Garrison Keillor tidily summarizes a phenomenon near and dear to Torontoist:

By Jill

“The greatest public anger surrounds local issues (just as most homicides occur between people who know each other). The debate over the war in Iraq is sedate compared with what takes place in planning commissions and city councils. That’s where people form solid enemies who last a lifetime. George W. Bush may be scorned by some people, but it’s nothing compared with the loathing they’d feel for someone who wanted to open a motorcycle repair shop across the alley.”
From Salon.com. (Article requires ad clickage.)