I must admit I did chuckle reading our letters to the editor column today— specifically the Ken Simmons letter that, unfortunately, has not been posted to our website.
In essence, Simmons “grades” members of council— Ward 3 Coun. Dan McCreary makes it to No. 3, Ward 2 Coun. John Utley makes it to No. 2 and former Ward 2 Coun. John Sless makes it as No. 1. I’m sure wherever Sless is, he tipped his cap to Simmons today.
After Toronto Sun city hall columnist Sue-Ann Levy’s (annual?) council-grading column ran on Dec. 18, we received a written submission (on a tear sheet of that column, no less) asking us why the Expositor doesn’t do the same thing with city council.
I’m not averse to grading our councillors. I certainly, after just nine months here, have a variety of opinions on each of them as I’ve attended meetings, chatted over coffee with some of them, done phone interviews with others and gotten comfortable in this role. Here’s the deal though— for that to happen, the grading system — the rubric as teachers call ‘em — would need to be published and transparent.
Why?
I want you to know why councillor A has been given an F— and why councillor F has been graded an A. We all reserve our right to agree or disagree, but that’s the biggest flaw with Levy’s rankings. What the hell did she base them on, other than her own loud assertions of what’s right is right so everything else must be wrong?
So have at it— poll below, and also feel free to suggest criteria in the comments.
Categories: Brantford
Brantford