Veteran candidate Gary Walsh to run again

[attach]2269[/attach]Gary Walsh is not happy with the representation of Councillor Paula Fletcher in Ward 30, so he’s running against her.

“I am running against Paula Fletcher. She is part of (Mayor) David Miller and the NDP cartel. And these people have to be stopped and sent packing and sent to power detox,” Walsh said.

“There’s been a total mismanagement of the city,” said the former paramedic who drives a taxi part time. “I am particularly annoyed at the Tuggs deal in the Beaches.”

He’s referring to city council’s approval of a 20-year sole source contract to George Foulidis owner of Tuggs Inc. that runs the Boardwalk Café in the Beaches.

He repeatedly called the city government corrupt in an interview from city hall Sept. 10.

“I think the municipal government is corrupt,” he said. “By reviewing their sole sourcing of municipal contracts, engineering of a sole source deal to Tuggs.”

He said taxpayers did not get value for money on the contract with Tuggs.

Walsh said his background includes forming a paralegal company he ran for 30 years. He is one of the founders of a private investigative research company Probe Toronto.

“We (Probe Toronto) is getting ready to file criminal complaints,” he said. “Probe Toronto is an independent, self-financed, investigative group probing corruption.”

Walsh said if elected, he’ll open his door to anyone with claims of corruption or fraud.

“If elected, I’d use my (councillor) expense account to immediately offer a $1,000 reward leading to the arrest of any individuals committing crime in my ward rather than wait for police to issue a reward,” he said. “If necessary, I’d retain private investigative assistance to follow-up on cases of fraud or corruption anywhere in the city.”

He is running in a field of eight candidates, including incumbent Fletcher.

“I will stand out as the most experienced, qualified, tenacious investigator and representative of the common taxpayer because I am already doing it for free,” said the father of four and granddad of two. “I don’t get paid at Probe (Toronto).”

The main messages he’s running on are: the city shouldn’t spend money it doesn’t have, should not replace city staff who leave due to attrition, and should have an independent firm do a forensic audit of the city’s finances.

Walsh ran twice before in Ward 34. In 2006 he came last out of five candidates with 516 votes and in 2003 he came third (out of four candidates) with 1,120 votes.