Election Fever ? Relax ! Take A Pill !
If one good thing has resulted from the bus strike ( incidentally, we still can't find out the true cost of the strike) it's that Ottawans are turning their attention away from Parliament Hill, directing it to City Hall -- unless U-S President Barack Obama is on the Hill !
Many citizens used to hold the view that the only important political action occurs on Wellington Street --thus the lack of interest in municipal politics which translates into a dismal turnout at the polls when municipal elections are held every four years. The bus strike lesson is that the really important political decisions -- the ones which have a major impact on daily life -- are made in that building on Laurier Avenue.
There's a lot of anger in this town.
Word on the street is that Mayor Larry wouldn't be the only one getting his walking papers if a municipal election was held tomorrow. A number of councillors could be seeking new employment as well.
There's much speculation about which of the current crop of councillors might seek the mayor's chair come November 2010. Some are already salivating about the prospect of wearing the robes and chain of office, even though it would only be in an acting capacity while Mayor Larry is in court in April.
Councillors Alex Cullen, Clive Doucet, Peter Hume, Diane Deans, Jan Harder and Rick Chiarelli are said to be in the frame. Some have even gone so far as to seek the blessing of previously defeated mayoralty candidate Alex Munter. Or have they been seeking reassurance that Munter wont run again.........
All this election talk begs the question: should a seat on council be a job for life ?
In fact, a job for life is what it's become for many Ottawa councillors. Peter Hume and Rick Chiarelli are good examples. They've been in municipal politics since they were small boys.
There are 23 members of council plus Mayor Larry. Some 16 of these started their political careers at the municipal level prior to the millenium. Not all of them have served all their time on Ottawa's council. Some were on Nepean and Gloucester councils and others came from the rural municipalities outside the greenbelt as a result of amalgamation.
Take Glen Brooks, for example. He's been around since 1977 when he was first elected to Rideau Township Council. Doug Thompson, Gord Hunter, Bob Monette and Diane Holmes have been in municipal politics since the 1980s. Michel Bellemare, Jacques Legendre, Rainer Bloess, Diane Deans, Peter Hume,Rick Chiarelli, Alex Cullen and Georges Bedard -- elected in the 1990s. Of the "old guard", Clive Doucet is a relative newcomer, first elected in 1997. Marianne Wilkinson, another example -- spent 17 years representing electors in March Township and Kanata before taking a break and coming back in 2006.
The real "newbies" -- councillors elected since 2000 -- include Peggy Feltmate, Maria McRae, Rob Jellett, Eli El Chantiry, Shad Quadri, Steve Desroches and Christine Leadman, And of course, Mayor Larry, elected in 2006.
Some people might believe longevity in public office equates with good government. After all, these folks have decades of experience. And that's a good thing -- right ? Not necessarily so. Longevity on public boards and in elected office can result in what human resource professionals refer to as "zombie culture" -- no matter how inept the performance, the career cannot be killed.
The current council is more than halfway through its four (4) year term. It has not distinguished itself. The bus strike disaster, the LRT fiasco, the dithering about Lansdowne Park's future, the scandalous state of the city's social housing, and allowing raw sewage to run right into the Ottawa River are just a few examples of just how ineffective this council has been in serving the needs of the electors.
While council presented a united front (with one notable exception) during the bus strike, they're reverted back to their old ways. Some of them are still out to "get" the mayor. The chardonnay socialists and liberal freespenders who represent inside-the-greenbelt wards would like to kick their rural, fiscally conservative colleagues off the island. Some have trouble understanding the issues which are important to taxpayers. Others are not listening to the taxpayers --continuing to put so-called "entitlements" of special interest groups ahead of the taxpayers' ability to pay. Definitely disfunctional ! And you thought Question Period on the Hill was bad !
The current jockeying for the mayor's chair could have an unfortunate result for Ottawa property taxpayers. The city could be pipped at the post in the infrastructure/incentive funding sweepstakes.
Toronto has received its money for transit. Brockville has been awarded cash for its waterfront project. Even tiny Merrickville will be renewing its water treatment facility thanks to federal/provincial dollars.
If you were in John Baird or Dalton McGuinty's position, would you dole out millions to a city run by a bunch of people who can't see beyond their ward boundaries ? There's a shortage of big picture thinkers in this crowd.
People are starting to talk about limiting municipal politicians to two consecutive terms of office.. The talk is not limited to Ottawa. It's the subject of conversation in Toronto too. It's an idea whose time has come as more and more citizens become increasingly disenchanted with how their cities are being run and how their property taxes are being spent. What starts as a whisper frequently becomes a groundswell, especially when people are mad as hell and don't want to take it anymore!
As for the "long in the electoral tooth" who are casting lustful glances at the mayor's chair and considering their options (translation: will I still have the security of my council seat to fall back on if I don't make it as mayor ?) here's another option for you: give us a break and retire when your term comes to an end! Move on ! Get another job ! It's time for new blood from the top down!
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