Last Friday at 11 AM, Cecil Clarke took his hand picked, CBRM-paid assistants (Lamey and Bettens) on an early lunch break and went over to the Cambridge Suites to make 100 promises in his re-election bid. Don't be too concerned. Lamey assured us in Tom Ayers' excellent coverage that they were just there to "observe".

Making 100 promises isn't all that unexpected. It's just a collection of stuff already promised before, much of which should have been already done, with a mix of stuff that is just typical to CBRM operations and activities.

If you're with the lady's auxilliary, you can take a breath of relief. He didn't claim responsibility for your bake sale. Many of the promises were just generics added in like foam peanuts to fill up the empty space.

But it also included a bunch of alluring big ticket spending he plans to do while simultaneously paying down debt, and with no new revenue. Given everything he wasn't able to accomplish in four years, it's going to require some magic indeed.

Quad D

Not to worry. In the coming months, I'll be breaking it down for you bit by bit. And we can work together as a community to separate reality from disconnection, delusion, deception, and perhaps a little desperation. Quad D?

The Case of the Disappearing Container Port

On the heels of the announcement that the Melford International Terminal secured SSA Marine (investor and port operator), and the goCapeBreton Community Report with some very concerning observations and questions, Mr. Clarke's 100 promises seemed to be very light on the container port.

Going from an "If not the port, then what?" strategy to making it just about vanish in his 100 promises is quite the transition.

What isn't in there?

Skim the document. Do a little searching. Here's what you won't find mention of:

• No HPDP or SHIP (Sydney Harbor Investment Partners)
• No CCCC or Quad C
• No visiting Chinese delegations or feasibility reports
• No Canderel
• No Novaporte
• No Novazone
• No Dalian or sister city
• No consortium
• No mention of replacing the Port of Sydney Development Corporation Board

There was a tiny note tucked away at the bottom of the document that mentioned it and the rail line. Heck, for that matter, it hardly made much mention of the second cruise berth at the preferred Sydney harbour.

Was that a bid to convince the library advocates that their major development really will be a focus and top priority?

Tucked away next to the New Year's Levee and Summer Garden Party

Yes, just before promise #65 about the New Year's Levee and Summer Garden Party, we had this mention of the port:

"The Port of Sydney will continue to develop our port's relationship with global partners"

A Move to Distance from the Container Port Project

We have to wonder if this is an indication that the mayor is ready to quietly throw in the towel on the port project?

His questionable moves throughout the last four years related to the port have left him with nothing but baggage when evaluating his time as our mayor.

The move comes after phones were ringing on the Northside by Legere Marketing testing the mayoral sentiment there. While the Northside delivered him the mayor's seat the last time around, they are now in a position to reward him for liquidating their Archibald's Wharf green space and multi-million dollars in building infrastructure for the price of the new Sydney waterfront toilets... And this all after the community gave a resounding "No" to the deal and yet were ignored.

One of the most powerful community responses in the CBRM in recent memory was dismissed by the mayor, and the project was voted for by a bunch of councillors who hadn't even had sufficient time to read the sale contract.

Here's councillor Eldon MacDonald who recently agreed to respond to the 15 Point Councillors' Pledge:

What do you think the results of the market research on the Northside might have suggested?

If you follow the local sentiment, I can give you a very good insight: It's bad news for Clarke who is very unlikely to enter 2017 with the title of Mayor of the CBRM.

So don't fall for the bait of new libraries and spending of money that we don't have. It's not wrong to push for what we want. However, this mayor didn't even achieve his own priorities, let alone the priorities of our community. The best strategy for moving these projects forward is removing the mayor from office and recruiting a true community builder and advocate to the role.

The rabbit in the hat was always a trick. And the only thing we truly need to disappear in October is Cecil Clarke's title of Mayor.