Canada Free Press -- ARCHIVES

Because without America, there is no free world.

Return to Canada Free Press

Cover Story

DRIVING MS. PAMMY

by Arthur WeinrebJanuary 10 - 28 2000

During the U.S. senate hearings conducted in the early 1950s by Senator Joseph McCarthy, McCarthy accused the secretary of the Army of concealing evidence and the secretary hired Joseph Welch as his counsel. When McCarthy made accusations against one of Welch's assistants on national television, Welch looked at McCarthy and said "Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or recklessness...Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"

Councillor Pam McConnell (Ward 25-Don River) topped her fellow councillors when it came to making use of the city's limousines. Between January and November 1999, McConnell made 272 trips at a cost of $21,760--an average of $80 per trip.

McConnell's reasons for being number one was given to the Toronto Sun. "I'm unable to drive myself because of poor eyesight, and as a woman who works evenings I have to take a limo home". McConnell, a left wing councillor who crusades for poor women, the homeless and children living in poverty, goes home in style.

And home is a taxpayer subsidized co-op. As reported in the April 1997 edition of this newspaper, of all the NDP politicians who were living in co-op housing (Jack Layton, Olivia Chow, Roger Hollander, Marilyn Churley, Rosario Marchese and Pam McConnell) only McConnell remains. Is there no trough the Riverdale councillor will not feed at?

Let us now analyze her reasons for having to go home (home is in the Parliament St./Gerrard E. St. area) in a fancy limo. She's a woman. If that is a good excuse for sticking it to the taxpayers, the citizens of Toronto could benefit by refusing to elect women to council. The reality is that of the 15 women who currently sit on council, McConnell is the only one in the list of top 10 limousine abusers. Nice try Pammy.

She has poor eyesight and can't drive. It's a big jump from not being able to drivethe short distance between downtown and cabbagetown to having to take a city paid limousine. She could take a cab. She could take the TTC like a lot of us common folk do (the TTC, for any Don River councillors who may not know, is a transit corporation that runs buses, streetcars and subways; and for a small price you travel around the city--it is not unusual to see visually impaired people using the system). Has she no friends that could drive her? There are a lot of people in this city; some of them, the vulnerable that McConnell goes on and on about, that have jobs and have to come up with ways to get back and forth to work. McConnell either can't figure out how to get home from work like other people do, can't be bothered, or just loves travelling in luxury.

She works long hours. Pammy, you aren't the only one. A lot of people work long hours (and a lot of them are women who don't make a big deal out of it). Not all people have cars, or are able to drive. What about them? Who cares; you have your limo.

It is a fact of life that where you have politicians you are going to have perqs. In 1492, Christopher Columbus used other people's money to cross the ocean and "discover" Indians. It is therefore tradition to have the mayor and a couple of councillors expend public funds to go to Amsterdam and "discover" prostitutes.

Perqs are a lot like patronage. The only people who complain about all perqs are the ones who have never received any. Given that perqs and patronage will never be eliminated, limousines are not necessarily bad per se. Even long before Mel Lastman started telling us, Toronto was, and is, a world class major city. The mayor; whether it be Lastman, Barbara Hall or John Sewell, should have a limousine at his or her disposal. An argument can also be made that councillors should have access to limos to be able to get from City Hall to functions that they have to attend. And official guests of the city should not have to hitch a ride on the back of Jack Layton's bicycle. But to take a limousine home from Queen and Bay to Parliament and Gerrard--at $80 per trip--scandalous!

McConnell's behaviour in what seems to be her preferred method of transportation, is not a left/right issue. NDP supporters and others on the left should be outraged at this councillor's use of public monies. Whether people believe that taxes should be cut or spending on social programs should be increased, is there anyone out there who really believes that public funds should be spent squiring Councillor McConnell home? Probably very few.

Pam McConnell has no credibility. If people want someone to stand up for children who live in poverty, let Olivia Chow, the city's children's advocate do it. She obviously manages to get home without the need of a chauffeur driven limo. If people want to hear about the homeless, they can listen to John Clarke, the limousine challenged head of the Ontario Coalition against Poverty.

McConnell should be dumped.

The municipal election to be held in November of this year will see council reduced from 57 seats to 44. The pattern of all incumbents being easily re-elected won't apply. One of the criticisms of the reduction in seats is that Toronto will see a more left leaning council. If this is true, it is all the more reason to get rid of McConnell. There are plenty of committed, hard working leftists, incumbents or otherwise, that can represent constituents without committing limousine abuse.

So tell us Pam--how many homeless people sleeping on grates do you pass in your limo on your way home from work? How many homes and apartments filled with poverty stricken children and battered women does your chauffeur drive you past?

Two hundred and seventy two limousine trips in the first 11 months of 1999; $21,760--$80 per trip. Shame !

Have you no sense of decency, Councillor, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?


Pursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 1997-2018 the individual authors. Site Copyright 1997-2018 Canada Free Press.Com Privacy Statement