Last year around this time I wrote a blog on Mayor Jim Watson (A good Watson versus a great Watson).  I stated I know that he would be a good mayor but asked can he be a great mayor.  I still can’t say that I think he will be a great mayor.
Since his election in 2010, he has yet to define the kind of city he wants to preside over.  What will Ottawa be transformed into over his tenure as mayor?  Over the past year, the only legacy he has …

I have attached a spreadsheet that rolls up the numbers for the councillors based on the published expenses for 2011.  To help, I have highlighted the top three spenders in each category in Red and the lowest three spenders by category in Green.  Sometimes it is good to spend more and sometimes it’s good to spend less.
I will leave it to you to decide how your councillor did compared to others.
The only question I have is if councillors spent $748,000 less than there budget allowed, why are taxpayers funding a RAISE in …

As reported by CFRA only moments ago:
BREAKING NEWS
The city has replaced OC Transpo General Manager Alain Mercier with John Manconi, the former General Manager of Public Works.
Manconi assumes his new role effective immediately.
Councillor Diane Deans, who chairs the City’s Transit Commission, says she is confident that Manconi will provide the leadership and support to the men and women of OC Transpo in the city’s quest to provide quality service to our riders.
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It can only be an improvement.  I wish Mr. Manconi all the …

C-H-I-A-R-E-L-L-I
After a humiliation mayoral loss in the 2006 municipal election which led to the cancelation of then Mayor Bob Chiarelli’s legacy North-South light rail transit (LRT) plan, Bob Chiarelli is now back as Ontario Minister of Transportation. That’s right. He’s minister of the very department that will be one of the super funders of the revised replacement LRT plan.
Expect to see some little changes in the current LRT plans as the project moves forward and expect to see some of the old LRT ideas work their way back …

Yesterday, Councillor Allan Hubley issued a press statement regarding his late son, Jamie Hubley:
This past Friday, our family suffered one of the worst experiences that can happen to a family when we lost our boy — Jamie. To make this even more difficult, his death was the result of suicide.
I would like to thank all the family and friends that have been helping us get through these very difficult days. Very special thanks to everyone that came out in the rain to walk every foot of our community to look …

There is no wiggle room to break a promise made in the last municipal election.  Mayor Jim Watson made a promise to Ottawa taxpayers that if he was elected mayor, he would not raise property taxes more than 2.5% in any year of his tenure.  In fact, after winning the election, in his first speech to City Council as mayor, he reminded us “In my campaign I pledged that I would hold the line on property tax increases to no more than 2.5% a year.”  Then, one of council’s first …

Yesterday, on CFRA’s municipal panel with Rob Snow, his guests were Councillors Allan Hubley, Tim Tierney and Rick Chiarelli. One of the topics was their office budgets which are now made public monthly and in some detail.
Councillor office budgets are $234,000 per year for councillors to spend on staffing, office and community related expenses. AS CFRA notes, they highlighted that Councillor Doug Thompson had the lowest expenditures to date at $59,000 and Councillor Mark Taylor the highest at $142,000. The issue discussed was are some councillors on …

I have a very active Facebook group page for Perspective Ottawa where many comments are posted (http://www.facebook.com/groups/perspectiveottawa/).
You can also now directly post the group wall by sending at email to this address: perspectiveottawa@groups.facebook.com.
If you are not yet a member of the group, please join.  And if you are, please share this note with your friends so they too can participate in the discussions.
Thanks.
Blake

I should have written about this last month but didn’t get around to it so I’m doing it now.  I want to say congratulations to Councillor Maria McRae, city staff, the staff at Ottawa Community Housing and in particular, Jo-Anne Poirier.  Remember the blow up over the new pavilion in Ledbury Banff community?  A new building was provided by the city but they opened it up to the surrounding area which meant that the local summer programs were squeezed out of its use.  It wasn’t until a very public scene …

Lately, City Hall has been listing to the nanny state side.  After opening up to the ideas of bar patios, they are now looking at more smoking restrictions and potentially more late night restrictions in the Byward market on restaurants and bars.
But I think there is a little bit of hope.  Councillor Tim Tierney actually asked how much the new smoking restriction would cost the city in terms of enforcement, staffing and signage.  Good question!  That’s the first question every councillor should ask.
I’ve long been a proponent of every motion …