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Making a mayor of Giorgio Mammoliti

It’s not often that the Star so publicly and categorically disagrees with one of its columnists.

But City Hall columnist Royson James’s spin in Saturday’s edition on council clown prince Giorgio Mammoliti’s mayoral chances, couldn’t go unchecked.

James’s conclusion on the antics-prone Mammoliti: he may just be a candidate “too far ahead of his time.”

What so inspired James?

Mammoliti’s ideas for a cash-strapped city – red light districts, casinos and lotteries to raise tax dollars, and public transit given over to corporate sponsors. All aboard the McDonald’s express.

A little embarrassing for the (mostly, although less so these days) liberal Star. After all, there are those Joseph Atkinson principles of social justice the Star was founded upon to supposedly uphold.

More than a few in the Star newsroom must have been a little embarrassed when the awoke Saturday to James’s rosy portrait of Mammoliti. His political profile reads like a Three Stooges routine.

The Star’s editorial writers weighed in online Sunday and this morning in the print edition of the paper with their assessment of Mammoliti. “Monumentally ill-suited” was how they described him for the job of mayor. Sound judgement? Nada. Pragmatic ideas? That’s a good one.

His plans should he become mayor? In a word, “Outlandish,” says the Star.

How could James be so out of step with his own paper?

James’s piece wasn’t a complete blow job, as we like to call it in the biz.

The article was spiced with enough tongue-in-cheek cheekiness to keep readers thinking James would end his rollicking reasoning by landing a punch line right between Mammoliti’s eyes.

But the wallop never came.

James is not used to being on the outside looking in.

When Mel Lastman had the run of the place – we all remember what a joke that was – James enjoyed unfettered access to his worship. The two go back to pre-amalgamation days when James covered North York council.

And James could usually be counted on to deliver whatever message Mel and his merry band wanted disseminated to the masses. Cozy.

Under Miller, who doesn’t like playing favourites with the media, it has been a different story for James. It has been accessed denied.

On his worst days, James has seemed a man obsessed in his criticism of the mayor. On Mammoliti, he’s just out of touch.[rssbreak]

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