new mayor in town

In an article by Spencer Callaghan, The News-EMC (one of the local papers), mayor-elect Larry O'Brien was quoted as saying:

I think the city has a huge appetite for change and they wanted to get away from the politics of the same old, same old, and I think they saw in me someone who is focused on bringing a business-like approach to the management of city affairs.

That appears rather disrespectful toward the outgoing mayor, and awfully presumptuous toward the runner-up, who campaigned actively and hard to make this a greener, nicer, more effective city, with tax increases at or below inflation. (O'Brien, at the opposite end of the spectrum, touted zero tax increases for his entire mandate, while adding more police officers on the streets and without cutting services...)

We have to get back to basics in the city, we have to get the decision making right and we have to get the economic sustainability of this city right, and then we can afford the luxury of examining what our options are in mass transit.

As if we really needed yet another politician who believes mass transit is a "luxury" that should be sacrificed in favour of "economic sustainability."

What saddens me further is that he garnered 47% of the vote, while the runner-up only got 36%; the consolation prize being that this was one of the highest voter turnouts in recent history.

I just hope there is enough influence among all the incumbent city councillors to actually do the right things for our city, not just say the right things for his new political career.