The Crazy Train Delivers Again!!
Well, the so-called "done deal" with Mayor Bob Chiarelli's Light Rail legacy quest (something he thought he successfully fast-tracked through council earlier this year) appears to be coming off the rails.
The federal Treasury Board is delaying delivery of it's committed $200 million pending further review of the project.
Now, while Sue Sherring has it half-right in the Ottawa Sun today that both of Sideshow Bob's rivals, Alex Munter and Larry O'Brien, have sounded the alarm over the project, both asking that the deal be reviewed, it was O'Brien's letter two weeks ago to the TBS asking for assurances regarding due diligence and value for money that was the REAL catalyst.
Candidate O'Brien's motive for the request was the open letter Bob addressed to Munter and O'Brien suggesting they not bring the Light Rail issue into the campaign, with the assertion that it was a done deal and nobody wants to hear about it anymore.
O'Brien was suspicious about Sideshow Bob's impetus for such a move, since up until now, it had been a back-burner issue with both opponents, long ago, stating that as Mayor, they would review the project to assure there was value for money.
All that Chiarelli succeeded in doing by trying to sweep this one under the rug, is expose the weaknesses in the city's ability to execute the most important and most expensive transportation project in its history and raise questions about his own leadership abilities. LRT was the one major project for Bob to do that would leave his lasting DNA on and, as things look today, it appears that he can't close the deal. In fact, we learn today that Sideshow Bob hadn't even submitted the contract to the feds.
The circus is back in town, kids. For a brief history on the Ottawa Light Rail issue, feel free to view the video below. Just click play, sit back and enj....... no, make that "wonder".
The federal Treasury Board is delaying delivery of it's committed $200 million pending further review of the project.
Now, while Sue Sherring has it half-right in the Ottawa Sun today that both of Sideshow Bob's rivals, Alex Munter and Larry O'Brien, have sounded the alarm over the project, both asking that the deal be reviewed, it was O'Brien's letter two weeks ago to the TBS asking for assurances regarding due diligence and value for money that was the REAL catalyst.
Candidate O'Brien's motive for the request was the open letter Bob addressed to Munter and O'Brien suggesting they not bring the Light Rail issue into the campaign, with the assertion that it was a done deal and nobody wants to hear about it anymore.
O'Brien was suspicious about Sideshow Bob's impetus for such a move, since up until now, it had been a back-burner issue with both opponents, long ago, stating that as Mayor, they would review the project to assure there was value for money.
All that Chiarelli succeeded in doing by trying to sweep this one under the rug, is expose the weaknesses in the city's ability to execute the most important and most expensive transportation project in its history and raise questions about his own leadership abilities. LRT was the one major project for Bob to do that would leave his lasting DNA on and, as things look today, it appears that he can't close the deal. In fact, we learn today that Sideshow Bob hadn't even submitted the contract to the feds.
The circus is back in town, kids. For a brief history on the Ottawa Light Rail issue, feel free to view the video below. Just click play, sit back and enj....... no, make that "wonder".
posted by Woodman at 10/05/2006 10:57:00 AM
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