Mayor Larry and Reasonable Doubt

While O’Brien may have been “walking a fine line” in his conversations with Kilrea, Cunningham said, “I am unable to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed a criminal offence.”

-- Justice Douglas Cunningham, quoted in the Ottawa Citizen

While the trial may be over and the verdict in, thousands of Ottawa residents still have more than a reasonable doubt as to Larry O'Brien's competency as Mayor of Ottawa.

Mayor Larry's Lawyer Calls His Client a Stooge ?

The Ottawa Citizen reports:

Lawyer David Paciocco said the law Crown prosecutors used to charge O’Brien was never intended to apply to conversations between private individuals who are unable to affect a government patronage appointment.

The article continued:

He called these “Larry, Curly and Moe conversations” between private citizens.

We know who Larry is. Who are Curly and Moe ?

The Everyone Else Does It Defence

Is this the best that Mayor Larry's defence team can come up with.

Mayor's Task Force Misses The Point

According to the Ottawa Citizen

"The mayor's task force on governance found that city council does not operate effectively and cannot provide the strategic leadership the City of Ottawa needs because of systemic problems with governance," says the report from the panel, which includes former Carleton University president Richard Van Loon and is headed by University of Ottawa government expert David Zussman.

The Citizen article further states:

To combat this, the task force recommends creating an executive level in municipal government, the mayor and city councillors who chair various standing committees, to set a firm agenda.

Zussman said this group would then drive the city-wide political agenda at council, making it more likely that other councillors would take a larger view of the issues before deciding how to vote.

The mayor's task force misses the point, or perhaps it was supposed to miss the point. There is no structural problem. The city has functioned well in the past and will function well in the future. The problem will be fixed at the next election, or possibly sooner, depending on the verdict in the mayor's bribery trial.

The problem of lack of leadership and lack of vision is because the city has a mayor who has no clue about politics and leading a municipal government. It has been clear from the start when he refused to learn about the city administration or even attend a city council meeting before being elected.

It has cost the city dearly, especially when compared to what could have been if the voters had chosen differently and elected a proven leader knowledgeable and skilled in municipal politics with a long record of accomplishments.

Is it Going to Be Deja Vue All Over Again

As Ottawa Mayor Larry O’Brien clings to power after Criminal Code charges were laid against him I have a strange feeling that when the verdict is finally in he will follow the lead of another famous Canadian businessman and it will be deja vue all over again.

With extensive public pressure for the Mayor to step aside till the courts rule, as is the normal practice for elected officials in these types of situations, the Mayor claims he has extensive public support and is clinging to power. In online forums on the Ottawa Citizen and CBC websites, as well as a CBC Radio call in show yesterday the public will was overwhelming that the Mayor should step aside.

City Council have also shirked their duty in this matter by shutting down a council meeting to deal with it after receiving some dubious legal advice. While Council should not discuss the Mayor’s guilt or innocence they have a duty to discuss the ramifications of the Mayor clinging to power after being charged with Criminal offences relating to his election. With the Mayor refusing to do the right thing Council must step in and act to protect the integrity of Council’s future decisions and to protect the reputation of the City of Ottawa.

The Mayor, of course, should not have put them in that position. But nothing he has done so far in his term of office has given anyone any reason to believe that he would have done otherwise.

We call upon the Mayor, for once, to do the sensible and honourable thing and step aside until the courts deal with the charges against him.

What Would Larry Do

Does anyone have any doubt what Larry O'Brien would do if a senior official in his private sector company or a senior city staff member was charged with a criminal offence relating to their position. Does anyone believe those people would still be performing their functions in the company or for the city.

Does anyone believe Larry O'Brien will do the honourable thing.

Larry O'Brien's Caucus - Digging the Hole Deeper

Has party politics come to Ottawa City Hall. In a manner similar to political party caucus meetings Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien has invited 13 councilors he describes as "ones who have provided me with support" to a closed-door meeting (that may violate the Ontario Municipal Act) to discuss the city's fiscal future.

This during the same week he criticizes the Ontario Provincial Police for taking the time required to investigate his alleged attempt to bribe Terry Kilrea into dropping out of last fall's mayoral race. Another thing the mayor apparently has not learned about how government works - that the police are independent of politicians and political leaders should not attempt to influence police investigations.

And also during the same week he denies involvement in Calian Technologies $1.16M city contract wins.

Perhaps Larry should go into the construction business because he sure has a knack for digging holes deeper and deeper.