Red Herring

After listening to and reading of the success of the Heritage Festival, I am wondering if we are being subjected to the old ‘red herring’ ploy.

Both Mr Clark and Mayor Fedeli took great pains to emphasize that this year the municipal costs of some $100,000 were included in the Festival expenses and still there was a profit. Are they inferring that the costs of extra policing, parks workers and administrative costs were not included in the calculations in past years? If that is so, then instead of writing off over $600,000 the city should have ‘written off’ considerably more to cover the ‘losses’ of previous Festivals.

If, as I expect, the city accountants have included these costs all along, why is so much being made of it now?

The term ‘red herring’ apparently came about from the ploy used by foxhunters to save the fox for another day. By dragging a smelly red herring, or kipper, across the trail leading to the fox’s den, the hounds would lose the scent and retire from the hunt. The poor fox would live to run another day, saying a heart-felt thanks to the red herring.

Clark and Fedeli may simply be using this as an election campaign aid to promote their skills in running the festival (and city). On the other hand, I may already be suffering from election paranoia, but something smells fishy – like a red herring . . .