Thursday, April 02, 2009

Goose Step Might Be More Appropriate

Things Have Changed But Not Attitudes


McGuinty, Miller move in lockstep


April 02, 2009 Royson James
Even the best of friends sometimes have disagreements that lead to an exchange of cross words, if not blows. But they don't let it stand in the way of a good friendship, much less business.
Such is the case with Premier Dalton McGuinty and Mayor David Miller, the Bill Davis-Paul Godfrey of the current political scene.
Earlier this week, Miller issued a tersely worded news release condemning McGuinty's decision to remove all politicians, including the Toronto mayor, from Metrolinx, the transit board the province set up to deliver on a massive remake and expansion of transit in the Toronto-Hamilton region.
Yesterday it was all smiles and handshakes and an abundance of praise from Miller. McGuinty announced $4.6 billion for the Eglinton LRT, $1.2 billion for the Finch West LRT, and $1.4 billion for the Scarborough RT – plus $1.4 billion for dedicated bus lanes in York Region and a Hamilton transit study.
"There couldn't be a more significant announcement for a 21st century city," Miller gushed. "I'm proud of the premier."
From the day in 2002 McGuinty told the Star if he became premier he planned to become a friend of Toronto – because he wanted the province's economic engine firing on all cylinders – McGuinty has sought out the path of least resistance for the city.
Miller, in search of the anti-Harris to counter the damaging years of the Conservative regime that preceded McGuinty, has found a willing partner in McGuinty. Whereas Mike Harris treated Toronto as dog doo-doo on his loafers, under McGuinty the province and the city walk in lockstep.
Yesterday was the latest exhibit in mutual respect and friendship. Miller and McGuinty sat together in a Vaughan bus garage, where the province was announcing it was about to deliver on transit.
McGuinty announced the delivery of $9 billion, part of the $11.5 billion he had earlier pledged.
Of that amount – all of it provincial money that does not need to be matched by the federal or municipal governments – $7.2 billion is for the Toronto Transit Commission and its Transit City projects.
If the announcement was designed to soothe Miller's boiling temper after the Metrolinx mini-tempest, it worked.
"The premier and I have a disagreement on that, but we agree on the importance of transit," Miller said yesterday, deflecting the question. "This is delivery of the money on a commitment the premier made to fund transit," Miller explained. "We have the money; there's no stopping us now."
Rarely has a mayor of Toronto been more profuse in praise of a premier. Then again, rarely has an Ontario premier given as much assistance and reached out in genuine friendship more frequently.
Just about every year since coming to power, McGuinty has sent millions of dollars – including $200 million in one shot three years back – to help Toronto balance its budget.
The premier has promised to upload – too slowly, some say – the cost of social services from the backs of municipalities. He gave the city the governance powers it sought, including new powers for the mayor, a four-year term, special status in negotiating its own agreements without going through the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and a host of other indulgences, great and small.
In return, Miller has refrained from criticizing the Liberals at Queen's Park, leaving the harsh words for Stephen Harper and the Conservatives in Ottawa.
This is not lost on Conservative voters, who gnash their teeth at the mayor. They'd be better served to find an urban-friendly leader.
Email: rjames@thestar.ca

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I lean to the right but I still have a heart and if I have a mission it is to respond to attacks on people not available to protect themselves and to point out the hypocrisy of the left at every opportunity.MY MAJOR GOAL IS HIGHLIGHT THE HYPOCRISY AND STUPIDITY OF THE LEFTISTS ON TORONTO CITY COUNCIL. Last word: In the final analysis this blog is a relief valve for my rants/raves.

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