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elevaTing The ciTizenry <br />if our goal is to elevate the role of ‘citizen’ in our local democracy, let’s <br />start by taking a look at how we culturally rank all of our political players. <br />During his inaugural speech, Mayor <br />Rob Ford said: “This council is not <br />supreme. We were elected by the <br />people. The people of Toronto are <br />supreme.”  We agree. Politicians <br />are key players in the process but <br />citizens collectively are the highest <br />authority. Why then do we insist on <br />turning our politicians into celebri- <br />ties of royal worth, at the expense <br />of recognizing the value of ordinary <br />citizens?  Here are two examples. <br />excessive reverence? <br />In cities across Canada, we refer to <br />our mayors as his or her “worship”. <br />Nothing in our official bylaws or <br />protocol requires the use of this <br />title, yet it’s frequently used both <br />inside and outside Toronto City <br />Hall.  Isn’t it time that we brought <br />the Age of Enlightenment to local <br />government? The mayor is just a <br />dude. Not a god.