Downing & I Are On Same Wavelength

More than a mayor's race

Get to know your local candidates if you really want to change Toronto council

By JOHN DOWNING

A record number of candidates are running for councillor in Toronto this election. Now if we can only get more than the 38% who voted last time to respond.

You had better start doing your homework unless you want to get stuck with another council where the majority routinely raises both your taxes and the benefits for unions.

The tragedy on Nov. 13 is that so many will appear at the polls knowing a bit about David Miller, Jane Pitfield and Stephen LeDrew, but without a clue about their candidates for councillor.

And the size of that field --278, up 40% since last time -- won't help. Many wards have five or six candidates, and there can be up to 14.

The mayor may have a power job in the country's political hierarchy but he or she has only one of 45 votes. Any councillor, no matter how anonymous, has the same voting power.

Pierre Trudeau's line about most MPs being nobodies whenever they strayed from Parliament Hill is certainly true with councillors, some of whom may not be recognized by their mothers outside City

Hall.

Don't be diverted by the mayoral Big Three and pay attention only to their windy promises and stumbles. Still, that race has become exciting.

It's like the Queen's Plate where the favourite streaking for the wire has two challengers roaring up out of the pack of 37, both trying to get footing in the center of a muddy track. The mare has shown surprising strength, while the big stallion, who has never run before and has had a controversial history, is making it interesting.

Pitfield has the advantage over the bombastic LeDrew, who has only a few publiccredentials worth mentioning: His former post as president of Canada's Liberal Party, his feuding with prime ministers and his ability to boom his voice from Toronto to Ottawa without using long distance.

LeDrew started well with promises to study incineration and put the Gardiner demolition on a back shelf, but as the media discovered, he's going to have to make the rest up as he goes.

I 've never met a minister's son who was ordinary, and LeDrew, bless 'em, certainly fits the pattern.

The devastating news for the Miller Lites, however, is that their man isn't further ahead in this race, according to a pollster I respect, John Wright of Ipsos R eid.

Since seldom a day has gone by without Miller floating from his hairdresser to one photo-op after another, the fact he's only aheadof Pitfieldby 15%in decided voters and 5% among undecideds is a huge hit.

ANYTHING C AN HA PPEN

Once the illusion is punctured that Miller is romping to a coronation, anything can happen. Only time will tell if the anti-Miller votes, which I suspect are in the majority because of the widespread disgust with this mayor and council, will split between Pitfield and LeDrew.

The classic NDP-Liberal-Conservative confrontation isn't quite there because Miller tries to hide his NDP roots -- like a blonde with a secret -- while LeDrew is a Grit who recoils from socialism, and Pitfield is a rightwinger trying to run down the centre where most of the votes are. So Miller's bandwagon now has air leaking from one tire. Whether Pitfield can pass him with her own depends on how big a pothole LeDrew becomes. I suspect it will be as shallow as the candidacy of this able lawyer in the wrong race.