Tuesday digest
- Just one entry in today's Digest, and it's a few comments about last night's mayoralty race in Ottawa. With almost one in two voters supporting businessman Larry O'Brien, Mrs. H and I were happy to see our ship come in. For those of you hoping to see more unnecessary footbridges built across the Rideau Canal, new chamber music halls placed right across the street from the perfectly adequate National Arts Centre, and an expansion of city-owned, downtown opium dens which enable heroin addicts to get their fix outside of the reach both the law AND the proper (read: tough love) help they need - all paid for by the long-suffering middle class taxpayer - my condolences.
I also have to give a thumbs up to Bob Chiarelli who served this city for 9 years during a time of massive growth and change. His speech last night, handing over the reins of power to O'Brien, was very classy as he pledged to work with O'Brien during transition and serve in any capacity he's called to.
Contrast that to the Munter supporters who booed lustily at the first mention of the Mayor-Elect's name. Perhaps expecting grace rather than "sore losing" from the defeated socialists was too much to ask. I fully expect Munter to run for the NDP in the next provincial election and take the seat of Ottawa Centre from Liberal Richard Patten.
Another thing that strikes me is the old adage that when right-wingers campaign as right-wingers, they always do well (Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Mike Harris, Stephen Harper, and now O'Brien). When they come off as big-government conservatives or "moderates", they don't (Kim Campbell, Ernie Eves, John Major, George W. Bush).
By the way - perhaps I'm just a rube, but just what is chamber music, anyway?
posted by Road Hammer @ 11:03 AM
10 comments
10 Comments:
Only one candidate expressed a willingness to take another look at de-amalgamation, which, at its core, is a conservative idea. That's O'Brien.
The principle of user-pay through tolls is also a conservative one which Doucet has wisely embraced. Good on him.
I am not sure why you are hateful of the new Mayor, Bob. How exactly are the suburbs NIMBY? Last time I checked, any idea that might bring people into the downtown always seems to be greeted with wrath by the rich people in the Glebe and the Golden Triangle.
The one thing that concerns me is light rail. It's time has come and I hope O'Brien doesn't just scrap it outright. The North/South line is bad planning and should be scrapped. They should consider East/West though. The buses are at capacity and Orleans and Kanata are the fastest growing communities in Ottawa.
That includes Navan Bob...
Bob, your thoughts on applying Clive Doucet's user-pay principle to light rail (so that those who are served by it cover the cost rather than the taxpayer who doesn't use it)?
Heard Munter on the radio this a.m. He was equally as gracious as Bob, regardless of what his idiotic supporters were jeering about last night.
Curious to see how O'Brien is going to reduce travel times for the folks from Kanata and Barrhaven, while reducing downtown congestion (as he has pledged), especially since he seems pretty cool to LRT. Oh yeah, and while he's at it, he's not going to raise any taxes.
If he can do all that, we've just elected the messiah.
Can't wait to hear the "we're gonna run the city like a business" mantra.
But all sarcasm aside (and as Bob and Munter asked) I will give this guy the benefit of the doubt and my support until I have reason otherwise.
I support Bob's call for de-amalgamation - clearly the worst policy of the Harris years. I disagree that this is a victory born in amalgamation. Between 1985 and 2000, Ottawa had a succession of conservative-minded mayors who thumped their downtown socialist opponents. I have no reason to think this would be any different if amalgamation were reversed, unless your definition of Ottawa was The Glebe.
De-amalgamation is consistent with a conservative perspective. Smaller municipal governments that compete for residents with better service value for the taxes paid are good, from my perspective. I would have thought that many on the left would support amalgamation because it allows the rich suburban tax base to fund downtown programs, e.g., arts, long-term care, and welfare. Perhaps not, though.
Maybe this fella O'Brien can hook me up with a couple ex-lax pills?
I like the conspiracy theory about how amalgamation was a plot hatched by the Right to swallow up and reduce the influence of those who are in favour of bigger local government. Very imaginative, B.
Seriously, pick up Milton Friedman's "Capitalism and Freedom" for a quick and very thought-provoking tutorial on how both user-pay and local government closest to the people is a conservative, free-market principle.
BTW, just because Mike Harris did it doesn't make it conservative. The one-size-fits-all approach as embodied by amalgamation is totally inconsistent with real conservatism. We're about economic choice and that also applies to choosing an area (i.e., voting with your feet) to live, work and raise your family. The presence of more markets (which is what de-amalgamation would allow) leads to more individual freedom. People would be free to move to an area of the city that allows them to pay taxes and receive services at a level they are comfortable with. In my view, that's more democratic, too, because your vote would mean more ... which (I think) you were pointing out doesn't happen under the current system.
In fact, I will actually buy you a copy of Friedman for your birthday (which I think is around now, is it not)? It's a worthy addition to any political animal's collection regardless of stripe.
Hammer
Chamber Music is basically small orchestral music. You know in period movies when they have a ball and a small orchestra is playing - that's chamber music.
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