We recently had a municipal election here in the wonderful city of Toronto. Here is a little piece I wrote in support of Barbara Hall. Even if you know nothing about Toronto or the people mentioned, it should still be of interest as an analysis of what should be the main focus in municipal politics.

Let's face it, big business has won or at least is enjoying a fruitful command of our lives. There is absolutely nothing you or I can do to stop the wheels of commerce from rolling on; or for that matter under

or over. We are at the whim of Bay Street. And to be honest, we do not mind being caught in the whirlwind. We expect money to liberate us from a plethora of personal and public shackles. Politics and profit are joined at the hip, making the Beast With Two Backs to proliferate, propagate, and procreate the dulcet "KA-CHING" that anaesthetizes the populace. Barring some social amnesia to the theories of Keynes et. al. life will continue in this fashion ad infinitum.

NOOOOO-BODY!!! supports that glorious ideal more than our mayoral candidate Mel Lastman.

The problem with the above equation? The variables mayoral and Mel. If it said Premier and Mel, or dare to dream Prime Minister and Mel, all would be well. For the governing of the people, obsessed with whether the ink is red or black, belongs in the arena of provincial and federal politics not in the world of municipalities.

It should be the consecrated duty of the mayor to be the guardian of the social issues within their kingdom. Barbara Hall has unequivocally demonstrated that her main concern is the quality of life from a social and

communal perspective for all those entrusted to her care. She has the intellectual/political savvy to leave the bean-counting to the willing captives of the wind swept towers of Bay Street. She has decided that putting a human face on this city, where people are not afraid to simply say without fear good morning to their neighbour, as her political edict. Maybe not a lofty goal to Mel's minions, but to those of us concerned about living in a city where people interact with each other based on sincere civility and respect we consider it to be the right priority.

Whether you are black, tan, yellow, red, white, refugee, immigrant, third generation, heterosexual, homosexual, homeless, small business owner, healthy, elderly or with satchel and shining face heading to school, Barbara Hall wants all to feel safe and secure and welcome here.

Barbara Hall's sincerely noble ambition has to be the guiding principle if this city is to truly prosper.

Toronto is a world-class city that is continuously making everyone's (United Nations, Forbes) top ten list of places to be. And yes, it is economics that has to be given credit for the immense success this city has garnered. But, it is Barbara Hall who has taken it as her duty as Mayor that Toronto must remain human. A city populated with faces with courage to smile instead of competing for profit. For after the "KA-CHING" has dissipated, we want to look around and feel we have a home where the only red line people are intimately concerned about, is not the one on paper, but the one coursing passionately through all our veins.