Pat, You Fat Cat

Pat Fiacco, the darling mayor of Regina, seems more disappointed that someone is pointing out that North Central has HUGE problems than he is that there are, you know, ACTUAL PEOPLE IN HIS CITY living in horrible conditions.
From the Leader-Post: MAYOR COMPLAINS MAGAZINE STILL WRONG.

"Well, at least it's not the Detroit Ghetto," the L-P sighs in their editorial, before suggesting a Liberal Media Anti-Fiacco Conspiracy.

I grew up in Regina, and I currently work in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, which formerly held the title of "Canada's Worst Neighbourhood" (and still does to most of the world). I've never been to THE DETROIT GHETTO, but I'd imagine it's pretty similar to the DES, or was in its heyday, give or take a few thousand guns. There's poor people, there's drugs, there's violent crime. But it's still "a neighbourhood like every other" with people who go to work, raise their kids, pay taxes, etc. That doesn't stop it, or Regina's North Central, from being home to people who live in pretty abject misery. For Fiacco to complain that the national media didn't highlight his boxing school, or his bungled housing projects in the face of such horrors as child prostitution is, as someone once said, "small town cheap."

For what it's worth, here's the original Macleans story by Jonathan Gatehouse. It's actually really good.
EDIT: Okay, that link's dead. Sorry.
EDIT AGAIN: That link works again.

As a bonus: Ode To Pasquala mp3 by Rah Rah.