Miller cannot afford to coast into election

ith no serious contender in view to challenge him for the

mayor’s job, David Miller is well positioned to cruise to an easy victory in next year’s municipal election. Public opinion polls have consistently shown that well over 60 per cent of Toronto residents are satisfied with his performance since winning the job in the 2003 election. And no wonder.

Miller has made notable gains in obtaining a “ new deal” for Toronto and has delivered on other key promises, such as stopping a planned Toronto island airport bridge.

However, it remains too early to declare him a shoo- in for the next municipal election, scheduled on this date — Nov. 13 — one year from now. The fate of former mayor Barbara Hall is instructive. This veteran politician enjoyed a 30point lead over her nearest rival early in the last election campaign. On election day, she got barely 9 per cent of the vote.

Miller remains in a strong position. But he cannot afford to coast if he wants to sleep soundly next fall. He will have to work harder over the coming year to seal the deal with voters. Here is what he must do:

‰ Miller must change course on the waterfront and stop trying to block a development plan

Wapproved by the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corp. That means he must abandon his support for a rival plan championed by architect Jack Diamond, one of Miller’s key campaign supporters. Both men say their personal connection has nothing to do with the mayor’s backing of Diamond’s design. But the issue here is process, and Miller needs to let the original plan and process approved by the waterfront corporation go ahead. In short, he needs to let the agency do its job as first intended. Allowing the waterfront corporation to proceed with its plan would carry the added advantage of speeding up shoreline revival. ‰ With cash flowing to the city from “ new deal” gains, such as a share of provincial and federal taxes on gasoline, and extra powers about to be won through a new City of Toronto Act, Miller must take steps to incorporate these advantages into the city fabric, and build upon them. More money must still be obtained to set Canada’s largest city on a sound financial footing. ‰ On municipal corruption, much has been done to avoid a repeat of the squalid MFP computer leasing scandal, but city council’s reputation has still been soiled by allegations of nepotism and cronyism at city hall, and by the pay raise that politicians sneakily voted for themselves a few weeks ago.

Miller fumbled on both of these occasions.

First, he endorsed having councillors write letters to help relatives get city jobs. Then Miller’s office said the mayor “ stands by” the outrageous pay hike that councillors voted for themselves. He later reversed himself on both issues. For all his talk of being a “ new broom,” bringing new ethical standards to city hall, Miller needs to develop better antennae for what constitutes proper conduct.

‰ Policing and gun crime are widely regarded as Miller’s weak spots, and it is true he was slow off the mark to visit the victims of violence in some of Toronto’s gang-plagued neighbourhoods. The mayor has since fixed that and has emerged as a strong advocate of hiring more police. Critics notwithstanding, Miller’s approach to crime has been correct all along in its focus on job training, recreation opportunities and other programs designed to keep youths from turning to gang life. He must now convince the private sector to get involved in poor districts.

Heading into the last year of his mandate, Miller must not be complacent.

If he can make headway in the above areas, he should be strong enough to withstand any challenge, sailing into a second term to finish what began in the first.