Why Del Grande resigned
I had no idea that budget chief Del Grande was going to resign when I posted the piece yesterday that I thought he was the best budget chief the city has ever had, but I am not surprised, nor do I blame him because in my view ,what makes him the best budget chief is that he brings a professional C.A designation to a job that is usually filled by ambitious politicians’.
Politicians’ live in a “vote” economy while professional money managers’ live in the “real ” economy. Del Grande is a professional money manager, not a professional politician. It was a good fit at the outset because Rob Ford was elected on the pledge to get the city’s finances in order following years of spending money the City didn’t have. Who better to comb through the books line by line to find efficiencies and to reconcile spending than a Chartered Accountant? Add to that qualification, Del Grande’s disciplined work ethic and poor beginnings, ( which taught him the value of a dollar saved vs.spent), and the city had a match made in heaven. But in the messy business of politics, municipal politics in particular, professional politicians living in a vote or re-vote economy and professional money managers living in the “real” economy mix like oil and water.
As many of us have found along the career path, we are happiest, most productive and feel most useful when our particular skill is in demand and appreciated. When it’s not, or when our skill set is fought by those who have a different agenda, we feel vilified, frustrated and utterly unhappy.
That’s why Mike Del Grande resigned, and I for one – don’t blame him, I would too!