Jack Layton: If I Am Elected I Promise There Will Be Garbage Strikes All Across This Great Land

Just kidding.

But Jack is holding up T.O mayor David Miller as an example of how the NDP might govern.

Actually, I have noticed a certain softening in attitudes towards Mr. Miller since he announced that he would be stepping down at the end of his 2nd term. My wife, for example, no longer refers to him as "Mayor Asshole".

And I think you can probably make an argument that, during his first four years at least, he made notable improvements to the City's environmental policies, and gave public transit the respect and financial support it deserved. Furthermore, it is difficult to imagine a radically different end to the T.O. garbage strike no matter who was in the mayor's chair.

But this kind of thing, where an accounting screw-up puts the city 200 extra million in the red, and is not revealed to council or the people of the city until months after its discovery, smacks of either duplicity or managerial incompetence. So Miller hardly the best example Mr. Layton might single-out as a paradigm of NDP governance.

This guy might be, except that nobody knows where Manitoba is.

Making Moves, Sending Signals

John Baird and Dalton's McGuinty's musings re a pedestrian tunnel to the island airport doesn't count for much as a discussion of real policy. Its all pretty blue sky stuff that may or may not happen somewhere way, way down the road (Adam Vaughan is surely correct that there is no way a tunnel will get built by 2011). But what it does show is McGuinty's willingness to cut Mayor David Miller loose politically. Dalton gave Miller The City Of Toronto Act, and all he got in return were hassles and piles of garbage. Don't expect much more in the way of financial assistance from the province over the next couple of years (and,it goes without saying, the Feds). Mayor Miller will end his 2nd term a very lonely man.

Miller Agonistes

While tens of thousands of golfers have been laid up thanks to the 28-day city strike, which has closed Toronto's five municipal courses, Mayor David Miller has managed to hit the links at his private course in the west end.

It would, of course, to show up at Markland Wood with a bag of garbage when the mayor is set to tee off.

Christie Pits: The Garbage Juice Thickens!

Another day without a pesticide spray! City's contracted pesticide guy issued footware not up to toxic swamp inside inner city open air landfill, otherwise known as Christie Pits!

Meanwhile:

...Evidence of an active fly infestation was detected in that fly larvae and adult flies were observed in the exposed putrescible garbage.

Meanwhile, what's Mayor Miller up to? Whatever, it sure hasn't damaged his hair. I mean, that's nice hair. Very thoroughly coiffed.

Toronto Getting Green Roofs

From the U.K. Times On-line:

Steven Chu, the Nobel prize-winning physicist appointed by President Obama as Energy Secretary, wants to paint the world white. A global initiative to change the colour of roofs, roads and pavements so that they reflect more sunlight and heat could play a big part in containing global warming, he said yesterday.

From the new city by-law adopted just today:

The purpose of the Eco-Roof program is to provide incentives to commercial, industrial and institutional (ICI) property owners so that Toronto’s building stock becomes more sustainable and better adapted to climate change. The program is intended to complement the proposed Toronto Green Roof Bylaw and the Green Standard (formerly the “Toronto Green Development Standard”) by encouraging owners to take advantage of their roof space. An “eco-roof” would include green roofs that support vegetation and cool roofs that reflect the sun’s thermal energy.

One of the things Mayor David Miller has accomplished that doesn't suck.

1,700 Plus Sign Impeach David Miller Petition

I don't think you can actually impeach a Toronto mayor, but if anything this petition shows what widespread enmity Mr. Miller has managed to stir up. You listening, Pinball? The city needs you.

Galactus is down with it.

Paul Godfrey To Natty Post

Over 8 years, he made the Blue Jays a .500 ball-club. Can he get Canwest shares up over $1.00?
(Incidentally, Godfrey's name always seems to come up around municipal election time. I guess this takes him out of the running for 2010. Who then shall save TO from David Miller?)

Pinball Will Not Save The Liberal Party Of Canada

...as this article rather naively suggests. However, Michael Clemons might well pull the City of Toronto from the clutches of David Miller, and its more than a bit odd that Rob Granatstein's column today doesn't mention him as a possible candidate. Sure, Clemens has said "no", but the race is a couple of years down the road and there is still time for him to change his mind.

Unless you live here, it is hard to appreciate just how much Toronto loves its Pinball. I have had the pleasure of listening to him speak, and he is (at least when delivering a set-piece) very good. Afterwards, though, when he allows himself to mingle with his audience, is when the wild stuff happens. His bodyguard is apparently under instructions to treat the crowd with kid-gloves, and he is almost literally mobbed by (primarily although not entirely) middle-aged white women, usually a couple inches taller than he is, who want to touch him. The mayoralty is his if he wants it, and who knows that that might serve as a stepping stone to higher office.

So while Pinball is not Canada's Obama, at least not yet, he may be our new Mel Lastman.