If you elected Coun. Donald Benham in River Heights because you wanted someone at city hall to whine ad nauseam about bus rapid transit, you picked the right guy. And if you elected Coun. Jenny Gerbasi in Fort Rouge to demand the mayor and executive policy committee show more "enthusiasm" when approving arts funding, you chose the right candidate.
Because that's about all this pair — both members of Jenham, the official left-wing opposition at city hall — seem to know how to do these days.
Mayor Sam Katz and EPC rubber stamped former mayor Glen Murray's "public art" program yesterday. That's the one where the city plans to spend $500,000 a year on statues of flying unicorns and sculptures of naked, multi-armed goddesses for display on street corners and public parks.
It's the one Katz should have killed and it's quite disappointing he didn't. I don't know how you can argue that the city is in a cash crunch while approving something that is so clearly discretionary. It's certainly not in line with Katz's common-sense revolution.
Nevertheless, simply approving the half-million bucks wasn't good enough for Jenham because Katz and his colleagues didn't do it with a smile.
"I'm disappointed with the lack of enthusiasm," Gerbasi lamented yesterday.
Gerbasi said she's happy Katz preserved the public art budget, but sad he doesn't appear to be a real keener on it. Good lord.
"All of us were unanimous cheerleaders for the arts community," Gerbasi said fondly of the past. "I just noticed a shift in the tone."
That was the sound of the bailiffs at the back door, Jenny. Have you checked the city's books lately?
Council also passed a new environmental policy for the city. But it rang hollow with Jenham because Katz and city council are apparently anything but green after putting the brakes on bus rapid transit.
(Not sure how diesel-burning buses on asphalt is green, especially in a province with the cheapest electricity in North America).
"We are making the car far more preferable than the use of public transit," Benham complained.
In fact, Benham appears incapable of making any argument at all these days without lamenting the loss of BRT — a proposed project not supported by any business case whatsoever.
The good people of River Heights must be very proud.
Gerbasi went even further yesterday, suggesting Winnipeg is the laughingstock of Canada because we don't have BRT.
"This council is out of sync with the rest of the country," she said. "Is Winnipeg in some type of time warp?"
I felt like I was in a time warp yesterday.
If you believe Jenham, the entire city is going to fall into a giant sink-hole if we don't have rapid buses.
The point is, Jenham needs a new shtick — they need some new material.
Maybe they should make Coun. Harvey Smith — who has hanger-on status — a full member of Jenham to bring some new blood into the fold. I don't know.
Coun. Lillian Thomas is already a full member. But she's toned down her Kathy Bates impersonations because she needs the extra money that comes with being a member of EPC.
Whatever the case, Jenham needs a facelift. They're starting to sound like a box full of wind-up, cymbal-thumping monkeys. Winnipeggers deserve better.