Ahhh, Faith In City Gov’t: WHOPPER WATCH
“… I have some faith that the placeholder would not have been included if there was no confidence any funding would come through ,,,”
Barrhaven East Councillor Wilson Lo
Ah young people, ya gotta love ’em.
So full of hope, energy and just enough naivety to engender love.
Lo is a young person … certainly by my grizzled perspective.
Young Wilson is one of the bright lights on Ottawa City Council … wise beyond his years.
But expecting hope from Ottawa City Hall is taking optimism to an impossible dream.
The federal government has said no to helping fill Ottawa’s $36 million hole. The province has been silent except to say the premier loves the mayor. Yes there’s love but, then again, there’s money.
Imagine if many cities took the Ottawa route and spent like cash was as common as LRT breakdowns. The senior governments can’t afford to bail out irresponsible spending governments.
Municipalities want to be taken seriously as the most important level of government. And you can make a good argument for that. But that position is dashed when Ottawa begs for money.
The City of Ottawa should take its hat and, rather than using it for panhandling, put it on its head. Be proud. Solve your own problems.
Ken Gray
For You:
‘It’s Irresponsible To Budget Based On A Hope’
Budget Hole: Will The Province Step In?
Sutcliffe Team Gets More Watson Look
$36M Budget Hole Goes To Audit Committee: WHOPPER WATCH
Ottawa Light Rail Has Big Funding Problem
Bookmark The Bulldog, click here
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– The Bulldog – News Feed Enter 
The city had an election promise by Kathleen Wynne on the books as a placeholder for probably 7 years. The election promise was an increase in gas tax to the city and they had that in their estimated future revenue for years. The city has a bad habit of using their budget as a political statement.
Oh, to be so naive and trusting!
It would be one thing to express that hope back in the summer when there was time to do something else if it didn’t pan out but to be still talking like this less than two weeks before you have to vote on including a $36M hole in the City budget is just foolish. You can only reasonably wait for your ship to come in if you have a ship and the City has no ship.
Time to face reality, Councillor. Not only do you not have a ship but you don’t have a paddle either.
My interpretation of Councillor Lo’s remark about the inclusion of the $36 million place holder is that he was making an effort to not call staff, and by extension the political masters who pre-approved the draft transit budget, incompetent and unprofessional. To give them an exit. Not necessarily a graceful exit, but an exit nevertheless.