Lousy Mayor O'Brien

Heaven save - please - Ottawans from more of Larry O'Brien. He was a disaster when he first came to office as duly elected Mayor of Ottawa, and his lack of knowledge of administering the complexities of a large municipality did no favours to the citizens of this lovely city.

His malfeasance, attempting to suborn a fellow mayoral candidate remains a fact, although he managed to evade criminal responsibility.

His feverish promise to cash-strapped, tax-weary Ottawans that under his watch there would be zero tax increases was unrealistic, but evidently served its purpose in electing him. The man wreaked havoc on city council for two years, and gradually began to understand his role as mayor and more or less acted out the role, afterward.

To his obvious satisfaction.

Although he now claims to understand that he created division and misunderstandings, and did nothing whatever to advance the fortunes of the city as mayor, terming himself "pretty bad" and "...a complete disaster", he evidently feels that his apologies to the people of the city are sufficient to ensure that they will now place their trust in him because he claims "I am a changed man."

"The old Larry is gone, probably never to come back again - and probably a good thing." Probably it is a good thing. His arrogance, flippancy, ad-hoc administrative impulses and total failure as a chief executive of the city are not that swiftly forgotten, forgiven, or to be overlooked.

Yet he clearly and ardently wishes to continue as mayor of the city.

Here's hoping that voters will wish and express their opinions otherwise.