Moving the arts

I posted yesterday about Glen Tait's proposal to move the Arts Centre from the Carnegie Building to somewhere else and to incorporate the 1904 (post Great Fire) building into the police and justice complex.

This seemed like a good idea to consider; it would allow the Arts Centre some flexibility to grow (which is being called for by the groups supporters) and allow for the police and justice project to move forward (Tait thought this might help create a "justice cluster" and allow the Arts Centre to move to an area more indicative of an "arts cluster"). The idea seemed pure and well intentioned, as Tait says he will not re-offer for council.

But another councillor has a different take on the idea. Councillor Hooton was quoted in the Telegraph Journal as calling the idea "spiteful attempt to shut down democracy in Saint John."

Still, council voted to consider the idea.

I hope councilors are willing to set aside their need to garner sound bites and invite "round[s] of applause" from supporters, and have reasonable debates on such issues. If they don't agree with an idea when it comes to them, it would be nice if they reserved over the top rhetoric for when they have had some time to research the idea.