Community Council, PRETENDING to SERVE US

By Mr. David Nesbitt

You probably think that the Toronto – East York Community Council brings local Metro affairs right to your doorstep. Not so! Not so in any way! FUHGEDDABOUDIT!!! Meetings of this sub-Council are scheduled to keep most of us out. They are managed to squelch our voices. “Community” Meetings are at city Hall, more than a half-hour from Main Street; either by T.T.C. and walking, or by car and parking. They are held only during business-hours, when most people with jobs cannot attend. For no more than five minutes, you can have only one chance to express your views or ask your questions. Don’t expect any interaction with any of the grand government gurus at the Head Table. Their main aim is discovering how to counter any objections to the decisions that already have been made. By their steady silence, they portray dignified wisdom and fairness. Is it just a rehearsal for the next election? The much more democratic procedure would be several meetings in different evenings of any week or more, each in several different local meeting-halls. Beachers and East Yorkers have attended, in the hundreds for these local meeting in recent years. There was “Save-Our-Shoreline” (from windmill farming). We now continue with “Save Queen Street” (from invasion by condo-creep). We welcomed these occasions to meet neighbours and exchange ideas in order, out-of-order, and in casual groups. The only people inconvenienced by this arrangement would be Councillors, and/or their Executive Assistants. They prefer to be paid and fed for no more than regular hours of artful yapping, to no noticeably useful ends.