Rossi and financial responsibility

In fairness I don’t think Rocco is going for the centre right as much as trying to face some of the overwhelming problems Toronto faces. Unless the finances are put in order there is precious little that can be accomplished beyond words. Deeds take resources and that needs to be addressed:

Rossi woos centre-right by targeting Transit City

Toronto — From Friday's Globe and Mail

CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF

When Rocco Rossi vowed to banish bike lanes from major streets, the suit-and-tie crowd at the Empire Club event erupted into its most enthusiastic applause yet for the first real speech of the 2010 mayor's race.

The line demonstrated that Mr. Rossi knows whom he's after: right-leaning suburban voters fed up with David Miller's city hall.

Mr. Rossi is promising to halt all but one of the city's planned light-rail lines until he can review the project's finances; to replace the Toronto Transit Commission's board of councillors with private-sector experts; to create a region-wide economic development corporation; to sell assets, including Toronto Hydro; and to outsource city work in a bid to decrease the power of unions.

"Make no mistake, last summer's city workers strike showed just how weak the city has become in the face of its major unions and how utterly without a plan we are to correct this imbalance," the former Liberal fundraiser and businessman told a packed room at the Royal York hotel. "As mayor I will bring us back into balance by pursuing outsourcing and managed competition for certain city services."

Mr. Rossi's speech was unusual for making concrete commitments early in the marathon campaign, leaving his competitors 10 months to savage his proposals. They didn't waste time.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/rossi-woos-centre-right-by-targeting-transit-city/article1439298/