Last night I was watching our City Council meeting, while chatting with some friends online. We were all watching the same meeting, as there were some issues that were important to us ( why weren't we at the actual meeting you ask...I was under the assumptions that it was a closed camera meeting, and there was no way that I could have taken Bug down there she would have never sat still..SO at least we got to see it on TV).
Now I don't know what your city Councils are like, but ours here are notorious for being slow moving.
r-e-a-l-l-y s-l-o-w
They are still arguing over a new arena, which was on the agenda when I moved here in 1987.
Get the idea?
SO imagine my surprise when they actually flew through the presentation from 5 different Charity Representatives. None of whom seemed to have the balls or the determination to stand up for what any of their own charity members wanted. Yep it was the largest display of boot licking that I have seen in a long time. And as I chatted with my fellow viewers, the anger flowed from our fingers....Yes we understand that the gaming industry here in our city needs to be re-evaluated. Yes there are many issues causing the decrease in revenue that is now being shared by the local charities here. But I fail to understand how eliminating the volunteers and going to paid staffing provided by the Halls will help revenue. We have 9 halls here in our city. They are all going to be switching to paid staffing, which is going to cost money ( not to mention the fact that 2 of the halls are unionized halls to we aren't talking minimum wage jobs here...). Their pay is going to have to come from somewhere. Factor in that the revenue split that used to be 60/40 (the charity receiving 60%), will now be 45/55, and certain expenses coming right off the top.....
To me this does not sound like a way to increase cash flow for the charities of our city who are already dealing with donations that are down due to the large amount of world disasters this year, as well as the ever decreasing support from our governments ( at all three levels). It does however sound like a great way for the Hall owners to line their pockets with extra cash.
Yes I know that they have the right to make a living...But remember I used to work for them....13 years...And bad business decisions on their part should not constitute an emergency on our part. Renovate a hall.....sure......BUT rebuild 2 new halls in different buildings, when there was nothing wrong with the old buildings? Millions of dollars spent...and for what?
One of those halls is only open now on the weekends....a victim of 9/11 and that counties no smoking bylaw.
Sorry I am rambling.....
SO our slow moving council after only a few questions, quickly gave the go-a-head to the city licensing department to forward the proposal to the AGCO ( Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario).
So now we wait.
I would like to think that our slow moving government will not act quickly on this...but I think I would be wrong.
So now many of the people that I know will be out of work....many of the charity volunteers who use the bingos to work off payment for services provided by many of these charities will now have to find other means of paying for things like counseling. Parents will be paying full registration for baseball and skating, since they won't be able to work off registering their children ( have you seen what it costs to have a child play an organized sport lately?)
Things they are a changing.........
Maybe they could hire all of the misplaced volunteers to help build this new arena they keep talking about. I am sure that they will get around to building one someday....
In other news, election rumours are flying...it is just a matter of when....remember that it is your right to have your voice heard. If you don't like the way things are going, then speak up.
Sometimes it works.
Sometimes it doesn't.
But at least you will know that you tried.
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