Probably the same way Calgarians put up with the corruption of our previous mayor, Bronco Dave Bronconnier who got out just before all his scandals hit the fan, or the way Torontonians put up with Mayor Rob Ford, or the way Albertans put up with the provincial Conservative Machine here. Some of us know that things are wrong, but the majority doesn’t seem to get it, and our one vote doesn’t make a difference then.
Plus, I don’t even think they’re together any longer.
Sure, it’s fact specific, but municipal corruption is very much in the news right now - maybe they’ll think it’s important to address this aspect of it.
Perhaps, it certainly is a topical topic, but this case isn’t the best to address it.
My impression from an admittedly superficial understanding of the case was that the violation by the mayor (in this particular instance) was relatively minor, and did not involve his personal benefit - but rather, the propriety of accepting money on behalf of his favorite charity. The issue was that, the way the municipal act was framed, any violation, however minor, leads to him being turfed - in this case, the violation being him voting on the measure as to whether he should personally pay the money back.
Given that the court would, if it chose to hear the case, be hearing it most likely after the next mayoral election, and that the ruling was based on pretty precice findings of fact (that the counsel never had the authority to order him to repay the cash in the first place), seems to me not to be the sort of case best suited to review.
Hellyer is almost 90 and has been a crank for decades. He’s long been a UFO believer, which is one thing, but now the poor man is clearly not entirely in command of his faculties.
Watson’s a pretty decent fellow. We are accruing a lot of debt in the city of Ottawa since he was elected, but on the other hand the interest on the debt is locked in at historical low levels, so I kind of have mixed emotions about it. That and Watson is a Liberal, but I won’t hold that against him: yet.
Feels like a major thunderstorm brewing here: it’s normally daylight by this time, but it’s very dark out, thunder rumbling, and I need a light on inside.