FUMBLE - PANTALONE LAYS IT ON TOO THICK

Ah, the final city council meeting before the election – what a treasure trove of bafflegab to work with. But my pick would be the comment by councillor – and mayoral candidate – Joe Pantalone, talking about the proposal to build North America’s largest flagpole in the Highway 400-Sheppard Avenue area (which is allegedly known as “Emery Village”). In expressing his support for the project, which he’s sure would be a major tourist attraction (!), Pantalone took his rhetoric to the point where it snapped all credibility: “This is creative city-building. You need iconic elements, like St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome or Trafalgar Square in London.” Right. Full points, however, to councillor Howard Moscoe, backing the plan to approach drug makers Pfizer and Eli Lilly to help bankroll the project by saying “The makers of Viagra would jump at the chance to sponsor the largest pole in North America.”