4 September 2019 / #city hall Frequently-heard political comments in Ottawa and what they really meanPhoto/Devyn BarrieCouncillors Scott Moffatt and Jeff Leiper had an interesting exchange on Twitter today, where they laid out some boilerplate comments heard often in municipal politics and what they really mean.“I’m in favour of development but just not this development”-I hate that development but I don’t want to look like a NIMBY— Scott Moffatt (@ScottMoffatt21) September 4, 2019“Do (insert item here) or you’ll lose my vote”-I’ve never actually voted for you but I don’t know how else to ask for something because I just assume you only care about votes— Scott Moffatt (@ScottMoffatt21) September 4, 2019“License cyclists to pay for bike lanes”-I have no idea how taxation works— Scott Moffatt (@ScottMoffatt21) September 4, 2019Leiper chimed in, prompting Moffatt to translate this classic: “We pay very high taxes.” To which Moffatt provides: “I bought a house worth $1.4M and I’m now complaining about the $14,000 I pay in taxes because I haven’t put two and two together to realize I’m filthy rich and I can afford it.”What’s your favourite catchphrase? Tweet us @OttawaStart. One of my favourites is usually repeated whenever apartment rentals are proposed in the suburbs and usually goes along the lines that the future tenants will be criminals and/or creators of traffic congestion. This is an actual quote from a resident email regarding a proposed four-story apartment building in Stittsville that I got via an MFIPPA request (their name was withheld per the law): “This will lower all our home values and add higher crime rate [sic] for our neighbourhoods as low income becomes desperate families in need. AKA stealing and such.”Yikes.