Get It Together City Of Ottawa: PATTON
Before approaching senior governments for more free money, Bulldog commentator Mike Patton says the city must put its fiscal house in order:
Mike Patton is the former communications director for Mayor Larry O’Brien and the president of the Ottawa West-Nepean PC Association.
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Absolutely correct Mike. Rule # 1 in ‘turn arounds’: stop the bleeding.
Before asking your bank, shareholders, outside investors for financial assistance, you must demonstrate that you have stopped the bleeding. That you are not asking them to throw good money after bad.
Ron:
I’m not sure many, or maybe any, people at city hall understand that, unfortunately.
Ottawa City Hall looks at taxpayers as an unending stream of money. When you see options on projects, the most expensive one invariably is recommended and then they botch it up.
Sorry to sound so cynical but I’ve covered municipal affairs since 1998 and I’ve seen too much of this.
Look at light rail. Manconi wanted an “award-winning” light rail project. So we spent on a tunnel and oversized stations as monuments to something or other.
Wise spending. No. Legacy-building. Yes.
Bob Chiarelli spent $33 million to build what will become the Trillium Line. Practical, efficient, economical. Then the Watson government got hold of it and botched it. Bob Chiarelli was the best choice for mayor last time out.
cheers
kgray
What does a house “in order” look like?
Its a good question.
For starters fewer panhandlers, people housed, fed and gainfully employed. Roads in good shape, good bike infrastructure, good public transit, clean parks, public washrooms
Where are we now? Definitely not there.
How are we going to get…there?
We will not. Not with the gang of 26 we have now.