Mayor Sam Katz had a reputation as an affable, easy-going fellow when he entered politics and ran for the mayor's job in 2004. In fact, it's hard to recall a single nasty utterance emanating from his mouth, not even during the difficult days of building his ball park.
Politics, however, can ruin the best regimes of personal etiquette and public deportment, and it would seem that Mr. Katz has fallen victim to the scourge. He has developed a bit of a potty mouth over the last four years, the strain of disagreement and public life apparently wearing hard on his thin skin.
The latest outburst occurred Wednesday during council debate on plans to rehabilitate the Disraeli Freeway. The mayor and some of his pals objected to comments made nearly two weeks ago by NDP MLA Jim Maloway, who had the gall to say the city should spend a lot more money to build a bigger bridge. As the representative of an area that will be affected by the bridge repairs, Mr. Maloway (Elmwood) apparently believed he had a right to speak out.
But Mr. Katz disagreed and launched into a vicious and totally gratuitous personal attack, suggesting the government MLA was both a coward and incompetent. "I wish he had the courage to come here and make a presentation," the mayor said. "This MLA has been around for years... Why he's not in cabinet, you can draw your own conclusion."
The comments are completely unacceptable and the mayor owes Mr. Maloway an apology. The MLA's opinions about the bridge project might be wrong, but there was nothing impolite or rude about the way he expressed them.
If the mayor's outburst was limited to this single incident, it might be said that it was atypical and out of character. Mr. Katz, however, has developed a track record for personal attacks, particularly against councillors who don't share his views.
He recently questioned the "ability, intelligence and integrity" of Coun. Jenny Gerbasi and once compared Coun. Dan Vandal to a "diaper" full of the stuff babies leave behind.
If the comments had been made in the legislature or the House of Commons, Mr. Katz would be doing a lot of apologizing, but the rules at city hall aren't as strict as those found in other legislative bodies.
It may be too late to send the mayor to charm school for remedial training in the art of basic decency, but he should remember that his intemperate comments reflect poorly on him, his office and the people of Winnipeg.
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