David Miller has declared he will not seek re-election.
I felt it would happen.
David Miller,politically, himself alone, carried the weight and stress of an entire hot summer of a strike by garbage workers. They held the city hostage.
The responsibility wasn't shared by his all-powerful executive committee or any other member of Council.
Some members added to the burden with criticism of his handling of the problem, while sharing none of the responsibility for solving it.
Family time for the Millers must have been minimal. They would have witnessed the toll at first-hand.
It was a crisis. The resolution was not good. But it was the best it could be.
At the end of it , before time or reflection could evolve, and because they could, the media took a poll to determine the Mayor's popularity.
His ratings fell from 69% to 29%. Not surprising in the time span.
I felt it.
Imagine how he felt it. How his wife and young children felt it.
Such is the reality of politics.
Mel Lastman would have called in the army and been hailed as a hero.
North York's garbage collection was contracted out.
As is York Region's.
The service is satisfactory. Complaints are minimal. We have never had a strike.
Had he been inclined, David Miller could have gone the Lastman route. He too would have been cheered.
But his base support is organized labour.
He knows how quickly they can turn. Bob Rae's experience with public service unions is still current to any student of politics.
Which brings me to my contention, the City of Toronto, as it is, a contrivance and a legacy of the Mike Harris Conservative regime in Ontario , is politically an ungovernable entity.
I also contend ,what we have in Aurora is worth any fight it takes, to protect it from the Philistines.
Saturday 26 September 2009
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8 comments:
I love your last comment on the Toronto Brian Miller issue. It tells what you are all about.
Two questions:
Who is Brian Miller?
What is a "Googie"?
Googie is the misspelled word Goodie, Sorry
Sorry Brian Miller is a kid I went to school with, I was meaning David and wrote Brian instead. I am sure we have all done this one before.
I hear you. When I mean Brian Miller, I write Gord Miller, all the time.
Are we talking about the same Gord Miller?
Evelyn's right. David Miller's chance at making history was shot down too early. He chose to work through the ranks instead of arising on the top after an obscure beginning. He'll be remembered (too late) as a very good Mayor with a vision for a large metropolis.
I admire many politicians, but the ones who work through the system in order to "earn their chops" have a special role. They don't all deserve to move on. They deserve a listening.
Hmm... a Councillor worth listening to... like Evelyn Buck, or Alison Collins-Mrakas, or Bob McRoberts... perhaps?
OMG I forgot about Mel Lastman, lol, you said: 'would have called in the army and been hailed as a hero.' - lol, that was classic. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Anna.
PLEASE, Please can we entice, beg, plead, promise, bribe the honourable David Miller to come to Aurora to be our Mayor. We would be truly blessed and envied by all for voting such a candidate of this stature. We deserve somebody...anybody with integrity. Could you imagine??? Oh what Aurora could and should be!
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