prospect of finding the city streets awash with the flood of homeless people currently threatening to inundate the City. At which point Abbotsford City Hall will react with its patented lack of foresight, planning and intelligence. Leaving the City facing another set of expensive, messy and unnecessary problems because Abbotsford City Hall chooses not to hear or see what it does not what to see or hear.
Aristotle taught that the brain exists merely to cool the blood and is not involved in the process of thinking. One would almost think he had meet those at Abbosford City Hall.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Keep your eyes peeled for the hidden costs.
Plan A - those pesky, not so little, inconvenient hidden costs.
With all the major costs and money problems that are coming to light with Plan A there is something I am also concerned about that has the potential to cause annoyances and problems for Abbotsford’s citizens.
Abbotsford City Hall has pulled millions of dollars seemingly out of nowhere for major costs, land and now a parkade, for Plan A. I will not dispute their claims these are not really expenses, although I will refer them to Moe Gill who has realized the money spent by Abbotsford City Hall is an expense to the taxpayers, because the label is not the point that is important.
In spite of Abbotsford City Hall’s hocus-pocus these millions were not pulled from nowhere like a rabbit from a hat. Unless they are suddenly going to claim they have Rumpelstiltskin in the bowels of City Hall spinning straw into gold. Which come to think of it would not be to far removed from all the other fairy tales they have been telling to citizens about Plan A and other pressing matters.
We have millions of dollars from somewhere. We have the tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars the city expended on pretty pictures, “fact finding” taxpayer funded trips, a blizzard of advertising materials, a costly party on the exhibition grounds, telephone blitz etc.
All this money was not pulled from thin air but from City coffers. I do not seem to recall any budget items such as these? So it must come from other areas in spite of Abbotsford City Hall’s claim it was just laying around. My concern is that they are guilty of “robbing Peter to pay Paul” and that it is taxpayers who will be stuck with the price of repayment.
So what is it that will be cut in order to make up the shortfalls caused by Abbotsford City Hall’s profligate spending on Plan A? Pothole repair? Sport field maintenance? Facility maintenance? Services? Ok I admit that you could not tell if services were cut due to the City Hall being unfamiliar with the concept. Still you get the idea.
Abbotsford City Hall has made it clear that it is up to the citizens to look out for their own best interests and protect themselves from Abbotsford City Hall. One facet of the Monitor is to monitor those who should, but have failed to, be looking out for the City’s and citizen’s best interest and future. We have a problem and clearly we must all pitch in to deal with it. So keep your eyes open and let us at the Abbotsford Monitor hear about what other hidden costs we are paying for Plan A. Oh, be sure to let council and senior city managers hear about it as well – loudly and often. Remember: caveat emptor – let the taxpayer beware.
With all the major costs and money problems that are coming to light with Plan A there is something I am also concerned about that has the potential to cause annoyances and problems for Abbotsford’s citizens.
Abbotsford City Hall has pulled millions of dollars seemingly out of nowhere for major costs, land and now a parkade, for Plan A. I will not dispute their claims these are not really expenses, although I will refer them to Moe Gill who has realized the money spent by Abbotsford City Hall is an expense to the taxpayers, because the label is not the point that is important.
In spite of Abbotsford City Hall’s hocus-pocus these millions were not pulled from nowhere like a rabbit from a hat. Unless they are suddenly going to claim they have Rumpelstiltskin in the bowels of City Hall spinning straw into gold. Which come to think of it would not be to far removed from all the other fairy tales they have been telling to citizens about Plan A and other pressing matters.
We have millions of dollars from somewhere. We have the tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars the city expended on pretty pictures, “fact finding” taxpayer funded trips, a blizzard of advertising materials, a costly party on the exhibition grounds, telephone blitz etc.
All this money was not pulled from thin air but from City coffers. I do not seem to recall any budget items such as these? So it must come from other areas in spite of Abbotsford City Hall’s claim it was just laying around. My concern is that they are guilty of “robbing Peter to pay Paul” and that it is taxpayers who will be stuck with the price of repayment.
So what is it that will be cut in order to make up the shortfalls caused by Abbotsford City Hall’s profligate spending on Plan A? Pothole repair? Sport field maintenance? Facility maintenance? Services? Ok I admit that you could not tell if services were cut due to the City Hall being unfamiliar with the concept. Still you get the idea.
Abbotsford City Hall has made it clear that it is up to the citizens to look out for their own best interests and protect themselves from Abbotsford City Hall. One facet of the Monitor is to monitor those who should, but have failed to, be looking out for the City’s and citizen’s best interest and future. We have a problem and clearly we must all pitch in to deal with it. So keep your eyes open and let us at the Abbotsford Monitor hear about what other hidden costs we are paying for Plan A. Oh, be sure to let council and senior city managers hear about it as well – loudly and often. Remember: caveat emptor – let the taxpayer beware.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Re: Moe Gill
Will wonders never cease? Or - one councillor down, eight to go plus the senior staff. After a moment of revelation Moe Gill has come to realize that money that comes out of the pockets of taxpayers and is spent on Plan A is part of the cost of Plan A. This realization of basic financial reality has already added an additional $12 million to the cost taxpayers will incur on Plan A.
Now if it were only possible for the other members of the Abbotsford City Hall glee(fully spend taxpayers money) club to comprehend that money taken from taxpayers and spent is a cost. This includes the hundreds of thousands (a million+?) spent on consultants, business trips, advertising, parties, staff wages and bonuses for Plan A.
Although it occurs to me, after watching $12 million appear out of nowhere for items related to Plan A that Abbotsford City Hall want to hide as not a Plan A cost; the least costly out-of-pocket solution for taxpayers on Plan A maybe to declare Plan A will cost nada/nothing/nil. That way we just have to wait for the $85 million to magically appear, or be found lying around, as was the $12 million for other non-costs such as land and a parkade.
Personally I would really like to know where all these millions come from and how much more is sitting hidden in limbo awaiting council’s convenience. Property owners may be curious as to why it was property taxes took such a jump when there was at least $12 million, plus who knows how many millions more, just lying around for incidentals like land or parkades. Maybe it is time citizens demanded the city Auditors make a thorough public report to and answer questions from those they have a duty of care to – the taxpayers of Abbotsford.
Now if it were only possible for the other members of the Abbotsford City Hall glee(fully spend taxpayers money) club to comprehend that money taken from taxpayers and spent is a cost. This includes the hundreds of thousands (a million+?) spent on consultants, business trips, advertising, parties, staff wages and bonuses for Plan A.
Although it occurs to me, after watching $12 million appear out of nowhere for items related to Plan A that Abbotsford City Hall want to hide as not a Plan A cost; the least costly out-of-pocket solution for taxpayers on Plan A maybe to declare Plan A will cost nada/nothing/nil. That way we just have to wait for the $85 million to magically appear, or be found lying around, as was the $12 million for other non-costs such as land and a parkade.
Personally I would really like to know where all these millions come from and how much more is sitting hidden in limbo awaiting council’s convenience. Property owners may be curious as to why it was property taxes took such a jump when there was at least $12 million, plus who knows how many millions more, just lying around for incidentals like land or parkades. Maybe it is time citizens demanded the city Auditors make a thorough public report to and answer questions from those they have a duty of care to – the taxpayers of Abbotsford.
