TTC Board meeting about firing the GM, Gary Webster

I sent the following email to TTC Board members, all Councillors, and major newspapers. I think this reflects the frustrations that a lot of Torontonians are having about Mayor Ford.

Dear Councillor ,

If the intent of this is meeting is to fire the TTC General Manager, Gary Webster, then I would ask that you consider a few observations that I feel are very important to your decision.

- The consensus seems to be among industry professionals that Mr. Webster is highly qualified and has been doing an excellent job of running the TTC.

- I am not aware of any complaints by council or the residents of Toronto, or the TTC Board, about the way Mr. Webster has been doing his job except that he has disagreed with Mayor Ford.

- According to people In the transit business there are not many people who are qualified, and
have the experience to run a transit system as large and complex as the TTC.

- If Mr. Webster is fired because he does not agree with the Mayor’s vision it will be very
difficult to hire a qualified replacement if they know that their job status is determined by whether or not they agree with the Mayor, even though the Mayor’s vision may be flawed.

- In my opinion, the decision to fire as senior an executive as Mr. Webster should be made by
the whole of the City Council, not simply by the TTC Board.

It appeares to me that we have been deceived by Mayor Ford in that he has held back a significant report that does not support his position. This is breach of trust to the residents of the City of Toronto and should not be allowed by any elected official. If in fact, this is true, then it should be Mayor Ford’s head on the block, not Mr. Webster’s.

I implore you, as elected representatives of the residents of Toronto, to do your job properly and not just cave in to the Mayor. You were elected by the people of Toronto, not by Mayor Ford and it is your duty to serve them properly.

Sincerely,

Armand Gilks

E. agilks@sympatico.ca
T. 416 561 2710

This an excellent interview with Mark Carney about the world financial situation and what needs to be done. The Star. http://ping.fm/2gcMk