Somehow He Will Take Credit For Ending Strike

Trash talk was easy in '02 By SUE-ANN LEVY

... then-councillor David Miller said there'd be no garbage strike if he was in charge. Oops

During Toronto's 16-day garbage strike in 2002, then wannabe mayor David Miller made but two cameo appearances -- arrogantly boasting about 13 days in, that there wouldn't have been a strike if he had been in charge.

The day before that strike ended, he proclaimed that as mayor, he'd have settled it at least one week earlier (say around Day 9).

During the 2003 mayoralty campaign -- as his star began to rise -- Miller told a Toronto Sun editorial board that "having the respect of the workers is a good thing, not a bad thing."

I reminded His Blondness of his words yesterday during a media briefing on Day 8 of the strike by 24,000 inside and outside workers with CUPE locals 79 and 416.

Judging from the hollering by picketing CUPE workers outside the Metro Hall room where the briefing occurred, there didn't seem to be much respect emanating from the mayor's union buddies.

As this strike heads into Day 9 today, I'm guessing Miller's not feeling as bullish as he did in 2002 about settling it in a timely manner, either.

Needless to say, King David was not amused with my question.

"That was six years ago and I don't recall that particular editorial board and (those comments)," he said, shutting me down flat.

To be clear, the city has good reason to stand up to CUPE's greedy demands for a continued overly generous sick leave plan and unrealistic pay hikes, especially during these hard times.

But I bring up Miller's words as one more example of how talk is indeed cheap among those who purport to run Socialist Silly Hall.

Believe me, there are plenty of others.

While the Millerites have preached their green schemes to residents until we're blue in the face -- foisting on us an extra garbage tax late last year and a fee to reduce plastic bags just this month -- it seems that anything goes during this strike.

FROZEN POOPSICKLES

We're supposed to co-mingle our green bin materials with regular waste in at least two big green garbage bags before we drop it off to one of 19 temporary park (dump) sites -- unless we're able to "freeze" our green bin materials during the strike. (Let's all hear it for frozen poopsicles!)

When the strike is over, these co-mingled bags will be carted off to landfill, confirmed Geoff Rathbone, general manager of solid waste. (When our blue brontosaurus bins are filled to the brim with recyclables, the overflow should be stashed in clear plastic bags, he added.)

"One of the unfortunate aspects of the strike is that our green bin program has to be suspended," Rathbone said.

One of the very few fortunate aspects, however, is that it exposes the socialists' true colours -- and they're definitely not green, except when it comes to blowing money they don't have.

I wonder how Miller expects CUPE unions to respect the city's cries of poverty when there seemed to be plenty of money last Friday -- $417-million more in fact -- buried in some city account to further the mayor's transit agenda? (This to purchase 204 Bombardier streetcars.)

There was another $20,000 to hold a special city council meeting off site at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre -- done so the mayor and his pro-union minions wouldn't be forced to cross the picket lines in front of City Hall.

LONG HOURS?

Speaking of which, at least 16 council offices at City Hall were dark yesterday -- at the same time the mayor was crowing about how the city's management and non-union employees were working "long hours" to provide services to Torontonians.

Evidently, the same doesn't apply to those who have their constituents to thank for their $99,000-a-year jobs

The lights weren't on and no one was home at the offices of: Cliff Jenkins, Gord Perks, Giorgio Mammoliti, Howard Moscoe, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Ron Moeser, Joe Mihevc, John Filion, Pam McConnell, Shelley Carroll, Mike Del Grande, Janet Davis, Maria Augimeri, Adam Vaughan, Paula Fletcher, Adam Giambrone and Anthony Perruzza.

Coun. Doug Holyday, whose City Hall office is open but who can't access his Etobicoke office because the Civic Centre is shut tight, says the dark offices are an indication many of his colleagues have "acquiesced" to the strikers.

"I think it's totally improper," he said, "especially when we're asking our residents to cross the picket lines to dump their garbage or to do city business."