Broken Promises (a.k.a. lies)
A 90-minute speech with no questions allowed represents the only time that Pleasant Rowland addressed the village she wants to help.
Since then, she has unilaterally imposed her will on Aurora in a series of actions which have met with growing resistance and resentment -- gutting historic buildings, eliminating affordable housing, destroying locally-run businesses, ruining community institutions, trying to take-over public property.
Residents have had no voice whatsoever in the planning and execution of her increasingly bizarre vision for our community.
All of the promises excerpted from her speech below have proven false.
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Rowland addresses concerns at public meeting in Aurora
(Excerpts from full speech printed in the Syracuse Post-Standard, Thursday, May 22, 2001.)
...I have looked for needs that match my interest in arts and culture, in historic preservation, in causes that touch the lives of women and children, and in projects that build and enrich community....
I hope you will also see that Pleasant Rowland and her Foundation will gain nothing from this undertaking except the pleasure of the work and the satisfaction of serving a community for the enjoyment of those who live here today and for those in generations to come....
The Aurora Foundation can provide an opportunity for this village to define what it wants to be and needs to be in the 21st century, what it wants to change and what it doesn't.... It will create an infrastructure that allows for good jobs for local people with training and advancement opportunities, with market-rate salaries and benefits. And it will provide qualified professional and business entrepreneurs the opportunity to rent quality space at fair market value....We must enter into a civil, productive dialogue with each other and create a shared vision that works for the 21st century. I ask you to embrace this opportunity with open mind and good heart and give the Aurora Foundation a chance to earn your trust as we help execute this vision...
We have established a collaborative and productive dialogue with these elected officials in the early stages of plans for the Aurora Inn and Market building. The Foundation will continue to have an open dialogue with the community about its plans as we work to achieve the objectives and help meet the needs residents articulated....
While I cannot live full time in Aurora, I will be here frequently. I will be visible and I will be accessible. I will be personally responsible, as head of the Foundation, for assuming an open and collaborative dialogue with this community and helping to meet its needs as best I can...
I will propose Katie Waller for the position of Executive Director of the Foundation. She worked with me at Pleasant Company for over 12 years....The values we built that company on reflect our own personal values; honesty, openness, fairness, collaboration and inclusion....The Aurora Foundation intends to hire local people whenever possible and treat them well in the businesses we operate. We intend to provide opportunities for qualified individuals to have their own businesses in Foundation-owned buildings, which we will rent at fair market rates...
Please know that I am very aware of the economic diversity in Aurora. I give you my word that the Aurora Foundation will try in every way it can to make sure that a broad cross-section of this community is served and served well....
During the summer, we will begin discussions about ways to address the identified village needs and concerns, working with elected officials, committees and associations. We will form task forces of volunteers from the community on certain specific projects. We will be back to you with a progress report in October, when there will be ample time for everyone to study our work and share their ideas and opinions...