One crazy summer
Yes, Ive returned.
Just couldnt take another week of lounging on a beach, camping in the woods, reading books, hanging with the kids, watching baseball and deciding what I should throw on the grill.
Glad thats over.
So what did I miss?
As I scan through my 400-plus emails, some from generous people overseas offering me huge sums of money, Im not sure that I missed a lot during my sojourn away from this world-class city.
Thats unless you consider there are still no charges in the Stanley Cup riot, Adriane Carr will seek a council seat and Coun. Suzanne Anton and the NPA continue to rattle the gates at city hall.
In fact, the NPAs media machine has been busy this month.
In no particular order, mayoral candidate Anton announced she supports the B.C. governments proposal to establish an auditor general for municipalities, sent a series of recommendations to the Provincial Riot Review Commission and circulated a newsletter that stated candidates are loving the summer campaign.
She also announced her fall election platform will include something called a prosperity agenda. The agenda will focus on job creation and tax relief. Not surprisingly, she was critical of Mayor Gregor Robertson and his ruling Vision Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»council on this topic.
Gregor Robertson and Vision Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»unveiled an economic vision for the city last month that amounted to no more than an uncosted [sic] housing plan and a 162-page green-washing manifesto focused on making Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»the urban farming capital of North America, Anton wrote. Both will result in increased taxes and millions in hidden costs for years to come.
Vision Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»has defended both plans and city staffers ensured councillors that a business case would be made for any initiatives. That wasnt good enough for Anton, who says her plan is to focus on the industries which create real jobs, head offices, supply lines and demand for professional services.
First, she has to get elected.
A rare breed
Now to Jack Layton
Spent a bit of time with the late NDP leader when he was a city councillor in Toronto in the 1980s.
Met him while writing a paper for a poli sci course at Ryerson Polytechnic Institute. At the time, Layton was seeking re-election with the downtown NDP and I joined him and two other candidates for a night of campaigning.
We tooled around downtown Toronto in an old Volvo, with me thinking how cool it was to be the only reporter along for the ride. Metro councillor Dale Martin was at the wheel, soon-to-be-elected councillor Liz Amer was in the passenger seat while Layton and I rode in the back.
Layton, in his late 30s at the time, was his easygoing self, smiling and confident as he took my questions. He was the same during exchanges with voters at the door.
A couple of years later, I wrote a feature about Layton for the school newspaper. And since then, Ive talked to him a few more times as I went from paper to paper, including the Courier.
I share these anecdotes to point out something Layton offered that many of the current lot of politicians dont: accessibility.
Whether he was a city councillor or a national leader, Layton was always available to answer my questionsno matter what the issue or how far away I was from the steps of Toronto city hall or the doors of Parliament.
Thanks, Jack.
Twitter: @Howellings
