Hume: Calgary’s mayor is now Canada’s mayor

[gristle]

Who cares, like or not he is the mayor of Toronto..you guys all have Miller on your freakin mind..but let me tell you when interviews with David Miller werent going his way.. he was a wreck, stuttering, nervous, oh my i could still see him white as a ghost trying to justify what was right for Toronto, come-on please.....And regarding difficulty with any negative comment about Ford..i dont care, i just dont understand how so many people on this forum have the balls to constantly trash him for anything and everything on every thread that is associated with him, sooner or later you guys will run out posts to slam him, one day its his looks, another day its his weight, sometimes communication skills, other times education, oh yeah, he beats up his wife, oh shite i forgot as a kid he used to get his ass kicked by his dad, god he can also be a racist, crap you cant forget his health and the heart attack thats coming...Hahaha, i havent heard yet that he is a white trash Canadian or that he may be gay,...that might still come out from some jerks.

A little breathless there AG? You should try insert a period here and there.

By the way, Miller didn't run in the last election.

 

[junctionist]

How can Hume, or any other individual, declare another person as Canada's mayor? Was their a vote for this throughout the whole country? Were montrealers, vancouverites and others able to vote?
This is pure and simple BS.
I've read quite a few articles from Mr Hume over the past year and can safely conclude that he is as biased as they come with absolutely zero integrity.
As for all the Ford bashing, can we give this guy a chance? He won the race, it's finished, accept it.
You still have a voice, if you don't like any of his decisions than let him know.

Hume's articles have a bias towards the best development of the city. He's a champion of urban issues and he makes it clear what his priorities are. His integrity comes from the consistency of his message and his ability to defend it.

What Hume means is that Nenshi inspires confidence that he might be the leading Canadian mayor for the urban agenda like Miller was with his emphasis on transit, sustainability, and revitalization efforts. "Canada's mayor" may seem pretentious, but it's the sort of colour that needs to be infused into municipal politics to grab people's attention and emphasize that what happens in major Canadian cities should be of major interest to Canadians in general. It's a call for strong leadership, conveying the notion that a talented mayor can be heard beyond his or her city and get the attention of the country (and increasingly, the world). Logically, as someone deeply concerned with urban issues, Hume champions one who is heard for an informed and constructive message.

It's to early to tell if Naheed Nenshi will be "Canada's Mayor", though.

 

[old boy]

Hume's articles have a bias towards the best development of the city. He's a champion of urban issues and he makes it clear what his priorities are. His integrity comes from the consistency of his message and his ability to defend it.

What Hume means is that Nenshi inspires confidence that he might be the leading Canadian mayor for the urban agenda like Miller was with his emphasis on transit, sustainability, and revitalization efforts. "Canada's mayor" may seem pretentious, but it's the sort of colour that needs to be infused into municipal politics to grab people's attention and emphasize that what happens in major Canadian cities should be of major interest to Canadians in general. It's a call for strong leadership, conveying the notion that a talented mayor can be heard beyond his or her city and get the attention of the country (and increasingly, the world). Logically, as someone deeply concerned with urban issues, Hume champions one who is heard for an informed and constructive message.

It's to early to tell if Naheed Nenshi will be "Canada's Mayor", though.

Saying " Canada's Mayor ", sure let's us know where Mr. Hume stands. And why not throw down the guantlet ? As for hyperbole, Calgary's counterpoint to Toronto's Ford is classic, ( and ironic, at least from this Torontophile's POV ). The urban message always needs intelligent leaders in Canada like Nenshi , maybe the unnofficial mayor of Canada someday.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

You may not like Miller and his policies - but to call the last 7 years "precipitous decline" just goes and point out how disconnected you are from reality. As to return to "fiscally responsible, no-nonsense municipal government" - well, when was the happy days, exactly?

AoD

 

[Tewder]

I would stand by Hume's 'Canada's mayor' comment. I see it as more symbolic than political. Nenshi is sort of the realization of the nation's dream/agenda over the past forty or so years, and the fact that he is mayor of Calgary rather than Toronto sort of underscores how profound and national in scope the realization of this vision has now been achieved. Nenshi represents just how far Canada has come as a modern, urbanized and diverse nation with an articulate and actualized point of view, and how far it is shifting away from more traditional points of view. At the same time, one doesn't get the sense that Nenshi is at war with traditional points of view and he clearly celebrates 'diversity' more than 'multiculturalism'. Nenshi is Canadian, through and through, symbolizing the wider and more profound vision of what this means.

As for Hume... come on, are we all so bloody sensitive that we cannot accept a strong urban point of view for what it is? Hume is biased, and unapologetically so. What's wrong with that? It's refreshing. When it comes to a strong vision for the city, or for anything, there is no room for the timid or the milquetoast. In this sense, I'd even rather a Don Cherry!

 

[Thanos]

Before my comments get blown out of proportion, let's make it clear that i agree with Hume on several occassions. And the last 7 years have not been a decline like some say.
The issue i have with Hume is that it's always his way or the highway. There is no agruing with him, sort of like arguing with a cement wall, nothing goes through.

"Hume is biased, and unapologetically so. What's wrong with that? It's refreshing. When it comes to a strong vision for the city, or for anything, there is no room for the timid or the milquetoast. In this sense, I'd even rather a Don Cherry!"

The city does not belong to Hume, he's not an emperor that has free reign to make decisions whenever he feels like it without discussing with the public.
If Hume thinks he's such a great being and the most intelligent creature on earth, then why is he just a journalist and not running for political office or leading some fortune 500 enterprise.

 

[Tewder]

... and Hume has no power, really, other than that of the pen and an opinion. Maybe the guys a jerk, I don't know, but so are lots of people.

 

[jje1000]

The city does not belong to Hume, he's not an emperor that has free reign to make decisions whenever he feels like it without discussing with the public.

Bam! The city also does not belong solely to Rob Ford or the people who bought into his version of a "fiscally responsible, no-nonsense municipal goverment (sic)" (aka reducing revenue, cutting without a plan).

 

[jn_12]

How can Hume, or any other individual, declare another person as Canada's mayor? Was their a vote for this throughout the whole country? Were montrealers, vancouverites and others able to vote?
This is pure and simple BS.
I've read quite a few articles from Mr Hume over the past year and can safely conclude that he is as biased as they come with absolutely zero integrity.
As for all the Ford bashing, can we give this guy a chance? He won the race, it's finished, accept it.
You still have a voice, if you don't like any of his decisions than let him know.

Hume's point (and it's one that many agree with) is that Nenshi is "Canada's Mayor" because he exemplifies the best of what Canada is and can be. He's intelligent, well educated, eloquent, capable of both rationality and idealism, capable of individual thought, he's the product of immigrants yet a proud Canadian, he's a Muslim... and so on. For a country that is stuck trying to figure out if it wants to be more like progressive Europe or the regressive Americans at a time when the "American way" of pretty much everything (economics, politics, wielding power, etc) is crumbling, he exemplifies the direction all of our cities should be heading. With Ford, we fell into the American trap of sound bite politics without substance, and Canada nor it's cities can't do that or else we're going to fall behind. It's easy to place blame, but it's much harder to find solutions. Nenshi is all about solutions, while Ford is all about blame. I can't speak about any other Mayor, because frankly, I don't know the mayors of Montreal or Vancouver or... all that well. But, we've all now been exposed to Nenshi, and I think it's pretty fair to say that people from across the spectrum who have heard him speak respect him. You can't say that about Ford.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

I would stand by Hume's 'Canada's mayor' comment. I see it as more symbolic than political. Nenshi is sort of the realization of the nation's dream/agenda over the past forty or so years, and the fact that he is mayor of Calgary rather than Toronto sort of underscores how profound and national in scope the realization of this vision has now been achieved.

That...or it says something about how far off the mark the general perceptions of each city might be.

 

[Hipster Duck]

Hume's point (and it's one that many agree with) is that Nenshi is "Canada's Mayor" because he exemplifies the best of what Canada is and can be. He's intelligent, well educated, eloquent, capable of both rationality and idealism, capable of individual thought, he's the product of immigrants yet a proud Canadian, he's a Muslim... and so on. For a country that is stuck trying to figure out if it wants to be more like progressive Europe or the regressive Americans at a time when the "American way" of pretty much everything (economics, politics, wielding power, etc) is crumbling, he exemplifies the direction all of our cities should be heading. With Ford, we fell into the American trap of sound bite politics without substance, and Canada nor it's cities can't do that or else we're going to fall behind. It's easy to place blame, but it's much harder to find solutions. Nenshi is all about solutions, while Ford is all about blame. I can't speak about any other Mayor, because frankly, I don't know the mayors of Montreal or Vancouver or... all that well. But, we've all now been exposed to Nenshi, and I think it's pretty fair to say that people from across the spectrum who have heard him speak respect him. You can't say that about Ford.

+1

That is an excellent analysis and nothing further needs to be said.

 

[Thanos]

However, no one on this forum really knows anything about Nenshi.
And why is it that all the Ford haters are not even willing to give him an ooportunity to see what he can do? Don't get me wrong, i didn't vote for Ford and personnally think Toronto would be a better city without him. However, i'm willing to give him a chance before i start nomminating him for the biggest mistake in Canadian history. Have some faith, or at least some patience.

For a country that is stuck trying to figure out if it wants to be more like progressive Europe or the regressive Americans at a time when the "American way" of pretty much everything (economics, politics, wielding power, etc) is crumbling, he exemplifies the direction all of our cities should be heading.

Progressive europe????? Surely you're not talking about the Europe of the past decade.

 

[jje1000]

And why is it that all the Ford haters are not even willing to give him an ooportunity to see what he can do? Don't get me wrong, i didn't vote for Ford and personnally think Toronto would be a better city without him.

There, you said it yourself. At this point, we should be worrying about damage-limitation. The attempts by Ford to cut down on debt and expenditure will very likely have a collateral effect on programs we need, and the assets we own.

Yes, we need to deal with unions and civic waste. But not with the hammer-swinging gusto that Ford seems to have- assets like Enbridge and the Parking Authority need to be kept, as do subsidies to programmes like Caribana and TIFF.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

But, we've all now been exposed to Nenshi, and I think it's pretty fair to say that people from across the spectrum who have heard him speak respect him. You can't say that about Ford.

I didn't see your post before I posted or I would have followed up on this thought.

As the figurehead of the biggest city in the country, Ford will probably be a miserable failure, even though the city will survive and perhaps even thrive. He can't speak, he has no charisma...he can barely pretend to be interested in anything for more than 10 seconds. Lastman and Miller were usually quite happy. They smiled! They were excited about things! If they talked about belt-tightening, it was with goals in sight down the road, so that they could launch this program or build that infrastructure. Ford means four years of grumbling and 'getting down to business' and cutting our way to success or whatever. Blech. What's after the gravy train? What's for dessert? Lastman and Miller were always talking about dessert and from what I've seen so is Nenshi. What's Ford going to do with a crisis/emergency, negotiations, ribbon cuttings, etc.? The reality is that he was voted in for being outspoken, not just because of the gravy train mantra. He's surprising everybody and turning into a boring bare-bones functionary...he should at least push Ersatz "Doug" Ford out of the spotlight, get flustered, and call someone a waste of skin, if only to earn his single digit office budget.

 

[lafard]

mine are bold.

With respect to the charge that my observation of "precipitous decline" is indicative of my lack of familiarity with reality, I would first observe that one man's reality is another's fantasy. Therefore, it may well be that the Toronto some people exprerienced during Miller's seven year reign of error may have seemed to be in stasis, or perhaps to even have improved, but the collective judgment of a large plurality of Torontonians on election day, coupled with identifiable facts, would suggest otherwise. People were upset by the garbage strike, and the car tax. Garbage strikes have happened before, and taxes would have to be raised anyways.

Specifically, the infrastructure of Toronto has clearly deteriorated during Miller's eraIt's been neglected for decades, and the decay sped up after Mike Harris cut funding. Miller was the first to acknowledge the problem and try to fix it.
. Contests now exist to identify the most poorly maintained roads in the cityThe ranking is Ontario-wide and again highlights a regional problem. Sudbury is the worst offender. Further, most of the "worst roads in Toronto" were repaved under Miller, often for the first time in 40 years.
; TTC service has become unreliableA symbol of a system under stress from lack of investment. Again, Miller was the first one in decades to acknowledge this and try to do something, though his resources are limited and it takes 15 years to even make a dent.
uncivilizedSocietal issue, not poltical
and in some instances dangerous???
; public spaces are littered with illegally dumped garbage and/or weeds that cannot be eradicated because of ill-conceived solid waste management policies in the case of dumped garbage and because of the Gord Perks type of eco-fanaticism to which Miller and his cronies capitulated in the case of weedsIllegal dumping, changing garbage rules, and pesticide bans are a far wider issue than solely Toronto. Toronto was not particularly ahead of the curve with this one, it was largely emulating other cities
; Grafitti commonly adorns public and private property, typifying the overall decline of the city to which the grafitti also contributesGraffiti existed before Miller, and it will exist after Ford. Welcome to the big city
. In terms of quality of life, Rob Ford's campaign abviously highlighted the numerous ways in which Miller and his supporters used and abused the powers delegated to them in the City of Toronto Act by implementing the private vehicle registration fee, the land transfer fee, et alSeeing "quality of life" as a tax issue is deeply, deeply flawed. And that's what Rob Ford did, he turned it into a tax issue. Look at the city and think about it beyond a tax costing you the same as a small coffee at Tim's once a week. Toronto is an expensive place to live, yet people willingly pay to live here. Why might that be?
. in order to support such absurd policies as the so-called "fair wage policy".A policy that predates Miller by over a hundred years

When considering those of our fellow citizens who may be out of touch with reality, one would do well to begin with the likes of David Miller, Sandra Bussin, Gord Perks, Joe Mihevc, Adam Vaughan and the rest of the left wing loony contingent at city hall. The aforementioned dreamers seem to have been so dissociated from reality that they considered it possible that their extremist agenda would find favour with Toronto residents; evidently they were very much mistaken.[Yet for the most part, they won their wards by a comfortable margin. Were Toronto proper still its own city, the "out of touch" dreamers would very much be in charge of the place. Again, it seems downtowners are able to see quality of life as more than a tax issue.

If it is not already too late for him to do so, Dalton McGuinty would be well advised to take note of the results of our municipal election and govern himself accordingly. The likelihood of Tim Hudak forming a majority government is substantial and it is ridiculous initiatives such as the Green Energy Act which will consign the McGuinty Liberals to the same scrap heap where Miller and his peons now reside McGuinty's done anyways, it is a fact of life that politicians get stale. Some have longer shelf lives than others . As for the scrap heap comment, the progressives will be back in charge after the next election as the Ford administration is already proving itself to be highly incompetent.

By the way, the Economist ranked world cities again. Vancouver is #1, Toronto 4, and Calgary 5. Doug Ford's role model Chicago isn't even worth mentioning, though in the past it has ranked in the 40s.