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EDITORIAL

Fix already in

November 11, 2002

Not many average Torontonians are too bothered about next November’s mayoral race. There’s this month’s mortgage to worry about; Christmas is coming and another long winter ahead.

But while most of us go about our everyday work, a group of ambitious City Hall politicians are strategizing to return the mayor’s chair to the scheming left.

The behind-the-scene game plan to fill the top seat of power in the City of Toronto is truly Machiavellian: No matter what you read or watch in the mainline media, Coun. David Miller will not be Mayor of Toronto the Good. No. Miller will be deputy mayor in a deal that people in the know tell us the councillor already arranged with former Mayor Barbara Hall.

When incumbent Mayor Mel Lastman fills us in about his future intentions early in the New Year, it shouldn’t come us a surprise that he won’t be running in next year’s civic election.

It appears that Coun. Paul Sutherland will not be offering his services as our chief magistrate. Current Deputy Mayor Case Ootes is a great guy. The consistent Case Ootes goes a long way to keep peace at raucous council meetings and is an all-round trustworthy municipal politician. Problem is his winnability just isn’t there.

No one can really say what former Budget Chief Tom Jakobek will do.

And then there’s dark horse independent MP John Nunziata, who some claim will only join the race in order to split the vote against any right of centre contender.

Fringe candidates such as Enza the Supermodel and environmental activist Tooker Gomberg have moved in on potential council seats, respectively challenging councillors George Mammoliti and Chris Korwyn-Kuczynski. But can anyone remember a mayoral race in T.O. with no fringe candidates?

Fringe candidates may appear quite harmless and even frivolous, but remember greenie Gomberg scored 50,000-plus votes last time out.

It will be confusing for Toronto voters as the mainline media continues to present Coun. Miller as a top contender for the mayoral race.

Only recently Don Wanagas writing in the National Post was reporting that Miller was celebrating "a big boost" with a personal endorsement from respected urban philosopher Jane Jacobs.

A one-time ardent Barbara Hall supporter, the 86-year-old Jacobs, is "shocked" that Hall executed a turncoat on building the bridge to the Toronto Island airport and on airport expansion.

"I’m quite shocked that she did what she did," Jacobs lamented to Wanagas.

Her support for Miller as mayor, she said is based on "the leadership role" he played on pushing for a public inquiry into scandalous computer leasing contracts that were designed to cost the city $43 million but towered to more than $100 million--without either council’s knowledge or approval.

Balderdash, Ms. Jacobs.

Miller, like all of our duly elected councillors, was there when the deal went down. Addressing the assault on the public purse long after the horse is out of the barn isn’t nearly good enough for Toronto taxpayers, and not even close to adequate as an excuse to offer one’s service as mayor.

While political pundits play with a plethora of situations, Hall is reported to have had a campaign office up and running in the city’s north end for some time. Big gun Liberal Gordon Ashworth is running the show. People like Richard Joy, son of former Coun. Howard Joy has a key position in the Hall for Mayor campaign.

Hall herself is seen as up and running, running around the business district as she jogs with hubby Max Beck, the couple decked out in matching outfits; running in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. and taking advantage of prominent photo-ops that follow in the Toronto Star.

Why are they positioning themselves more than a year before the main event?

Because the local left are as determined, as they are desperate to reclaim the mayor’s chair.

David Miller is not running for mayor. Barbara Hall is.

You read it first in Canadafreepress.com


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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