Sometimes in life you have to make a choice. Sometimes you want Chocolate and Vanilla. Sometiemes you can have both!
Last night my goal was to go to the Cornwall & Regional Writer’s Society as Lorna had taken to calling me a Ghost member. I love writing and for some reason almost every Monday night that the meetings took place something distracted me or I was a lazy writer.
Well it turned out last night was also a City Council meeting and as I’m enjoying these David Lynchian events I didn’t want to miss it.
I chose to go to the Writer’s meeting. It was terrific and it’s always fun to be around your peers and people who are trying to enjoy playing with words. I really feel good this morning, but the cool thing was getting to have both my Vanilla and Chocolate.
The meeting ended early enough that I was able to catch most of the City Council meeting.
It boggles me still that this austere group of people are fighting fist over hand to give our Tax Dollars away to build this arena project.
It’s scary and I think only going to end up costing the taxpayer’s of Cornwall an awful lot of money.
Now that may sound a bit poopy so I’m going to balance it by saying I saw this group do some good last night too.
Energy was spent on attracting doctors. I like this town getting doctors. Cornwall spends as much as $50,000 to attract a single Physician which seems like a lot of money, but in these times every doctor we can get is gold.
30 Million on this arena project equals 600 doctors. Just showing some perspective.
Kudos to Councilor Thibault 
for suggesting that a program to sponsor local medical students be stretched outside Cornwall & SD&G and Kudos for him and the other councilors who suggested that perhaps the people of Akwasasne and the counties be called upon to contribute $$ to these medical programs as they too benefit from them.
Next meeting is in June.
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Don’t gamble on a would-be doctor… get a graduate!
City Council expended little energy on the doctor shortage, they just spended …as usual.
Talk of awarding upwards of $25,000 each year as a medical studies scholarship seems to be an expensive and roundabout way to attract doctors (adding $25K each year means by year six $150K per year, in other words $525K after 6 years, and $150K forever after).
It doesn’t seem right to send our cash to another community while we wait for graduation, and then… what is the doctors rank in the graduating class — if he even graduates?
Instead, if the city is going to spend this kind of money, why not offer moving expenses and free accommodation for a couple of years to a medical graduate (chosen by a Community Hospital selection committee). Use availablee housing stock or build to suit this project.
We might pick one or 2 graduates each year for this assist, based on qualifications, needs, and potential to stay in the community.
That seems at least as good a solution and:
* No waiting for the grad.
* His class standing and achievements will be known.
* The medical community chooses what is needed now.
* The new doctor hits the ground running.
* The new doctor has time to pay down student debt.
* The new doctor has time to put down roots.
* The money stays in the community.
For the kind of money (our money) that the city is considering, we could build or buy a couple of lovely homes for this program, and sell them at the end if things don’t pan out… there’d be a profit.
http://home.cogeco.ca/~vote/page6.html