Even without mentioning that he was a former member of Dalton McGuinty’s disgraced Liberal cabinet from 1996 to 2010. Or that he is the first mayor in Ottawa’s history to employ partisan politics, something frowned upon by many political pundits, he is also quite well known for his love of being in front of the camera epitomized by a quote that he’d go so far as to “attend the opening of a letter”.
James Alexander Watson, or Jim as he prefers, assumed mayoral office December 1st, 2010 taking over for previous mayor Larry O’Brien. After a plan in place to provide free pipes to crack users failed, Ottawa taxpayers remained on the hook. His mismanagement of a $2.1 billion LRT is the stuff of legends and the recent casino debacle, managed to tick off both Senator’s owner Eugene Melnyk and the Landsdowne Park commitee (he’s worked so hard to win favours from) by flip flopping in support of building it on the outdated site of the Rideau Carleton Raceway.
Worst of all though, is his two-per-cent budget increase proposed for 2014, which gives Ottawa tax payers zero chance to debate budget figures and a 14-per-cent increase over two years in water and sewage rates.
Despite all of this, he’s a media darling among the Liberal loving Ottawa Citizen (see their spin in recent pieces on former McGuinty government proceedings) and the Westboro set.
In this Youtube piece, he puts majority blame of Ottawa’s problems on population growth, instead of his laxidasical city council.
Media Spin 