Municipal Monitor - May/June 2008 - (Page 9)

VIEWPOINT By Andy Koopmans Much Ado About Nothing? Again. But then, all heck broke loose with the news that elected officials in the two concert cities had been given the opportunity to secure tickets (some of them for free in one municipality) that were not available to the general public. News stories abounded. Politicians from the affected municipalities tried to explain. Other municipalities lined up to say that they had never engaged in similar practices. Citizens wrote to their local newspapers to express their outrage. The story even made it onto national television with comedian Rick Mercer highlighting the issue in one of his performances. Obviously this particular issue had struck a nerve! Now I know that some of you won’t agree with me on this, but I can’t help but think that the whole thing has been vastly blown out of proportion. No lives were put in jeopardy by this decision. No one was left homeless or hungry or saw an infringement upon their basic human rights. No taxpayer money was spent to acquire the tickets. In fact, if you strip away all the outraged comments about loss of public trust and favoritism, what you’re left with is the fact that a small group of men and women, by virtue of a business relationship, were given access to something that was not available to the general public. I dare say this happens all the time. Just look and see who’s sitting in the corporate box seats at many major sporting and entertainment events. Some will argue that this matter is different because it involves elected officials who, rightly or wrongly, are held to a higher standard. I don’t necessarily disagree with that viewpoint but what I do disagree with is the amount of public outcry that has been generated as a result. Where are these same vocal individuals when the municipality is seeking input on a controversial development application? Where are the letters to the editor from everyday citizens when council is considering action which could have a positive (or negative) impact on the environment? Where are the public delegations when a municipal council is weighing the difficult choice of service cuts versus tax increases? Most importantly, where are all these citizens when it’s time to cast a vote in a municipal election? The simple answer is that they are nowhere to be found. But maybe I shouldn’t be so harsh since, in these days of trying to balance business, family and personal lives, people need to make choices about where they should focus their time and attention. Sure, matters affecting property development, the environment, municipal service levels and the like are important. But apparently they’re nothing compared to who gets tickets to an Elton John concert! ◆ municipal MONITOR · 9 eing the age that I am, I admit to being a fan of Elton John and his music. It may, therefore, come as a surprise that I wasn’t one of those hardy fans who lined up in the cold and snow earlier this year in the hopes of securing a ticket to one of his two Ontario performances. Quite frankly, I wasn’t prepared to pay the price to obtain decent seats that would allow for anything other than a distant glimpse of the stage. Apparently, countless others were prepared to pay that price and, as a result, many hardcore fans were left ticketless and disappointed. But, hey, that’s just the luck of the draw. B What you’re left with is the fact that a small group of men and women, by virtue of a business relationship, were given access to something that was not available to the general public. May/June 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Municipal Monitor - May/June 2008

Municipal Monitor - May/June 2008 Contents President's Message: On Messages and Milestones Viewpoint: Much Ado About Nothing? Again Mapping the North: Municipalities Team Up to Create Sophisticated Geographic Information System The Clean Water Act: Let's Make it Perfectly Clear Developing Trend: Communication is Essential During Large-Scale Projects Water Under the Bridge Municpal Memos Index to Advertisers

Municipal Monitor - May/June 2008

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