This probably isn’t of interest to anyone outside Toronto, or even outside Ward 29, but Case Ootes appears to have won his city council seat yet again in today’s municipal election.
I am quite unhappy about this. To give you a very good indication of why I dislike the man, consider these comments he made on the subject of bicycle lanes in Toronto:
I’m concerned about the overarching strategy of these activists in promoting bicycle lanes. They want to make it as difficult as possible for people to drive. I don’t think it will catch on.
…
Motorists are suffering more and more frustration. There’s no way you can encourage motorists to get out of their cars to use a bicycle to commute to work. It’s just not going to happen.
Yes, Case Ootes is a firm believer in “can’t win, don’t try.” It’s worth noting, for those of you not in the know, that Ward 29 is a very green and pedestrian-friendly riding, and still fairly close to downtown. I rode my bike pretty regularly when I worked downtown, and it usually took me less than half an hour. Ootes’ philosophy might make sense out in the suburbs, but not on the Danforth. The area is also serviced nicely by the subway and several buses that are usually full to capacity during rush hour. The Danforth is an area of the city that should be ideal of public transit, cycling, and pedestrians. It should be leading the way when it comes to clean environment and healthy citizens.
It’s fairly obvious that many residents of Ward 29 agree, as more people voted against Ootes than for him. Unfortunately, they split the vote: Andrew James, who I genuinely like, received 518 votes – not enough to win, but enough to cost Diane Alexopoulos the victory. I hate the idea of strategic voting, and honestly believe that more people should vote based on who they want, not who they don’t, but this makes it tough. If James hadn’t run, or if fifty people had voted for Alexopoulos instead, we’d have a new city councilor tonight.
On the up side, David Miller was re-elected mayor, and most of council remains fairly left-wing and green-friendly. Environmental activist Gord Perks even won a seat. Ootes will likely end up shouting about the poor, frustrated car owners to fairly deaf ears. And since he only won by 20 votes, there will probably be a recount, allowing for the possibility that he didn’t win.
But for now, I’m pretty pissed. We deserve so much better.