EDITORIAL: Giambrone weighed down by TTC shortfalls
Not even a week into his campaign for mayor and it's already evident that Adam Giambrone is going to have his work cut out for him. The TTC chair and Davenport councillor took off from the starting blocks with a bang in a packed club on College Street Monday night where he committed to a vision of city building, civic engagement and opportunity for all. But his pace in this race is hindered by his connection to the beleaguered transit authority and it's a weakness his opponents will make sure to exploit all the way to the finish line. A fare hike, token and ticket hoarding, snoozing employees, the St. Clair streetcar snafu and a failing grade on customer service have dragged down the TTC in past months and may very well threaten to take the hopeful mayoral candidate with it. Only a few days prior to his campaign launch Giambrone had to hold a news conference acknowledging the transit authority's customer service shortfalls and promising to find ways to make improvements. Despite his best intentions, the negative spotlight shining on the TTC can't help but overshadow his early days in the race. Other mayoral candidates have indicated they plan to make TTC and transit concerns major issues in this election, with George Smitherman and Rocco Rossi both proposing an overhaul of the TTC board to include fewer elected officials and more private-sector members. Smitherman has also called for Giambrone's resignation from the TTC chair.There will be no shortage of political spin-doctoring this year on issues, including the TTC. Giambrone's opponents will spin it against him, and he will have to find ways to turn his experience at its helm into a positive.His campaign manager John Laschinger stepped up to bat to do just that this week saying Giambrone's accomplishments and experience running a large organization like the TTC are exactly what make him a good candidate for mayor. And Giambrone's defence of Transit City - Toronto's public transit expansion project - against threats to sideline the whole thing may also win him some points with a public eager to see Toronto's transit system join the 21st century. The suburbs are looking to benefit from the Shepphard East, Finch West, Eglinton Crosstown and Scarborough transit connections have been greatly underserviced when it comes to public transit.Getting past the negativity the TTC brings with it is going to require Giambrone to convince voters that he's a candidate who believes, in his own words, in going forward, not backward and deflecting the barbs thrown by his opponents with precisionary skill.