Raise the Hammer

As a former resident of a former TO suburb, I think that amalgamation has had an easier transition in Toronto. Maybe the writing was on the wall for a much longer time, or maybe the TO suburbs didn't feel that they had been LIED TO (as they were here) about not being amalgamated. (That tends to really get people angry.)

There will always be contradictions in lifestyles between city & former suburban residents, but there was never the outward hostility that crops up frequently in the GHA. Toronto City Council 'usually' works without the constant bickering, inertia, & counter productivity we see in Hamilton on a regular basis. Things do get done, usually in a timely way.

Becoming part or Toronto wasn't seen as taking the poison pill. There were/are some quite obvious benefits. Taxes did go up though & some services were reduced.

I wish 'Joe Pants' would get somebody who can show him how to present himself & his ideas in debate. He is IMHO, the best candidate for Mayor. He could shine, if somebody would just adjust his microphone volume, & get his ideas out there into the media with a good campaign.

I would rather have Rob Ford that Smitherman just because he is honest & hardworking. I don't believe he has the kind of progressive thinking required right now, but if he is open to new ideas, who knows?

Rocco Rossi made people a little uneasy with his 'Wise Guy' jokey Mafia campaign material. He is a very competent member of City Council, but is he ready for The Big Time?

I find Smitherman comes across as abrasive, & mean spirited. The mess that followed him after he left the Ont. Ministry of Health speaks for itself. LHIN & E Health are mistakes that health care workers across Ontario told him would fail, from day one. But he would not listen to them. I don't think that he feels the need to listen to experts, even if he knows much less about the issues & the process. That is not a quality that is needed to head up a large city. He is not a person that you could feel confident in to meet World leaders, heads of state, & Canadian politicians in a calm & respectful manner.