An Open Letter to Tony Caterina
Hey there Tony,
It has been a couple months since I’ve lived in Edmonton. Actually, I moved from the city shortly after the vote to close the City Centre Airport.
I know you remember that vote.
You see, despite the fact that I don’t live there anymore, I like keeping up on what’s going on back home. That’s how I know that you remember the airport vote. Because you keep bringing it up, Tony.
These grapes! They are sour!
Now, I usually like to deliver my criticism with a bit of humour. A few jokes. A healthy helping of sarcasm. Maybe a little bit of a dance. It makes it fun for all of us. (Or maybe, just me.)
But not tonight. No jokes. Because I am honestly disgusted.
Tony Caterina, you are acting like a child.
You are an Edmonton city councillor . Your job is to do your best for your constituents. The future of the LRT in Edmonton is an important subject. And you should give it the consideration it deserves. If you’re against the plan, be against the plan. But if you vote the plan down, it should be because you think it’s not the right move. Not because Council made a decision months ago that made you sad.
Your performance tonight was the municipal equivalent of one seven-year-old telling another that “you can’t come to my birthday because you didn’t invite me to yours.” Which is perfectly understandable. For a kindergarten student.
You are a city councillor.
Look, sometimes we don’t get our way. Happens to everyone. But you don’t throw your hands up in the air and hold your breath. You do your job. And your job is to represent your ward. A ward full of other people. People who probably care about public transit it some way. At least, more than they care about the list of “things that mean people did that hurt Tony Caterina’s feelings.”
A lot of the reaction I’m seeing to your closing arguments have been along the lines of “oh, that Tony…” People will pass it off as you just being, well, difficult. It’s a reputation you seem to have gotten along the way.
I’m sorry, but it’s not some charming quirk. It’s unacceptable. It’s childish. It’s embarrassing.
Look. Next year, there will be elections. If you’re not interested in doing the job you were elected to do, you just shouldn’t seek re-election. Please. Leave it to someone who will actually vote on the issues based on the actual issues.
There are better things you can do if you want to rail hysterically and hold grudges until they fester into vendettas. Have you tried blogging? I hear it’s good for that kind of thing.
Oh. Well, maybe you can build model ships or something.
Update: As is the norm in the cases where Dave Cournoyer and I post the same topic, his post is more concise, far more reasonable and gives greater context. What are you still doing here? Read it.
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Great letter, Lilwall. I was actually fairly disgusted by TonCat’s childish behaviour as well. Maybe he’ll reflect on it after his Epsom salt bath tonight and realize, frankly, what an ass he’s being.
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Excellent letter, Scott. I absolutely agree with you. Caterina seems to vote (or skip meetings) based on who hurt his feelings most recently, rather than for genuine, well-thought-out reasons. The guy needs to go, whether by his choice or that of the voters.
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