It Might Be Unfair But.........

......maybe the chickens are coming home to roost. The left wing city council, guided by Miller, played their hand and supported the liberals and it was a losing hand. They have not shown that can be good stewards of tax $$$ and haven't made the slightest move to cut city expenses. Remember the decision to improve security was made to meet the demands of the union, who if you recall, held a wildcate strike with no penalties.

EDITORIAL: This time, Moscoe is right

Rarely does TTC Chairman Howard Moscoe make a valid point in between his bouts of buffoonery.

But this time he has, on a serious subject -- security for TTC passengers.

It's not "helping the terrorists" to state the obvious fact that the TTC is one of the most obvious targets for terrorism in Canada.

Thus it's hard to understand Ottawa's logic this week in giving only $1.46 million to the TTC out of a $37-million national program to enhance security on public transit systems.

Comparable systems in Vancouver and Montreal received $9.9 million and $8.5 million respectively. Even Edmonton received more than Toronto, at $2.25 million.

It defies logic that the TTC, which, according to Moscoe, handles 85% of all transit passengers in the Greater Toronto Area, and a third of all transit riders in Canada, would receive only 4% of the funding provided by this program.

Since GO Transit is getting $5.3 million and Union Station $4.3 million, the feds apparently feel the Toronto area is getting its fair share. But if that's the reasoning, it's absurd. The greatest resources should go to protecting the biggest potential target.

"It's a slap in the face," said Moscoe. "It says they care nothing about the safety of the people who ride the TTC in Toronto." The last part of this statement is typical Moscoe bombast. This from the same guy, remember, who at the time of the London transit bombings said that the terrorists wouldn't even be able to find Toronto. It's that kind of nonsense that undercuts the TTC's credibility when it has a valid case, as it does here.

Our concern is for the safety of TTC passengers.

No security measure is guaranteed to prevent a terrorist attack or any other criminal act.

But security cameras on public transit are a reasonable investment in public safety.

The TTC had asked for $35 million from the feds. It has already committed $10 million to begin installing security cameras on buses, to be followed by subways.

We are not suggesting other transit systems should lose funding in favour of Toronto.

But the TTC should receive at least $10 million under this program, comparable to Montreal and Vancouver.