Municipal Politics – Page 26

Toronto council debases Canadian citizenship.

June 13, 2013 by Peter Lowry

The City of Toronto took a long step backward yesterday. City Council wants to give recent immigrants the right to vote in municipal elections before becoming Canadian citizens. This is typical of the wrong-headed decisions of this leaderless and wayward council. They are not only encouraging corruption of the voting process but they are saying that Canadian citizenship is not important.

And to make matters worse, supporters of expanding the vote in this manner are saying that you are a bigot and hate newcomers if you disagree. People should be careful of the labels they apply to others. Anyone who has worked in elections across Toronto over the years can give you chapter and verse on the problems of immigrant block voting. This can be a very emotional issue. Inexperienced municipal politicians are foolish to think they can control ethnic blocks.

Through the 1980s in Toronto, the concerted efforts to form and use ethnic voting blocks was the disgrace of all political parties. And at the time there was little effort made to ensure these blocks of voters all had their citizenship. They were never asked to prove it. It was even better if most of the block did not speak either of our official languages.

It started with the courting of ethnic community leaders. These people were flattered and brought their groups with them to support local candidates. The only problem was that they often saw little return for their efforts once the politician was in office. These groups saw how they were being used and soon their own leaders started running for office. Their slogan was “Now it’s our turn.” The dominant ethnic groups soon had their own people in municipal, provincial and federal office. They were not all good at it.

It was so bad at the federal and provincial levels, the parties searched for some means to control the situation. Their solution was to take control of candidate selection away from the party riding associations. It worked. They effectively put a stop to the huge sign-ups of ethnic block voters. It was no longer worth the effort. They also destroyed the backbone of party politics in Canada. The parties were now run by the party leader. The parties have created the imperial prime minister. The party leader is Big Brother!

Rebuilding the political parties has started but it is a long and painful process. Rebuilding on the municipal level will have to happen after we have fixed the problems first at the federal level and then at the provincial level. We will get around to our municipalities sometime. Not soon.

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Political bicycle riding in Toronto.

June 11, 2013 by Peter Lowry

Growing up in Toronto during World War II, we explored our world on a bicycle. Sure, mother used to take us kids on tram rides to the end of the streetcar lines but she was a war worker with only Sunday’s free. The rest of the time, we used our hand-me-down bikes to explore. And it is that experience that leaves us laughing at the bicycle enthusiasts on Toronto City Council.

It also brings back memories of a City Controller years ago who was an early promoter of bike lanes. He told us proudly that he had ridden a bicycle to work at city hall that day. Knowing he lived in Deer Park, we asked how he was going to get home. He explained that his chauffeur would put the bike in the trunk of his limo. After all, it was all down hill to city hall but getting home on the bike would have been hard slugging.

City councillors have to face the fact that Toronto is not a bicycle-friendly city. For at least the four extreme winter months each year, you hang up your bike—unless you are dirt poor or have a death wish. When the road conditions are such that you cannot steer the bike and automobiles cannot stop, what are you doing on a bicycle?

You might as well include rainy days in that. When it is raining so hard that drivers cannot see ahead and parked drivers cannot see behind before opening their car door, there is not much hope for the person on the bike.

But the real challenge to cyclists is the topography of the city. Yes, it is fairly level riding east and west of downtown where most of the left-wing councillors live. The right-wing councillors in areas from North Rosedale up to Hogg’s Hollow might go along with having bike lanes but they are hardly going to be using them. And if you live in the suburbs, bicycles are for kids to ride within their neighbourhoods. (If the kid takes it to the mall, it is guaranteed to be stolen.)

The last street anywhere in the city that should have bike lanes is Jarvis Street. It is a downgrade all the way from Bloor Street to the lake. It is a wonderful ride south and is a tough pedal on the return.

It has often occurred to us that municipal politicians should first pass some sort of course on understanding their city. They would probably say that such a course would be discriminatory and they would prefer to remain ignorant.

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Sousa: Jim Flaherty is your friend.

June 3, 2013 by Peter Lowry

Ontario Treasurer Charles Sousa needs to think outside the box. He needs to be developing creative ideas to fund transit in the Toronto area and he needs to realize that Federal Treasurer Jim Flaherty is his friend. Flaherty is saving Charles from making a really stupid mistake.

Flaherty has said, in very clear language, that there is no way another one per cent on the Harmonized Sales Tax can be used to fund Toronto’s transit needs. And Sousa is hardly going to win any awards anywhere for arguing the case.

Sousa should be looking at the Metrolinx problem. While it is awkward to fire them, there is no question that the Metrolinx people have overstayed their usefulness. They need to be honoured in front of family and friends and sent packing. They were bereft of ideas and helpful suggestions. Their support of a higher HST to pay for transit needs in the GTA was never going to fly.

And the Metrolinx people and Sousa did not need to have Jim Flaherty point it out to them. The HST is a regressive tax that annoys everybody. It picks no favourites but it does impose less on the rich. The basic problem is that it does not reflect the infrastructure needs of the community where it is collected.

The greatest concern for community infrastructure is among business. Business pays a high price for gridlock. It needs to get its employees to work and home again. It needs to make and receive deliveries. Doing business in a large community can be very beneficial. It also needs to be more efficient.

What also reflects the infrastructure needs of the community are costs related to property. These include land transfer taxes, development fees, municipal taxes and transportation fees. Just because Toronto Mayor Rob Ford did not understand land transfer taxes, does not mean the province has to follow his lead.

Until the last election in Toronto, there was an unholy alliance between the East and West Toronto lefties and the smug rich of Rosedale and Lawrence Park. They worked together to keep down and screw those poor people who have to live in the suburbs. It is why there has been no action on the growing gridlock on Toronto’s roads. Rob Ford’s election was the first sign that maybe the deadlock in Toronto could be broken.

If the province is going to step into this mess, it has to be prepared for a tough fight. There has to be clearly earmarked funding for transit and an audit trail that shows the funds are being used for the purpose. Anything less will just continue to fuel the outrage over the hours spent trying to get to and from another ill-paying job.

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An insight into how news media incite.

June 2, 2013 by Peter Lowry

More than a few years ago, in the early days of coming to an understanding of the news media, there was a chance encounter downstairs from the office. It was a full team of cameraman, sound guy and reporter from the CBC. While the crew was setting up for man-on-the-street interviews, the reporter explained his assignment. We wished him luck on getting anything and headed back to the office.

But he did get an interview that was aired on the six o’clock news. The interview was with the slow, friendly guy who made deliveries for the restaurant downstairs. He was the perfect interview subject; he was always smiling and he could repeat back to you verbatim anything you said to him. The reporter was interviewing this chap, who would be unable to understand a tax bill, on a proposed change in land taxes. Surprisingly, the guy’s attitude on the subject seemed to directly reflect the reporter’s.

What caused this reminiscing was the airing late Saturday on Global Television news of a mob at Toronto city hall. It seems these stalwart citizens were demanding the resignation of Mayor Rob Ford. Under the gaze of the television cameras, these people were quite vociferous in their condemnation of their mayor. It was not made clear if they had tar and feathers at the ready or a sturdy rope.

The Global reporter did note that there had been promises of 4000 demonstrators and only a small percentage of this number actually took part in the demonstration. This was disappointing. In today’s era of social media, there could have been a flash mob there of over 10,000. All it takes is a little organizational ability. The resourceful media made up for the numbers by shooting tighter shots and cutting in shots of some Rob Ford supporters defending their guy.

Luckily, this was a Saturday and Rob Ford was nowhere near his office. Any confrontation between the man and his detractors could have become something beyond control of the news media people who thought this was such great television.

And if anyone thinks the media people who promoted this should be charged with attempting incite to riot, this observer would very much like to be on the jury. It might be the first jury to recommend capital punishment in a long time.

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In search of redemption.

June 1, 2013 by Peter Lowry

It seems the main subjects for political analysis today are people in search of redemption. And it is not the target of the attention as much as the people who voted for them. In Toronto, in Ottawa and at Queen’s Park, it is the voters who search for redemption.

In Toronto, we have the ongoing daily trials and tribulations of the Ford boys. Can there be redemption for the Toronto voters who chose Mayor Rob Ford? The man is a caricature of his voters. He promised them he would end the gravy train but that train had left the station. The virulent news media versus Ford saga is a sad and savage example of bear baiting from the Middle Ages. The attack hounds of the media should remember that it failed as a popular entertainment back then because it killed more dogs than bears.

But it is not the news media that will determine the fate of Ford. It will be the voters of Toronto. Given a clear choice, an uncluttered list of candidates, the voters will opt for peace at city hall. What the media has to understand is that the amorphous Ford Nation’s loyalties are fleeting.

And then there is Senator Mike Duffy. The only voter that Mike Duffy has ever had is Prime Minister Stephen Harper. There is no redemption for Harper or his Senate or his government. For Harper brought it all on himself. He is an autocrat, not a democrat.

Senator Duffy’s problem is his own sense of entitlement. And it was the Prime Minister who encouraged that entitlement. Duffy looked at Stephen Harper’s imperial role as Prime Minister with his personal A310 Airbus, his staff hairdresser and his disdain for parliament and figured that he did not need the hairdresser. He just felt entitled to everything else.

At Queen’s Park, Kathleen Wynne is enjoying the role of Premier. It is her voters across Ontario who seek redemption. They want their opinion on who will be premier to be recorded. Wynne has no mandate to rule the province. After more than 100 days of shoring up the dikes, she can either trust the voters or she can enjoy some final days in the role of Premier.

At all three levels of government, the need is for redemption. The one major concern is the lowering levels of voter turnout, the lack of confidence in the process, the blatant dishonesty of some of the participants and the laxness of the news media. Nobody seems to want to take responsibility. Is there redemption for any of us?

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Premier Wynne, taking on Ford Nation.

May 31, 2013 by Peter Lowry

Premier Kathleen Wynne could be taking on far more than she has bargained for in commenting on the situation at Toronto city hall. It is more like a yappy cocker spaniel taking on a couple of pit bulls than a premier dealing with her responsibilities. She is definitely trying to pick a fight way out of her weight class.

While the province has responsibility for the city, there is nothing in the situation over the past couple weeks that requires the Premier to act on behalf of Toronto citizens. Neither Premier Wynne, nor the Toronto Star, nor the Globe and Mail can serve as judge and jury in this situation. As long as Rob Ford is free to carry on his responsibilities as Mayor and the city continues to function, there is no reason for the province to interfere.

Even if the Premier was answering a direct question from the media about the Toronto situation, she needed to be more diplomatic and to stay out of it. If the questions about the Mayor’s recreational preferences are ever really answered, there is going to be serious spatter for everyone involved. She hardly wants to be a bystander when that hits the fan.

And do not forget that any politicians or news media outlets that go after the Fords are also taking on Ford Nation. While amorphous and unstructured, Ford Nation is still real. It is more of a concept than a movement. It is the same ‘get even,’ ‘get ours’ mentality that Conservative Leader Tiny Tim Hudak counts on across the province. It is no bastion of liberalism. They are the same people as those moving their lips as they read the Toronto Sun on the subway each morning.

If Wynne even wanted to neutralize some of the Ford Nation vote, she never would have fired Lottery and Gaming tsar Paul Godfrey. Paul wanted a casino in Toronto and he was the one person who might have made it happen. Wynne crippled his efforts by ordering that there would be no special deal for Toronto and then fired him because he could not do his job. Paul hardly headed back to his duties running Post Media to pout.

The Toronto Star recently helped Kathleen Wynne celebrate her first 100 days as premier. The newspaper thinks she has done a pretty good job so far. The Toronto Star has been wrong before.

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Lessons learned from Ford and Harper.

May 29, 2013 by Peter Lowry

Toronto’s Mayor Ford and Prime Minister Harper are providing very good examples of what not to do in a crisis. Crisis management mangers are having a field day pointing out the errors the two men are making. Instead of pulling themselves out of the mess they are in, they are compounding their problems as they try to fight off their detractors.

In Toronto, the bear baiting continues as the news media tear at the rags of Rob Ford’s dignity and honour. In Ottawa, in the more genteel atmosphere of parliament, the organized protests of the opposition are fended off by the cricket bat of the Prime Minister. In neither case is the beleaguered principle taking the advice of those who understand the psychology of the situation and the need for special handling.

And in neither case is there going to be a sudden reversal, ‘mea culpa’ or confession. It is not in either man’s persona to honestly discuss the problems with the news media. Nor is either going to be believed at this stage if they attempt to redirect the media attention onto someone else.

Both men have made the same mistake in throwing their chief-of-staff under the bus. By that action alone, they have locked all sights on themselves. Neither will ever attain that level of trust again. They have left themselves slim pickings in the narrow field of available chiefs-of-staff. There will be no trust.

Of course, Rob Ford’s friend Stephen Harper is not so foolish as to tell the media ‘no comment.’ Harper had an excuse to get out of town and he took it. While Opposition Leader Tommy Mulcair accused Harper of skipping town, he looked a bit silly suggesting that Harper could make arrangements for such a trip at the spur of the moment.

While Mr. Harper may wish to call the Senate kafuffle a ‘distraction,’ He needs to remember that he created that distraction. He was promising six years ago to do something about the Senate and he ended up packing it with Conservative Party sycophants. That was not what he promised. And he got more than he bargained for.

But both Ford and Harper have convenient memories. Mind you, you might not want to ask Rob Ford about the deleterious effects of crack cocaine on short term memory. Mr. Harper seems to micromanage everything in Ottawa. He needs to explain how he let us down about the Senate. And the Supreme Court will not help. Maybe next year the judges will tell him he needs the support of most of the provinces to fix the Senate problem.

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The creative vacuum at Metrolinx.

May 28, 2013 by Peter Lowry

Would someone please put the appointees to the regional planning group Metrolinx out of their misery? These sage advisors have combined their wisdom to tell us not only how to solve Toronto’s gridlock but also how to pay for it. They gave it their best one-two punch. It is now time for them to go. Their job is done. They have failed us.

Without truly creative thinking, the taxes proposed by Metrolinx will become the noose that hangs the Wynne Liberals at Queen’s Park. The buck stops there. The opposition are chortling. Nobody can sell these new taxes.

Look at the suggestions. They are a mish-mash of guaranteed failure. Hike the Harmonized Sales Tax they say. Add parking taxes in Toronto. Throw more taxes on gasoline. Pay for parking at GO stations. Add to land taxes on GO lines. And then there is that old favourite, tolls on HOV highway lanes.

Hudak’s hypocrites on the far right are sanctimoniously condemning these taxes without question. They offer the old chestnut cost savings as the panacea. Last time that was tried, they killed people.

Horwath’s left says tax the corporations. What else is new?

And the axe falls on Finance Minister Charles Sousa. Say what you like about Charles but leave out the word ‘creative.’ That, Charles is not. People knew he had lost it when he first suggested using the High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) lanes on nearby highways to generate revenue from drivers in a hurry. He would clog those lanes so badly that they would have to bar high occupancy vehicles.

Charles does not want to take the blame for his first budget. He calls it his New Democrat budget. They wrote it for him. They had to agree with him. Nobody told him that if the voters wanted an NDP budget, they could have got it by voting for that party.

One little tidbit in all these taxes is that there is a proposal for a mobility tax credit. These people think if the government screws you out of hundreds of dollars for transit, you will forgive them if they give poor people back a few dimes on their taxes. And, of course, by then, we will all be poor.

Metrolinx chair Robert Pritchard is not held back by his voters. He has none. He thinks the people of Toronto will really appreciate what these new taxes buy for them. Maybe he should run for election and ask them.

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Leadership in a dark place.

May 27, 2013 by Peter Lowry

For three days in a row, this blog wanted to explain crisis management in less than 500 words. It cannot be done. It is not only a very complex subject but it still requires leadership. Without leadership, the political ship drifts in the shoals, an easy target for the land-bound detractors and sceptics. In the City of Toronto, at Queen’s Park and in Ottawa, we are in a dark place and there is little succour in sight.

In Toronto, the city’s warring forces are in full cry. You have the Fords with their vacillating right wing, the militant left with their sometimes camp followers and the rampaging news media, all confusing the public. What is today’s truth is fleeting and stay tuned for tomorrow’s episode. And where is the leadership? What leadership?

They take a survey and tell us that if Olivia Chow runs against Rob Ford, all will be corrected and the sun will shine once more on city hall. And those who know Olivia Chow’s record at city hall are wondering where this sudden leadership is to come from?

The ownership of Toronto’s problems belongs at Queen’s Park. The problem is that the Ontario government is like a bear beset with dogs set on bringing it down. And the dogs will eventually win. Leadership at Queen’s Park is a compromise on top of a deal made by strange bedfellows. Premier Wynne has had her chance to be a new broom, a fresh face and a new direction. She stalled and can hardly fight on all the fronts facing her administration. That takes leadership.

And then there is Ottawa. This is Canada’s compromise in leadership. It took Stephen Harper’s Conservatives three elections, attack ads and robocalls to get a majority. We already knew how bad a leader he could be. We were offered no alternative. He could only pass Michael Ignatieff by destroying him. And Jack Layton was just another pawn.

The new Liberal leadership in Ottawa is a glimmer and still in the chrysalis stage. It has yet to take wing. The need in this country is for a leadership of change, a leadership of challenge and excitement. It can happen in an open party, a party that accepts its responsibilities for policies, new candidates, funding and new structures. It can happen in a party that says to Canadians that the options are open to the type of country we all want. It takes leadership to make that happen. The potential is there. It will take all of us to make it happen.

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Is Mayor Rob Ford the problem in Toronto?

May 25, 2013 by Peter Lowry

Sure, blame Toronto Mayor Rob Ford! You need to understand that even if you remove Rob Ford as mayor, Toronto’s problems will not go away. You will still have a dysfunctional city council and a badly run city.

But no city of its size or larger seems to be run much better. Have you looked at New York’s problems? And do you really want to be like Chicago? Montreal has a construction probe in progress that is delving into levels of corruption that are even surprising the crooks.

You have to think of Toronto’s problems at city hall as former Premier Michael Harris’ gift to the citizens of Canada’s largest city. And no provincial political party will rush to fix the problems he created. When Mike Harris finally amalgamated the city, it remained less than the sum of its parts and Queen’s Park was in control. The large size of the city council that Harris provided practically guarantees a lack of cohesion on council.

Party politics is not there on the surface in the city but it exists in fact. Many councillors use party politics to get elected and then act as independents. Alignments can be a temporary convenience but can shift with the issues. The left-wing of council has an advantage with the strong New Democratic electoral district associations in the downtown. The suburbs have Liberal and Conservative strengths. There are a few councillors who are not members of any party but they often align themselves with the right or the left of council.

Many citizens do not seem to realize that the mayor has just one vote among the council of 45. The mayor has an advantage in being able to work with a like-minded executive committee and set the agenda for the full council. As was noted last week in the casino vote, the left-wing of council got the 23 council members needed to overturn the mayor’s decision to take the casino off the agenda. The council decision on a casino was more of a rejection of the mayor but it still made council look ignorant and prudish.

While Toronto has had some bad experiences with both municipal-only and traditional parties at city hall, the only solution is to end the hypocrisy and put together parties that could then select their own mayor. The voters need to know who they are voting for, what the agenda will be and who is responsible. Until then, you can enjoy the funny farm.

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