Time for a rebuild?

Re: “Where’s the vision?” (Letters, Oct. 14)

Richard Dyrkacz asks the question on every Winnipegger’s mind: “Who is Winnipeg’s great visionary leader?”

Imagine the mayor as the quarterback of the City of Winnipeg team. As in football, a good quarterback without a good team is destined to failure.

Why aren’t there any visionary candidates in the mayoral race? Because anyone who knows Winnipeg civic politics knows that they would be saddled with a losing team.

Incompetent management (think transit planning), poor execution (think season-long potholes and littered streets), an effective firewall from the public (think 311) and a multi-layered bureaucracy make the City of Winnipeg the municipal version of the current Ottawa Redblacks (no wins and a whole lot of losses).

Winnipeg could elect a top-notch visionary leader (none currently available) and the City of Winnipeg would still be a dismal team.

Unfortunately, visionary leaders are in short supply and mediocre players are aplenty.

WALLY BARTON Winnipeg