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Editorial

Councillors lied to about airport

by Judi McLeodFebruary 2000

The timing of federal Transportation Minister David Collenette's revelation that his dubious rail line would replace the Toronto City Centre Airport, couldn't have been more exquisite for consultant/activist par excellence Allan Sparrow.

As a longtime leftist activist, Sparrow dedicated many years in loyal servitude as editor of the Badger, house organ of the New Democratic Party (NDP) caucus. With no pretense for balance in journalism, the Badger was reactivated by the party during municipal election races. Its stated chief mission was to remove from public office all councillors "in the pockets of the big developers". NDP councillors in the pockets of the big co-op developers were Badger-endorsed.

In his most current chapter, Sparrow, now a privileged Toronto Island resident, heads up the "newly formed organization" known as Community AIR, self-described as "consisting of friends of the waterfront, Toronto residents, business people, boaters and other waterfront users, environmentalists, health advocates and others."

Recycled and glossed up, he's now a partner, management consulting for Domicity,"Allan specializes in consulting to enterprises on improving the organization practices to deliver better products and services through the use of I.T. to achieve strategic goals."

So when Sparrow showed up at city hall to present councillors with a slide show of more than 60 slides that graphically highlight key issues regarding the airport, it was a slick consultant type presentation.

Bane of the local left for more than 50 years, the local Island-based airport is more reviled than George W. Bush.

As Toronto Free Press columnist Gary Reid writes further on in this issue, "the city has shunned the airport as if it were a plague."

In his presentation, Sparrow had all the right rhetoric to accelerate the fright talk and laced it with references to "the stench of jet fuel", and how "2-million passengers each year (20 times the current traffic) are part of the plan for "a jet airport on the Island".

The activist-cum-consultant spoke about the Toronto Port Authority's "Trojan Horse" and accused the Authority of being "expected to camouflage the impact of its jet airport plan by: small number of initial jet flights, ramping up over several years; downplaying jet airports as sources of health, noise and safety problems; exaggerating the economic benefits and understating total costs; pretending a commercial jet is compatible with a green waterfront."

In other words, Sparrow branded TPA members as liars.

In his own slide presentation Sparrow told at least one bold faced lie. (Table of contents, 4, article and pictures on the closing of Chicago's Meigs Field Airport (located on an island adjacent to Chicago's downtown."

City councillors who still care about the truth should check out Friends of Meigs Field Chicago the unofficial home page of a (still) threatened airport on the Internet. "December 5, 2001 breakthrough!!! Meigs Field is to remain open to at least 2006 and likely until 2026. Governor Ryan and Mayor Daley agree to a deal that will assure the life of Meigs Field, the 'coolest little airport on the planet', an extension of its life by four to 24 years or longer."

City councillors on the left or right count on the truth in making fair and intelligent decisions. No matter how emotionally intense the issue, taxpayers demand nothing less.

The next time consultant/activist Allan Sparrow comes calling, he should be booted out of the local council chamber.

Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com


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