Re: Anatomy of a fiasco: How it all went wrong, April 1
It was intrigued to read five different players deflect culpability
for the foul-up of the Bloor Street revitalization. It was particularly
noteworthy that Councillor Kyle Rae, a member of the city’s executive
committee and 20-year veteran of city hall, blamed city staff for the
slow pace and mounting frustration, something he’s done frequently and
exuberantly of late.
His statement that the city’s “technical
services has failed to provide the leadership and direction that this
project needed,” makes it clear that he isn’t ready to deliver his own
mea culpas on this one just yet.
Over the last two decades, I’ve
listened to Rae take prideful credit for Yonge-Dundas Square, gush over
the admittedly wonderful dog park at Allen Gardens, as well as myriad
other projects across his ward, always signaling his leadership role as
central to their success. No doubt it was.
But for him to
suddenly turn into a third-party observer pointing fingers for the media
on Bloor Street is a bit rich given his long-time self-characterization
as a key and capable hands-on figure.
If you take credit when
things go well, you can’t duck and cover when they don’t. Because you’re
either a key player, or ya ain’t. Which is it, councillor?
Alex
MacLean, Toronto
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