www.ChrisLaBossiere.com

I was reading one of my favourite bloggers today, Dave Cournoyer, and was happy to see that the City has approved long-term plans for the expansion of the LRT system to the West and Millwoods. Let's face it folks, this is way overdue and no city the size of Edmonton can be truly great until it creates a transit system that can incentify people to stop building outwards, and start developing our existing communities.

Way too much has been written on the subject, and you already know I am a huge booster of the City, but particularly the development of transit friendly, pedestrian / urban environments. If I had my druthers, the Yardstick Software offices would be downtown, but if that's not possible, then you can bet that I will live in a transit friendly neighbourhood soon enough.

But what really made me piss my pants in laughter, was the excerpt from Daves blog where Councillor Tony Caterina went on a bit of a rant against some of his other Council buddies, "and Defending his decision to oppose LRT expansion, Caterina accused his fellow Councillors of":

...imposing their ideology on the city. Caterina also raised concerns that online bloggers had too much influence on the decision. “A number of bloggers — who knows where they come from — are treated as gospel,” he said.

I don't know the Councillor, have only met him in mutual meetings, but read about his steadfast opposition to the closing of the airport. He has a reputation of being a bit old fashioned, but that is not always a bad thing. I like old fashioned; but only when it's based on pragmatic defense of principals that make sense... not crazy shake your fist kind of old 'fashioned where it's progress being resisted, simply out of spite or fear of the unknown.

Concillor Caterina may have crossed that line with me, when he took an unnecessary shot at the "Bloggers" of the city. How can you take anyone seriously when they dismiss regular citizens, who have built influence by being community activists, just because the choose to use a blog as their tool of communication? What is the difference between a blog like this, and an active and outspoken person down at the community league hall?

TonCat better get with it, or as I suspect will be the case, he will go down screaming in the next election.... standing on his lawn shaking his fist at "them damn kids".