Ford Desecration Pt III
~
Comments
Who's picking up the mantle from Miller? Someone has to start presenting an alternative to Ford.
Vaughan is certainly among the most vocal and visible on a host of issues. I'm a Joe Mihevc fan and think he's got what it takes to be mayor although winning an election (for anyone) won't necessarily be a cakewalk.
Looks like most folk will be happy. Ford's kncking $10 off your tax bill and hundreds are out of jobs. C'mon Toronto. We used to be called "Toronto, the good". Keep thinking about greater self-interest more than the greater good.
Ford will knock a couple dollars off your bill. Welcome to Detroit.
Can anybody really defend this guy anymore? Obviously he still has supporters? WHY?
http://www.torontosun.com/2011/12/05/councils-left-accuses-ford-of-waging-war-on-kids
This is horrible. We're living our lives on the backs of our future. Time to carry our weight. I shudder to think where I'd be without some collective help from my country nevermind where we're heading.
Vaughan is certainly among the most vocal and visible on a host of issues. I'm a Joe Mihevc fan and think he's got what it takes to be mayor although winning an election (for anyone) won't necessarily be a cakewalk.
Seems like lots of talk over rookie Kristen Wong-Tam, too.
New TCHC director has criticized management and said the city can't afford social housing
http://www.thestar.com/news/torontocouncil/article/952130--new-tchc-director-has-criticized-management-and-said-the-city-can-t-afford-social-housing?bn=1
Case Ootes, the newly named head of the Toronto Community Housing Corp., has in the past criticized management at the embattled agency and said the city must find a new way to pay for affordable housing.
A veteran councillor who retired last year, Ootes was handpicked by Mayor Rob Ford and approved by council this week to lead the agency.
Apparently, Ootes will draw a salary while still collecting severance from the city and Rob Ford thinks that's cool.
Gravy train alright.
Like how Ford can hire consultants for $3M and that's good, but when the TCHC spends a fraction of that on consultants, it's bad, bad, bad.
Because the media won't spin it edmundoconnor. Keep at it.
Forgot protocol(I'm not good with that stuff)
Here's Part II
http://rabble.ca/babble/central-canada/rob-ford-going-rails-part-ii#new
What do you mean by "still collecting"? Isn't severance generally a lump sum? Do you mean a pension?
Also, are we talking about two different jobs?
Perhaps we can clawback his pension income for every dollar he earns from this job. Make it kind of like social assistance.
Is that how pensions generally work? If a senior collecting their pension earns money on top of that, must they declare it, or deduct it?
I think you can earn a small amount of money ($3500 I believe) before income starts being deducted. With social assistance it's on the first dollar.
Here's what I was objecting to Snert.
While city staffers who receive severance are not permitted to work for the city for a period of two years, there is no policy that bans former councillors from coming back to work, according to city officials.
Several councillors who opposed the clean sweep of the board called Ootes appointment double-dipping.
"This is gravy on top of gravy for folks who like gravy," Councillor Adam Vaughan said.
The mayor said he didn't have a problem with Ootes being compensated.
"We're not going to have someone come in here and do it for free," Ford said.
Yeah, you have to pay top dollar to get somebody who's GOOD at leaving the poor to die.
Transit expert invited...and then uninvited after calling Ford's transit plan a "dumb idea"
Honesty hurts sometimes.
During the campaign, I was among the nearly unanimous group of council-watchers who predicted he would be unable to get his way if elected. Another reporter asked me last summer, “Does anyone really believe Rob Ford will be able to whip a vote?” We both smirked at the unlikely prospect, since Ford had never demonstrated any ability to make friends or influence people before. We were wrong, of course—spectacularly wrong. It turns out that Rob Ford can not only whip a vote to consistently get about 60 per cent of council lined up behind him, but he can get the majority of councillors regurgitating his talking points, even if it means contradicting their own well-established opinions.
A necessary wake-up call for the left. Contrary to expectations, Rob Ford has so far managed to win the vast majority of the time and progressive councillors haven't so far succeeded in doing much to change that.
City council arranging for additional security protection from...the media?
Budget has pathetic 1% welfare increase.
Vote NDP folks.
Please get out the vote.
Advice? Who needs it!
The Ford administration says waste-cutting is its motive for moving to scrap 21 citizen-dominated committees that advise council on everything from cycling to pedestrians to aboriginal affairs.
But critics charged Wednesday that axing the committees — which are made up of volunteers, including some councillors, and have no budget — is an undemocratic move meant to shut out anyone with opposing views.
While we're looking elsewhere, Toronto's eastern waterfront is being put up for sale.
I really hope someone else sees a problem here:
The city bureaucrat who has led efforts to privatize garbage collection is stepping down from his post.
Geoff Rathbone, General Manager of Solid Waste Management Services, is heading for a job at Progressive Waste Solutions (formerly BFI), one of the country’s largest waste management firms. He’ll leave at the end of the month.
Integrity is alive and well in the Ford Nation, it would appear..
The City of Toronto is beginning its consultation process for the 2012 budget. It's really important that people participate in this as the attempt is going to be made to cut everything that moves (except the police). You'll need to move fast though since you must reserve a spot at one of the consultation meetings.
http://torontoist.com/2011/05/city_launches_public_consultations_on_core_services.php
Integrity is alive and well in the Ford Nation, it would appear..
Well except this guy was appointed by the previous mayor since he was there in that position since 2003. I dont think that was a Ford move
Legal Expert Questions Rob Ford's Election Finances
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/989942--legal-expert-questions-rob-f...
"...it appears Ford broke the rules on three fronts.."
'Ford Nation' Called To Action When City Holds Public Meetings On Service Cuts
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/990830--ford-nation-called-to-action...
"In addition to attending the meetings, member of the public can voice their views by completing a questionaire on a NEW CITY WEBSITE devoted to the service review..."
here's where Ford will make the case for the hacking and chopping - so say NO loudly and spread the word to others too
Full Audit Of Ford's Campaign Expenses Ordered
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/full-audit-of-fords...
"Toronto Council's complaint and audit committee today unanimously voted to order a full audit.."
I guess the "Complaint and Audit Committee" is something Hizzoner should consider shutting down as an unnecessary expense.
In a move that introduces the unprecedented spectre of police layoffs in Toronto, the city has asked Chief Bill Blair to explore reducing the number of officers under his command by 10 per cent – down to levels not seen since Mel Lastman was in office.
You can well imagine what's contemplated for other areas if the city is seriously considering reducing the number of police by ten percent.
Ford will probably make up for that by going to Harper and getting him to bring back the death penalty-for everything-including really large library fines.
10% fewer cops is 10% less police brutality. I am all for it.
Problem is, the remaining cops would be spread even thinner...having to work longer hours...thus becoming more fatigued and crankier...and thus becoming more likely to beat down on somebody rather than just cuff them.
Not true Ken. We have far too many cops on the streets as it is, and the numbers have been increasing. Getting rid of some of them will certainly not make the others work longer hours.We need less cops. They do nothing but intimidate, harass and sit about in their cars all day looking for people to harass. No thanks. I'm fine with 10 percent less. If garbage workers are being laid off, I'd rather see the cops go then them.
BTW, Ford has a nice fancy lawyer working for him and they're trying to ensure the city doesn't audit him. They will find gravy, and it will be all over Ford.
Artist says city erased mural it paid him to paint
A city spokeswoman says the railway underpass wall was returned to drab grey because Richardson’s artwork was unauthorized, uncommissioned, political and may have “referred to (Prime Minister) Stephen Harper.”
Richardson says in 2008 then-Davenport councillor Adam Giambrone’s office asked him to paint a mural on the north wall of the underpass west of Lansdowne Ave., on the funky Junction Triangle neighbourhood’s eastern edge.
Not true Ken. We have far too many cops on the streets as it is, and the numbers have been increasing. Getting rid of some of them will certainly not make the others work longer hours.We need less cops. They do nothing but intimidate, harass and sit about in their cars all day looking for people to harass. No thanks. I'm fine with 10 percent less. If garbage workers are being laid off, I'd rather see the cops go then them.
BTW, Ford has a nice fancy lawyer working for him and they're trying to ensure the city doesn't audit him. They will find gravy, and it will be all over Ford.
I stand corrected. Well, we do need alternative ways to deal with crime...too many places have turned their police force into the town army...and the whole original point of that instution was simply to stop(or if possible prevent)crime, not create fear for the sake of creating fear.
One of Robert Peele's principles of policing was that the effectiveness of a police agency was ultimately measured by the absence of crime and public disorder, not showing off how they were dealing with it.
(post deleted by author since the reason for posting it has been corrected. Thanks, aristotle.)
Ken Burch is a post revisionist! :D
City departments that struggled to meet directives to slash 5 per cent of their annual budgets are now being ordered to double that, for a total cut equivalent to Toronto’s entire parks and recreation budget.
In addition to the seriousness of this level of cut it also seems like a rather boneheaded move to try to apply the same cut everywhere since it's likely that some departments are more efficient than others.
How idiotic.
At a time when city staff is asking council to adopt a concrete policy regarding corporate partnerships, sponsorships and naming rights, the always outspoken brother of Mayor Rob Ford took a few minutes to promote the idea to reporters.
“As long as it’s called the right name,” he said, before tossing out the Spadina-McDonalds idea. Getting it through council “won’t be a problem,” he added, if it means getting the TTC the TLC it needs.
Speaking outside council, the mayor said, “sure,” he supported the idea.
Anybody wishing to ride their bikes on Jarvis Street better hurry up:
The committee is also calling for a separated bike lane be added to Sherbourne Street.
Coun. Denzil Minnan-Wong is on the committee and voted to remove the Jarvis Street lanes. He feels a Sherbourne Street bike lane will be safer for cyclists and help clear congestion for drivers.
“Not only do you have safety and connectivity, you also have a separate bike lane on a route that is not a primary north-south route for motorists getting in and out of the city,” he said.
Removing the Jarvis Street bike lanes ties into a plan announced last week from that recommends construction of a series of separated bike lanes in the downtown core.
Doug Ford says he’d close a library, and tells Atwood to get electedMr. Ford, a rookie councillor and the brother of the mayor who has quickly gained a reputation at city hall for his headline-grabbing outbursts, said he hasn’t been influenced by the involvement of the world-renown author in the save-the-library movement.
“Margaret Atwood, I don’t even know her. She could walk right by me – I wouldn’t have a clue who she is,” he told reporters. “She’s not down here. She’s not dealing with the problem...Tell her to go run in the next election and get democratically elected. I’m happy to sit down and listen to Margaret Atwood.”
Mr. Ford estimates there are five or six library branches within a two-mile area near his ward, which includes what he described as a little-used location in an industrial area.
Asked if he would vote to close that branch he said, “Absolutely I would. In a heartbeat.
I'm really starting to feel sorry for Centre-of-the-Universers. These thugs are serious.
I was under the assumption that Doug Ford was the *smarter* of the two brothers (not that that's saying much!)
I've said this before but it keeps continuing to get stronger - the Ford brothers make you feel a new appreciation for the intelligence and responsiveness of Mel Lastman.
No kidding, Doug. I was looking at a previous Ford thread in which called him "a Harold Ballard for the City of Toronto." Indeed.
I was under the assumption that Doug Ford was the *smarter* of the two brothers (not that that's saying much!)
He *is*. Like, if he went to the AbEx exhibition at AGO, he'd speak his mind about paint-rollers and chimpanzees with paintbrushes. Whereas Rob Ford would be, like, duh.
What do some in Alberta think of the Atwood flap?
The Ford Brothers are the sort of people who make the folks who surround Prime Minister Stephen Harper seem like nature’s gentlemen. Alas, somehow they managed to get elected, and now they are busy wreaking havoc in one of Canada’s nicest cities – up to now, anyway.
As the sort of person whose supporters find their lips getting tired when they read, Doug Ford has lately been on a campaign to close public libraries. Ms. Atwood, who can be quite prickly herself, got up an effort to stop him, which by all accounts has been rather successful, with more than a quarter million people sending Tweets to support her.
This in turn got Mr. Ford’s back up, and he responded with this stunning Tweeted riposte: “Well, good luck to Margaret Atwood. I don’t even know her. If she walked by me, I wouldn’t have a clue who she is.” Well, duh! Of course you wouldn’t!
I'm really starting to feel sorry for Centre-of-the-Universers. These thugs are serious.
Don't bother. We brought it on ourselves.
And wait till you see whom we elect as Premier in October.
Boy am I glad I live in the socialist republic of Burnaby. We have the NPA here and they go nowhere since our BCA centre left civic government has out performed every other municipality over the last 30 years. More parks, better services (all of them union jobs) and a mill rate in the middle of the pack for BC municipalities. In Burnaby we make developers build public infrastructure or they don't get building permits. Some of them have screamed at this practise and the counsel says if you don't like our rules then go somewhere else. The good people living in the centre of the universe might learn some lessons from the periphery.
Could you please ask your emisaries to stop in Winnipeg on their way to Toronto? We have quite a bit to learn from that process as well.
Torontoist: Ten Things About Rob Ford
Councillor questions Atwood's motives
Ha! Although I find this whole Atwood story to be a bit blown out of proportion (and this as someone who worked in a public library for about 7 years), this has to be even more ridiculous than Ford who simply said that he didn't know or care who she was.
The idea that an author makes money from the existence of public libraries... no, they lose money because people can read their books over and over for free! </obvious>
Well obviously the Fords don't think much of libraries and probably never spent much time in any growing up if one brother's response to Atwood is any indication of overall "literacy". And Mammoliti just made himself sound like an idiot - good because they are all idiots and more they say stupid stuff, the more the good folk of Toronto who were fooled by "there will be no service cuts" will wake up.
Geez, why oh why can't people figure out that cutting taxes, promising no tax increases, will not result in drastic service cuts that they depend on and want?
LOL
"Congratulations on your new mayor, Toronto," WilliamMillar wrote. "He sure is smart n' stuff."
That comment made me laugh.
The idea that Atwood, or any writer, is getting rich off the pennies that come their way because of books being loaned, would make a cat laugh.
You don't get paid everytime someone borrows your book. The only money Atwood would make would be the initial royalties from the library buying a library edition of her book. It's a one-off. Even more of a ludicrous idea than you think!
National Post gets off Ford Gravy Train
So what ever happened to "Ford Nation"?? I was expecting to see massive phalanxes of "Tea Party North" types who voted for Ford all packing the public meetings and demanding MORE cuts in service and MORE tax caust and MORE with-hunts for "gravy". Instead they are no where to be seen.
I think that this is a classic case of the emperor's new clothes where at some point someone will cry out that the emperor (in this case Ford) has no clothes!
You don't get paid everytime someone borrows your book. The only money Atwood would make would be the initial royalties from the library buying a library edition of her book. It's a one-off. Even more of a ludicrous idea than you think!
That was true until 25 years ago.
No kidding! Well, colour me updated. That Atwood is a hustler after all.
According to Mayor Ford, they're too busy working and earning their keep to attend and depute at such public meetings. Really.
Wow! I didn't know that either, M.Spector!
You don't get paid everytime someone borrows your book. The only money Atwood would make would be the initial royalties from the library buying a library edition of her book. It's a one-off. Even more of a ludicrous idea than you think!
That was true until 25 years ago.
Which, if divided equally, would come to a little more than $566.13 cdn per author. So it's still not exactly a goldmine.
Toronto police revealed Thursday they arrested a man two weeks ago and charged him with threatening the city's mayor.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/07/28/toronto-ford-thre...According to Mayor Ford, they're too busy working and earning their keep to attend and depute at such public meetings. Really.
Apparently when people voted for Ford, they approved of everything he will ever say or do while in office, even if he completely contradicts himself or changes his mind on a dime. Strange.
Apparently when people voted for Ford, they approved of everything he will ever say or do while in office, even if he completely contradicts himself or changes his mind on a dime. Strange.
Judging by some comments on the Toronto Star, that may well be the case for some.. still, I'm really curious that they couldn't dig up at least SOME of their political base. Maybe this meeting was just a circus to give the appearance of public input before going ahead and chopping stuff anyways. Maybe there isn't an organized faction in support of Ford. Hmm..
Which, if divided equally, would come to a little more than $566.13 cdn per author. So it's still not exactly a goldmine.
No, not exactly. But it's probably comparable to what most Canadian authors get in annual royalty cheques from their publishers.
Toronto police revealed Thursday they arrested a man two weeks ago and charged him with threatening the city's mayor.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/07/28/toronto-ford-threat.html
I'm glad to hear that.
It means my phone's not being tapped.
It will be now.
No, there is. Honest. But they're too busy earning their keep to bother rubbing cheeks with these social-activist usual suspects who hate their guts, anyway. Honest. Truly. Really.
Anyway, Mary Trapani Hynes' performance demonstrates why she got an astronomical quarter of the vote in Don Valley East federally--surely, Jack doesn't take all the credit there...
funny old goat
It will be now.
Anyway, Mary Trapani Hynes' performance demonstrates why she got an astronomical quarter of the vote in Don Valley East federally--surely, Jack doesn't take all the credit there...
Even looking at the numbers nearly 3 months later, I'm still slightly taken aback (in awe, I hasten to add). If the DVE riding association has any nous about them, they should keep Hynes around. I'd be interested in seeing a rematch against Daniel …
I wonder how much of Ford's electoral momentum was from the icky feeling projected by George Smitherman's campaign?
Rather than disect that water under the bridge, I'd instead move on and look forward to the next election.
Who is being groomed, right now, to run against Ford? It better be someone with bona fides as a progressive, and not another smarmy right winger in Liberal clothing, or we can expect another term for Ford.
Ford was elected because of the complete and utter failure of the left to mount a serious campaign for a credible leftist mayor or to expose and denounce Ford's lies and his reactionary voting record. There is a serious vacuum in leadership of the left in Toronto; as a result the real issues of the worldwide austerity agenda, which affect Canada at all levels of government, went unacknowledged and unaddressed. The left was sleepwalking while the Ford-Hudak-Harper neocon machine continued to gain momentum in Toronto municipal politics.
Though in the last Ottawa mayoral election, voters opted for the "smarmy right winger in Liberal clothing" over a rogue hard-right incumbent as well as someone with "bona fides as a progressive"...
Miller's contract with the polytechnic ends in early 2014.
Politically incorrect The Mysterious Case of the Flying Anarchist takes aim at Toronto’s buffoon of a mayor
by NEIL BOYCE August 4, 2011
Fresh off a run at the Toronto Fringe in mid-July, Concordia creative writing grad (and Mirror contributor) Matt Jones takes his show The Mysterious Case of the Flying Anarchist to Théâtre Ste-Catherine (264 Ste-Catherine W.) for a limited run. Dario Fo’s 1970 satire on political corruption and abuse of power is a readily adaptable work—already staged in Britain, China, Pakistan and Zimbabwe—that can be adjusted to fit politician-crooks in any new environment....
http://www.montrealmirror.com/wp/2011/08/04/politically-incorrect/
Police in Toronto have arrested a second man and charged him with threatening to kill Mayor Rob Ford, CBC News has learned.
Police are not releasing much information, saying they "don't discuss threats against individuals, venues or events." But CBC News has learned there have been other threats against Ford - beyond the two cases that have resulted in charges.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/08/09/toronto-ford-thre...Great.
We now have a "populist" mayor who, when he attends large public gatherings, is "surrounded by a ring of police officers" for protection from the public.
First, they hired a corporate assassin in KPMG to do their dirty work, a futile attempt to distance themselves from the planned sacking of Toronto.
End subsidized daycare. Close libraries. Sell the zoos. Padlock museums.
“Don’t blame us,” they protested. “These are just recommendations from the consultants.”
Pulling a Pontius Pilate and washing its hands, KPMG said, “These are not recommendations; they are a list of opportunities….”
The carefully crafted image is one of positive ventures; investments. Instead, by the end of the month, Toronto could face:
Fewer medical calls from fire fighters. A smaller police force. Reduced TTC service. Death of the “Hardship Fund” that provides medical services for the city’s poor.
City manager Joe Pennachetti came clean Monday and dipped his hands into the blood. When he pulled them out, few city services remained untouched by the axe. Ah, yes, Joe P is recommending many of the very cuts, er, opportunities, KPMG listed in July.
Now, the bleeding mess has been dumped in the mayor’s hands, where it belongs.
It is the same mayor who looked voters in the eye a year ago and swore on their votes that he could find close to $2 billion in savings at city hall without chopping a single service. Waste, he said, littered the city hall corridors like the leaves of autumn.
Rob Ford, of course, found teaspoons of “gravy” where he pointed to vats of waste. So, next Monday his hand-picked executive committee of 12 sycophants must vote on Pennachetti’s recommendations and advise city council where to cut:
End the very popular community environment days. New “minimum standards” for snow removal, grass cutting. Chop $6 million from community and arts grants — affecting TIFF, AGO, ROM, and tiny community groups.
Read on...
If KPMG is Pontius Pilate, Ford is Nero.
Meanwhile Royson James led the Toronto Star's crucifixion of David Miller and Adam Giambrone.
He talks out of both sides of his mouth, and everyone at City Hall can't stand him nor take him seriously.
yeah, James reminded me of back in 1994, when the left took Rae and the gang at Queen's Park to the wood shed, we got Harris, and we know how well that went!
Jesus fucking Christ!
A newspaper columnist takes on the neoliberal austerity agenda of the mayor of Toronto and all the social democratic peanut gallery can muster is ad hominem attacks on the columnist!
Paid agents of Rob Ford couldn't do any better than these twits.
Well Spector, it does at least bring to light the hypocrisy and therefore the "quality" of MSM journalists.
It's just a shell game my friend. Pockets will always be lined as long as we don't fight back.
What do we do Spector? You always pop into these political threads with criticisms but I never see much of your electable platform? And that's all we've got at the moment isn't it?
I'm all for the callls for the NDP to push Prop. Rep. I will vote for the federal candidate with the best plan in this aspect.
Is there love, hope or optimism?
Massive poll shows Toronto is united against Ford's proposed cuts
Published 47 minutes ago
In a Forum Research telephone poll, only 27 per cent of residents say they would vote for Rob Ford if an election was held tomorrow.
CARLOS OSORIO/TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO Robyn Doolittle Urban Affairs Reporter
More about
Toronto City Council»
One of the biggest polls ever conducted in Toronto shows residents from every corner of the city are overwhelmingly against Mayor Rob Ford's cuts.
From Doug Ford's ward in Etobicoke to budget chief Mike Del Grande's in Scarborough, the results will serve as a sobering warning to councillors within the Ford voting bloc.
A Forum Research telephone survey of nearly 13,000 people reveals that more than three-quarters of Torontonians want their local councillor to protect services rather than comply with the mayor's wishes. And only 27 per cent of residents say they would vote for Rob Ford if an election was held tomorrow.
More significantly, because of the poll's size, Forum was able to provide the first authoritative assessment of support on a ward-by-ward level.
Forum's poll, which was paid for by CUPE Local 79, one of two major unions at city hall, questioned 12,848 Toronto residents on Tuesday using a random dial, push-button response, phoning system. The margin of error is plus or minus 0.9 per cent, 19 out 20 times.
Paid agents of Rob Ford couldn't do any better than these twits.
Keep the insults out of the discussion please.
Adam Vaughan pwns KPMG. Super wow.
Wait for it.....ka-POW!
Adam Vaughan pwns KPMG. Super wow.
Wait for it.....ka-POW!
That was super-cool. Thanks for the link!
And now I suppose we'll hear from some social-democrat about how Adam Vaughan can safely be ignored because he was one of the most vocal critics of David Miller...
Well Spector, it does at least bring to light the hypocrisy and therefore the "quality" of MSM journalists.
Exactly, and thank you.
Adam Vaughan pwns KPMG. Super wow.
Wait for it.....ka-POW!
That was amazing!!
Ford: "Your 3 minutes are up"
The City of Toronto has 10 museums, connecting its citizens with their rich local history. About 250,000 people visit these museums every year. They provide rental facilities for public events and have educational programs for thousands of school children.
Rob Ford wants to close 4 of those museums, in order to save something less than $1 million a year. That's less than 40¢ per capita per annum - about .01 of one percent of the City's budget.
These are the four museums:
• The Market Gallery, located downtown in the St. Lawrence Market, was founded in 1979 as the official exhibition space and storage of the city’s permanent art collection. It's in an historic building that was once the City Hall of Toronto from 1845 to 1899.
• Montgomery’s Inn, built in the 1830s and restored to its 1847 state. The museum allows visitors and school tours to glimpse life in the mid-19th century. It serves as a community meeting space, and is the headquarters of the Etobicoke Historical Society. It was also Etobicoke's civic museum until 1998 when Etobicoke was forcibly amalgamated into the City of Toronto by Ford's pal, Mike Harris.
• Zion Schoolhouse, a one-room school built just two years after Confederation, and restored to its 1910 state. Students on school tours re-enact lessons and games from that time.
• Gibson House, a red-brick 1850s Georgian revival mansion, is on land that was rural farmland when Scottish immigrant David Gibson built it. Gibson was a supporter of the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion. Visitors get to see a glimpse of life in rural Ontario in the mid-19th century.
The government shouldn't be in the housing business, the Fords say...except when it's luxury waterfront condos.
Build Toronto, the city-owned company charged with selling surplus property, is teaming up with residential developer Tridel to invest in a new skyscraper on a pie-shaped city lot at York and Harbour Streets. If approved as planned, the project will join a cluster of nearby skyscrapers, part of a wave of development on land south of the railway tracks and will rival a new building at College Park as the city’s tallest condo tower.
In Vancouver we've already seen this movie. At ever stage of the process the development crowd, as individuals, make fast bucks for little risk and if the project fails the City gets left holding the bag as the Limited development companies fade away into asset less "sue me if you want" corporations.
Mr. Meggs said he didn’t know what the impact would be of the city providing a $46-million loan guarantee on top of the other debt it is carrying on the Olympic village.
“No one’s assessed that at this point,” he said.
The city is currently carrying $1.6-billion in taxpayer-supported debt, triple the level it was carrying in 2006. That debt load, which works out to $2,623 per city resident, which is higher than in most Canadian cities, rose dramatically last February when the city took over the construction loan for the private developer building the 1,100-unit village.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/vancouver-looks-at-flying-solo-on-olympic-village-rentals/article1733823/
It's a shame when the first time you hear about these museums is when they want to shut them down.
SOWWY BUT I COULD NUT REZZIST DAT PITCHER OF HIZZONER!
It's a shame when the first time you hear about these museums is when they want to shut them down.
The shame is all yours, if you live in Toronto.
Of Course M. Spector, as you know everything and I know nothing. They were not advertised anywhere and did not feature in anything I ever saw, until I read about them on this post. The shame is yours for your snide remarks. I have heard much worse from much better than you.
Doug Ford suggests schools explore UFC-linked program.
No I'm not fucking kidding.
Councillor Doug Ford's office has suggested Toronto schools look into a community service program backed by the violent mixed martial arts league, Ultimate Fighting Championship.
In an email obtained by the Star, Ford's constituency assistant, Anna Vescio, asked a Toronto District School Board trustee to circulate a brochure touting an initiative called UFC Community Works.
According to the brochure, the program promotes "the development of discipline, respect, teamwork, honesty, time management and physical fitness" through mixed martial arts training and meetings with UFC fighters.
UFC has become notorious for its brutal, bloody, no-holds barred fighting. Mixed martial arts events were banned in Ontario until this year.
.........
In an email to TDSB trustees early Saturday morning, Chris Glover, trustee for Etobicoke Centre, stressed that he adamantly voiced his disapproval to Ford's office: "I have responded that I will not be promoting fighting in our schools under any circumstances," he wrote.
"We have all kinds of initiatives to prevent fighting in our schools . . . to teach kids how to resolve conflicts without fighting," he said in an interview. "[Mixed martial arts training] speaks against the goals of public education."
............
Reached by phone, Doug Ford declined to comment, citing Mayor Rob Ford's policy of not talking to the Star.
That last bit is priceless. The mayor's "policy", which is facing a Charter challenge by the Star, is about the mayor's office only. You aren't mayor yet, Dougie. In the meantime, go fuck yourself.
Disabled community left in the cold
...after Rob Ford cancelled an annual celebration of International Day of Persons With Disabilties that was to be held on Dec 3.
In the past the International Day of Persons with Disabilities - a United Nations event held around the world - has been supported by the city at locations like Variety Village and the CNIB, and attended by city officials, including former Toronto mayor David Miller.
This year the City of Toronto posted a notice to its website saying the annual Dec. 3 event, which honours unsung heroes who struggle against adversity, would not be held.
Instead, the event will be recognized with a proclamation by Mayor Rob Ford, on Dec. 8, at an evening event celebrating Human Rights Day in the council chamber of city hall, according to the city website.
......
City Councillor Adam Vaughan said he had no idea the event had been cancelled even though he is chair of the accessibility advisory committee, one of 21 citizen committees Ford tried to shut down this summer.
Ford had to back away from shutting down the accessibility advisory committee after it was pointed out to him that having one is a requirement under provincial law, said Vaughan.
"There's been a drift, if not a concerted effort, to move away from support of people in this city with disabilities," said Vaughan. "The mayor's office has been silent on this stuff. They're walking away from democratic input and they're walking away from supporting people that have needs."
Vaughan said he is trying to get the committee back up and running.
Bold added.
This bullshit has to be stopped.
That last bit is priceless. The mayor's "policy", which is facing a Charter challenge by the Star, is about the mayor's office only. You aren't mayor yet, Dougie. In the meantime, go fuck yourself.