Letter To Diane Holmes

Each circle is the miniature picture of the deformities of this political monster. 

The Federalist, James Madison, No. 19

Dear Ms. Holmes:

Where have all the sidewalks gone? Gone to subcontractors and consultants, every one. It was heart wrenching to watch you on the local vulgar media recently, bemoaning the scandal of the present condition of sidewalks and  the absence of a sidewalk replacement plan in the City of Ottawa. It certainly isn't like the old days of The Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton is it? As each additional year passes it must get harder and Harder for you and all the remainders of us that once knew and enjoyed that great moment in Ottawa's civic past.

Municipal politics should be the most boring beat on this Gods earth. There are just a few things you have to do really well. Pick-up the garbage, make sure the citizens don't die from cholera in the water, print the parking tickets, sell the dog tags... It still isn't rocket science is it? But do you notice that every year it seems to get harder and Harder?

Let's see if we can find your sidewalks. On the front page of today's Ottawa Sun , the banner headline stated
that the City spent 138 million dollars on consultants last year! I am not sure, but I think that is a lot of sidewalk. The main problem is this system itself. That is the the whole subcontracting monster. Now when you bring this up you get the best Barhaven smirk and the litany of how fair and efficient that it all is. Sort of like that old argument of the division of labour. But I am sure you know from long experience that the whole system is actually totally inefficient and rife with opportunities for nepotism and corruption.

How hard is this?

The main problem here, as you know, is with "staff", especially those that think that they have proprietary rights to the departments that the taxpayers let them run. All the contractors want the City of Ottawa gig. The cheques never bounce. Now ask yourself, who is in line to work? Who decides what place each individual  entity has in this line? Who decides and how, which entity works next? It makes the present system rife with opportunity for corruption. And it is not efficient. Paying out over $ 100,000.00 to collect a $300.00 speeding ticket is proof! (Remember that one?)

There are ways and means that you can put the wrench into this gearbox Ms. Holmes. Start with transparency, (!)  that will do in over 75% of the waste right off the top. Remember, the louder the liitle pig(s) out at Centrepoint squeals the closer you are to having gotten it right.

Did you here the one about little Ken H.? That has spent damn near a million tax dollars harassing an employee he fired over a year ago for a crummy 40 large? You will.....

Some one who has  graduated from McGill University will enjoy this.  All the best Ms Holmes....