Sue Ann's Perfect Mayor

I would add that the perfect mayor would have a little street smartsand larceny so they could effectively deal with the smart guys on a equal footing. He/she would recognize a con job when they saw it and would be able to get down in the gutters when it comes to dealing with the unions.

Building a perfect mayor

The leader to end all leaders

By SUE-ANN LEVY

There's no question Toronto is looking seedier.

The proliferation of potholes and cracks in the sidewalks, panhandlers at every downtown corner, the weeds, the piles of litter, the endless construction signs at every turn and the smog-spewing cars stuck gridlocked day and night all lend credence to the impression Hogtown is not working.

It would be so nice to have a man or woman at the helm who's truly in touch with the real issues facing this city, one who recognizes there's not an endless well of money to plunder for pet projects.

Sadly, election after election voters are forced to settle for someone who tosses out promises one prays they'll actually keep. Even sadder, charisma too often wins over substance.

MIX-AND-MATCH

What if in a perfect world, we could combine the best qualities of former and current politicians we've loved to hate into Toronto's very own Perfect Mayor?

We'd want a mayor who gets the job done and doesn't break the bank to do so. We'd want a mayor who can laugh at him or herself and is able to exhibit grace under pressure -- who doesn't bow to pressure from special interest factions who believe they run the show at City Hall.

We recognize no such political animal exists (at least not to date) but we can certainly dream.

Here then are the qualities of our Perfect Mayor:

NICE HAIR:

Good looks do not a quality mayor make but it sure helps to have someone in charge who has curb appeal. There's no doubt David Miller's toothsome good looks and blond locks fit the bill. Trouble is, there's not much substance behind those good looks.

A LEADER WITH TEETH:

We'd like to think that a leader of this city would fight tooth and nail for any issue he or she believes in, no matter how politically incorrect or controversial it may be. Mayoralty candidate Jane Pitfield has shown that kind of doggedness time after time.

BACKBONE:

A good mayor should exhibit grace under pressure and not run for cover when the going gets tough. At 85, there's no doubt Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion, a 28-year veteran, still shows the kind of backbone one rarely sees in most politicians of her ilk.

HAND ON THE FISCAL TILLER:

Toronto's budget -- at $7.6-billion -- is more massive than that of most of Canada's provinces. It needs a keen eye and a firm hand. No one has had his hand more firmly on the city's fiscal tiller as of late than outgoing budget chief David Soknacki.

GREAT LEGS TO STAND ON:

Enza Supermodel, the perennial political bridesmaid who ran for mayor in 2000, among other political posts, is not just hip, she has great gams and she stands on those legs in her stilettos with pride.

VISION:

We're afraid we've had to go south of the border to find someone with the kind of vision Toronto sorely needs to get back on track. That would be ex-Big Apple mayor Rudy Guiliani who proved that with the right vision and persistence putting it into play, he could turn around that city's fiscal, homeless, crime, union and litter problems. If only our own leaders, who suffer mostly from tunnel vision, could learn from him.

HEART:

We're not talking bleeding heart here. There are far too many self-professed bleeding hearts on Toronto council who care about one thing only: Getting re-elected and not doing the right thing. Former Etobicoke mayor and current councillor Doug Holyday not only has integrity but has shown his heart is in the right place -- with the taxpayers who elected him to his job

PULSE:

An effective mayor has to have his fingers on the pulse of this big, diverse city and its people -- an almost impossible task. But one man who manages to know everything important that happens in Toronto almost as soon as it happens is former Metro chairman Paul Godfrey.

CHEEKY HUMOUR:

What good is a mayor if he or she can't have fun and laugh at him or herself? There's no doubt former mayor Mel Lastman -- the creator of Toronto's very own brand of fibreglass moose, Mel coins, Mel crises and other wacky schemes to sell the city -- kept us laughing until our sides hurt.

QUICK ON ONE'S FEET:

It stands to reason that a mayor of such a large city should think quickly on his or her feet. But there's little use having a quick mind if those feet aren't planted firmly on the ground. The kind of common sense so ably demonstrated by provincial Conservative leader John Tory is a rarity at City Hall these days.