Last summer I wrote a short post about Jack Layton’s legacy of generosity.
There are many elements to citizenship — respect, engagement, critical thinking — but of all those elements, it’s hard to top generosity of spirit. It’s something we can all aspire to, even if we fall short. I’m going to give props, yet again, to Hamutal Dotan’s marvellous piece in that regard on Torontoist.
Just so my own biases are clear, I’ll set out my definition once again: Generosity of spirit does not look for external validation or reward. It is extended without any expectation of a pro quo. And it is extended to those who do not deserve it precisely because they do not deserve it. That is what makes it what it is.
It’s a high bar to clear, and I’ll admit right now that I don’t often meet it. I wish I could. I’d be a better person if I did, but today I just can’t.
Transit City is officially back from the dead. #TOpoli
— Neville Park (@neville_park) February 9, 2012
We’ve seen the results of today’s vote at City Council. Whether it means we can truly move forward with the development of public transit remains to be seen, but if it does nothing else, at least it will serve as an unambiguous repudiation of Team Ford’s approach to government and to the conduct of public affairs.
Doug Ford is being abusive with Gary Webster. Any other speaker would step in.
— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) February 8, 2012
#TOcouncil DFord “We don’t want the Miller chaos that happened on St. Clair.” Except, it’s not chaos. @globeandmailbit.ly/xe4tQx
— John Lorinc (@JohnLorinc) February 8, 2012
It’s hard to pick the three stars of Team Ford from today, but perhaps we might start with Doug’s hectoring of Gary Webster. (Whatever we’re paying Mr. Webster, he more than earned it today.) Add to that his bullshit about the St. Clair ROW being a disaster, and his coarse, vulgar talk about the TTC needing an enema, and you have to wonder — just what does this guy add to public life in Toronto? What good is he accomplishing?
And then there’s Giorgio Mammoliti’s idiotic posturing about a Finch subway and unmoral (h/t Ivor Tossell) attempts to torque the downtown-suburban divide yet again. (I know, I know, I’m breaking my own rule by talking about him.)
Mammoliti sincerely believes that a private sector partner would totally jump at the chance to build a subway along Finch Ave.
— Matt Elliott (@GraphicMatt) February 8, 2012
“Have you considered a subway on Finch?” “Yes.” “But have you considered a subway on Finch?”
— Matt Elliott (@GraphicMatt) February 8, 2012
And then there’s this classy bit:
Ohhh. Mammoliti says this is a Giambrone proposal. Then refers to leather couch.
— Matt Elliott (@GraphicMatt) February 8, 2012
If anyone wants to nominate a third star, I’m all ears.
In the larger picture, perhaps it’s time to start fashioning a definitive rejection of the entire Fordist philosophy. I can’t give a comprehensive list of what that will entail, but we can start, I’d submit, by affirming support for well-paying unionized public-sector jobs, both as a critical element of our community’s economic base and as an example for private-sector employers to follow. We can flesh that out in the days to come.
In sum, maybe — just maybe — we’ve finally come to see the limits of resentment as a governing philosophy. It’s what put Team Ford in control, but take it away and they’ve really got nothing else. And as we learn more about the gulf between campaigning and governing, its shortcomings become more and more apparent. It’s the easy path — it requires no critical thinking, no empathy and no engagement beyond the predictable hissy-fits of tabloid screed-writers — but it diminishes us all.
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