Is It A Coincidence

That of the three of the biggest spenders on city council are also Comrade Miller's biggest supporters (bum boys) and the third is getting ready to spread his political wings. Personally there is nothing illegal with their sucking from the public teat but I think it just highlights their lack of concern about how they spend the taxpayer $$$.

Hey, big spenders! Mammoliti on top of council's expense ledger, spending almost his entire budget by October

By SUE-ANN LEVY, TORONTO SUN

A report on council office spending as of Sept. 30 -- to be made public today -- shows Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti leads the pack by a country mile.

According to the report, the notorious big spender -- who earlier this year initiated a petty review of two of his colleagues for spending too little -- used up $50,499 of his $53,100 office budget during the first nine months of the year. That leaves Mammoliti with a mere $2,100 in his taxpayer-funded expense (slush) fund to get through the Christmas shmoozing season.

By contrast, the two councillors who've been at the centre of the council witch-hunt (my words) -- Doug Holyday and Rob Ford -- were yet again at the bottom end of the spending heap. Holyday used up $1,882 to Sept. 30 and Ford was listed as spending $1,123.

Mammoliti didn't return a half-dozen phone calls to his office yesterday.

But documents obtained earlier this year by the Toronto Sun through a freedom of information (FOI) request show after Mammoliti requested reimbursement of $8,231 in 2006 for a slew of purchases -- which included a $1,699 Sony video camera, a $1,099 digital camera and $782.90 for a staff lunch for 12 -- city finance officials "red-flagged" his claim because he hadn't first obtained three quotes or fully filled out his luncheon receipt. The councillor was reimbursed anyway after he authorized the claim with his own signature.

Holyday said the bulk of his expense charges to date relate to the decision by council in June -- again led by Mammoliti -- to bill both he and Ford for their use of common touchdown space at the Etobicoke Civic Centre.

'PLAYING BY THE RULES'

He added that the auditor-general's report -- which he's seen and is due to be released at the next executive committee meeting -- will say that he's "playing by the rules" set for council office budgets. He said the A-G will also say Ford should be submitting a "paper trail" of invoices, even if he uses his own money for his office expenses.

"I expect to be fully vindicated and so will Rob ... even if he should be submitting his bills," he said.

But Ford insisted he didn't spend a "dime" of taxpayers' money so far this year, that the office charges are "illegal" and that he doesn't even use the tiny touchdown space in Etobicoke, meeting with city staff in the boardroom instead.

He was also defiant about not submitting any invoices for "his own personal money" that he uses towards his office.

Holyday said Mammoliti's expense tally to date comes as "no surprise" given his attitude towards tax dollars.

"He thinks there's an unlimited supply and he's going to get his share no matter what," said Holyday, who added that the entire tally of expenses just proves that councillors keep spending "as though there's no tomorrow" despite the city's fiscal crisis.

The documents also show Coun. Michael Walker gave $4,925 in donations to 12 groups during the first nine months of the year.

Walker told me that includes funding assistance to the Church of the Transfiguration for its park, the Yorkminister Park Meals on Wheels program and a garden for Montgomery Place.

"I'm proud of it ... to support the community any way I can," he said, suggesting he has 26 years in politics and his constituents wouldn't interpret his donations as trying to buy votes.

'BORRRING'

Coun. Sandra Bussin, who gave $3,295 in donations to community groups up to Sept. 30, laughed when initially contacted for more details, calling my request, "Borrring."

She said she supports at least four sports teams to the tune of $600 each -- who each wear shirts sporting "Bussin Bruins" and "Bussin Blue Jays" to name two.

Holyday sees the use (or mis-use) of donations quite differently, as do I.

"To me it's blatant vote-buying ... I don't think councillors or taxpayers should be covering donations to community groups," he said. "It's totally wrong and people doing that should be ashamed of themselves."

BIG VS. LITTLE SPENDERS

Which councillors spent the most and least of their $53,100 office budgets to Sept. 30:

MOST

1. Giorgio Mammoliti $50,499.00

2. Joe Mihevc 40,485.00

3. Adam Giambrone 40,395.71

4. Glenn De Baeremaeker 36,356.00

5. John Parker 31,810.00

LEAST

1. Rob Ford $1,123.00

2. Doug Holyday 1,882.00

3. Frances Nunziata 2,242.00

4. Howard Moscoe 6,420.78

5. Cliff Jenkins 6,919.69