December 2, 2008: THE TORONTO SUN

Secret notice on garbage collection was sent only to David Miller's special buddies

By BRYN WEESE, SUN MEDIA
      

Toronto Mayor David Miller yesterday refused to apologize for a secret memo on garbage that was sent to only half of the city's 44 councillors last month.

The controversial email advised councillors that all garbage would be temporarily collected -- with or without pink tags or grey bins -- because of problems the city was having accommodating residents under its new garbage bin program, rolled out Nov. 3.

"This basically disenfranchises myself as a councillor and it disenfranchises my community," Councillor Mike Del Grande charged at yesterday's council meeting.

"I'm concerned about the divisiveness of this chamber," added Del Grande, who did not receive the memo.

Miller countered he was disappointed with councillors who used the memo to attack one of his staff. The memo was sent out by one of his aides.

"I've been deeply disappointed with my colleagues on council who made an issue out of this," Miller said. "It's utter nonsense to suggest there was something surreptitious.

"In the time I've been elected, I have never seen members of council attack somebody's staff. I think it's wrong and unacceptable," he added.

Other councillors -- Frances Nunziata, David Shiner, Case Ootes, John Parker, and Rob Ford -- also rose to state their dissatisfaction with the memo, or with Miller's response.

Ford demanded to know whether the memo was sent out by mistake or on purpose.

The mayor wasn't taking the bait, though.

"I'm not here to defend it, I'm here to defend my office against members of council making suggestions that are totally unfactual and inappropriate."

The civic leader added he couldn't believe councillors making an issue of the memo were, "stooping to this kind of thing."