What's Good For The Goose Is Good For The Gander

If Miller can do it why can't Harper do it?

Council takes a left turn
By SUE-ANN LEVY

With 16 solid socialist seals elected last Monday night to prop up Mayor David Miller's agenda, the next four years could indeed be grim for taxpayers in this city.

It's not just that the leftists represent 16 sure votes for whatever wacky spending scheme is brought before council. But if history repeats itself, those in the mushy middle will drift towards the N-Dippers for fear of being isolated or losing the few crumbs the mayor might throw their way.

Coun. Rob Ford, one of 14 fiscal conservatives on the new council, says he figures the mayor has a good 28 votes on any issue, if those in mushy middle crumble as they so often do. "It's going to be a disaster for this city," says Ford. "All of his (Miller's) trained seals will vote the way he tells them."

Which brings me to the plum posts and perks. His Blondness used his power last term to reward his loyal lapdogs with key jobs on powerful standing committees and a position in his inner circle.

Miller was also well-known to isolate those who dared oppose him or his agenda by shutting them out of committees and at a very basic level, out of the communications flow at City Hall.

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