Letters to the Editor
November 29, 2008 01:45 AM
On Nov. 17, I received the program for the Vaughan Mayor’s Gala 2008.
Aside from the obvious fact that this was a self-serving attempt at positive image-building for our troubled mayor and council, it occurred to me that it was also a huge waste of money.
While the front cover clearly states the publication was made possible by the donors who support the Vaughan Health Care Foundation, it is still hard to justify how Mayor Linda Jackson and other committee members could justify spending a large amount of donors’ money on promoting themselves.
If every household in Vaughan received this thick, glossy publication, then Canada Post distributed about 70,000 of them.
While I cannot be certain of the cost to produce each program (which is more like a magazine) and then pay Canada Post to deliver it, it stands to reason the money would have been better kept by the Vaughan Health Care Foundation.
I am certain other local charities would gladly accept the tens of thousands it would have cost to print 70,000 programs.
The fact that donations to a worthy cause were used to print so many programs is another example of Vaughan politicians using any means possible for self promotion.
Ms Jackson appears on the cover of the program, on page 2 with her council and also on pages 3, 9, 11, 46 (two times), 47 (two times), 48 and 49.
If Ms Jackson wants to self promote, then she should use her own money.
How much money was spent on this program?
I believe the generous corporate donors may think twice about supporting this cause if they understand how much of the donations are being wasted on promoting a mayor who is clearly out of touch with Vaughan residents and will do anything for some positive image-building – regardless of the cost.
Rick Morelli
Vaughan