Toronto Council Vote To Release Gardner Expressway Report

And for this I give them some credit but I don't understand why they are afraid to release the estimated costs. There is no question those running for office will make this matter part of their election platform but how can a voter make a value judgement without knowing what it is going to cost them in the coming years.

Councillors vote to make Gardiner report public

CTV.ca News Staff

City councillors have approved a motion to release a costly and secret report on the future of the Gardiner Expressway.

Councillors voted Monday night to have the $1 million report -- which has been hidden from them for more than two years -- made public.

City officials received the report from the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corp. in the summer of 2004, but the specifics have been kept confidential.

Mayor David Miller backed keeping the report secret, saying there were still funding questions at hand.

The report will be released Wednesday morning, CTV's Desmond Brown reported.

Councillors will get the full version, but the public copy will not contain the estimated costs.

The report details options for the busy expressway, including dismantling it, leaving it as is or tearing down parts of it.

The report is big. Miller said it will take 10 hours to make copies for all councillors.

Details contained in it could become a hot-button issue in the upcoming Nov. 13 municipal election.

Monday's decision by councillors followed loud complaints and pressure against the secrecy.

About 180,000 motorists use the Gardiner in and out of the city every day.

With a report from CTV's Desmond Brown

Voter Apathy Key Element In Municipal Election

With the power brokers coming out to support Jane Pittfield her chances of defeating Miller have greatly increased but voters north of St. Clair Avenue will have to get out and vote........

Can anyone defeat Mayor David Miller in the upcoming municipal election?

Yes.

82%

No.

18%

Click here to Vote for the next "Today's Question"

CFRB 1010 Poll

Behind The Scene Manipulation By Miller's Union Buddies

Monday, September 25, 2006

CUPE President Hides in Letter to Star

Political candidates are accountable to their electorate and are forced to be transparent or face wrath.
Union leaders are only accountable to union members, there is no expectation that they will be transparent, and they are are often not so.
This is the case in a letter this morning to The Star, in which a self-called "Toronto Hydro Worker" one "Bruno E. Silano" drops a load of inaccuracies on Mayor candidate, Jane Pitfield while lauding David Miller, the unionists buddy. To wit,
"The article concerning mayoral candidate Jane Pitfield's musings regarding the privatization of Toronto Hydro raises some very serious questions."
"What should also be of great concern to Toronto residents is Pitfield's backtracking response..."
"Mayor David Miller, on the other hand, understands the strategic importance of owning an electric utility."
"Miller knows this and that's why he's got my vote."

Any citizen is entitled to their opinion, and who they vote for. Mr. Silano, however is not just any citizen. He's President of Local One of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, and represents 1200 Hydro Workers. Not to mention that he is also a writer on the website for the Communist Party of Canada.

I can see why he feels the way he does.

posted by Tor Poli @ 9:25 AM

The Editor Speaks Out About Islamicfacism

And we see more and more examples everyday.......

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/09/25/060925192943.tqohhg8j.html

Nutballs destroying our freedom of speech and freedom of the press

Monday, September 25. 2006

Islamic Brownshirts

The Islamic Brownshirts are serving the same two purposes that Hitler's did. First, to intimidate people and separate them from their freedom to speak out against an ideology that aims to enslave them. Second, to legitimate the use of violence to punish anyone with whom they disagree. Someone who calls himself a "cleric" -- be it Moqtada al-Sadr or some radical imam in America -- has no more right to circumscribe our public debate or the Pope's speeches than did Hitler. Under the First Amendment, free speech still lives. In too many nations, including most of Old Europe, the Islamic Brownshirts have already killed it.

Italy and France surrendered preemptively. Spain fell when the Madrid train bombings caused its government to be defeated in an election held a day later. Britain, as Melanie Phillips has documented brilliantly in Londonistan, gave up free speech eagerly in favor of multiculturalism. The country that gave us the Magna Carta is now a place in which a street preacher can be fined about $500 for parading with a sign that says, "Stop immorality. Stop homosexuality. Stop lesbianism," but Muslim thug Abu Izzadeen (the former Trevor Brooks) is not spoken to rudely when he incites murder. When France fell in June 1940 Churchill said, "What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect the Battle of Britain is about to begin." Europe has surrendered to the Islamic Brownshirts. Their battle is over. Ours has begun.


WE ARE BEING TERRORIZED OUT of our rights to freedom of speech and freedom of the press. The Islamic Brownshirts are working feverishly to suppress any criticism of themselves and their ideology. Because the president has (for the moment, at least) fled this battlefield, we must fight on our own. To begin, we have to recognize, and speak out on, four ground truths.

Posted by Editor in USA at 18:16

This Couldn't Come At A More Appropriate Time

At least when it comes to municipal politics and the shroud of secrecy that is pervasive at Toronto City Hall........

Lobbying for your right to know

Sep. 26, 2006. 01:00 AM

This is an edited version of a speech Anne Kothawala, president and CEO of the Canadian Newspaper Association, is delivering to the Ontario Club today.

Candidate For Stupidest Robber Of The Year

TTC driver robbed of transfers

Sep. 26, 2006. 06:21 AM

LINDA NGUYEN

STAFF REPORTER

Toronto police are looking for a suspect after a TTC bus driver was robbed of his route’s transfers during rush hour Monday morning.

The man was driving his bus in the Ellesmere Rd. and Markham Rd. area in the city’s east end when a man boarded and pushed him into the driver’s window around 8:30 a.m.

The suspect then grabbed all the bus driver’s TTC transfers and took off, police said.

The suspect made his getaway by boarding another another TTC bus that was going westbound on Ellesmere Rd., they added.

The bus driver wasn’t injured during the attack.

Police are looking for a male, 20-22 years old, 5-foot-10 to 5-foot-11 weighing around 180 lbs.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-4300 or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS.

A Liberal Is A Liberal Is A Liberal.......

And the contribution to society of those below ground is probably greater than the ones above ground.........

Voters Getting Shafted Once Again By Miller

If my tax dollars paid for it then I have every right to see the contents and to see the contents before the candidates go out on the hustings.....what are miller, mosco, mihevic, et al scared of?

Miller's legacy of secrecy After preaching transparency, he gave us the opposite on garbage, subway cars and the Gardiner

By Sue-Ann Levy

It didn't take His Blondness and his good socialist soldiers long yesterday before they lowered the cone of silence on yet another potential controversy that just might drive a stake into their re-election chances.

Mere hours into their final council meeting of the term, councillors voted 24-16 to circulate a $1-million report on the future of the Gardiner Expressway -- but amongst themselves only, not to the public.

Little wonder. The report may suggest tearing down the elevated portion of the Gardiner from Yonge St. east to the DVP and replacing it with an eight-10-lane arterial road -- a move that could take seven years to complete, cost heaven knows how many millions of dollars the city can ill afford and add to the city's gridlock.

Faye Lyons, government relations specialist for the CAA, called yesterday's move "extremely, extremely unfortunate." She says residents of this city have "every right" to know the options being explored for the Gardiner's future before election day on Nov. 13.

"It is contentious and they don't want to deal with that now," Lyons said, suggesting Miller and the gang may even dream up to tolls to pay for the Gardiner's dismantling.

There's a chance the report could be released by week's end. But why should anyone be surprised with this latest sample of socialist secrecy? Why would we want Miller to actually defend his stance before the election? Best to run for cover and urge voters to choose his blond locks over those of opponent Jane Pitfield.

http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Levy_Sue-Ann/2006/09/26/pf-1899217.htm

l

More Hyprocricy From Miller

His comments that people who questioned the improper tendering for subway cars should be ashamed I have to wonder why he doesn't feel ashamed for not fighting for the jobs of people at the aircraft manufacturer in Downsview. He is fighting the expansion of Porter Airlines tooth and nail and if he is successful, although I doubt it, it would me fewer jobs in Toronto.

Subway car deal OK'd by council

Thunder Bay build site

By ROB GRANATSTEIN, CITY HALL BUREAU

Mayor David Miller said the politicians who fought to take the TTC's subway car deal away from Thunder Bay should be ashamed.

"I'm shocked that there's even an argument about this," Miller told a crowd of workers last night.

"I think it's shameful to play politics with people's families, lives and jobs," he said. "Subway money should be invested in the families of our province.

"It's important for us to support Ontario businesses when we can, particularly with this plant because it has a 40-year history of building Toronto's subway cars," Miller said.

After his speech, Miller went inside and helped roll the $710-million subway car deal through council last night.

City council voted 25-18 in favour of awarding Bombardier the contract for 234 subway cars. The company will build them in Thunder Bay.

Almost half of the northern community's city council showed up to watch the debate.

The deal became a lightning rod of controversy when TTC commissioners decided to sole-source the contract to Bombardier rather then send the huge deal out to competitive bids. TTC staff had recommended going to the open market, but were overruled by the politicians.

GERMAN FIRM INTERESTED

German manufacturer Siemens had shown interest in bidding on the subway trains, but when the TTC learned the cars would be built in China, the politicians decided to negotiate only with Bombardier.

The cars will have 51% Canadian value. The contract will employ 300 people in Thunder Bay for five years and generate 2,485 direct and indirect jobs in Ontario over the life of the contract.

Many councillors worried the city wasn't getting the best deal because it didn't go to the open market.

"If we spend more than we have to in one area, it squeezes out other areas," said budget chairman David Soknacki. "We only have the facts of the TTC and on the other hand the facts of a disgruntled competitor."

The TTC has bought its subway cars from the Thunder Bay plant for more than 40 years.

Three Chances To Show McGinty His Future

And how bleak it is going to become........

3 votes possible as MPPs quit in T.O. area

By ANTONELLA ARTUSO

People in three Toronto-area provincial ridings could be asked to vote twice over the next year.

Two Liberal MPPs have called it quits and a Conservative MPP is poised to follow suit.

Finance Minister Greg Sorbara said it will be up to Premier Dalton McGuinty to decide whether he will call a byelection or wait until the general election in October 2007 to fill the vacancies.

"I can't imagine a circumstance where there wouldn't be byelections," Sorbara said.

Liberal MPP Tony Wong announced yesterday that he is resigning.

The Markham MPP is planning to run for regional council after one term at the provincial level.

"This is a personal and family decision to return to local politics," Wong said in a statement released yesterday.

Liberal cabinet minister Joe Cordiano, who represented the riding of York South-Weston, has already vacated his position.

PC Leader John Tory suggested Liberals are "rushing for the exits."

But Tory also confirmed speculation that Conservative MPP Cam Jackson will leave soon to run for mayor of Burlington.

Sorbara said it's not always possible for politicians to wait out their terms before leaving office.

Any byelection would likely be called after Christmas, he said.

If You Can't Get Down To The Square On Friday

At least wear something red to support that you support our troops.

Get on the bus and support our troops

By JOE WARMINGTON

Like a Greyhound bus travelling all the way to Kabul, people are jumping on board a big rally for the troops.

I can't wait for Friday when, if yesterday was any indication, we are in for one heck of a turnout at Yonge-Dundas Square at noon.

One week after they did it on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, we'll have our own Red Friday in the Big Smoke. It will be an important message to the soldiers that this city is with them. All you have to do is wear red to show your support for the men and women over in Afghanistan.

It doesn't hurt to say thank you to them every once in a while. Toronto will do that Friday. The response has been incredible and it is shaping up to be a non-partisan event.

For example, AM640 Toronto Radio jumped all over it and had me on John Oakley's show and ran with regular news reports with Stephanie Smyth. Minutes later, Steve Kowch at CFRB 1010 e-mailed asking how they can help. Soon after, I was on with Paul and Carol Mott in the afternoon and I hear Spider Jones and Mark Elliott are supportive.

So are the cops.

"If it's for the troops, we are there 100%," said Chief Bill Blair, who provided us with some contacts.

Who says you can't get things done in this town?

So the big question is, what is going to happen and how are we going to make it happen? The logistics are mind-boggling. But we are keeping our eye on the main prize --which is to send a picture of a sea of red from Toronto to the soldiers. The more people who come, the better the picture.

After my Saturday column saying we were doing this, I received a call from an eager young special assistant to Councillor Bill Saundercook named Justin Van Dette. "I want to be involved," he said. "I am so proud to do something like this. I mean this is our country and this is patriotism at its best."

Glad to have you along for the ride, Justin. Get ready for a busy week. If you want to add something to this event, feel free to e-mail Justin at jvandet@toronto.ca.

NEAT IDEAS

We are working on a program and have neat ideas but very little time. There are so many suggestions of how we can make this one of Toronto's finest hours. But there are roadblocks. Our troops, who never complain, overcome far worse every day.

One small problem we have is the square was already booked for a promotional event. The nice thing about a public square, though, is we will be able to share it.

Greyhound Canada has for months been scheduled to promote a "funky" new bus to attract young travellers and the actual bus and some dancers will be there. We are hoping they don't mind adding a few thousand people in red to their event.

We're pretty sure Greyhound won't mind because there's few companies who know this country, and its people, as well as they do.

I'll never forget when I went out west on Greyhound a few years back during the federal election. They travel everywhere. Small towns and big. The same kind of places the troops come from.

Something was in the works last night and I'll have more for you tomorrow and when I appear on Craig Bromell's show on AM640 today.

A press release tomorrow from Saundercook's office will also have more details. This, by the way, is an event that is sponsored by no one and will host no banners. Although I am a Toronto Sun guy, I really want to make sure the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, National Post and all the TV stations and ethnic media feel they can get involved and cover it too.

This is everybody's story. The only gain on the agenda is the morale of our military people. "The only thing being promoted here are the troops and the Canadian flag," said Justin.

Well said.

Meanwhile, we are trying to get together a program. No matter what, it will be grassroots. Light on political speeches and more on ones from the heart. Everybody is invited, everybody can come. It's not about us. It's about them.

So get ready over there in Afghanistan because a bunch of Torontonians in red are about to get on the bus to support you Friday.

Toronto Mayorality Race Takes On Real Momentum

With two big hitters, Grafstein and Goldfarb, coming out and supporting Jane Pittfield.

Mayoral candidate Jane Pitfield walks with two new campaign members, Liberal Senator Jerry Grafstein, right, and political strategist Martin Goldfarb, outside city hall.

Grafstein backs Pitfield in mayoral race

CTV.ca News Staff

Coun. Jane Pitfield's mayoral campaign got a big boost Monday, as Liberal Senator Jerry Grafstein announced he is throwing his support behind the high-profile candidate.

"I'll be the honorary chairman. I'll spend all my talents and efforts to help Jane to put together a really terrific team," Grafstein said in a news scrum outside city hall.

The long-time senator hinted last week he was thinking of throwing his hat into the mayor's race, but instead chose to back Pitfield.

"Quite frankly, I didn't want to divide the vote," he told reporters.

"Jane has run a really tough campaign. She has done very, very well, and if I entered into the race it would have been a split vote, and I don't think that was in the interest."

Grafstein said Pitfield has shown the "doggedness" needed to be mayor, and "she has been right on the right issues."

He said Mayor David Miller has failed the city during his tenure, especially on the waterfront.

"The mayor has not anywhere come close to the expectations that people had of him when he ran," said Grafstein.

Pitfield, Miller's top competitor, will also get the expertise from political strategist Martin Goldfarb.

"There is a smell at city hall that does not pass an honourable smell test," Goldfarb said alongside Grafstein and Pitfield.

"The city is not tidy. It was once a source of genuine pride."

Grafstein is probably best known for organizing the 2003 Rolling Stones concert in Toronto after the SARS outbreak.

He said he will have no trouble raising the $1 million needed to run a successful mayoral campaign.

Pitfield last year decided to run for the city's top job last year in the Nov. 13 municipal election.

Nominations for the job of mayor close on Friday.

With a report from CTV's Desmond Brown

An Example Of Canadian Leadership Shown At UN

http://www.rightpoint.org/harper_un.htm

It will be worthwhile to read Terry Pearson's comments about the positive message put forward by Stephan Harper during his speech at the UN. The general consensus from the media was that Harper served Canada well. Terry also, in all fairness, gives the "opposition's" comments. Once again Jack Layton's comments illustrates the pollyanna style of leadership that he offers.

Why Worry? It Happened In Nigeria!

And of course there will be people who will rationalize the action of the Islamicfascists saying they were justified because of a "comment" made by a Christian women even though the comment was in response to an insult about Jesus.......

Religion of peace' followers torch Christian churches

Sunday, September 24. 2006

Hundreds seek refuge as mobs riot over alleged 'insult' to Muhammad

Nearly a dozen Christian churches have been burned and hundreds of people forced to seek refuge in a police station by Muslims who rioted through the Nigerian city of Dutse, and they blamed their actions on a "comment" made by a Christian woman.

Posted by Editor in Nutballs at 22:54

Bob Rae To Lead Federal Liberals

That has to be the ultimate oxymoron. Rae & Lead. If it happens it illustrates how out of touch with the real world the liberal delegates are......don't they remember how well he led the NDP during his tenure as Premier of Ontario?

Rae poised to be top Liberal

Ignatieff trails in 2nd-ballot support
Ontario, Quebec members surveyed

Sep. 25, 2006. 05:26 AM

LINDA DIEBEL

STAFF REPORTER

Bob Rae has emerged as the leading candidate in the Liberal leadership race, according to a poll of party members in Ontario and Quebec released today by the Toronto Star and La Presse.According to the poll, conducted by EKOS Research, MP Michael Ignatieff (Etobicoke-Lakeshore) is in a dead heat with Rae among rank-and-file Liberals as first choice for leader in the two provinces, expected to have more than half the delegates to the leadership convention in Montreal at the end of November. But Rae, former NDP premier of Ontario, appears poised to gain strength on subsequent ballots."Among supporters of the seven other candidates in the race — those likely to fall off the ballot — Rae is the favoured second choice over Ignatieff by a margin of nearly two-to-one," said Frank Graves, president of EKOS Research. "The race is far from over, but Rae has a significant edge over the other candidates at the moment," said Graves, adding Rae has "a non-trivial advantage."

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_PrintFriendly&c=Article&cid=1159135811148&call_pageid=970599119419

He Tried to Bribe Teachers And It Didn't Work

So I have to wonder how McGinty/Smitherman will try to pacify doctors? Possibly Smitherman will resign to go after the leadership of the Green Party. This crisis is life threatening.....

MDs refuse emergency work

Sep. 25, 2006. 05:27 AM

A crisis is brewing in Ontario's hospitals as doctors are increasingly refusing to staff emergency departments due to lousy working conditions and indifferent pay. Ian Urquhart reports.

Mayor Miller's Campaign Platform

It is just more of what he has been giving voters for the last three years.......

Garbage problem just won't go away

Toronto still vulnerable, experts say
Recent deal just fuels political debate

Sep. 25, 2006. 05:31 AM

KERRY GILLESPIE

QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU

The environment minister has brokered a deal to keep the Michigan border open to residential garbage until 2010 and Toronto's mayor has found an Ontario landfill to buy.Hooray! The garbage crisis is over.Or is it?Those deals cover only about one-third of all the garbage that leaves this province bound for landfills south of the border.Ontario's businesses, restaurants, schools and institutions truck 3 million tonnes of waste a year to the United States, most of it to Michigan."A lot of people haven't made the connection that it is really their waste, it's just not deposited at their home. It's their lunch at the office," said Rob Cook, president of the Ontario Waste Management Association. Michigan residents, who have been fighting for years to stop being Ontario's dumping ground, are unlikely to be satisfied with a one-third reduction of trucks over four years and future attempts to close the border to trash are guaranteed, insiders say.Toronto's pending purchase of the Green Lane landfill, near London, Ont., to use as the city's dump when it has to stop shipping to Michigan, may also have unintended consequences.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1159135811027&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&t=TS_Home

Citizens 1 Mayor 0

When it comes to fighting crime.......

March for a safer city

West-end residents hit the street 'disgusted with the hookers, pimps and crackheads'
A small but ardent band of west-end residents marched defiantly through their neighbourhood with police yesterday in a show of solidarity against petty street crime blighting the area.

Gang shootout at Regent Park

An apparent gunbattle between rival gangs left some Regent Park residents feeling uneasy last night.

Freedom Train To United States

Congratulations to Darrell Anderson and I am sure many Canadians would be willing to fund transportation for him and the rest of the cowards who ran away to Canada rather than meet their voluntary commitment to military service.

Deserter heads back to U.S. for 'closure'

By NATALIE PONA, TORONTO SUN

Though army deserter Darrell Anderson is going home to face American authorities, his surrender doesn't mean he's abandoning his fight against the war in Iraq, he says.

"To go back and do my prison sentence would just give me freedom," Anderson said yesterday. "I just want to get in my uniform, go to trial and stand there and tell them I won't participate in their war."

Anderson, 24, is slated to return to the U.S. next Saturday. He sought refugee status in Canada two years ago after he was wounded during a seven-month stint in Iraq.

"I couldn't find just reason to die over there for this war or kill for it," he said.

Now he wants to face the consequences of his decision to move on with his life, Anderson said.

His American lawyer and family have been in talks with U.S. officials about his surrender, he said. Anderson faces a less-than-honourable discharge, a prison term or dishonourable discharge.

'SITTING IN LIMBO'

Anderson has been living in uncertainty since his lawyer missed the deadline to file a refugee claim.

"I can't spend the rest of my life sitting in limbo. I need closure," he said.

While in Toronto, he's been working odd jobs and relies on the generosity of Canadian friends and help from his family in the U.S.

Anderson married this year. His Canadian wife, Gail Green, said she plans to follow him to Kentucky while the matter gets sorted out.

Thanks Mayor Miller.....Another $1000 Hit

That I can't afford.

Ban eyed on downspouts tied to sewer

By ROB GRANATSTEIN, CITY HALL BUREAU

Toronto politicians are set to put a huge drain on your wallet if a plan to make downspout disconnection mandatory moves ahead this week.

The city is considering forcing every house with an eavestrough feeding rainwater directly to the sewer system to sever that connection.

The city is offering to pay half, with a maximum payment of $300.

"It's another tax," said Councillor Mike Del Grande. "It affects every homeowner in Toronto. Once this gets out to the public they will be furious."

It's estimated 50% of houses can be disconnected for less than $600. The current program, where the city will do the disconnection for free, costs the city $1,100 on average.

"I don't think it's fair to throw it on the taxpayer,"said Councillor Bill Saundercook. "Now the hammer comes down after the city's been doing a very lackadaisical job."

Toronto faces a big problem as the sewers are nearing capacity and often overflow after a storm.

Instead of going into the soft ground, rainwater runs from roofs, streets, sidewalks and driveways into the sewers.

Toronto, especially in the older parts of the city, has a combined storm and sewage sewer system. After a heavy rainfall the storm sewers overflow into the sanitary sewers that then go into the creeks and lake.

It also ends up flooding basements in the city.

At its current rate of disconnecting 2,300 houses a year, it would take 22 years for the city to hit its target of 40% of houses being cut off. That would cost Toronto $30 million.

If the mandatory disconnection program came in, the $300 rebate would cost the city about $75 million over 10 years, but 80% of homes would be off the sewer system.

If the city were to pay the full amount to disconnect the 250,000 homes needed, it would cost about $163 million.

"Anything we can take out of the sewers and do over land is worth doing," said Councillor Shelley Carroll, chairman of the city's works committee. "If the city continues to grow at the projected rate, we're going to have to take significant and expensive measures."

She expects the plan will be sent out for community consultation before being implemented. It's expected implementation will take a decade.

ROB.GRANATSTEIN@TOR.SUNPUB.COM