Ottawa doesn't need a city council.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

We just need a big red stamp saying "Ooh, I don't know if that's a good idea".

[Bragi]

1. The Mayor is particularly pathetic

I don't know as I've seen as incompetent a mayor in my lifetime. He spends two year tying up council on his idiotic "zero means zero" campaign, which anybody with any brains knew from the outset was an impossible right wing wet dream. He then follows up with a demo of how he may possibly be the most inept labour relations negotiator ever. All this, and he hasn't even faced up to his criminal charges yet!

What a disaster. This strike could have been over before it began by simply agreeing on all items, and then moving the scheduling issue to arbitration. The union agreed to do this. It was moronic Larry who refused.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

2. Because it wouldn't solve the problem.

Cornellier and the other union bosses wouldn't agree to outside arbitration unless they were very confident that the arbiter would rule in their favour. Then we'd be back where we started, except the ATU would have precedent on their side the next time they decided to throw a tantrum.

As for Larry O'Brien, he's not so much dumb as he is out of his element. He's finding out to his dismay that years of management experience in the high-tech industry does not give you any insight into running a city. Especially not one dominated by dozens of competing interest groups and councilors who've built very successful careers out of doing as little as possible. I don't have any sympathy for him, either.