Not Surprising.......

.....the left wingnut at Queens Park is still blaming Mike Harris.

Time for a credit check at City Hall. Miller's office defends his legacy and has to reach deep into the days of Mayor Mel

It's a tad early to measure the legacy of Mayor David Miller.

Mind you, some readers think the sooner the better, and good riddance.

I'm jumping the gun because the mayor's office replied to my Friday column about lack of imagination at City Hall.

His Worship, I wrote, "is the nanny who makes you eat all your vegetables.

"Ride your bike," he says. "Pick up litter. Pay your taxes. Pay more taxes. Don't touch that tree."

So our wintry metropolis has bicycle lanes up the wazoo and we can't fart without a fine or new levy.

A chicken in every pot? No, but a honking big bin in front of every home.

The dark blue is lovely with all those pesticide-free dandelions.

You call this stuff a legacy?

"Where," I continued, "is his CN Tower, SkyDome, Molson Indy, Dundas Square, Pride Parade, film fest or Caribana?"

My analogy: Mike Myers transforming the Scarborough Bluffs into the Himalayas for The Love Guru.

Aim high, go big or go home, make mountains out of mole hills. There's a million cliches for "think big."

Mike Myers a god

Then I get an e-mail from Stuart Green, the mayor's deputy director of communications.

"Hey, Mike, gotta say on a personal level I love seeing the Bluffs on the big screen," he begins.

Yes, we Scarberians regard Mike Myers as a creative genius, even a god.

Green appears to hold a similar view of his boss.

He believes the mayor is a big thinker. He ticks off the list.

"If you're looking for early signs of the renaissance this city is experiencing under Mayor Miller, let's talk about Nuit Blanche ..."

Whoa! Hold it right there, Stu.

Paris invented Nuit Blanche in 2002.

Scads of cities have signed on since. Lima, Tel Aviv, Rome, Madrid, Brussels ...

Montreal beat us by three years.

La Nuit Blanche de David?

Listen, Stu. Our city has many McDonald's restaurants. But they weren't our invention. That's a Kroc.

Besides, Nuit Blanche replaced Mel Lastman's Celebrate Toronto festival, which drew a million folks to Yonge St.

Being Mel's idea, it was one of David's first cuts.

Nuit Blanche caters to an artsier crowd, and gets half the turnout.

"Let's talk about the Four Seasons opera house ..."

Okay, Stu, let's.

First off, the province donated the site at University and Queen in 2002. The mayoralty was but a gleam in David Miller's eye.

And the spirit of Richard Bradshaw will rest uneasy if our mayor takes credit.

Bradshaw, the Canadian Opera Company boss, died last year.

The Four Seasons was "the acoustic jewel he dreamed into existence by the very force of his will," wrote our critic John Coulbourn.

"... the revamping of the ROM ..."

Sorry, Stu. Province and feds. And architect work began in June 2001. Mel was mayor.

"... and the AGO ..."

Nope. Announcement made in November 2002. Mel, again. Province and feds ponied up.

True, these projects were finished while David rules the roost, but so what.

On his watch, they got little help from City Hall. The Four Seasons had to pay for access to the subway.

"... BMO Field ..."

Yes. The mayor is a soccer nut, having English roots, and helped broker the stadium deal.

I wish he'd insisted on real grass, but that's quibbling. We'll put a piece of artificial turf on his legacy shelf.

"... and Just For Laughs."

Mmmm. I think Montreal had that comedy fest first. Like, 25 years ago.

About the time Al Gore was inventing the Internet.

But, okay, if you insist.

David Miller's legacy:

Just For Laughs.