Monday’s headlines

12 comments

1. Re ” In a crisis, city needs its mayor”

   Very true. Truer still is ours made little difference when he was here.

2. One would hope that Harper either gets an election call soon or gives up on the idea until Spring, because it would be an appalling waste of money to hold four by-elections and then call a general. It would drain the moth-eaten Liberal Party coffers further though which might be the aim.

   As for the propane issue – this is why the city’s attempts to halt the conversion of industrial lands to other uses like churches, commercial malls and subdivisions is crucial. Industrial land doesn’t easily coexist with other uses and can get essentially driven out. Not having rail-connected depots will increase the number of propane trucks on city roads, so attempts should be made to identify good locations for propane storage within the 416 so that bad locations can be removed.

3. God, I hate Joe Fiorito’s writing style.

4. One of my complaints about David Miller is that when the big gesture is needed he vanishes from the scene. There is a symbolic aspect to the job that he just cannot grasp (Lastman was the opposite). Many citizens really do look to the Mayors office for comfort, answers, and leadership and as important as family is, when you take the job of mayor the cIty has to come first.

   I predict that his no-show at the funeral for the beloved Bob Leek will come back to haunt him.

5. Let’s not build this up into something it isn’t. The propane explosion was not 9/11. Would you expect the Mayor to return for the funeral if the Chief had died at a less dramatic fire?

6. If this was a police officer killed instead, would people expect Miller show up to that?

   Rightly or wrongly, he is being blamed for many in that part of town for not being the mayor of all Toronto, that they’re neither downtown nor a “priority neighbourhood” so they are ignored. I think he should have made a bigger gesture, and I am inclined to agree with you, Scott about him not taking on that symbolic role. And I don’t think Maria is doing very well on her own. 🙂

   I also can’t stand Fiorito’s writing either.

7. I’m not out to defend Miller, but Spacing has received about 3 emails a day from the mayor’s office communicating with the media the new info and plans that keep arising from this sad event. There is usually one press conference a day in the mayors office about the explosion. That may not make the victims of this event feel any better, but its another side of the story that is not often seen by the public.

   What bothers me is that this is almost entirely a provincial problem and they have been even less visible than the mayor.

8. Matthew I appreciate what you’re saying and I’m glad you’re in the loop.

   However, a true leader in a situation such as this would not worry first about who is technically responsible.

   He would make certain his constituents were covered COMPLETELY. The blame game is weak-ass and only generates a like response which is exactly where we stand.

   Miller had/ has an obligation to protect his people and frankly he and his council have failed miserably.

   And the province has acted no better.

   Sadly, this is one time when the city’s hiring of a consultant aka Giuliani would have been money very well spent.

9. I should point out that among the many documented screw ups by Giuliani was the fact that he insisted on having the NY Emergency HQ in WTC despite warnings that it was a bad idea as the building was (and had been in ’93) a target.

   Giuliani has the best PR since bottled water.

10. @Sean Marshall and blarg

    I would expect the Mayor to show up to the funeral of any City of Toronto employee who died in the line of hazardous duty. So yes, even if it was a less hazardous fire you show up unless you are committed to city business. A vacation is not sufficient cause to skip it. That’s tough on a politician’s family life, but being the Mayor is not a conscripted position.

11. Mark,

    Ah, you misread me. I actually think the mayor should have showed up, just as if it would be more expected if the firefigher killed was a cop instead.

    I disagree somewhat with Matt on this one. If the Spacing editors get statements everyday, most people don’t see that. All I get personally are a few form emails from Augimeri’s office.

    This is a case where optics matter, and Miller is showing his weak spot again. The mayor could have showed up on scene, met some of the residents, done a proper press conference (rather than that really silly one where Maria blew up), meet with Leek’s family at least, then head back if he had pressing personal matters, or stick around for the funeral and did a bit of work here, and then take an extra few days later on. Royson James is probably having a field day.

    Of course the province has a lot in this, and Kwinter has been almost invisible as well. McGuinty has been slow in responding, but he has recently done so. Their invisiblity is also inexcusable, but to many people, they don’t know all the details of what government does what, but they do know the city does zoning and building permits, and to them, it’s a local issue. The city has stepped in a did the cleanup work that Sunrise didn’t bother doing right, so they can do something.

12. How is this “almost entirely a provincial problem”?