Saturday, March 31, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
Johnathon Kay Versus Royson James
To the best of my knowledge none of my "ancestors" owned slaves and/or benefited from slavery so I question having to offer up an apology.
Jonathan Kay: Ok, Royson James, we get it: Slavery was bad. Now find a new subject to write about.
Â
The Toronto Star has become the newspaper of monomaniacal crusades. Over the last few months, Star readers have been subject to an endless series of tedious articles urging Ontario to increase its minimum wage to $10. It's kind of an interesting issue, but not when a media outlet makes a hysterical obsession of it. From January 28 till now, no fewer than 96 Star articles have cited the issue -- including editorial after editorial, all saying the same thing. As a former full-time editorial writer, I can only pity the poor guy at the Star who keeps getting the order from higher-up: "We need another cut-and-paste job on the minimum wage. 600 words."
The new issue that won't die on the Star's pages is slavery -- how it was evil and despicable (which every reasonable person knows to be true), and how every white person alive should feel guilty about it (which is silly, since Canada is inheritor to the moral tradition of the first empire on earth that decisively abolished slavery, and used its military force to compel others to do the same.)
The Star has given us 18 articles citing this subject since March 14. The worst have been by Royson James, who seems to be aiming for the same journalistic role at The Star as Bob Herbert has on the op-ed page of the New York Times -- i.e. endless tales of real racism, alleged racism and imagined racism.
James' latest installment is particularly lame. In a front-page article in Wednesday's edition, he describes first-hand how an aggressive anti-slavery protester made a mockery of a Westminster Abbery ceremony to commemorate the abolition of the slave trade 200 years ago. The protestor's antics were an insult to the Queen, who was in attendance, among other dignitaries. But James' subtext is that the protestor's decision to ruin a solemn ceremony aimed at marking the suffering of millions of innocent blacks was somehow justified by Tony Blair's refusal to formally apologize for something that happened 200 years ago.
James knows full well that such an apology would open the door to multi-trillion dollar law suits. (In the current legal climate, who knows, such suits might prevail.) Good on Blair for resisting the call to facilitate this shakedown. As for those of us here in Toronto, I hope this is the last anti-Whitey headline I have to see on the Toronto Star for quite some time.
Jonathan Kay: Ok, Royson James, we get it: Slavery was bad. Now find a new subject to write about.
Â
The Toronto Star has become the newspaper of monomaniacal crusades. Over the last few months, Star readers have been subject to an endless series of tedious articles urging Ontario to increase its minimum wage to $10. It's kind of an interesting issue, but not when a media outlet makes a hysterical obsession of it. From January 28 till now, no fewer than 96 Star articles have cited the issue -- including editorial after editorial, all saying the same thing. As a former full-time editorial writer, I can only pity the poor guy at the Star who keeps getting the order from higher-up: "We need another cut-and-paste job on the minimum wage. 600 words."
The new issue that won't die on the Star's pages is slavery -- how it was evil and despicable (which every reasonable person knows to be true), and how every white person alive should feel guilty about it (which is silly, since Canada is inheritor to the moral tradition of the first empire on earth that decisively abolished slavery, and used its military force to compel others to do the same.)
The Star has given us 18 articles citing this subject since March 14. The worst have been by Royson James, who seems to be aiming for the same journalistic role at The Star as Bob Herbert has on the op-ed page of the New York Times -- i.e. endless tales of real racism, alleged racism and imagined racism.
James' latest installment is particularly lame. In a front-page article in Wednesday's edition, he describes first-hand how an aggressive anti-slavery protester made a mockery of a Westminster Abbery ceremony to commemorate the abolition of the slave trade 200 years ago. The protestor's antics were an insult to the Queen, who was in attendance, among other dignitaries. But James' subtext is that the protestor's decision to ruin a solemn ceremony aimed at marking the suffering of millions of innocent blacks was somehow justified by Tony Blair's refusal to formally apologize for something that happened 200 years ago.
James knows full well that such an apology would open the door to multi-trillion dollar law suits. (In the current legal climate, who knows, such suits might prevail.) Good on Blair for resisting the call to facilitate this shakedown. As for those of us here in Toronto, I hope this is the last anti-Whitey headline I have to see on the Toronto Star for quite some time.
Where Are The Marches And Outrage From The Left Wing Peaceniks
Who are quick to demand certain rights to known and suspected terrorists.....
Double standard or simply self-loathing?
A Tale of Two Standards [J. Peter Pham]
Link
For over five years now, the United States and its allies have had to endure ad nauseam the self-righteous indignation of the self-appointed guardians of international law over alleged transgressions of highly debatable “rights” said to belong to indubitably illegal combatants.
Now comes the case of the Royal Navy personnel from HMS Cornwall currently being held prisoner by the Iranian government, one of whom, Leading Seaman Faye Turney, after being duly covered by an Islamic headscarf, was put on Iranian state television today to admit that she and her mates had “obviously trespassed” into Iranian waters — a coerced confession that is belied by satellite and other evidence presented earlier in the day by British officials. (Some of the Iranian footage is streamed by the BBC here.)
Even allowing, merely arguendo, that the fifteen British sailors and marines had indeed strayed into Iranian waters and, furthermore, that they did so with hostile intent toward Iran, the British personnel would still be clearly legal combatants, fully entitled to the protections of the Third Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Putting Ms. Turney and her fellow prisoners on television — much less shrouding her in the medieval raiment favored by the mullahs of Teheran and making her recite the praises of her captors (”They were very friendly and very hospitable, very thoughtful, good people…They were very, very compassionate”) — is a clear violation of both the letter and the spirit of the laws of war as known and practiced by civilized nations and enshrined in Geneva Convention (III) for lawful combatants.
But has anyone heard so much as a whisper of protest over this willful abuse of uniformed personnel by any of those nongovernmental organizations which are never at a loss to protest the slightest indignity or inconvenience — however unintentional — visited upon captured terrorists?
Double standard or simply self-loathing?
A Tale of Two Standards [J. Peter Pham]
Link
For over five years now, the United States and its allies have had to endure ad nauseam the self-righteous indignation of the self-appointed guardians of international law over alleged transgressions of highly debatable “rights” said to belong to indubitably illegal combatants.
Now comes the case of the Royal Navy personnel from HMS Cornwall currently being held prisoner by the Iranian government, one of whom, Leading Seaman Faye Turney, after being duly covered by an Islamic headscarf, was put on Iranian state television today to admit that she and her mates had “obviously trespassed” into Iranian waters — a coerced confession that is belied by satellite and other evidence presented earlier in the day by British officials. (Some of the Iranian footage is streamed by the BBC here.)
Even allowing, merely arguendo, that the fifteen British sailors and marines had indeed strayed into Iranian waters and, furthermore, that they did so with hostile intent toward Iran, the British personnel would still be clearly legal combatants, fully entitled to the protections of the Third Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Putting Ms. Turney and her fellow prisoners on television — much less shrouding her in the medieval raiment favored by the mullahs of Teheran and making her recite the praises of her captors (”They were very friendly and very hospitable, very thoughtful, good people…They were very, very compassionate”) — is a clear violation of both the letter and the spirit of the laws of war as known and practiced by civilized nations and enshrined in Geneva Convention (III) for lawful combatants.
But has anyone heard so much as a whisper of protest over this willful abuse of uniformed personnel by any of those nongovernmental organizations which are never at a loss to protest the slightest indignity or inconvenience — however unintentional — visited upon captured terrorists?
An Example Of How Corrupted Unions Have Become
Sam must be turning over in his grave......a current definition of unions is an organization that protects the rights of the marginal worker. If that isn't socialism I don't know how else to describe it.
The Thought For Today — "Socialism holds nothing but unhappiness for the human race. It destroys personal initiative, wipes out national pride ... and plays into the hands of the autocrats.... Socialism is the end of fanatics, the sophistry of so-called intelligentsia, and it has no place in the hearts of those who would secure and fight for freedom and preserve democracy". -Samuel Gompers
The Thought For Today — "Socialism holds nothing but unhappiness for the human race. It destroys personal initiative, wipes out national pride ... and plays into the hands of the autocrats.... Socialism is the end of fanatics, the sophistry of so-called intelligentsia, and it has no place in the hearts of those who would secure and fight for freedom and preserve democracy". -Samuel Gompers
You Are Known By The Company You Keep
I have always opposed giving refuge to this current group of deserters and the reason is that they joined the armed forces voluntarily. I object that my tax dollars are being spent dealing with the legal ramifications of deserters, and their supporters, appealing their status in Canada.
B.C. town not keen to be known as 'Resisterville'
OLIVER MOORE
From Friday's Globe and Mail
Some residents of a small British Columbia community -- which faced a torrent of criticism several years ago over the idea of a statue to draft dodgers from the Vietnam era -- are now unhappy about their town being characterized as a haven for soldiers fleeing the war in Iraq.
A CNN program aired on Monday described Nelson as an "anti-war refuge" and dubbed it "Resisterville." Although some residents will admit privately that any publicity is welcome, the show seems to have stuck in the craw of many in the Kootenays town.
"My feeling was it was a bit over the top," said chamber of commerce executive director Tom Thomson. "It was quite obvious they were trying to build this as an anti-war piece."
The show included a look at ex-combat engineer Kyle Snyder, who refused to serve a second term in Iraq.
The 23-year-old is viewed as a war resister by his supporters but is being treated as a deserter by U.S. military authorities. It's a key distinction, says Nelson Mayor John Dooley.
"These characters were volunteers to the military and they didn't like what they saw when they got there," he said. "I think the key thing here is [the word] deserter, these people are deserters. The word resister tends to soften it. They're deserters from the U.S. military.
How Far From Nelson Is Vancouver
War resist tour
Vancouver - The War Resisters Support Campaign presents: War Resist Tour featuring Toronto Hip Hop Artist Mohammad Ali, a benefit to support U.S. war resisters seeking refuge in Canada.
B.C. town not keen to be known as 'Resisterville'
OLIVER MOORE
From Friday's Globe and Mail
Some residents of a small British Columbia community -- which faced a torrent of criticism several years ago over the idea of a statue to draft dodgers from the Vietnam era -- are now unhappy about their town being characterized as a haven for soldiers fleeing the war in Iraq.
A CNN program aired on Monday described Nelson as an "anti-war refuge" and dubbed it "Resisterville." Although some residents will admit privately that any publicity is welcome, the show seems to have stuck in the craw of many in the Kootenays town.
"My feeling was it was a bit over the top," said chamber of commerce executive director Tom Thomson. "It was quite obvious they were trying to build this as an anti-war piece."
The show included a look at ex-combat engineer Kyle Snyder, who refused to serve a second term in Iraq.
The 23-year-old is viewed as a war resister by his supporters but is being treated as a deserter by U.S. military authorities. It's a key distinction, says Nelson Mayor John Dooley.
"These characters were volunteers to the military and they didn't like what they saw when they got there," he said. "I think the key thing here is [the word] deserter, these people are deserters. The word resister tends to soften it. They're deserters from the U.S. military.
How Far From Nelson Is Vancouver
War resist tour
Vancouver - The War Resisters Support Campaign presents: War Resist Tour featuring Toronto Hip Hop Artist Mohammad Ali, a benefit to support U.S. war resisters seeking refuge in Canada.
Your Easter Bonnet Might Have To Be A Kelvar Helmet
Especially if you are thinking of being a part of the Easter Parade in the Beaches.
Parade rejection `kick in stomach'
Pet groomers angry after Lions Club denied them status as Easter Parade's major sponsor
March 30, 2007
Matthew Chung
Staff Reporter
Shane Carr and Carl Milson had big fundraising plans for the dog walk portion of the Easter Day Parade hosted by the Toronto Beaches Lions Club.
But those plans were a little too big for parade organizers, who shot them down.
Since then, Carr and Milson, executives of pet grooming company A Touch of Love, have been bombarding the Lions Club with emails demanding to know why they've been excluded from the event. Others in the community are asking questions as well.
"This is ridiculous," said Don Belyea, a resident of the Beaches area. "They were offering thousands of dollars worth of things to the parade."
The couple claim the club that's hung out to dry plans to make Ed the Sock parade grand marshal have broken a verbal agreement that would have seen them be corporate sponsors of the dog parade.
They say they're feeling hurt because it was the Lions that contacted them and appeared enthusiastic about their ideas to get more money for charity.
"It's a kick in the stomach," said Carr. "It's sort of hurtful. You're giving a good gesture. People don't give much nowadays."
The club says no agreement existed because organizers didn't fully understand what was being offered. Parade organizer Bob Kelly said that making the company a major sponsor would have risked scaring other local storeowners away. "If we said that (A Touch of Love) was the main sponsor of the parade . . . It would exclude everybody," Kelly said.
But no one mentioned that problem to Carr and Milson back in Feburary when they first told parade co-organizer Chris Yacatto and Lions president Bill Field about their plans to offer prizes valued at more than $2,000, Carr said.
To help bolster participation in the walk, A Touch of Love, located on Queen St. E., was offering 100 paw protectors worth $16.99 each to the first 100 dogs to register and $500 in gift basket prizes.
They were also offering, free of charge, to design posters for the walk, an ad in the local newspaper and assistance in organizing the event. Carr also planned to have a reception after the parade where they'd provide beverages and cookies.
Yacatto said the decision was made "based on the fact that we felt the Lions Club parade was becoming A Touch of Love's parade."
The club offered for the company to sponsor five dogs in the walk at a cost of $125, which was offered to all local storeowners.
The couple is too disappointed to participate in the parade now, said Carr. "I took the thousands of dollars that would be involved in that event and I'm leaving for Sunday to Mexico."
Parade rejection `kick in stomach'
Pet groomers angry after Lions Club denied them status as Easter Parade's major sponsor
March 30, 2007
Matthew Chung
Staff Reporter
Shane Carr and Carl Milson had big fundraising plans for the dog walk portion of the Easter Day Parade hosted by the Toronto Beaches Lions Club.
But those plans were a little too big for parade organizers, who shot them down.
Since then, Carr and Milson, executives of pet grooming company A Touch of Love, have been bombarding the Lions Club with emails demanding to know why they've been excluded from the event. Others in the community are asking questions as well.
"This is ridiculous," said Don Belyea, a resident of the Beaches area. "They were offering thousands of dollars worth of things to the parade."
The couple claim the club that's hung out to dry plans to make Ed the Sock parade grand marshal have broken a verbal agreement that would have seen them be corporate sponsors of the dog parade.
They say they're feeling hurt because it was the Lions that contacted them and appeared enthusiastic about their ideas to get more money for charity.
"It's a kick in the stomach," said Carr. "It's sort of hurtful. You're giving a good gesture. People don't give much nowadays."
The club says no agreement existed because organizers didn't fully understand what was being offered. Parade organizer Bob Kelly said that making the company a major sponsor would have risked scaring other local storeowners away. "If we said that (A Touch of Love) was the main sponsor of the parade . . . It would exclude everybody," Kelly said.
But no one mentioned that problem to Carr and Milson back in Feburary when they first told parade co-organizer Chris Yacatto and Lions president Bill Field about their plans to offer prizes valued at more than $2,000, Carr said.
To help bolster participation in the walk, A Touch of Love, located on Queen St. E., was offering 100 paw protectors worth $16.99 each to the first 100 dogs to register and $500 in gift basket prizes.
They were also offering, free of charge, to design posters for the walk, an ad in the local newspaper and assistance in organizing the event. Carr also planned to have a reception after the parade where they'd provide beverages and cookies.
Yacatto said the decision was made "based on the fact that we felt the Lions Club parade was becoming A Touch of Love's parade."
The club offered for the company to sponsor five dogs in the walk at a cost of $125, which was offered to all local storeowners.
The couple is too disappointed to participate in the parade now, said Carr. "I took the thousands of dollars that would be involved in that event and I'm leaving for Sunday to Mexico."
Panhandling Professionals At City Hall
City Hall, Queen's Park get earful over budget
Groups present their ideas and demands – from shelter beds to bicycle safety – at budget committee's public hearing
March 30, 2007
Paul Moloney
city hall bureau
Despite a $71 million shortfall and a proposed 3.8 per cent residential property tax hike, community groups want city council to spend more money.
During a day-long public hearing at city hall yesterday, councillors on the budget committee were urged to:
# Reverse a $2 million cut in shelter beds.
# Hire more inspectors to crack down on rodent- and mould-ridden apartment buildings.
# Devote more resources to bicycle safety.
# Ease the property tax burden on business.
Over the next few weeks, the committee will put the finishing touches on the proposed $7.8 billion budget for 2007 before sending it to council for final approval April 20 and 23.
Toronto Board of Trade president Carol Wilding said the city has failed to restrain spending, with only nine of 49 budget envelopes coming in at a zero increase. "The city of Toronto has come out with a transit plan and a green plan. But do we have an up-to-date economic plan and economic strategy? No, we don't," she said.
On the other hand, the city earned praise for its support of school nutrition programs in at-risk neighbourhoods. "Yet another deputation we wish the board of trade had stayed around to hear," said Councillor Shelley Carroll, budget committee chair.
Carroll (Ward 33, Don Valley East) said the message she hears is that city grants to community groups are critical to their work.
Public consultations two years ago, called Listening to Toronto, showed residents don't want deep spending cuts, said affordable housing advocate Michael Shapcott of the Wellesley Institute.
"We're moving in the exact opposite direction," Shapcott said.
The province – which has been slammed for short-changing Toronto on social programs – also came under fire.
Shapcott said he supports the city's call for the province to pony up $71 million, the amount the city maintains it has been short-changed on cost-shared social programs.
Child-care advocate Jane Mercer propped up a cut-out of Premier Dalton McGuinty to buttress her point that a campaign promise to invest $300 million in early learning and child care has yet to be fulfilled.
"We want him to understand that Toronto is about to start losing child-care subsidies and that it is his government that has a responsibility to prevent that," said Mercer, executive co-ordinator of the Toronto Coalition for Better Child Care.
Groups present their ideas and demands – from shelter beds to bicycle safety – at budget committee's public hearing
March 30, 2007
Paul Moloney
city hall bureau
Despite a $71 million shortfall and a proposed 3.8 per cent residential property tax hike, community groups want city council to spend more money.
During a day-long public hearing at city hall yesterday, councillors on the budget committee were urged to:
# Reverse a $2 million cut in shelter beds.
# Hire more inspectors to crack down on rodent- and mould-ridden apartment buildings.
# Devote more resources to bicycle safety.
# Ease the property tax burden on business.
Over the next few weeks, the committee will put the finishing touches on the proposed $7.8 billion budget for 2007 before sending it to council for final approval April 20 and 23.
Toronto Board of Trade president Carol Wilding said the city has failed to restrain spending, with only nine of 49 budget envelopes coming in at a zero increase. "The city of Toronto has come out with a transit plan and a green plan. But do we have an up-to-date economic plan and economic strategy? No, we don't," she said.
On the other hand, the city earned praise for its support of school nutrition programs in at-risk neighbourhoods. "Yet another deputation we wish the board of trade had stayed around to hear," said Councillor Shelley Carroll, budget committee chair.
Carroll (Ward 33, Don Valley East) said the message she hears is that city grants to community groups are critical to their work.
Public consultations two years ago, called Listening to Toronto, showed residents don't want deep spending cuts, said affordable housing advocate Michael Shapcott of the Wellesley Institute.
"We're moving in the exact opposite direction," Shapcott said.
The province – which has been slammed for short-changing Toronto on social programs – also came under fire.
Shapcott said he supports the city's call for the province to pony up $71 million, the amount the city maintains it has been short-changed on cost-shared social programs.
Child-care advocate Jane Mercer propped up a cut-out of Premier Dalton McGuinty to buttress her point that a campaign promise to invest $300 million in early learning and child care has yet to be fulfilled.
"We want him to understand that Toronto is about to start losing child-care subsidies and that it is his government that has a responsibility to prevent that," said Mercer, executive co-ordinator of the Toronto Coalition for Better Child Care.
Toronto Left Out Of The Loop Once Again
Last year it was Barrie kicked out butts and this year we don't even get a mention. It says volumes about how important Al Gore thinks Toronto is in his mission from God.
T.O. wants in on Gore's Live Earth
City not one of the chosen 7, but calls for a role
Toronto officials are talking with the organizers of July's Live Earth concerts to see if the city can play a role in the effort to fight global warming.
T.O. wants in on Gore's Live Earth
City not one of the chosen 7, but calls for a role
Toronto officials are talking with the organizers of July's Live Earth concerts to see if the city can play a role in the effort to fight global warming.
I Am Starting A Fund....Please Donate
The purpose of the fund is to ensure that Mayor Miller, his staff and his socialist cohorts on city council get complimentary copies of all newspapers that have been offering solutions to Toronto's budget woes. We all recognize that there have to be some changes at Queens Park but part of the solution is fiscal responsibility by the mayor.
The T.O. way: Pay more, get less
By Lorrie Goldstein
Here's the bad news.
This year's City of Toronto budget proposes a 3.8% property tax hike, closing seven city pools, hiking fees for city services and depleting reserves.
Plus, it seeks a $71 million bail-out from the province.
Plus, it proposes using new tax powers council gained from the City of Toronto Act, courtesy of Premier Dalton McGuinty, to hit us up for more money, potentially, for going out for a drink, to a movie, to a concert, to a football, baseball, hockey or basketball game, and for parking our cars. Details to come.
So what's the good news? There is none.
Other than that with a provincial election looming in October, it will be relatively easy for Mayor David Miller to extort an extra big chunk of cash out of McGuinty's (read our) pockets this year, in order to throw another Band-Aid on the city's $7.8 billion operating budget, now gushing red ink every year.
Here's what would have to happen to get Toronto's annual budget fiasco under control.
First, McGuinty would have to properly fund city social services from the progressive income tax base, rather than forcing Toronto to do it through the regressive property tax base.
Second, he'd have to properly subsidize the TTC every year, rather than spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a new subway to nowhere in north Toronto.
Third, Miller and his left-leaning council would have to stop giving away the store to city unions every year, especially on wage hikes, which is unlikely since the mayor and many of his fellow councillors rely on those unions to help get them elected.
Fourth, every single city department budget would have to be reduced to zero and rebuilt from the ground up (zero-based budgeting), searching for efficiencies, unlikely in a climate where Miller's pet projects such as expanding his office is getting a 29.7% funding boost, his "Clean and Beautiful City Secretariat" 226.6% and his "Waterfront Secretariat" 30.6%.
Hey, we warned you what would happen if you elected Dalton "I won't raise your taxes" McGuinty in 2003, followed by David Miller and a left-wing majority to city council last year. Don't blame us.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Comrade Miller! Comrade Miller! A Couple of Snippets Of Information.
*"The opposition parties in Ottawa have proposed "a $30-a-tonne penalty on companies that don't meet greenhouse-gas reduction targets."
*"Green Lane's own web site that declares the landfill produces up to 550,000 tonnes of methane gas per year."
Is methane not one of the culprits when it comes to global warning?
Seeing we own the landfill site won't the citizens of Toronto be responsible to pay the penalty?
Will government enterprises be exempt from the Kyota Accord?
If not what is it going to cost the taxpayers of Toronto?
I know your flunkies on City Council and you have a problem with math so let me do the math for you:
$30/ton x 500,000 tonnes = $15,000,000/year.
Clean air bill upsets Tories
March 29, 2007
Canadian Press
OTTAWA – The federal opposition parties are claiming victory after overhauling the Conservative government's clean air bill.
But Tory MPs on the Commons committee that finished the rewrite today aren't happy with the altered product.
That means the fate of the environmental legislation is up in the air.
The government could choose to shelve it, or potentially use it as a trigger for a federal election.
Among the major modifications is a statement in support of the Kyoto Accord, as well as a proposed $30-a-tonne penalty on companies that don't meet greenhouse-gas reduction targets.
Environment Minister John Baird criticized the changes as amounting to a carbon tax.
He said he wants time to study the amended bill before he decides what to do.
Why Would Adam Vaughan Want To Relocate Homeless.....
.....into such a despicable and potentially dangerous area:
"If they're worried about community safety, get rid of the hooligans. It's not the homeless that are going around mugging people, and breaking beer bottles against the sides of building and vandalizing cars," Vaughan said.
"It's not the homeless that are running around screaming up until 3 or 4 at night. It's not the homeless that are racing their cars up and down Richmond Street. It's not the homeless who have been shooting each other and it's not the homeless that have not been causing riots inside these nightclubs. That problem belongs to the nightclubs."
Is it placate people like
"Ralph Daley, who lives two blocks away from Richmond and Peter, supports the relocation spot.
"This centre will remove the homeless and at least a portion of the panhandlers from the area, which is of benefit to everyone -- the homeless, the businesses and the local residents," he said."
who gives the impression that he wants the homeless and panhanders moved from his particular area?
Concerns raised for proposed homeless shelter
He Couldn't Cut It As A Leader, He Couldn't Cut It As A Wannabee Leader
But he has to put food on the table so why not lower himself to running for the Liberals in Rosedale. People have short memories and they will probably not remember...
* Rae Days
* His inability to keep some of his promises; ie: auto insurance reform.
* The $10 billion shortfall he left for the Harris government.
Bob Rae does Rosedale
Those still wondering why Bob Rae decided to slum it again in electoral politics got their answer during his victory speech at the Liberal nomination for Toronto-Centre Monday, March 26: Mike Harris. Rae was at his rhetorical best eviscerating the record of the neo-con who tossed him out of the premier's office. "We had 10 lost years under Harris where not a bed, not a single unit of affordable housing was built," he said, his finger jabbing the air in front of him. "I don't want to see the same with Harper." Since he's drafting the Liberal election platform, can we consider this a preview?
I WOULD SUGGEST HE VISIT HOME DEPOT FOR HELP IN BUILDING HIS ELECTION PLATFORM SO IT STANDS UP BETTER THAN HIS LAST ELECTION PLATFORM.
* Rae Days
* His inability to keep some of his promises; ie: auto insurance reform.
* The $10 billion shortfall he left for the Harris government.
Bob Rae does Rosedale
Those still wondering why Bob Rae decided to slum it again in electoral politics got their answer during his victory speech at the Liberal nomination for Toronto-Centre Monday, March 26: Mike Harris. Rae was at his rhetorical best eviscerating the record of the neo-con who tossed him out of the premier's office. "We had 10 lost years under Harris where not a bed, not a single unit of affordable housing was built," he said, his finger jabbing the air in front of him. "I don't want to see the same with Harper." Since he's drafting the Liberal election platform, can we consider this a preview?
I WOULD SUGGEST HE VISIT HOME DEPOT FOR HELP IN BUILDING HIS ELECTION PLATFORM SO IT STANDS UP BETTER THAN HIS LAST ELECTION PLATFORM.
Cathy Crowe Probably Voted NDP In Last Provincial Election...
....but I will bet dollars to donuts that she believed McGinty and his promise of change.
Do we need a tsunami, a hurricane or an ice storm to get some action on housing?
-Street nurse Cathy Crowe wants to know just how committed the Grits are to fighting child poverty -- last week's budget failed to allot a single new penny for affordable housing.
Do we need a tsunami, a hurricane or an ice storm to get some action on housing?
-Street nurse Cathy Crowe wants to know just how committed the Grits are to fighting child poverty -- last week's budget failed to allot a single new penny for affordable housing.
How Many City Swimming Pools Could We Keep Open....
....for $160K? I believe that is the amount of tax $$$$ being spent on Comrade Miller's failing one cent ad campaign. Higher taxes and more fees are coming and no one is going to listen to Comrade Miller and the other socialists on city council until they get serious about getting their fiscal house in order......
Miller and city council must get serious about cutting costs. Has all the fat been removed from the city bureaucracy? Are there more efficient ways of delivering services? These are legitimate questions, especially when taxpayers see local politicians setting a poor example of fiscal restraint. City councillors voted themselves a 9 per cent pay hike last year, although their salaries were already set to rise with inflation. City hall is set to undergo an ill-advised $2.9 million renovation, and Miller's office costs are rising by 30 per cent, mainly due to the addition of new staff. (The Star)Mayor Miller's One cent now bid gets no bang for our PR buck
By MIKE SMITH
The word from the mayor's office at the start of the year was that the new City Of Toronto Act was going to usher in a sparkling era of autonomy, and, if I'm remembering the press releases right, robot butlers for all.
It's now three months after the law was enacted, and you might be excused for wondering if all we got was more efficient begging.
There's the ongoing penny campaign for a cut of the GST and senior government funding for some newfangled above-ground subway. And recently, with the release of the proposed operating budget, city accountants are saying they need $72 mil from the province for social services.
Of course, the mayor could have turned down the Ode To Joy long enough to point out that the City Of Toronto Act is a shuffle, not a shift, a needed tilling of the soil, but hardly new ground.
Apparently, it was more important to keep Dalton McGuinty a friend, though heaven knows why. But that may have changed. "The province is raiding our tax base," said Kyle Rae at Monday's budget release. "They're muscling in on our property taxes to pay for their programs because they're not willing to tell the public they need to raise taxes."
Meanwhile, City Hall scrabbles for spare change in the dirty taxes allowed by the new act, considering road tolls, liquor taxes or an extra sucker-punch at the tobacconist's. Sin taxes. And count on another stratum of bureaucracy to manage it all.
It reminds me of a classic bit of IWW propaganda, a poster starting with a king yelling at a general, ending with a kid kicking a cat. The more power concentrated at the top, the more the bottom has to pay.
In fact, the federal Tory budget seems a wilful snub: the only real money for urban centres is a fund for setting up public-private partnerships. In other words, Sod off oh, but we'd still like it if our rich friends could profit off you. 'Kay, thanks, bye.
"Canadians live in cities, period," says budget chief Shelley Carroll. "You can't say you serve people in poverty but shortchange the cities."
Toronto's capital budget is funded through half a billion in debt; operating costs will draw almost entirely on reserves. Any substantial cuts would be to the quick. The city's dancing, but eating its own muscle to do it. We need a regular source of sustenance and we need it soon, in large, unmarked bills.
The favoured solution is a "three-pillar" arrangement with senior levels: revisiting Harris-era service downloading; a national transit strategy ("When you're moving 450 million rides a year, that's national economy," says Carroll); and the so-called One Cent Solution (onecentnow.ca).
That's the green poster going up at transit stops, a picture of a penny, which really just seems to imply that we'd like a giant penny, possibly as an allowance. Wouldn't the dreamy Transit City map with all those fantasy light rail tracks make better propaganda? The penny's great rhetoric for ministers ("We just want one little penny!") but uninspiring for everyone else ("We just want one little penny?").
First: it's not a penny, it's one of the six "pennies" we each pay to the feds on every dollar spent 16.67 per cent of the GST, in other words. Aside from that being your money, it would mean $450 million a year for Toronto. That's 100 new streetcars. Just under twice that would put a fully functioning surface rapid transit line in the Don Mills corridor from Finch to Bloor. It's 28 times the capital money available to the shelter and housing division.
These are what should be on those green penny posters.
"We're approaching 3 million people," says Carroll, "which is where New York was when they realized they needed a consumer tax."
Certainly, GST funding would be better than the recent GST cut (just a tax break for big spenders). But it would still be drawn from individual purchases a non-progressive tax rather than income or corporate taxes, which would mean those who can afford it would pay more. If downloading subsidizes artificially low provincial taxes, don't consumer taxes subsidize large producers and polluters?
And if the province is afraid of taxing voters, why not really commit to cowardice and give Toronto the ability to collect its own taxes? When asked, Joe Pennachetti, city CFO, taps his One Cent Now button. "This is the first step."
Honestly, arguing for new taxes makes me feel dirty. But if we avoided the sin taxes, at least I wouldn't have to pay extra for it.
Miller and city council must get serious about cutting costs. Has all the fat been removed from the city bureaucracy? Are there more efficient ways of delivering services? These are legitimate questions, especially when taxpayers see local politicians setting a poor example of fiscal restraint. City councillors voted themselves a 9 per cent pay hike last year, although their salaries were already set to rise with inflation. City hall is set to undergo an ill-advised $2.9 million renovation, and Miller's office costs are rising by 30 per cent, mainly due to the addition of new staff. (The Star)Mayor Miller's One cent now bid gets no bang for our PR buck
By MIKE SMITH
The word from the mayor's office at the start of the year was that the new City Of Toronto Act was going to usher in a sparkling era of autonomy, and, if I'm remembering the press releases right, robot butlers for all.
It's now three months after the law was enacted, and you might be excused for wondering if all we got was more efficient begging.
There's the ongoing penny campaign for a cut of the GST and senior government funding for some newfangled above-ground subway. And recently, with the release of the proposed operating budget, city accountants are saying they need $72 mil from the province for social services.
Of course, the mayor could have turned down the Ode To Joy long enough to point out that the City Of Toronto Act is a shuffle, not a shift, a needed tilling of the soil, but hardly new ground.
Apparently, it was more important to keep Dalton McGuinty a friend, though heaven knows why. But that may have changed. "The province is raiding our tax base," said Kyle Rae at Monday's budget release. "They're muscling in on our property taxes to pay for their programs because they're not willing to tell the public they need to raise taxes."
Meanwhile, City Hall scrabbles for spare change in the dirty taxes allowed by the new act, considering road tolls, liquor taxes or an extra sucker-punch at the tobacconist's. Sin taxes. And count on another stratum of bureaucracy to manage it all.
It reminds me of a classic bit of IWW propaganda, a poster starting with a king yelling at a general, ending with a kid kicking a cat. The more power concentrated at the top, the more the bottom has to pay.
In fact, the federal Tory budget seems a wilful snub: the only real money for urban centres is a fund for setting up public-private partnerships. In other words, Sod off oh, but we'd still like it if our rich friends could profit off you. 'Kay, thanks, bye.
"Canadians live in cities, period," says budget chief Shelley Carroll. "You can't say you serve people in poverty but shortchange the cities."
Toronto's capital budget is funded through half a billion in debt; operating costs will draw almost entirely on reserves. Any substantial cuts would be to the quick. The city's dancing, but eating its own muscle to do it. We need a regular source of sustenance and we need it soon, in large, unmarked bills.
The favoured solution is a "three-pillar" arrangement with senior levels: revisiting Harris-era service downloading; a national transit strategy ("When you're moving 450 million rides a year, that's national economy," says Carroll); and the so-called One Cent Solution (onecentnow.ca).
That's the green poster going up at transit stops, a picture of a penny, which really just seems to imply that we'd like a giant penny, possibly as an allowance. Wouldn't the dreamy Transit City map with all those fantasy light rail tracks make better propaganda? The penny's great rhetoric for ministers ("We just want one little penny!") but uninspiring for everyone else ("We just want one little penny?").
First: it's not a penny, it's one of the six "pennies" we each pay to the feds on every dollar spent 16.67 per cent of the GST, in other words. Aside from that being your money, it would mean $450 million a year for Toronto. That's 100 new streetcars. Just under twice that would put a fully functioning surface rapid transit line in the Don Mills corridor from Finch to Bloor. It's 28 times the capital money available to the shelter and housing division.
These are what should be on those green penny posters.
"We're approaching 3 million people," says Carroll, "which is where New York was when they realized they needed a consumer tax."
Certainly, GST funding would be better than the recent GST cut (just a tax break for big spenders). But it would still be drawn from individual purchases a non-progressive tax rather than income or corporate taxes, which would mean those who can afford it would pay more. If downloading subsidizes artificially low provincial taxes, don't consumer taxes subsidize large producers and polluters?
And if the province is afraid of taxing voters, why not really commit to cowardice and give Toronto the ability to collect its own taxes? When asked, Joe Pennachetti, city CFO, taps his One Cent Now button. "This is the first step."
Honestly, arguing for new taxes makes me feel dirty. But if we avoided the sin taxes, at least I wouldn't have to pay extra for it.
Everybody Seems To Be Getting On Board
For incineration instead of adding hundreds of thousands of tons of methane except Green Plan Miller, his socialist flunkies Sandra Bussin, Raymond Cho, Pam McConnell, Joe Mihevc, Howard Moscoe, Joe Pantalone, Kyle Rae,Michael Walker and Gord Perks.
More power to Italy on waste
March 29, 2007
Christopher Hume
MILAN–At last count, Canada's infrastructure gap was as high as $130 billion.
That's how much it would cost to rehabilitate the roads, sewers, power grids and all the rest of that stuff we take for granted.
In 2005, provincial Public Infrastructure Renewal Minister David Caplan told ReNew Canada magazine that, "By some estimates, in Ontario, more than $100 billion will be needed over the next 30 years to bring our public infrastructure into a state of good repair."
Let's be honest, it's highly unlikely that such vast sums will be found.
That's why it's time to consider the nuovo modello italiano, the new Italian model. Like Canada, Italy has neglected its aging infrastructure. Like Canada, it has passed the point when it can afford to maintain the invisible structures that keep the country running.
Unlike Canada, however, Italy has turned to the private sector for answers. It has both the cash and the desire to invest in incineration plants and water purification operations, the kinds of things that Canadians insist are best handled by the public sector.
As Filippo Penati, president of the Province of Milan, argues: "The public sector should provide leadership, it has the power to control. But the private sector should act. It is much more sensitive to cost."
Though Penati admits there has been opposition to private/public partnerships, especially from what he calls the "radical left," he also insists the modello works – and that's what counts for the majority of Italians.
Here, by contrast, the very notion of private/public strikes fear and loathing into the hearts of many. That's not hard to understand; after all, one need look no further than the trial of Conrad Black to see what corporate Canada is up to. Before him, there was a whole assortment of corporate crooks who stole with abandon.
Though one might also wonder about the probity, let alone the efficacy, of the public sector, in Canada we persist in our belief that the absence of the profit motive is itself a guarantee of better behaviour, if not service.
By contrast, the Italians seem to have found a way of ensuring the best of both worlds, public and private.
An example is Green Holding Group. Among its various operations is a state-of-the-art domestic waste incinerator in the municipality of Dalmine outside of Milan, which burns 350 tonnes of garbage daily and boasts the lowest emissions of Italy's 40-odd such plants. It also produces 100 million kilowatt hours of energy annually, enough power for 120,000 people.
Aside from the arguments about the benefits of waste-to-energy – another area in which Canada, and Toronto in particular, are 30 years behind the times – the point here is that a privately run corporation exists profitably within the framework of a publicly conceived system.
For instance, emissions are monitored continuously and were they to exceed the government's limits, the plant could be shut down within two or three hours.
"There was a lot of resistance to the idea of the incinerator," admits the environment minister of Bergamo Province, Alessandra Salvi. "But public opinion has changed. Because the emissions are so low and the process is so transparent, there's less public opposition now."
Before the plant opened in 2002, local waste was shipped to a landfill site in Switzerland. Sound familiar?
"We're still dealing with the problems of landfill 20 or 30 years later," Salvi explains. "Our experience has shown that incineration has less of an environmental impact than landfill. It's no longer an option. Local environment groups have accepted incineration; the problems of landfill are so much greater."
As for private-sector involvement, Salvi says that's not a problem: "The debate now is about the level of compensation paid by the plant to the municipality."
Waste, the minister says, is a resource, not to be buried underground but sold at a profit.
Christopher Hume can be reached at chume@thestar.com
More power to Italy on waste
March 29, 2007
Christopher Hume
MILAN–At last count, Canada's infrastructure gap was as high as $130 billion.
That's how much it would cost to rehabilitate the roads, sewers, power grids and all the rest of that stuff we take for granted.
In 2005, provincial Public Infrastructure Renewal Minister David Caplan told ReNew Canada magazine that, "By some estimates, in Ontario, more than $100 billion will be needed over the next 30 years to bring our public infrastructure into a state of good repair."
Let's be honest, it's highly unlikely that such vast sums will be found.
That's why it's time to consider the nuovo modello italiano, the new Italian model. Like Canada, Italy has neglected its aging infrastructure. Like Canada, it has passed the point when it can afford to maintain the invisible structures that keep the country running.
Unlike Canada, however, Italy has turned to the private sector for answers. It has both the cash and the desire to invest in incineration plants and water purification operations, the kinds of things that Canadians insist are best handled by the public sector.
As Filippo Penati, president of the Province of Milan, argues: "The public sector should provide leadership, it has the power to control. But the private sector should act. It is much more sensitive to cost."
Though Penati admits there has been opposition to private/public partnerships, especially from what he calls the "radical left," he also insists the modello works – and that's what counts for the majority of Italians.
Here, by contrast, the very notion of private/public strikes fear and loathing into the hearts of many. That's not hard to understand; after all, one need look no further than the trial of Conrad Black to see what corporate Canada is up to. Before him, there was a whole assortment of corporate crooks who stole with abandon.
Though one might also wonder about the probity, let alone the efficacy, of the public sector, in Canada we persist in our belief that the absence of the profit motive is itself a guarantee of better behaviour, if not service.
By contrast, the Italians seem to have found a way of ensuring the best of both worlds, public and private.
An example is Green Holding Group. Among its various operations is a state-of-the-art domestic waste incinerator in the municipality of Dalmine outside of Milan, which burns 350 tonnes of garbage daily and boasts the lowest emissions of Italy's 40-odd such plants. It also produces 100 million kilowatt hours of energy annually, enough power for 120,000 people.
Aside from the arguments about the benefits of waste-to-energy – another area in which Canada, and Toronto in particular, are 30 years behind the times – the point here is that a privately run corporation exists profitably within the framework of a publicly conceived system.
For instance, emissions are monitored continuously and were they to exceed the government's limits, the plant could be shut down within two or three hours.
"There was a lot of resistance to the idea of the incinerator," admits the environment minister of Bergamo Province, Alessandra Salvi. "But public opinion has changed. Because the emissions are so low and the process is so transparent, there's less public opposition now."
Before the plant opened in 2002, local waste was shipped to a landfill site in Switzerland. Sound familiar?
"We're still dealing with the problems of landfill 20 or 30 years later," Salvi explains. "Our experience has shown that incineration has less of an environmental impact than landfill. It's no longer an option. Local environment groups have accepted incineration; the problems of landfill are so much greater."
As for private-sector involvement, Salvi says that's not a problem: "The debate now is about the level of compensation paid by the plant to the municipality."
Waste, the minister says, is a resource, not to be buried underground but sold at a profit.
Christopher Hume can be reached at chume@thestar.com
The Gangplank Is Also Down On The HMS Prov. Liberal
Liberal MPP to run as Tory
March 29, 2007
Robert Benzie and Rob Ferguson
Queen’s Park Bureau
The brother of former Liberal premier David Peterson has quit the provincial Liberal caucus to sit as an independent and then run for the Progressive Conservatives in the next provincial election.
Scion of one Canada’s most prominent Liberal families, his brother, David, was premier from 1985 to 1990. His other brother, Jim, was a federal cabinet minister in the Liberal administrations of former prime ministers Paul Martin and Jean Chretien.
Tim Peterson has been disgruntled for months, insiders say.
Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory has been actively courting him, but instead of sitting as a PC, he has opted to sit as an independent before running for the Tories.
“He’s been unhappy for a long time,” one Liberal MPP confided today.
“He sees others getting cabinet jobs and that’s hard to take.”
March 29, 2007
Robert Benzie and Rob Ferguson
Queen’s Park Bureau
The brother of former Liberal premier David Peterson has quit the provincial Liberal caucus to sit as an independent and then run for the Progressive Conservatives in the next provincial election.
Scion of one Canada’s most prominent Liberal families, his brother, David, was premier from 1985 to 1990. His other brother, Jim, was a federal cabinet minister in the Liberal administrations of former prime ministers Paul Martin and Jean Chretien.
Tim Peterson has been disgruntled for months, insiders say.
Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory has been actively courting him, but instead of sitting as a PC, he has opted to sit as an independent before running for the Tories.
“He’s been unhappy for a long time,” one Liberal MPP confided today.
“He sees others getting cabinet jobs and that’s hard to take.”
A Peek Into City Hall
Briefing or press shutout?
March 29, 2007
The city of Toronto always talks like it's a government heavyweight, bragging about how it's bigger than most provinces. But they don't know how to handle a budget briefing.
A huge council chamber sits empty almost all the time, but they chose to hold Monday's operating budget unveiling in a second-floor committee room, the smaller of the two major rooms at that. People were standing and tightly packed. Councillor Paula Fletcher nearly tripped over a radio reporter's electrical cord as she tried to squeeze into a seat. Later, city officials held a media briefing in the East Tower at City Hall. But it was after 4:30 p.m. and the elevators were in limited use (only for authorized staff) mode by the time some reporters were able to get upstairs. One reporter said he was able to get onto the elevators, but the pass he usually uses to get to the upper floors wouldn't activate the elevator buttons. He was forced to ride the elevator for several minutes until the doors opened for someone already on the seventh floor.
Scarborough gets along, with photo to prove it
Scarborough councillors managed a feat this week that has so far eluded their downtown brothers and sisters: They sat and had their photo taken.
Toronto city council's planned formal photo session fell apart last month when councillors squabbled over who sits where. It still hasn't been taken. But on Tuesday, the guys' club that is Scarborough community council – there are no women elected in the city's easternmost reaches – managed to sort itself out for a formal photo at Scarborough Civic Centre with nary an angry word or bruised ego.
Climate change plan has councillor in a tizzy
Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker was a tad excited at Monday's meeting of the executive committee, which was dealing with the city's proposed climate change plan. "Right now my heart is pounding, my palms are sweaty," he said as he started his speech at the meeting. "And I'm sitting in between two men. I'm not sure what's happening."
Mayor's lawn barely merits push mower
Mayor David Miller was talking in the sitting room outside his office the other day about the city's climate change plan when he was asked if he was going to invest in a push mower. "I should. My yard's about the size of that chair," he said.
No saw? No problem for North York council
City councillors on the North York community council, which rules on local issues, were in an accommodating mood the other day. A resident of Tollerton Ave. requested belated approval for a fence 2.3 metres tall, more than the maximum 2 metres.
He explained the boards came in a standard length, putting the height over the limit. Oh, okay then, council responded. Fence approved.
What, the guy doesn't own a saw? Good thing he didn't buy 10-metre boards.
City better than 52% of Ontario municipalities
Budget chief Shelley Carroll said her budget Monday pointed to a 2005 study called, wait for it, the Ontario Municipal Benchmarking Initiative. It showed Toronto has to deliver one of the highest levels of service in Ontario "but we're delivering them more efficiently than 52 per cent of the other municipalities." Being better than 52 per cent of other cities isn't much of a rallying cry, but Carroll said Toronto is working hard and trying to do better.
Issue not critical, but at least politicians get it
The idea of giving names to council wards was received by the executive committee this week. That means it goes to council next month for one of those late-night debates politicians talk about for hours. "It isn't important," said Shelley Carroll, "but it's one of those things where councillors say to themselves, `I can understand it without reading a report.'"
There's just no escaping those councillors on TV
Demonstrating perhaps that there's no such thing in politics as overexposure, rookie councillors Gord Perks and Adam Vaughan have secured monthly gigs on Citytv. Vaughan, a former journalist with Citytv before his election victory in the fall, is revisiting his HourTown show on current events and political issues. He promises he won't be interviewing fellow councillors about ongoing issues. Perks has relaunched his Earth Matters show on environmental issues. Mayor David Miller will also continue his monthly The Mayor program. The shows are live, call-in format. Will they be looking for agents next?
city hall bureau
March 29, 2007
The city of Toronto always talks like it's a government heavyweight, bragging about how it's bigger than most provinces. But they don't know how to handle a budget briefing.
A huge council chamber sits empty almost all the time, but they chose to hold Monday's operating budget unveiling in a second-floor committee room, the smaller of the two major rooms at that. People were standing and tightly packed. Councillor Paula Fletcher nearly tripped over a radio reporter's electrical cord as she tried to squeeze into a seat. Later, city officials held a media briefing in the East Tower at City Hall. But it was after 4:30 p.m. and the elevators were in limited use (only for authorized staff) mode by the time some reporters were able to get upstairs. One reporter said he was able to get onto the elevators, but the pass he usually uses to get to the upper floors wouldn't activate the elevator buttons. He was forced to ride the elevator for several minutes until the doors opened for someone already on the seventh floor.
Scarborough gets along, with photo to prove it
Scarborough councillors managed a feat this week that has so far eluded their downtown brothers and sisters: They sat and had their photo taken.
Toronto city council's planned formal photo session fell apart last month when councillors squabbled over who sits where. It still hasn't been taken. But on Tuesday, the guys' club that is Scarborough community council – there are no women elected in the city's easternmost reaches – managed to sort itself out for a formal photo at Scarborough Civic Centre with nary an angry word or bruised ego.
Climate change plan has councillor in a tizzy
Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker was a tad excited at Monday's meeting of the executive committee, which was dealing with the city's proposed climate change plan. "Right now my heart is pounding, my palms are sweaty," he said as he started his speech at the meeting. "And I'm sitting in between two men. I'm not sure what's happening."
Mayor's lawn barely merits push mower
Mayor David Miller was talking in the sitting room outside his office the other day about the city's climate change plan when he was asked if he was going to invest in a push mower. "I should. My yard's about the size of that chair," he said.
No saw? No problem for North York council
City councillors on the North York community council, which rules on local issues, were in an accommodating mood the other day. A resident of Tollerton Ave. requested belated approval for a fence 2.3 metres tall, more than the maximum 2 metres.
He explained the boards came in a standard length, putting the height over the limit. Oh, okay then, council responded. Fence approved.
What, the guy doesn't own a saw? Good thing he didn't buy 10-metre boards.
City better than 52% of Ontario municipalities
Budget chief Shelley Carroll said her budget Monday pointed to a 2005 study called, wait for it, the Ontario Municipal Benchmarking Initiative. It showed Toronto has to deliver one of the highest levels of service in Ontario "but we're delivering them more efficiently than 52 per cent of the other municipalities." Being better than 52 per cent of other cities isn't much of a rallying cry, but Carroll said Toronto is working hard and trying to do better.
Issue not critical, but at least politicians get it
The idea of giving names to council wards was received by the executive committee this week. That means it goes to council next month for one of those late-night debates politicians talk about for hours. "It isn't important," said Shelley Carroll, "but it's one of those things where councillors say to themselves, `I can understand it without reading a report.'"
There's just no escaping those councillors on TV
Demonstrating perhaps that there's no such thing in politics as overexposure, rookie councillors Gord Perks and Adam Vaughan have secured monthly gigs on Citytv. Vaughan, a former journalist with Citytv before his election victory in the fall, is revisiting his HourTown show on current events and political issues. He promises he won't be interviewing fellow councillors about ongoing issues. Perks has relaunched his Earth Matters show on environmental issues. Mayor David Miller will also continue his monthly The Mayor program. The shows are live, call-in format. Will they be looking for agents next?
city hall bureau
I Agree With The Solutions But The Major One Will Be Ignored
A strategy to fix city budget mess
March 29, 2007
Toronto's new $7.8 billion budget offers depressing reading. It comes complete with warnings of higher property taxes, new taxes on everything from beer to movies and parking, closures of seven swimming pools and increased fees for skating rinks and public golf courses.
What's worse, despite these moves, the city will still be running a huge deficit, one that will continue to grow in future years unless both the city council and Queen's Park take concrete action now to clean up this mess.
To fix this annual budget problem will require a multi-pronged strategy that, first, addresses the underlying causes of the financial crunch; second, sees city hall finally getting serious about trimming some services and bureaucratic fat; third, imposes new taxes; and fourth, sees residential property taxes possibly rising faster than they have in the past.
Ending this annual budget mess will be a major challenge for Mayor David Miller, city council and the provincial government. For years, Toronto has failed to balance its budget, for many reasons. In the coming year, the city will be $71 million in the hole. As a result, the province is being asked, yet again, to bail out the city with a last-minute cash infusion.
Such annual begging can, and should, stop. How to do it is clear.
First, Queen's Park should quickly answer the call to bail out the city this year. Why? Because the city's dire financial plight is mainly the province's fault. Under former premier Mike Harris and continuing today, Queen's Park saddled the city with responsibility for transit shortfalls, welfare programs, drug benefits and subsidized housing. This is known as downloading. But the province failed to provide Toronto with the ability to pay for these new burdens. Under Premier Dalton McGuinty there has been some change. Money is flowing for Toronto's subway and some other programs. But the fundamental unfairness of downloading remains.
Longer term, Queen's Park must assume responsibility for paying for more of these services, including possibly assuming more costs of the Toronto Transit Commission. City officials had hoped Queen's Park would agree to cover the $175 million annual cost of drug benefit and disability programs. But that did not happen in last week's provincial budget.
Second, Miller and city council must get serious about cutting costs. Has all the fat been removed from the city bureaucracy? Are there more efficient ways of delivering services? These are legitimate questions, especially when taxpayers see local politicians setting a poor example of fiscal restraint. City councillors voted themselves a 9 per cent pay hike last year, although their salaries were already set to rise with inflation. City hall is set to undergo an ill-advised $2.9 million renovation, and Miller's office costs are rising by 30 per cent, mainly due to the addition of new staff.
Third, as much as people hate taxes, city council is right to look at imposing new levies, especially if the province fails to adequately help this city. If it took maximum advantage of its new taxing ability, the city could raise more than $300 million yearly through a land transfer tax; vehicle, road and parking levies; and by taxing alcohol, tobacco and entertainment. Some, but not necessarily all, of such fees must be seriously considered.
Fourth, property taxes may have to rise faster than Miller would like. In the new budget, homeowners will face a property tax increase of 3.8 per cent, more than double the cost of living, despite Miller's election promise to keep taxes "in line with inflation." But in light of the profound challenges facing this city, such an increase should be no cause for outrage. In fact, it is probably unrealistic for either Miller or property owners to expect such moderate increases in the future. Property owners across the Greater Toronto Area, from Oshawa to Oakville to Newmarket, have seen their taxes rise much higher, sometimes as much as 8 per cent to 9 per cent a year, as their municipalities struggle to balance their budgets.
Only by tackling the budget shortfall on all these fronts will Toronto finally be able to get its books in order.
Certainly, unfair provincial downloading is the main reason for Toronto's budget mess. That needs to be fixed. But any realistic solution must also include a fresh determination to find savings at city hall coupled with new levies and, regrettable as it may be, higher property taxes.
You Can't Blame City Council For Wanting Landfill Site
Out of side out of mind when it comes to the garbage spewing from the mayor, his minions and the environuts. There are such discrepancies between the goals in miller's green plan and the purchase of a landfill site.
City's landfill deal is dirty
By SUE-ANN LEVY
On Monday of this week, Mayor David Miller eagerly unveiled his "clean air" plan which calls for a 6% reduction in greenhouse gases in the Toronto area by 2012.
The two major pollutants that contribute to greenhouse gases, according to Robert Kennedy Jr., er Miller's own report? They're carbon dioxide and methane, both of which are generated by decaying waste in landfill sites.
But yesterday that didn't appear to make a shred of difference to the mayor and his team, who were positively tripping over themselves to clear the final hurdle before the $220.3-million-plus Green Lane landfill purchase closes today -- that is, approve a legal settlement with the Oneida Indian band living a few kilometres away from the dump.
In fact, I suspect the Millerites haven't seen a report from last July on Green Lane's own web site that declares the landfill produces up to 550,000 tonnes of methane gas per year.
But then the smog saviours who approved the deal 36-5 were many of the same councillors who vociferously fought against sending Toronto's garbage to the Adams Mine landfill site seven years ago -- Miller himself, Sandra Bussin, Raymond Cho, Pam McConnell, Joe Mihevc, Howard Moscoe, Joe Pantalone, Kyle Rae and Michael Walker.
Garbage, garbage......
Mayor & Premier At Odds
Garbage deal done
Charges of secrecy, unknown costs as city set to finalize dump purchase
Toronto council yesterday moved closer to closing a $220-million dump purchase amid charges the deal contains costly provisions that taxpayers will never know about.
Transparency promised by Mayor Miller was a lie.
Burning issue rises from trash
Burning garbage to create energy could be a solution to overloaded landfill sites and Ontario wants to be ahead of the pack in developing incineration technology, Premier Dalton McGuinty said yesterday.
Mayor Miller and the left wing at City Hall are vehementaly opposed.
Charges of secrecy, unknown costs as city set to finalize dump purchase
Toronto council yesterday moved closer to closing a $220-million dump purchase amid charges the deal contains costly provisions that taxpayers will never know about.
Transparency promised by Mayor Miller was a lie.
Burning issue rises from trash
Burning garbage to create energy could be a solution to overloaded landfill sites and Ontario wants to be ahead of the pack in developing incineration technology, Premier Dalton McGuinty said yesterday.
Mayor Miller and the left wing at City Hall are vehementaly opposed.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
The View Should Be Renamed The Vagina Dialogue
The Bible: Rosie O'Donnell Studies It, Barbara Knows Nothing, Joy Says Teach It As Fiction
Posted by Tim Graham on March 27, 2007 - 09:03.
When Rosie O’Donnell wasn’t urging the Googling of the Gulf of Tonkin Incident on ABC's "The View" on Monday, she was boasting of her knowledge of the Old Testament, based on her weekly private Bible study. She told Elisabeth Hasselbeck she could whip her in Jeopardy on the Bible.
The topic was teaching the Bible in public schools, as discussed in newspapers (and in this week’s Time magazine cover story). Like many secular journalists, Barbara Walters asserted "I know nothing about the Bible, and I think most people don’t." Joy Behar insisted "you can’t teach it as nonfiction. You have to teach it as fiction in many ways." When challenged about how the Bible could be taught, Behar blurted out: "People masturbate anyway."
Thanks to Sardonic Sideshow
In All Fairness We Give Rosie Equal Time
And it looks like Massengill Mary is not the only one who is subscribing to this.....
Cafferty Claims Bush Would Use Detaining of British Soldiers as Pretext to Invade Iran
Posted by Scott Whitlock on March 27, 2007 - 17:00.
According to CNN’s Jack Cafferty, President Bush would jump at the opportunity to use the kidnapping of 15 British soldiers as a pretext to invade Iran. On the Monday edition of "Situation Room," Cafferty asserted that he hoped U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair doesn’t ask George W. Bush to join a coalition of the willing whose goal it is to free the captives.
Jack Cafferty: "Let’s hope British Prime Minister Tony Blair doesn’t ask the United States to join a coalition of the willing to invade Iran and get its hostages back. My feeling is President Bush would be on that like a bird on a worm."
The CNN host also saw scary implications in the fact that the U.S. Navy is just off the coast of Iran.
Personal Comment: "YOU HAVE TO WONDER IF THERE WOULD BE AS MUCH TURMOIL IN THE MIDDLE EAST IF THE UNITED STATES HAD INVADED DURING THE FIRST HOSTAGE INCIDENT?
Suspending Your Blogging Gives In To The Terrorists
While I appreciate that many people have suspended their blogging in support of Kathy Sierra I think it is the wrong thing to do. It would more productive to increase your blogging and to put more pressure on the hosts from which these blogs are originating. Every indication is that these hosts are as disgusted as we are and have taken action but if we don't take charge then, as some people point out, we will see people allowing government interference. For years we have seen controls put in place by the providers with the rationale being that "children" might be exposed to "inappropriate" comments but my position has always been it is up to the parents to "protect" their children. Let's show that we can protect ourselves......
Blog death threats spark debate
Prominent blogger Kathy Sierra has called on the blogosphere to combat the culture of abuse online.
It follows a series of death threats which have forced her to cancel a public appearance and suspend her blog.
Ms Sierra described on her blog how she had been subject to a campaign of threats, including a post that featured a picture of her next to a noose.
The police are investigating while the blogosphere has launched its own enquiry.
One of the issues raised is the question of how women bloggers are treated online.
Ms Sierra, author of popular blog Creating Passionate Users, began receiving death threats four weeks ago.
Since going public on the issue, she has been overwhelmed by the support she has received.
"I agonised about making this post but I hoped it would start a dialogue," she told the BBC News website.
"I never thought it would become so big or be this positive," she said.
While blogging feuds are common, she believes the campaign against her is more likely to be because she is a woman in the male-dominated technology world.
More
Blog death threats spark debate
Prominent blogger Kathy Sierra has called on the blogosphere to combat the culture of abuse online.
It follows a series of death threats which have forced her to cancel a public appearance and suspend her blog.
Ms Sierra described on her blog how she had been subject to a campaign of threats, including a post that featured a picture of her next to a noose.
The police are investigating while the blogosphere has launched its own enquiry.
One of the issues raised is the question of how women bloggers are treated online.
Ms Sierra, author of popular blog Creating Passionate Users, began receiving death threats four weeks ago.
Since going public on the issue, she has been overwhelmed by the support she has received.
"I agonised about making this post but I hoped it would start a dialogue," she told the BBC News website.
"I never thought it would become so big or be this positive," she said.
While blogging feuds are common, she believes the campaign against her is more likely to be because she is a woman in the male-dominated technology world.
More
I Have Expressed The Same Sentiments
Toronto's 'vice taxes' are misguided
I suppose some things need to be taxed for the City of Toronto to operate, but forgive me for being offended by the city's newest tax schemes.
According to reports, Toronto's mayor, David Miller, intends to implement what are being called "vice taxes" by some media outlets. City officials are already in consultations and the new taxes should come into effect later this year, or sometime next year.
Some of the new tax plans make perfect sense: Take, for example, a proposed road toll for congested city routes like the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway — the plan would most certainly get drivers to consider carpooling, which would free up space on the roads, and still net as much as $75-million for the city. A congestion toll will also make the greenies and green-curious out there happy.
That's good business.
But, levying an additional 5% in taxes on people out for dinner, drinks, a movie, sports event or concert — another one of Miller's planned tax schemes — makes no sense at all.
Torontonians out for a night on the town already pay significant taxes (a total of 14% of most things, when you combine provincial and federal sales taxes) — a 5% increase will certainly be felt. And, like a congestion toll, the "vice tolls" might motivate the city's citizens to simply stay in for the night.
Which is not what Toronto wants, of course. So, why punish those interested and engaged citizens out looking for culture and/or entertainment on a weeknight?
Besides, when did going out for a movie or a drink with friends become a "vice"?
I can guarantee you this: The guy or gal who decides to go out to see a local band perform or hits Queen St. for dinner with some pals is more likely to do something constructive for the city than the Average Joe and Jill sprawled out in front of the TV watching Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?
And yet, Toronto, in effect, wants to punish the cultured folks — the ones who enjoy their city and show their appreciation for it by going out and spending hard-earned money during their well-earned downtime. Insular laziness, on the other hand, is to be rewarded.
I propose a different tax: Why not force shlubby couch potatoes to pay $5 for every night they spend prone on the sofa doing nothing even remotely productive?
If anything those people should be punished for doing nothing to help Toronto. Besides, the extra business that movie theatres, watering holes and concert venues stand to gain from reformed cough-aholics would more than make up for a "vice tax."
Published Tuesday, March 27, 2007 2:39 PM by Yoni Goldstein
I suppose some things need to be taxed for the City of Toronto to operate, but forgive me for being offended by the city's newest tax schemes.
According to reports, Toronto's mayor, David Miller, intends to implement what are being called "vice taxes" by some media outlets. City officials are already in consultations and the new taxes should come into effect later this year, or sometime next year.
Some of the new tax plans make perfect sense: Take, for example, a proposed road toll for congested city routes like the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway — the plan would most certainly get drivers to consider carpooling, which would free up space on the roads, and still net as much as $75-million for the city. A congestion toll will also make the greenies and green-curious out there happy.
That's good business.
But, levying an additional 5% in taxes on people out for dinner, drinks, a movie, sports event or concert — another one of Miller's planned tax schemes — makes no sense at all.
Torontonians out for a night on the town already pay significant taxes (a total of 14% of most things, when you combine provincial and federal sales taxes) — a 5% increase will certainly be felt. And, like a congestion toll, the "vice tolls" might motivate the city's citizens to simply stay in for the night.
Which is not what Toronto wants, of course. So, why punish those interested and engaged citizens out looking for culture and/or entertainment on a weeknight?
Besides, when did going out for a movie or a drink with friends become a "vice"?
I can guarantee you this: The guy or gal who decides to go out to see a local band perform or hits Queen St. for dinner with some pals is more likely to do something constructive for the city than the Average Joe and Jill sprawled out in front of the TV watching Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?
And yet, Toronto, in effect, wants to punish the cultured folks — the ones who enjoy their city and show their appreciation for it by going out and spending hard-earned money during their well-earned downtime. Insular laziness, on the other hand, is to be rewarded.
I propose a different tax: Why not force shlubby couch potatoes to pay $5 for every night they spend prone on the sofa doing nothing even remotely productive?
If anything those people should be punished for doing nothing to help Toronto. Besides, the extra business that movie theatres, watering holes and concert venues stand to gain from reformed cough-aholics would more than make up for a "vice tax."
Published Tuesday, March 27, 2007 2:39 PM by Yoni Goldstein
Are You Willing To Bear The Cost Of Carbon Taxes
It appears most Canadians don't!
When regulation beats market mechanisms
So far few politicians have endorsed full-bore carbon taxes to alter the weather. Most Canadians simply don't want to pay them.
- Terence Corcoran, Financial Post
When regulation beats market mechanisms
So far few politicians have endorsed full-bore carbon taxes to alter the weather. Most Canadians simply don't want to pay them.
- Terence Corcoran, Financial Post
It Is Only A Victory For Harper When He Gains A Majority
Another Victory
For Stephen Harper
On Tuesday morning Canadians woke up to find that Quebecers have put separatism on the back burner, giving Canada a bright new future to look forward to
It was also a victory for Prime minister Stephen Harper, and his philosophy of open federalism, giving more autonomy to the provinces.
.
- Terry Pearson
For Stephen Harper
On Tuesday morning Canadians woke up to find that Quebecers have put separatism on the back burner, giving Canada a bright new future to look forward to
It was also a victory for Prime minister Stephen Harper, and his philosophy of open federalism, giving more autonomy to the provinces.
.
- Terry Pearson
Blogging World Can Be Vicious
And to see how vicious you need to read Michelle Malkin's blog.Fortunately those that spew these vicious comments are part of a miniscule group and it is reassuring to see they are being dealt with but the problem is they can resurrect themselves using false names.
If You Pay Property Taxes In Toronto
You are going to end up getting screwed if you are not in one of Mayor Miller's chosen circle; unions, environuts, waterfront condo owners, island squatters, artistes, social in-activists, and no amount of gobbley gook will change that....hopefully the mayor, councillors, beauracrats and unions wiil wear protection.
Decoding city budget bafflegab
March 28, 2007
Jim Byers
Paul Moloney
city hall bureau
Municipal budgets have never been confused with a racy novel. But a professor at Ryerson University says some words used in the City of Toronto's latest financial report take jargon and gibberish to a whole new level.
The operating budget, released Monday, contains acronyms such as OMBI and COTA. Potential taxes are called "revenue tools." And what appear to be budget shortfalls are labelled as "net pressures."
It's all a bit much, says Mier Siemiatycki, from Ryerson's department of politics and public administration.
"Municipal budgets have always been a minefield of unintelligible jargon or gibberish, as far as outsiders are concerned," he said yesterday. "There's stuff about mill rates and assessments that causes people's eyes to glaze over. But it seems we've taken another big step in the direction of incomprehensibility here."
Page 35 of a city budget document given to reporters on Monday carries the heading "Getting to a Balanced Budget." The first line shows a figure of $292 million next to the words "adjusted pressure." The next line talks about one-time funding from COTA and other sources. After a few more entries, the line at the bottom of the page says "Net Pressure – zero."
City officials insist they're not trying to confuse anyone. When the document speaks of $292 million in "adjusted pressure" it really means that, after whacking all the spending it could, the city was still short $292 million because more was needed for salary hikes and program improvements.
The bureaucrats propose to wrestle the total down some more by taking money from reserves, imposing a 3.8 per cent property tax increase, taking advantage of new taxing powers under the City of Toronto Act, or COTA, and pleading with the province to hand over $71 million for welfare programs.
Asking the province for welfare money was labelled: "Provincial Responsibilities: Honour Legislated Social Service Cost Sharing." That's a line Mayor David Miller has roughly translated to: "Pay your bills."
Caledon Back In The News
But it has little to do with homegrown terrorists but rather is shaping up to be a Christians and Lions event........let's see how the justice system deals with this dispute.
Caledon land fight heads to court
Long-time title holder who has been paying the taxes on the 5-acre parcel and the large Christian youth complex that uses it are locked in a fractious dispute
March 28, 2007
Jim Wilkes
Staff Reporter
A woman is finally heading to court to hold onto a choice piece of Caledon land that a Christian children's charity claims is theirs.
In one corner is Eleanor George de Peña, who now lives in Mexico but was raised on 150 acres in the Caledon hills bought by her parents, Annie and Thomas George, in the 1950s. They sold most of the land after her father's death, but held onto five acres for a future family retreat.
In the other corner is Teen Ranch, which runs a sprawling multimillion-dollar complex for young people on Highway 10 south of Orangeville – complete with hockey arena, lodges and stables – on 145 acres adjacent to the George land, which it bought in 1969 from a subsequent owner.
A sticky point is a huge communications tower erected by Bell Mobility in 1989 on the George land. Bell has been paying rent to Teen Ranch for placing the tower there. Teen Ranch has also been collecting lease payments from another company for allowing it to place cellular devices on the tower.
Even though the tower sits on George land, the family hasn't received a penny from the lease arrangements.
So legal claims and cross-claims have been flying back and forth in recent weeks – none of which have been proven in court – with all sides in the action pointing fingers at each other.
Much of the case hangs on a Teen Ranch claim that it should be given title to the smaller piece of land because it planted 2,000 trees on the site and that no one from the George family has used the property for more than 10 years.
In legal language, it's called "adverse possession." It means that someone who uses your land for an extended period of time can claim it as their own if you don't complain or use it yourself.
Eleanor George de Peña sees it differently. "Teen Ranch is trying to steal our land with fancy legal terms," the 60-year-old mother of four said yesterday from her home in Mexico, where she settled after marrying in the mid-1970s.
"There's nothing Christian about that."
More
Caledon land fight heads to court
Long-time title holder who has been paying the taxes on the 5-acre parcel and the large Christian youth complex that uses it are locked in a fractious dispute
March 28, 2007
Jim Wilkes
Staff Reporter
A woman is finally heading to court to hold onto a choice piece of Caledon land that a Christian children's charity claims is theirs.
In one corner is Eleanor George de Peña, who now lives in Mexico but was raised on 150 acres in the Caledon hills bought by her parents, Annie and Thomas George, in the 1950s. They sold most of the land after her father's death, but held onto five acres for a future family retreat.
In the other corner is Teen Ranch, which runs a sprawling multimillion-dollar complex for young people on Highway 10 south of Orangeville – complete with hockey arena, lodges and stables – on 145 acres adjacent to the George land, which it bought in 1969 from a subsequent owner.
A sticky point is a huge communications tower erected by Bell Mobility in 1989 on the George land. Bell has been paying rent to Teen Ranch for placing the tower there. Teen Ranch has also been collecting lease payments from another company for allowing it to place cellular devices on the tower.
Even though the tower sits on George land, the family hasn't received a penny from the lease arrangements.
So legal claims and cross-claims have been flying back and forth in recent weeks – none of which have been proven in court – with all sides in the action pointing fingers at each other.
Much of the case hangs on a Teen Ranch claim that it should be given title to the smaller piece of land because it planted 2,000 trees on the site and that no one from the George family has used the property for more than 10 years.
In legal language, it's called "adverse possession." It means that someone who uses your land for an extended period of time can claim it as their own if you don't complain or use it yourself.
Eleanor George de Peña sees it differently. "Teen Ranch is trying to steal our land with fancy legal terms," the 60-year-old mother of four said yesterday from her home in Mexico, where she settled after marrying in the mid-1970s.
"There's nothing Christian about that."
More
Beach Gentry Dump Ed Into The Dirty Laundry Hamper
Isn't this the same area where people had to hold a public meeting to justify their wish to feed the homeless? A area where you could be sent to Coventry if you don't use the correct name; Beach, Beaches, The Beaches, etc.
Ed the Sock booted from Easter Parade
March 28, 2007
Bill Taylor
Feature Writer
Ed the Sock has been declared footwear non grata by the Toronto Beaches Lions Club.
The cigar-chomping, trash-talking, gravel-voiced puppet and Liana K, co-host of Ed & Red's Night Party! on Citytv, were to have been grand marshals at the Lions' annual Easter Parade on Queen St. E. April 8.
Liana K is the wife of Steve Kerzner, who created Ed the Sock 20 years ago and turned it into a ribald TV personality. The couple, perplexed and a little angry, talked to the Star yesterday from Los Angeles. They're filming segments for the late-night talk show, which features raw humour and interviews with adult-movie actors on a set that includes a hot tub.
"The Lions," Liana said. "I guess I'm used to dealing with a different kind of cat.
"It was all done by email and they seemed excited at first that we agreed. Paid? Are you crazy? Of course not. We don't take money for this kind of thing."
The Kerzners said their last email from Chris Yaccato, co-chair of the parade, withdrew the invitation because "unfortunately, the community is quite angry. ... They feel that your participation is not ideal..."
Instead, Luba Goy and Craig Lauzon of CBC's Royal Canadian Air Farce will be marshals.
Yaccato said he and other Lions officials had dozens of calls and emails after a community weekly reported that Ed the Sock would be grand marshal. "People were saying, `Are you guys crazy? This is a children's parade. What are you doing?'"
The Lions, he said, had sent out a number of letters to TV personalities "and Ed the Sock graciously accepted. I sought the approval of our board and no one really flinched. As the general membership heard about it, some showed their anxiety and then ... wham.
"I take full responsibility. I feel really bad about putting (the Kerzners) in that position. They were great, very courteous."
Ed the Sock was in the parade in 1993. "I guess then people didn't feel he was, to quote someone who called me, as raunchy," Yaccato said.
Steve Kerzner wondered: "What did they think we were going to do? We were going to sit in the back of a car. Ed would look around and Liana would wave. What I find aggravating is this perception that we're ... uncontrollable. We're working professionals. We know how to address ourselves to the crowd in the appropriate way."
Liana said she recently did fundraisers for the Casey House hospice and a women's shelter. "Both were quite happy to have me. We've done work in schools and educational programming. We did MuchMusic stuff for years in prime time and there was a different approach than for our late-night show. It's adult-oriented because it's on at 11:30 at night.
"It's not the Lions' fault," she said. "You've got to do what people want you to do. I'm betting the ones who are complaining have never seen our show. They have some rough-hewn impression of what it's about and what it is we do. It's an interesting civics lesson in how something really stupid can happen."
Another Example Of Police Being Social Workers With Guns
Cops of colour 'work like magic'
By AJIT JAIN
Violence against women is not a cultural thing -- it's a man thing, says Toronto Police Supt. Sam Fernandes.
It's present among South Asians but other communities are not immune from it, the 59-year-old veteran cop says.
Often people don't speak out because of their cultural upbringing, he says, so when a complaint comes from a South Asian, the force tries to send an officer from that community.
"It works like magic because you've got an officer who can communicate and understand what's going on." Fernandes says.
Speaking in the victim's language "the officer establishes that trust to understand what's going on."
Now with the force for 36 years, Fernandes in 1989 was the first person of colour to be named an inspector.
His family is originally from Goa in India, but he was born in Tanzania and educated in Calcutta and Scotland, graduating as an aeronautical engineer.
He worked briefly at the Toronto Island airport before joining the Toronto force.
"I was asked to pull together a team to recruit people from various communities to consider policing as a career," he says.
"We want more and more people from diverse backgrounds to come on board to serve their respective communities," Fernandes says.
He's encouraged that there are now 150 South Asian officers on the job, but admits that's not many on a police force of 5,500.
"The biggest barrier in recruiting young people is their families," he says.
"Many of these immigrant families still believe policing is dangerous, they still tell their children policing is not for you."
Fernandes is currently superintendent in charge of 911. "I love it because it has all to do with technology. Front-line officers can do their job using technology," he says.
But he still believes in face-to-face communication
"I do lot of mentoring. I address lot of seminars. And I join the recruiting unit to motivate parents, families," Fernandes says.
When interviewed last week, he was on his way to the airport to fly to Havana -- "just vacations and I love that."
His love of travel made him decide not to go for further promotion and the long work days that would follow.
"I am happy with where I am and what I am doing, serving the communities."
By AJIT JAIN
Violence against women is not a cultural thing -- it's a man thing, says Toronto Police Supt. Sam Fernandes.
It's present among South Asians but other communities are not immune from it, the 59-year-old veteran cop says.
Often people don't speak out because of their cultural upbringing, he says, so when a complaint comes from a South Asian, the force tries to send an officer from that community.
"It works like magic because you've got an officer who can communicate and understand what's going on." Fernandes says.
Speaking in the victim's language "the officer establishes that trust to understand what's going on."
Now with the force for 36 years, Fernandes in 1989 was the first person of colour to be named an inspector.
His family is originally from Goa in India, but he was born in Tanzania and educated in Calcutta and Scotland, graduating as an aeronautical engineer.
He worked briefly at the Toronto Island airport before joining the Toronto force.
"I was asked to pull together a team to recruit people from various communities to consider policing as a career," he says.
"We want more and more people from diverse backgrounds to come on board to serve their respective communities," Fernandes says.
He's encouraged that there are now 150 South Asian officers on the job, but admits that's not many on a police force of 5,500.
"The biggest barrier in recruiting young people is their families," he says.
"Many of these immigrant families still believe policing is dangerous, they still tell their children policing is not for you."
Fernandes is currently superintendent in charge of 911. "I love it because it has all to do with technology. Front-line officers can do their job using technology," he says.
But he still believes in face-to-face communication
"I do lot of mentoring. I address lot of seminars. And I join the recruiting unit to motivate parents, families," Fernandes says.
When interviewed last week, he was on his way to the airport to fly to Havana -- "just vacations and I love that."
His love of travel made him decide not to go for further promotion and the long work days that would follow.
"I am happy with where I am and what I am doing, serving the communities."
Just What Colour Is Your Green Plan Mayor Miller
This is a question that people in the Wood Green area are asking about Miller gives developers the okay to go ahead and cut down 2000 trees and destroy an oasis when an alternative site is available. Miller's Green Plan is like his new broom, one cent campaign, etc. Just a con job.........
Chainsaw Miller
Imagine an oasis in the middle of suburbia, filled with many varieties of trees and birds. Now imagine the city having it cut down
By MIKE STROBEL
Skunks. Rabbits. Foxes. Mice. Warblers. Nuthatches. Yellow-bellied sapsuckers.
Where are we Toto, City Hall?
Can't be. Too quiet. Too friendly. Too natural. Too sane.
No, it's Wood Green Ravine, a leafy refuge near Lawrence Ave. E. and Manse Rd. deep in Scarborough.
David "I Cannot Tell a Lie" Miller is about to chop it down.
Well, I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay ...
First, let's take a walk in the five-acre wood, with some of the 1,200 locals who have signed letters in its defence.
WHITE-TAILED DEER
Trees never look their best in March, but spring is afoot. You expect Winnie The Pooh to waddle around a corner.
No bears, but in the last cold snap three white-tailed deer ran past Gerry McGhee and his German shepherd, Woody.
Monarch butterflies paint Wood Green orange during migrations. Bats darken summer skies in pursuit of bugs.
There are 2,000 trees, from saplings to big ol' apple trees, Manitoba maples, locusts, birch and poplar.
In August, blackberries turn local kids purple and everyone gets sick of pie.
Trillium beds bloom. Black-eyed Susans, asters, ferns.
Four kinds of woodpecker (Downey, hairy, pileated and red-headed), four kinds of sparrow (house, Lincoln's, song, vesper), two kinds of finch (house, American gold) and your usual raccoons, squirrels and moles. Mallards nest.
STUNNED LOCALS
You get the picture. An oasis. Smack in the hurly-burly of suburbia.
Midnight at the oasis ...
On Friday, City Hall stunned locals by granting developers permission to fire up the chainsaws. Any day now.
Here, in a red-breasted nutshell, is how Wood Green Ravine came to this brink:
City Hall owned the five acres and transferred it to Habitat for Humanity and a Catholic charity called Women's Religious Projects to build "affordable housing."
Why Mayor Miller et al offered Wood Green Ravine is beyond me.
Another site, treeless, near Scarborough Town Centre is also available.
Wood Green's defenders, aka the Manse Valley Community Association (MVCA), figured reason would rule.
Especially in light of the mayor's green plan, which calls for many more trees.
I don't know how much greenhouse gas the Wood Green trees filter, but they are a spear toss from a filtration plant and a lovely street called Chemical Court.
Spear? Don and Sharon York's daughter found a stone spearhead in the ravine's Danzig Creek. The ROM dated it to 10,000 years.
Don, 69, the MVCA chairman, tells me this as he leads the tour of Wood Green.
"Listen," says paramedic Andy Kemp, 45, and we all pause. And touched the sound of silence ...
Even Woody the dog was named for these trees, says Gerry McGhee's daughter Carly, 18, an art college student.
"It's horrible what they're going to do."
Families picnic here, on grassy swaths mowed by residents. Kids build tree forts. Teachers bring science classes.
This is common ground between classic Scarborough bungalows on the east and townhouses on the west.
"Scrubland," said Mayor Miller on a visit before the 60 new housing units were approved.
"Eh?" wondered local Bruce Smith, 69.
"Not that there's anything wrong with scrub," replied the mayor. Bruce says he was hellbent on housing.
Scrub? Two dozen of the trees are ancient enough to be "protected" by the city. Which did them absolutely no good.
"Wood Green keeps this community friendly and together," says Bruce's wife, Betty.
"It's where we walk. It's where we meet."
Says Don York: "People moved here because of the woods, the nature. All of a sudden, it's gonna disappear.
"We aren't saying the housing should be stopped, (but) this is an environmentally sensitive area and it should not be destroyed.
"They've made a serious error and they need to correct it now."
Councillor Ron Moeser tells me the Town Centre lot is still on offer, and he'll raise the matter again at council.
Sure. Those guys can't see the forest, let alone the trees.
I'm afraid one morning soon, maybe when the trilliums shine and the green plan publicity wanes, the folks of Wood Green will awake to the buzz of chainsaws.
Just what colour is your green plan, Mr. Mayor?
Chainsaw Miller
Imagine an oasis in the middle of suburbia, filled with many varieties of trees and birds. Now imagine the city having it cut down
By MIKE STROBEL
Skunks. Rabbits. Foxes. Mice. Warblers. Nuthatches. Yellow-bellied sapsuckers.
Where are we Toto, City Hall?
Can't be. Too quiet. Too friendly. Too natural. Too sane.
No, it's Wood Green Ravine, a leafy refuge near Lawrence Ave. E. and Manse Rd. deep in Scarborough.
David "I Cannot Tell a Lie" Miller is about to chop it down.
Well, I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay ...
First, let's take a walk in the five-acre wood, with some of the 1,200 locals who have signed letters in its defence.
WHITE-TAILED DEER
Trees never look their best in March, but spring is afoot. You expect Winnie The Pooh to waddle around a corner.
No bears, but in the last cold snap three white-tailed deer ran past Gerry McGhee and his German shepherd, Woody.
Monarch butterflies paint Wood Green orange during migrations. Bats darken summer skies in pursuit of bugs.
There are 2,000 trees, from saplings to big ol' apple trees, Manitoba maples, locusts, birch and poplar.
In August, blackberries turn local kids purple and everyone gets sick of pie.
Trillium beds bloom. Black-eyed Susans, asters, ferns.
Four kinds of woodpecker (Downey, hairy, pileated and red-headed), four kinds of sparrow (house, Lincoln's, song, vesper), two kinds of finch (house, American gold) and your usual raccoons, squirrels and moles. Mallards nest.
STUNNED LOCALS
You get the picture. An oasis. Smack in the hurly-burly of suburbia.
Midnight at the oasis ...
On Friday, City Hall stunned locals by granting developers permission to fire up the chainsaws. Any day now.
Here, in a red-breasted nutshell, is how Wood Green Ravine came to this brink:
City Hall owned the five acres and transferred it to Habitat for Humanity and a Catholic charity called Women's Religious Projects to build "affordable housing."
Why Mayor Miller et al offered Wood Green Ravine is beyond me.
Another site, treeless, near Scarborough Town Centre is also available.
Wood Green's defenders, aka the Manse Valley Community Association (MVCA), figured reason would rule.
Especially in light of the mayor's green plan, which calls for many more trees.
I don't know how much greenhouse gas the Wood Green trees filter, but they are a spear toss from a filtration plant and a lovely street called Chemical Court.
Spear? Don and Sharon York's daughter found a stone spearhead in the ravine's Danzig Creek. The ROM dated it to 10,000 years.
Don, 69, the MVCA chairman, tells me this as he leads the tour of Wood Green.
"Listen," says paramedic Andy Kemp, 45, and we all pause. And touched the sound of silence ...
Even Woody the dog was named for these trees, says Gerry McGhee's daughter Carly, 18, an art college student.
"It's horrible what they're going to do."
Families picnic here, on grassy swaths mowed by residents. Kids build tree forts. Teachers bring science classes.
This is common ground between classic Scarborough bungalows on the east and townhouses on the west.
"Scrubland," said Mayor Miller on a visit before the 60 new housing units were approved.
"Eh?" wondered local Bruce Smith, 69.
"Not that there's anything wrong with scrub," replied the mayor. Bruce says he was hellbent on housing.
Scrub? Two dozen of the trees are ancient enough to be "protected" by the city. Which did them absolutely no good.
"Wood Green keeps this community friendly and together," says Bruce's wife, Betty.
"It's where we walk. It's where we meet."
Says Don York: "People moved here because of the woods, the nature. All of a sudden, it's gonna disappear.
"We aren't saying the housing should be stopped, (but) this is an environmentally sensitive area and it should not be destroyed.
"They've made a serious error and they need to correct it now."
Councillor Ron Moeser tells me the Town Centre lot is still on offer, and he'll raise the matter again at council.
Sure. Those guys can't see the forest, let alone the trees.
I'm afraid one morning soon, maybe when the trilliums shine and the green plan publicity wanes, the folks of Wood Green will awake to the buzz of chainsaws.
Just what colour is your green plan, Mr. Mayor?
Live Aid, Live 8 And Now Live Earth
The question is did these "free" events really accomplish anything? I was well aware that Aids was on the increase, that a child was dieing every 30 minutes from hunger and I know that the Baskin Robbins flavour of the week is global warming so what do these "free" events accomplish? How many carbon credits will be bought and exchanged by the entertainers and audience members? How much will is cost the taxpayers of Toronto, who can't afford to keep swimming pools open, to promote the function, provide the facilities, do the cleanup etc.? This is nothing but a "let them eat cake" event.
Toronto wants to join Live Earth concert: CTV
toronto.ctv.ca
The City of Toronto wants to take part in the international Live Earth concert for global warming this summer, CTV News has learned.
Environmental crusader Al Gore, the former U.S. vice-president, is a key player in the free 24-hour concert that will be staged across all seven continents on July 7 and telecast to an estimated 2 billion people.
Officials at Toronto City Hall are looking for a local promoter to host the event, CTV's Tom Hayes reported.
Those behind the effort, however, don't want a repeat of the Live 8 concert in 2005, where the show was held an hour's drive north in Barrie.
"The city wants it here because it would fit into Mayor (David) Miller's green agenda," Hayes said.
More than 100 of the world's top musical acts will participate in Live Earth concerts in cities including London, Sydney and Rio de Janeiro.
Artists include Madonna, Prince, The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, James Blunt, Snoop Dogg, Pharrell, Faith Hill and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
A show in Toronto would include a host of Canadian performers.
The Live Earth event is attempting to raise worldwide awareness of the dangers and solutions to global warming.
Proceeds from the live simulcast will create the foundation for a new global effort led by The Alliance for Climate Protection and Gore, its chairman.
Gore recently won an Oscar for his climate change documentary "An Inconvenient Truth."
With a report from CTV's Tom Hayes
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Three "Objective" Views On Government Budgets
March 24, 2007
Federal budget 2007: A bag of tricks
This budget doesn't address the needs of students, parents, or cities in any meaningful way at all. Watch the animation. >Canadian Union of Public Employees
March 23, 2007
Response to Ontario's budget
Take the self-congratulation out of the 2007–8 provincial budget and you’re left with a very short list of very modest initiatives spread out over a very long period of time. >Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
March 23, 2007
Not a budget for women
Examining the Harper budget through tax breaks, poverty measures, social programs, and values, women's issues are largely ignored. >Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action
Federal budget 2007: A bag of tricks
This budget doesn't address the needs of students, parents, or cities in any meaningful way at all. Watch the animation. >Canadian Union of Public Employees
March 23, 2007
Response to Ontario's budget
Take the self-congratulation out of the 2007–8 provincial budget and you’re left with a very short list of very modest initiatives spread out over a very long period of time. >Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
March 23, 2007
Not a budget for women
Examining the Harper budget through tax breaks, poverty measures, social programs, and values, women's issues are largely ignored. >Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action
Deal Or No Deal
Why is it when the City Of Toronto makes a deal the details of that deal are never revealed without our representatives making a big stink....here is another of those deals.
Landfill hurdle cleared
Settlement with Indian band over pollution worries smoothes way for city to take over St. Thomas dump this week
March 27, 2007
John Spears
City Hall Bureau
Toronto has reached a deal with an Oneida Indian band that settles concerns over the city's purchase of a garbage dump near St. Thomas, just 2.2 kilometres from the band's reserve.
Tomorrow's special meeting of council to ratify the agreement should pave the way to completing the $220 million purchase of the Green Lane landfill Thursday. Ownership takes pressure off the city, whose arrangement to ship garbage to Michigan expires at the end of 2010.
The Oneida Nation of the Thames had gone to court to force the city to talk to band leaders about their worries that increased dumping at Green Lane, which has operated since 1979, could contaminate their water.
The city agreed to voluntary talks and a deal was reached, works committee chair Glenn De Baeremaeker said yesterday. No details were released.
"The intent of the meeting is to give direction to legal staff about a settlement with the Oneida Nation," De Baeremaeker said.
"The people of Toronto have been well protected ... the Oneida Nation has been well protected, and there's a settlement coming forward which is in everybody's best interest."
With the settlement in hand, the city will take possession of Green Lane on Thursday. The city's "due diligence" research has shown the dump is in good shape, De Baeremaeker said.
While Toronto will continue shipping garbage to Michigan through 2010, the city now has a safety valve, he said. Michigan legislators are pushing to close the border to out-of-state trash.
Landfill hurdle cleared
Settlement with Indian band over pollution worries smoothes way for city to take over St. Thomas dump this week
March 27, 2007
John Spears
City Hall Bureau
Toronto has reached a deal with an Oneida Indian band that settles concerns over the city's purchase of a garbage dump near St. Thomas, just 2.2 kilometres from the band's reserve.
Tomorrow's special meeting of council to ratify the agreement should pave the way to completing the $220 million purchase of the Green Lane landfill Thursday. Ownership takes pressure off the city, whose arrangement to ship garbage to Michigan expires at the end of 2010.
The Oneida Nation of the Thames had gone to court to force the city to talk to band leaders about their worries that increased dumping at Green Lane, which has operated since 1979, could contaminate their water.
The city agreed to voluntary talks and a deal was reached, works committee chair Glenn De Baeremaeker said yesterday. No details were released.
"The intent of the meeting is to give direction to legal staff about a settlement with the Oneida Nation," De Baeremaeker said.
"The people of Toronto have been well protected ... the Oneida Nation has been well protected, and there's a settlement coming forward which is in everybody's best interest."
With the settlement in hand, the city will take possession of Green Lane on Thursday. The city's "due diligence" research has shown the dump is in good shape, De Baeremaeker said.
While Toronto will continue shipping garbage to Michigan through 2010, the city now has a safety valve, he said. Michigan legislators are pushing to close the border to out-of-state trash.
Hold The Line At 0% Increase In Dept. Budgets
That seems pretty clear cut so you have wonder why only nine of forty-nine City Of Toronto departments met that edict and do I have to tell you which departments are the worst offenders......list below.
Freespending city must stop blaming province
By SUE-ANN LEVY
As city manager Shirley Hoy contended at yesterday's 2007 $7.8-billion operating budget launch, all city departments and agencies were asked to flatline their budgets this year.
To contain yet another $500-million-plus deficit -- this year's is a whopping $562 million -- no city department was supposed to increase their budget demands one red cent.
What a laugh. Like most City Hall edicts, it seems this one too is made to be broken -- especially by Mayor David Miller, who as CEO of this city is fulfilling a vital mandate.
Miller's office budget will rise 29.7% this year to hire four additional staff to oversee those visions which allegedly keep on coming from his office.
His Clean and Beautiful Secretariat (a Miller fiefdom, if I ever saw one) will see a funding increase of 226%. For that price, I'm expecting not to see one bit of litter on the downtown streets by year's end. Funding for Miller's Waterfront Secretariat (another fiefdom) will jump nearly 31%.
The Municipal Licensing and Standards department? Its budget will rise 18%, no doubt to maintain a healthy roster of bylaw officers to ensure Torontonians play by the socialist's rules and pay up once new taxes, er "public policy revenue tools," are created under the City of Toronto Act.
"If departments were not able to do it (achieve a zero increase), they had to fully document why," said Hoy.
I'm guessing the city manager's office had quite a thick folder of excuses. Fact is, only nine of 49 city departments and agencies actually met the 0% target -- the mayor and his pet projects being the worst offenders.
More
Freespending city must stop blaming province
By SUE-ANN LEVY
As city manager Shirley Hoy contended at yesterday's 2007 $7.8-billion operating budget launch, all city departments and agencies were asked to flatline their budgets this year.
To contain yet another $500-million-plus deficit -- this year's is a whopping $562 million -- no city department was supposed to increase their budget demands one red cent.
What a laugh. Like most City Hall edicts, it seems this one too is made to be broken -- especially by Mayor David Miller, who as CEO of this city is fulfilling a vital mandate.
Miller's office budget will rise 29.7% this year to hire four additional staff to oversee those visions which allegedly keep on coming from his office.
His Clean and Beautiful Secretariat (a Miller fiefdom, if I ever saw one) will see a funding increase of 226%. For that price, I'm expecting not to see one bit of litter on the downtown streets by year's end. Funding for Miller's Waterfront Secretariat (another fiefdom) will jump nearly 31%.
The Municipal Licensing and Standards department? Its budget will rise 18%, no doubt to maintain a healthy roster of bylaw officers to ensure Torontonians play by the socialist's rules and pay up once new taxes, er "public policy revenue tools," are created under the City of Toronto Act.
"If departments were not able to do it (achieve a zero increase), they had to fully document why," said Hoy.
I'm guessing the city manager's office had quite a thick folder of excuses. Fact is, only nine of 49 city departments and agencies actually met the 0% target -- the mayor and his pet projects being the worst offenders.
More
Amber Light Alert Usually Means Someone In Imminent Danger
In this case it is the citizens of Toronto who are in danger. Danger of going bankrupt.
Amber light for green plan
By ZEN RURYK, CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF
Mayor David Miller's green plan won support at a city committee yesterday amid warnings Toronto may have to dish out some tough love to fight climate change.
Toronto's influential executive committee voted to seek comment from the public on Miller's plan which outlines possible measures to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases
Taxing parking spots, encouraging people to abandon gas-powered lawn mowers and planting lots of trees are all possibilities raised in the plan. The 27-page document sets ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals -- 6% by 2012, 30% by 2020, and 80% by 2050.
"Eventually this program will hit a wall. It will hit a wall when you have to make the tough decisions like limiting car entry into the downtown core," warned Councillor Howard Moscoe, who added it's easy to talk about the "warm and fuzzy" stuff.
"When the going gets tough, that's when people will start to bail out. That's when this whole thing won't become easy."
But Moscoe said he's ready to support the measures to combat global warming. The plan currently does not contain proposals to impose tolls or restrict traffic from coming into the core and it does not provide any analysis of what it would cost to implement them.
Councillor Michael Thompson argued it's imperative the public have an idea of the cost of implementing a plan to deal with climate change.
Amber light for green plan
By ZEN RURYK, CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF
Mayor David Miller's green plan won support at a city committee yesterday amid warnings Toronto may have to dish out some tough love to fight climate change.
Toronto's influential executive committee voted to seek comment from the public on Miller's plan which outlines possible measures to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases
Taxing parking spots, encouraging people to abandon gas-powered lawn mowers and planting lots of trees are all possibilities raised in the plan. The 27-page document sets ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals -- 6% by 2012, 30% by 2020, and 80% by 2050.
"Eventually this program will hit a wall. It will hit a wall when you have to make the tough decisions like limiting car entry into the downtown core," warned Councillor Howard Moscoe, who added it's easy to talk about the "warm and fuzzy" stuff.
"When the going gets tough, that's when people will start to bail out. That's when this whole thing won't become easy."
But Moscoe said he's ready to support the measures to combat global warming. The plan currently does not contain proposals to impose tolls or restrict traffic from coming into the core and it does not provide any analysis of what it would cost to implement them.
Councillor Michael Thompson argued it's imperative the public have an idea of the cost of implementing a plan to deal with climate change.
Close Seven Swimming Pools Versus City Hall Renovations
Seems like a no brainer but the executive committee, chaired by No Plan B Miller, seems to be choosing closing the swimming pools. This is an just a small example of skewed thinking at City Hall. No mention of contracting out services, efficiencies that were promised by the city unions, reducing staff through attrition, etc. etc.
Property owners also face a higher cost from Toronto Hydro.
Toronto residents facing 3.8 per cent tax hike
toronto.ctv.ca
Toronto residents are facing a property tax increase of 3.8 per cent this year -- almost double the rate of inflation -- because of under-funding from the provincial government, the city's budget chief says.
Shelley Carroll's budget report on Monday said the shortfall of $73 million forced her to call for the significant tax hike. The councillor blamed the Ontario government for failing to pay its share for social services.
"Some services have had to be cancelled, deferred or rationalized. Some fees have gone up to increase cost recovery and ensure stable funding," she said.
The end results means residents would pay about $80 this year on property taxes.
Last year the city increased property taxes three per cent, which meant an average of about $60 per household.
The 3.8 per cent increase is higher than the three per cent analysts were predicting.
Mayor David Miller campaigned to keep residential tax increases in line with the rate of inflation, which is generally around two per cent.
Business property taxes will rise about 1.26 per cent, according to budget figures.
The city's $7.8 billion operating budget offers no new services. In addition to the tax increases, the city is drawing on reserve funds.
Carroll said the province must pony up its full share of money for programs such as the Ontario Drug Benefit Program and the Ontario Disability Support Program.
"They have expected us to either raise taxes or cut services to pay their bills," she said, according to the Toronto Star. "They have expected Torontonians to pay more and receive less.
"Last Thursday the province produced a budget with a $300 million surplus. Their budget was silent on our outstanding accounts payable."
Carroll said the uploaded services would add an extra $175 million to her budget.
The fiscal situation calls for the closure of seven outdoor pools that are in a state of disrepair, a measure that will save $455,000 this year.
User fees for programs at community centres will also be increased by three per cent, which will affect everything from swimming lessons, to dance classes, to arts and crafts.
Permits for on-street parking will also be increasing by just under two per cent.
"These are the measures we've tried to avoid for years and years and years now, and we've reached the point in 2007 where we can't avoid it any longer," Carroll said.
But some councillors said the city could have prevented the tax hike.
"The decisions we've made, we are now dealing with," said Councillor Karen Stintz. "If we want to be an autonomous city, we have to search deep and search long and find the efficiencies and find the savings to be financially accountable and financially autonomous, and it's not about the province."
Councillor David Shiner echoed the remarks.
"None of this has to happen with proper planning. We've seen this coming," he said. "I've said it before that we're going to hit the brick wall, and we're going to hit it this year. It's nobody's fault but our own."
Mayor David Miller was disappointed last Monday when the federal government unveiled its budget, which contained no new money for transit or the one per cent cut of the GST the mayor wanted to help pay for city services.
Miller's frustrations grew on Thursday when the Ontario government laid out its fiscal blueprint, which too did not result in any significant cash for Toronto.
However, the government issued a press release on Monday, saying it has increased funding to $643 million this year, up from $226 million it handed over in 2006.
Monday's report went before the budget committee session. Councillors will now scrutinize the proposals on Wednesday, and the public will get its chance to offer comments at a public meeting at city hall on Thursday.
Council will then debate and approve a budget late next month.
With a report from CTV's Desmond Brown
Monday, March 26, 2007
Having A Hard Time Discerning The Difference Between
ACLU
Stop The ACLU
Some mornings I tend to get out of bed on the right side and some mornings on the left side although I usually lean towards the right side and to be honest I don't find either of these sites coming even close to a balanced view.
Stop The ACLU
Some mornings I tend to get out of bed on the right side and some mornings on the left side although I usually lean towards the right side and to be honest I don't find either of these sites coming even close to a balanced view.
I Will Wait For The Orthodox Jew's Views.....
JTS to admit gay rabbinical students
The Jewish Theological Seminary announced Monday that it would change admission policies to accept openly gay students at its rabbinical school.
Arnold Eisen, chancellor-elect of the Conservative movement's flagship institution, made the decision after consulting with the seminary community and conducting a movement-wide survey, both of which found strong support for the change.
In December, the movement’s legal authority, the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, endorsed three opinions on the question of homosexuality. Two upheld the movement’s traditional stance barring gay clergy and commitment ceremonies, while a third opened the door to gay rabbis and commitment ceremonies while upholding the biblical prohibition on male intercourse.
The conflicting opinions enabled individual Conservative institutions to make their own policy decisions. In Los Angeles, the University of Judaism’s rabbinical school has already admitted two openly gay students for the fall term. The movement’s other seminaries – in Jerusalem, Budapest and Buenos Aires – are not expected to follow suit.
The Jewish Theological Seminary announced Monday that it would change admission policies to accept openly gay students at its rabbinical school.
Arnold Eisen, chancellor-elect of the Conservative movement's flagship institution, made the decision after consulting with the seminary community and conducting a movement-wide survey, both of which found strong support for the change.
In December, the movement’s legal authority, the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, endorsed three opinions on the question of homosexuality. Two upheld the movement’s traditional stance barring gay clergy and commitment ceremonies, while a third opened the door to gay rabbis and commitment ceremonies while upholding the biblical prohibition on male intercourse.
The conflicting opinions enabled individual Conservative institutions to make their own policy decisions. In Los Angeles, the University of Judaism’s rabbinical school has already admitted two openly gay students for the fall term. The movement’s other seminaries – in Jerusalem, Budapest and Buenos Aires – are not expected to follow suit.
When Called To Task For Our Internet Indiscretions
Most people, including myself, will fall back on excuses like; freedom of expression, it was meant as satire, I was being facetious, it was a troll, etc. etc. There was a time, when most of you weren't around, when it was felt that the internet was impenetrable by government but you could expect to get your butt flamed by the self proclaimed guardians who were usually individuals who paid the tariffs but bulletin boards, usenet groups, etc. and it was all text messaging so you had to stay on topic and be brief or you lost access.
It's just not funny
Let me give a little tip to Canadians and Americans alike that spend a lot of time on the Internet:
You are not alone. And when you say things like Kill the President and Behead the Prime Minister, your nerdy MySpace buddies aren't the only ones reading. You aren't the only one reading the words Jihad and Allah in your email.
My threads have been read time and again by the Department of Homeland Security, the RCMP, and my Internet provider. I'm watched constantly, even though I'm not a threat. Why? Because I use the buzzwords. They have to watch me. It's not a big deal, because I'm on the right side of the law. I'm with the good guys. They know I'm not actually going to kill the president, even if their sooper seekrit search engine flags those words here and sends them looking.
But for all you commie, anti-establishment assholes, get a grip. Your nonsense isn't funny, it's illegal.
Internet ramblings about Stephen Harper on the blogsite of an Alberta man found an attentive but not overly appreciative audience with the RCMP.
As a result, Patrick David Fenton is to be sentenced May 30 for threatening the life of the prime minister.
Fenton, 25, pleaded guilty in court in Canmore Wednesday to a single charge of uttering threats to cause death.
Fenton's lawyer says the whole thing has been blown out of proportion.
"He had an online blog and frankly he intended it as satirical," Tyson Dahlem said yesterday from his office in Canmore, 120 km west of Calgary.
Dork.
Labels: Canadiana, Internet, Politics
posted by RightGirl
It's just not funny
Let me give a little tip to Canadians and Americans alike that spend a lot of time on the Internet:
You are not alone. And when you say things like Kill the President and Behead the Prime Minister, your nerdy MySpace buddies aren't the only ones reading. You aren't the only one reading the words Jihad and Allah in your email.
My threads have been read time and again by the Department of Homeland Security, the RCMP, and my Internet provider. I'm watched constantly, even though I'm not a threat. Why? Because I use the buzzwords. They have to watch me. It's not a big deal, because I'm on the right side of the law. I'm with the good guys. They know I'm not actually going to kill the president, even if their sooper seekrit search engine flags those words here and sends them looking.
But for all you commie, anti-establishment assholes, get a grip. Your nonsense isn't funny, it's illegal.
Internet ramblings about Stephen Harper on the blogsite of an Alberta man found an attentive but not overly appreciative audience with the RCMP.
As a result, Patrick David Fenton is to be sentenced May 30 for threatening the life of the prime minister.
Fenton, 25, pleaded guilty in court in Canmore Wednesday to a single charge of uttering threats to cause death.
Fenton's lawyer says the whole thing has been blown out of proportion.
"He had an online blog and frankly he intended it as satirical," Tyson Dahlem said yesterday from his office in Canmore, 120 km west of Calgary.
Dork.
Labels: Canadiana, Internet, Politics
posted by RightGirl
Girl On The Right Is Right....Things Need To Put Things In Perspective
The whole thing was started by a Frenchman's actions....they still seem to be smarting from Napoleon's defeat.
Get over yourselves!
Normally I leave stories about Yemen to my blog sister Jane, but this one caught my eye.
Security forces have been called in to tackle riots at a Yemen gas plant where a copy of the Koran is said to have been desecrated, security sources say.
Unrest began after a French engineer at the terminal in the south-eastern port of Belhaf allegedly "defiled" the book.
Hundreds of rioting workers burnt cars and a helicopter at the French-run facility, sources told news agencies.
Unconfirmed reports say four Yemenis and a Frenchman were injured in the unrest and the engineer was evacuated.
Yemen LNG, which is partly owned by the Yemeni government, confirmed that clashes had taken place but only spoke of "undefined damage", according to a press release reported by The Associated Press.
"After a fight between a French engineer and another who is Yemeni, the Frenchman - to enrage the Yemeni - threw a Koran on the floor in an offensive way," a local official told AFP news agency, requesting anonymity.
The same agency said earlier that a Yemeni had been killed in the unrest.
Oh for the love of... How can the apologists keep insisting that these Islamic animals can live side by side with us in the civilized world? Some Frenchman throws a book, and a riot breaks out? It's a BOOK! Just a book. I wouldn't be dancing for joy if someone messed with a Bible, but I'm sure as heck not going to torch a helicopter. Maybe if devout Muslims were allowed to read more than that one book in their lives, they wouldn't be so obsessed. Most religious people - of all faiths - recognize that the book merely holds the words. It's how you live them that's important. Of course, to the idiots of Islam, starting a riot IS living the word.
Labels: Islam, Koran, Yemen
posted by RightGirl
Get over yourselves!
Normally I leave stories about Yemen to my blog sister Jane, but this one caught my eye.
Security forces have been called in to tackle riots at a Yemen gas plant where a copy of the Koran is said to have been desecrated, security sources say.
Unrest began after a French engineer at the terminal in the south-eastern port of Belhaf allegedly "defiled" the book.
Hundreds of rioting workers burnt cars and a helicopter at the French-run facility, sources told news agencies.
Unconfirmed reports say four Yemenis and a Frenchman were injured in the unrest and the engineer was evacuated.
Yemen LNG, which is partly owned by the Yemeni government, confirmed that clashes had taken place but only spoke of "undefined damage", according to a press release reported by The Associated Press.
"After a fight between a French engineer and another who is Yemeni, the Frenchman - to enrage the Yemeni - threw a Koran on the floor in an offensive way," a local official told AFP news agency, requesting anonymity.
The same agency said earlier that a Yemeni had been killed in the unrest.
Oh for the love of... How can the apologists keep insisting that these Islamic animals can live side by side with us in the civilized world? Some Frenchman throws a book, and a riot breaks out? It's a BOOK! Just a book. I wouldn't be dancing for joy if someone messed with a Bible, but I'm sure as heck not going to torch a helicopter. Maybe if devout Muslims were allowed to read more than that one book in their lives, they wouldn't be so obsessed. Most religious people - of all faiths - recognize that the book merely holds the words. It's how you live them that's important. Of course, to the idiots of Islam, starting a riot IS living the word.
Labels: Islam, Koran, Yemen
posted by RightGirl
Dion's Perception Of Democracy
"I received a telephone call from Bruce Young"
A would-be candidate in Victoria finds out how the new Liberal nomination system works;
Then, yesterday, I received a telephone call from Bruce Young - a BC Campaign co-chair from head office in Vancouver. He advised me that he intended to install a woman by the name of Anne Park Shannon in the riding. He advised me that this could be accomplished in any number of ways including her direct appointment, denying approval for myself or anyone else to run against her or by manipulating the process in a variety of other ways.
Mr. Young then offered a variety of incentives to persuade me to step aside. He advised that the Liberal party has a "good record of taking care of people who agree to step aside." I have advised him that I have no interest in anything of this nature.
Posted by Kate
A would-be candidate in Victoria finds out how the new Liberal nomination system works;
Then, yesterday, I received a telephone call from Bruce Young - a BC Campaign co-chair from head office in Vancouver. He advised me that he intended to install a woman by the name of Anne Park Shannon in the riding. He advised me that this could be accomplished in any number of ways including her direct appointment, denying approval for myself or anyone else to run against her or by manipulating the process in a variety of other ways.
Mr. Young then offered a variety of incentives to persuade me to step aside. He advised that the Liberal party has a "good record of taking care of people who agree to step aside." I have advised him that I have no interest in anything of this nature.
Posted by Kate
I Am No Fan Of Maher But.......
....comparing him to Rosie O'Donnell is the ultimate insult. He has already been identified as a left wing liberal, comparing him to O'Donnell is like flushing the toilet a second time. Have a little sympathy for this failed standup comic and remember he is in the same group like Sean Penn, Michael Moore, etc.Is Bill Maher Becoming the Rosie O’Donnell of Cable Television?
Posted by Noel Sheppard on March 26, 2007 - 00:19.
Lately it seems that HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” has become the place for left-wing politicians and media members to go on Friday evenings to say whatever disgraceful thing they want about the Bush administration without regard for accuracy or prudence.
Does that make it HBO’s answer to ABC’s farcical morning coffee klatch “The View,” and Bill Maher is suddenly just an intelligent version of Rosie O’Donnell with a Y-chromosome and better clothing?
The March 23 installment certainly suggested so, with the unabashed and unashamed host leading a herd of disgruntled liberals to slaughter conservatives much as Rosie now despicably does on almost a daily basis. In fact, Maher began this most recent episode with a monologue featuring ten out of eleven jokes about Bush, his family, the Administration, and seemingly any politician with an “R” next to his name.
Most disgracefully, the first josh of the evening actually mocked the First Lady (video available here):
Noel Sheppard's blog
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
About Me
- Unhypentated Canadian
- I lean to the right but I still have a heart and if I have a mission it is to respond to attacks on people not available to protect themselves and to point out the hypocrisy of the left at every opportunity.MY MAJOR GOAL IS HIGHLIGHT THE HYPOCRISY AND STUPIDITY OF THE LEFTISTS ON TORONTO CITY COUNCIL. Last word: In the final analysis this blog is a relief valve for my rants/raves.