Will David Miller make the eco-choice? part 2

It won’t come as a surprise, but former Toronto Mayor David Miller appears to have rejected my offer of a free trip to New York City via the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. One of our readers, Tom Liston, passed along the blog offer (see prior post “Will David Miller make the eco-choice?” June 17-11) via Mr. Miller’s Twitter account. Here is Mr. Miller’s reponse:

@iamdavidmiller: @Liston it’s like turning Stanley Park into an airport. A great park for all is more important than a convenience for a few rich people.

Turning Stanley Park into an airport? The Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport has been there since 1939; and it was made from reclaimed land that would otherwise have been part of Toronto’s harbour. Mr. Miller’s suggestion that trees were felled and parkland was paved to make way for business and tourist travellers is a pockerful. My family enjoyed Centre Island just last week; no one reported feeling cramped by either the 384 private Island homes, the yacht clubs, or the airport.

For years now, Toronto’s diminishing anti-airport contingent has been throwing that “for the rich” line around at every opportunity. When it came to Federal stimulus funding for the proposed pedestrian tunnel in 2009, Toronto NDP Councillor Adam Vaughan told the Toronto Star that the money shouldn’t be used to support an airport used by “a very few privileged people, not taxpayers” (although he would later deny that he said it). NDP MP Olivia Chow had a different spin: something to the effect that stimulus money shouldn’t be used to support a private enterprise (Porter Airlines) catering to a few rich people…even if that airline was buying Bombardier airplanes made by 4,500 hardworking members of the CAW.

On the “rich” point, does Mr. Miller know he can fly Porter to Windsor for $49 plus taxes and fees? Does that sound like a destination of the Hazelton Lanes and Mink Mile crowd!

As to Mr. Miller’s definition of “few”, I recall that he was first elected to Council with 7,950 votes. Billy Bishop will carry 1.5 million passengers this year.

What is clear is that Mr. Miller isn’t concerned about his carbon footprint. Will make for an interesting Q&A session at NYU-Polytechnic with his environmentally conscious new students.

MRM
(disclosure: this blog, as always, reflects a personal view and is not meant to represent the views of the TPA, its Board/Staff or the federal government)