Back in April, the CBRM's CAO Michael Merritt up and quit telling only Mayor Cecil Clarke (who didn't see fit to share the secret with his council colleagues). At that time, I quite clearly pointed out that Marie Walsh would be the next CAO for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality - going so far as to make a case for it. 

Now I see the Cape Breton Post is covering the story just before she'll soon be announced, but wouldn't quite pull the trigger on confirming her.

I understand that it's not a fact until official confirmation. However, if we're being reasonable, it was after all: (1) an internal hiring, (2) with one applicant, (3) who happened to be the most qualified applicant, (4) who's already filled the role interimly in the past before Merritt, (5) who's currently filling the role interimly, and (6) who is named Marie Walsh. 

If you get a line on any better Vegas odds than that bet, please let me in on the action.

So it's not much of a spoiler at all. The minute it became an internal hiring decision, anyone who remotely pays any attention to CBRM municipal politics would know Walsh would be the next CAO - and the reign of Cape Breton's power sisters would continue and strengthen.

I'm sure that Councillor Darren Bruckschwaiger will be pleased. The last time around he described Merritt being hired by Cecil Clarke despite Walsh's interest as a "slap in the face". Of course, it was the type of slap that Walsh could recover from quite easily. Neither Walsh or her sister Marlene Usher, who was hand picked as the CEO of the Port of Sydney Development Corporation for $200,000 a year, will be in the line up at Loaves and Fishes anytime in the foreseeable future.

This is another big win for Usher as the port CEO too. An immense amount of controversy focuses on the port's source of funds and their utilization. They're burning up the money allocated for our harbour's necessary navigational aids, based on the container port speculation. They're taking in revenue every year from cruise, but not paying their leasing payments to the taxpayers of the CBRM. And the Cape Breton Spectator recently revealed how the various partners of the container port marketing "consortium" are actually, on occasion, being paid. Yes, it's business. Yes, people get paid. Yes, we were told repeatedly everyone was partners (with nebulous definition) and that the port marketers (Harbor Port Development Partners / Sydney Harbour Investment Partners) were doing everything on their own dime (despite lack of any documentation of such made available to the public).

If you're under that kind of scrutiny with Mary Campbell FOIPOPs coming at you like a barrage of heat seeking missiles, it's kind of a good scenario to have your sister remain in place as the key gateway to the CBRM accounting systems and what gets passed on (or explained) to a relatively unsophisticated - and often disinterested - CBRM council.

NOTE: The views expressed above are my own and do not represent lokol (goCapeBreton.com). Read more