Sue-Ann's Comments

Hang in there, Stephen

Candidate LeDrew needs to keep pounding away at the mayor's sorry record

By SUE-ANN LEVY

With only 2% of voter support in the Sun's election poll -- released yesterday -- Stephen LeDrew has about as much chance of being Toronto's next mayor as Tom Jakobek did in 2003.

And he conceded to the Sun's editorial board yesterday he's barely managed to raise $55,000 towards his mayoral bid.

Still, the bushy-browed barrister has a point when he says Mayor David Miller is a "vindictive guy" who's having trouble keeping his trademark temper in check, the more his dismal record is pointed out to him on the campaign trail.

"He does have a hot temper," Le Drew told us, emphasizing that he came into the race to stir things up so Miller wouldn't sleepwalk to victory.

LeDrew added that several would-be donors have indicated they're hesitant to contribute to his campaign for fear of ticking off His Blondness -- a contention I suspect is closer to the truth than not, given what I've personally observed of the surprisingly thin-skinned Miller.

But let's face it. LeDrew has no hope of mustering much support between now and next Monday's election. Even so, I think he should stay in the race to the end.

His support -- even if thrown opponent Jane Pitfield's way -- wouldn't help much. It's far better for him to continue pounding away at Miller's sorry record and his potential to really mess up the city if granted another term. "We can't let Miller go for another four years thinking he's done a good job," LeDrew says.

I even buy LeDrew's contention that he doesn't want to be a "spoiler" -- that is, to wreak enough havoc on Pitfield's campaign to ensure Miller a victory. And I accept his premise that he too might suffer the wrath of Miller and his crew in any future dealings with the city.

But whether LeDrew can shake Toronto voters out of their apathy is another story.

Granted, the Sun/Leger poll was conducted the week before last -- before Toronto lost its chance to bid for Expo 2015 thanks to Miller's lack of leadership. Still, it's a great mystery to me why 44% of the Torontonians surveyed said they intend to throw their support behind a mayor who's messed up so blatantly.

It doesn't seem to be enough that the mayor is out of touch with average Toronto residents on crime (he believes the city is safe); on incineration (he's against it) and on spending issues (his only plan is to put the city in more debt as he waits for bailouts from the senior levels of government.) Or that we saw Miller change his tune when Roger Tasse, in a lengthy report issued last week, propped up the Toronto Port Authority and its handling of the lawsuits surrounding the cancelled bridge to the Island airport.

SORE LOSER?

For months, the mayor had indicated he had faith that Tasse would see the light on the TPA (i.e., he'd recommend that it no longer exist). Hours after the report was issued, Miller said the report wasn't worth the paper it was printed on.

What did the sore loser expect? Sympathy from the very Stephen Harper government he so openly snubbed in last January's federal election?

I asked LeDrew why little of this bad news seems to have stuck to the mayor.

"I would love for you to tell me,"he said. "I've upset the equilibrium of municipal politics, but clearly I haven't upset it enough."