If you've been following the Mayor Rob Ford saga - and I haven't encountered anyone yet who isn't - you're probably feeling pretty lucky here in Delta to have our mayor and councillors. And that sentiment is perhaps echoed by residents of neighbouring communities with regard to their own civic leaders.
Outrageously, though, Ford still enjoys an approval rating of more than 40 per cent, despite his recent and not-so-recent behaviour.
But no matter what Torontonians are prepared to accept from those elected to office, Deltans, I believe, have higher standards and greater expectations. So in the spirit of belated Thanksgiving, let's all give thanks that: Our mayor doesn't smoke crack. Mayor Lois Jackson's job can't be easy, and at times must seem overwhelming. The late meetings, the weekend events, the special appearances - all on top of simply running the corporation - is a grueling schedule that has likely taken a huge personal toll. And yet, through it all, Jackson has downright resisted the temptation to pick up a crack pipe.
Our mayor hasn't experienced a drunken stupor, and lived to brag about it to constituents.
That Southlands public hearing sure was a doozy: five days of debate comprising almost 30 hours of discussion from 400 speakers. What a week. And still, Jackson kept her composure and didn't over-indulge or ham it up for a camera phone.
Our mayor doesn't make lewd remarks to news media.
Delta is home to a great many seniors, most of whom spent their formative years among the predominantly polite and well mannered. Those were different times, to be sure. Jackson deserves kudos for respecting their sensibilities and demonstrating the appropriate standard of civility.
While on the subject of media, our mayor doesn't call the police on them.
Under Jackson's leadership, the Delta Police Department has become famous for its "no call too small" policy. With a slogan like that, a constable would be at Jackson's service the millisecond she called 9-1-1 to report any threatening members of either the mainstream media or pesky citizen journalists. Lucky for this newspaper and others, she has a professional relationship with reporters and would actually welcome a spot on This Hour has 22 Minutes.
Our mayor doesn't flip the bird Jackson has a beautiful smile, but I bet there are times when that smile belies how she's feeling inside. That's OK - life isn't all sugar cookies and hot chocolate. If Jackson is anything like me around dog owners who run afoul of local leash laws, there must be times when all she wants to do is tell someone where they can stick it. Instead, she keeps the hand gestures, if there are any, where no one can see them.
Our mayor doesn't grope other members of council.
Councillors are an attractive bunch - well-groomed, welldressed, well-read and all of that. And Jackson probably spends more time with them than members of her own family on some days. But municipal hall, under the mayor's leadership, has long been established as a place of work, not play.
Ludicrous? For sure. But there is at least one city in Canada that can't give such thanks to its mayor.
