Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Roman History and Newmarket Town Hall

Imagine! A politician in trouble for NOT spending his allowance. We could use a few that think like that in Aurora.
*********
Your first wish is granted, my friend.

Aurora politicians have no allowance to spend at will.

Richmond Hill Councillors have an allowance. One of their members recently bought himself a set of golf clubs. In his judgment,he was saving the municipality money. It was cheaper than renting golf clubs when he was obliged to play golf in a charity tournament.A lot of that goes on in the early season.

Allowances seem to go along with a ward system. Councillors get to set up and staff an office. All the better to serve constituents.

Councillor's remuneration is higher.Well...because Councillors have so much more responsibility looking after all the people in their ward which would normally have nine representatives.

Newmarket has a ward system. They don't have their own offices. I have no idea if they have an allowance. But salaries are about twice as much as an Aurora Councillor.

I watched a debate on spending nine million on renovating and extending the old Town Hall on Timothy Street a couple of weeks ago.A good part of the expense is building an elevator tower.

Councillor Joe Sponga, for the ward, spoke of St Marks Square and the Coliseum in Rome in support of the renovation. He argued it would do wonders to bring people and revitalise the down town.

The Old Town Hall has a theatre upstairs.Denizens of the town have been entertained there for generations.

Romans were entertained at the Coliseum. They watched gladiators and wild beasts tearing slaves and Christians apart for their entertainment. I would bet, if you closed your eyes and tilted you head,the echo of screams and the semll of blood are still circulating in that place.

In world terms,it's the history of civilisation.

No comments:

Post a Comment