Battle lines are drawn for city voters

So the maps tell the story. And the media are feasting on trying to decode what it all means.

Scarborough and Etobicoke took the advice of the Toronto Sun to “vote bums out” and voted in mayor elect Rob Ford. Midtown and downtown did not.

This apparent display of voter anger – at least among the admittedly poorly served citizens of our outer ’burbs — seems to pose a degree of polarization in defining the city and its future. Let’s dissect this assumption.

Ford’s simplistic appeal to voters centered on ending the “gravy train”, the sense of entitlement of the NDP/Liberal/elitist council who were unresponsive and wasted our money with parties like Kyle Rae’s $12,000 bash (I attended and wine cost me $10 a glass).

One thing is certain from Ford’s victory on this plank: Every paper clip will be accounted for by a new army of bureaucrats, and the media, thirsty for stories of councillors wasting taxpayers money, are in for a long drought.

Also, reps will be answering their residents’ calls like mad, following the example touted by the incoming mayor. (Apparently so will His New Worship. Good luck to him.)

But battle lines may be drawn on key issues between the old city of Toronto’s values of a greener Toronto, well served by public transit (including streetcars), with an attractive recreation-rich waterfront and lots of bike lanes, trails and walking space, and the promise that appealed to the rest of Toronto — to cut all sorts of taxes and intrusions on our ability to do what we want and the potential for reduction or radical change in these very amenities.

Let’s be realistic about this field of conflict.

First, radical change in transit plans won’t happen. Poor candidate Joe Pantalone tried to say this during the campaign and was silenced by Ford’s “people want subways” rant. I can’t wait for him to try and cancel the huge order for very modern, comfortable, fast European light rail vehicles, which on Sheppard (shovels in the ground) and Eglinton will solve the transit problems of the very underserved voters who brought him to office. It won’t happen.

The reality of city government is that Ford doesn’t have a lot of power as mayor. He has one vote, and a lot of influence he can use wisely or waste. There are a cadre of smart, activist, slightly left-of-centre councillors who will be the unofficial opposition led by the articulate media favourite Adam Vaughan.

They will hold Ford’s feet to the fire on his more wild promises. They’ll have their own motions to preserve and enhance the qualities most residents of the city value against the mayor’s attempts to slash and burn, which will end up being less incendiary than they appeared from the campaign.

Will we save some money? Undoubtedly. Bureaucrats are digging for more savings in their departments as we speak. Will taxes be reduced? Not property or commercial. Face up, property taxes are the lowest in the GTA and commercial taxes are not far behind. Will services suffer? Will costs for recreation facilities go up? No, according to Ford.

I predict the anger that propelled Ford into office felt by the so-called ’burbs will be dissipated. It’ll be curbed with more TLC from those at the far away city hall who have heard the message, and better transit as the existing plan comes closer to rolling out. How ironic.

Will Midtown city values be preserved? Undoubtedly. How ironic.

*Patrick Gossage writes on the important issues facing the city and its neighbourhoods. Gossage was a commentator on CBC Metro Morning during the civic election and is a regular columnist for Tandem.