Excellent Potential Candidate for Mayor seeks MPP Seat

Glen Murray seemed to have the right qualifications to become Toronto's next mayor: he has experience as a city mayor; he is on top of urban issues; he's urbane and articulate. He is famiilar with Canada's diversity and not tainted by city hall and the city council.

But today, we see this excellent potential candidate for the mayor of Toronto being anointed by McQuinty as the Liberal candidate for Smitherman's old seat.

Now, one day he resigns. And the next, Murray seeks to become his replacement. What was in play here? A long view to build a local rep by and for Murray?

Rather, I say, it was better for us if Smitherman stayed at Queen's Park and Murray got the Liberal nod for city mayor.

Rossi has smarts too and some might say the "right stuff" to be mayor. But Rossi's starting proclamation on selling Toronto Hydro seems to say that he doesn't have the vision and strategy needed for this city.

When Tory jumps in, will we see a personality-character contest or will we see a vision-policy programme from all candidates?

Murray seemed to be the only guy who has been studiously serious and experienced on the things that will impact and direct our city's future. Too bad that George thought he could do better.

If Rossi and Smitherman both fail in their quest, maybe that will be good. Tory seems a better choice now that Murray won't definitely be running this time.

Questions on City Garbage Tags

The new green 2010 tags arrived in the mail in the last 10 days. When I picked it up, I had wondered what we were receiving in this city mail_ an invoice for 2010? But no, it was just a set of tags to replace the ones we had used. Rather we had used one but we still had four good ones_ I thought. I guess I hadn't read the fine print: "valid through Dec. 31, 2009". Nor, I guess had I understood that if you don't use them up, they're time-stamped with a No Good After Date.

Another thing I noticed with the new tag set: there are only four (4). Last year there were five (5). For 2011, do we expect to have three (3)? And by, 20xx we will need to just go to our neighbourhood, Canadian Tire and buy what we need? Do we see a tax grab here?

I was wondering why a NGAD and how many had not used there "no charge" allotment? I also wondered where I should keep the tags. I notice I keep refinding them as I look for things on my desk.

We have managed to put our waste so far in the "grey" bin (we have the next to smallest: we pay the first level surcharge). But I know that one day we are going to need to put out more that a binful.

If you lose a bag tag and desperately need one, do you have to buy a full set? Or, can you buy one at a time for the same unit price? But driving to the Canadian Tire for one seems so environmentally unfriendly. You never know when you need the next one. Maybe, asking a neighbour for one is best.

From the looks of the street on garbage day, it seems that the few are being used. You see few bags out beside the bins. So I go back to the the scenario that maybe the city will soon stop sending them out or maybe, just get rid of the NGAD. It could have saved on mailing them to our house this year.