EVERYTHING!
This recent tsunami of reasonable debate at Toronto's City Hall is a breath of fresh air for everyone. Our two mayors, Rob and Doug have been the face of our city for a year and perhaps that will now change. Wouldn't that be something?
The vote the other day on the future of rapid transit in Toronto is a stunning event in terms of municipal politics. My friend who works in the Executive level at City Hall tells me the energy at that meeting was nothing short of "electric". That's notable because there's not much electricity on the council floor where long boring meetings are the norm. I kind of wish I had been there.
What it boils down to is the message politicians send to their constituents. This applies at all three levels of government. And that is, "we serve the interests of everyone, not just the special interest groups with the largest lobby budget".
So, does all this have anything to do with real estate values? Yes. The better run our city is, the more desirable it is as place to live and the more livable the streets are. Simply put, the citizens are in a better mood if their political affairs are being taken care of.
I salute Karen Stinrz for showing such courage. I cannot imagine the knot in her stomach as she announced to the world that she was going to present this petition to the Mayor. Wow. That is some politician. That is some leader.
