This Column Should Be Run Once A Week In Every Major Paper...

...because unfortunately the message will be overshadowed by firework display, barbecues, re-enactments etc. 

  

Let’s shake up municipal politics

The easy thing in running for the top job is to pronounce that taxes are too high and the current council sucks 

By Brian French, Guest Columnist

Toronto will continue its downward spiral from the “City That Works” back to the “Muddy York” of two centuries ago unless something totally different is done.
Yet no mayoral candidate is suggesting anything in their platforms that might really change our direction.
Here are a few big things a real leader would propose to get the city back on track.
First off, Toronto needs to become a government. We need to become masters of our own domain. Maitres chez nous!
Constitutionally in Canada, cities do not exist. So the City of Toronto is a “corporation” with the province owning the voting shares. It’s like just one more provincial agency — the Ministry of Toronto.
It’s no small wonder the provincial parent doesn’t offer council more power. The premier did allow them to apply new taxes, which is akin to giving a teenage boy whiskey and the car keys (thank you P.J. O’Rourke).
It will take a long time to change the basic form of governance so someone wanting to be mayor should start today.
The second thing is to apply serious oversight to prospective candidates by starting a municipal party system. There are few barriers to running for city council. The only permission necessary is from one’s spouse, the only cost is $100,000 and the only restriction is to not have done something on a vapourish prohibited list.
But to run for a political party in a provincial or federal election involves inquisitive scrutiny by the sponsoring party and a very intense nomination procedure.
Muni politics? No scrutiny at all.
Running with and for a party would allow voters to better understand the platforms to which a candidate would be expected to adhere.
Term limits would drastically change the way politics is conducted.
Councillors would no longer be able to look at their elected positions as careers. It would be get in, do your good work (or cause your damage) and get out.
Term limits should be implemented as soon as possible. A strong potential mayor could immediately announce if elected he will resign in eight years.
Other ideas??
Extending the vote to residents? There is a history of people showing up at polls whose IDs are personal — mail may be theirs, maybe not. I doubt making voter I.D. less restrictive will eliminate this problem.
Reducing the size and eligible expenses in the councillors’ office budgets?
Definitely. It is a slush fund to buy everything from clowns, to sponsoring teams, to printing quantities of propaganda for various anti-establishment groups.
The easy thing in running for the top job is to pronounce bikes are great or horrible, that the previous mayor spent way too much money (and I’ll spend just a teensy weensy less), that poverty is bad and business is good, that taxes are too high and the current council sucks.
But it takes bravery to identify and commit to meeting our real needs. I don’t see anyone currently running for mayor daring to do so.

— French was policy director for Jane Pitfield in 2006 and advises on many election campaigns