Kids Used As Political Deflection: THE VOTER
I saw this snowplow contest yesterday and my first thought was “Oh! Look – shiny!”. It’s a decoy to distract people from the real issues at Ottawa City Hall and, this time, they’re using the kids as pawns in their game.
If you’re busy helping your kid choose a good snowplow name, you aren’t paying attention to the city’s financial mess.
The only consolation is that at least the snowplows work properly which is more than you can say for the train cars they had kids naming last time. Imagine trying to explain to your kid that the train they had named isn’t available to ride because it spends a lot of time in the shop being rebuilt.
More irony from the deep thinkers at city hall. Kids are going to want to see the plows they’ve named. Seems natural. Well, in the safety material on the webpage for the contest, it stresses more than once that children should stay as far as possible from any plows they encounter so they don’t get in the operator’s blind spot lest there’s an accident. Are they going to paint the names on the plows in huge letters so the kids can see them from a distance?
Their tactics need some work. “Let them name snowplows!” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as “Let them eat cake!”.
The Voter is a respected community activist and long-time Bulldog commenter who prefers to keep her identity private.
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Even when it comes to snowplows, the City can mess it up. Remember, “Where’s My Plow?” app a few years ago which ended up being scrapped.
This program is symptomatic of a culture that is incapable of sending a clear message.
Mayor Sutcliffe is publicly demanding open cheque books from senior levels of government because the city cannot afford to offer all of its services. No reference to required vs. discretionary.
City Treasurer boasts of saving $153 million from operational efficiencies during the current Term of Council. Let’s not quibble of about how the Mayor translated this into the current fiscal year rather than the past 2.5 ish years.
City wants to spend time and resources on a Name the Snow Plow.
The Sesame Street segment of three-ish decades ago comes to mind. Two of these things fit together. One of these things doesn’t belong. For those on council and in the senior ranks of city administration, this is actually a skill testing question.
The most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of. Why involve the kids in the city’s problems? Name a snow plow? Gee I wonder who came up with the most stupid thing in the world. Please don’t tell me it was our cry baby mayor.
Annette,
No – this time it was Councillor Tim Tierney who thought up this genius idea.