No. 1 On Toronto City Hall Playlist

"March Of The Clowns"

Proposed Meter Parking Hike May Add More Misery For Drivers
Tuesday May 1, 2007

Driving can be a real hassle these days, especially in a big city like Toronto.

The streets are usually congested enough to induce varying levels and anxiety and rage, gas prices can skyrocket with little or no warning, and when you finally decide you've had enough of it all, it's nearly impossible to find a parking spot.

And in Toronto, City Hall is even looking into a plan to jack up the prices on parking meters, making the whole driving experience even less tolerable than it already is.

The plan would see meter parking costs rise an extra 50 cents an hour, and while it doesn't seem like an exorbitant amount, for some drivers it's pretty much the last straw.

"I've already moved out to 905 for the simple reason that it's too expensive to drive. It's too expensive to park," barked one angry road warrior.

Toronto has 19,000 metered parking spots and the ones downtown are the most expensive --- up to $3 an hour.

And while the plan may have drivers seeing red, it has city officials seeing green.

"(It will bring in) millions," said Toronto centre-Rosedale Coun. Kyle Rae. "I can't remember what the number is, something like 6 million."

The city already makes $35 million every year from the metered spots, but defends the hike by pointing out that this is the first increase since 1999.

"In our most expensive area, it's going to be $3.50, so I think we're pretty competitive," Rae adds.

Non-Spending Controversy Flares At City Hall
Tuesday May 1, 2007

Taxpayers hate the way politicians spend their money.

And now it turns out some politicians also hate the way their colleagues spend their cash.

But it's not in the way you'd think.

At least it looks that way at Toronto City Hall.

In the topsy-turvy world that few of us can penetrate, some city councillors have demanded others be placed under investigation for not spending enough of their annual budget.

Members of the city's executive committee want a probe into the spending - or non-spending - habits of two of its most penurious members, Doug Holyday and Rob Ford.

Councillors are provided with a yearly stipend of $53,100 to spend however they need to carry out their duties. It can include everything from stationery to paper clips.

But Holyday's list of expenditures for 2006 only totaled $1,471, while the penny-pinching Ford didn't spend a single dime.

Now other council members want to know how they're managing to fork over so little while still getting everything done.

Ward 7's Georgio Mammoliti is behind the fight to discover the cheapskates' secrets, wondering if they're actually spending their own money on the necessities - an act that technically isn't within the rules of the city's Code of Conduct for councillors.

Ford contends the city loses nothing if he pays his own way and his re-election record proves voters agree.

He insists he's proud of those 'penny-pinching' nicknames. "Absolutely. If that's what they want to call me."

Mammoliti understands why his crusade would seem odd to taxpayers, but he contends there's a good reason for it.

"Some feel there's third party donations coming into a councillor's office and we want to know whether or not that's the case," he answers.

So how does Ford explain his lack of expenditures for the bare necessities? Two sets of two words: good planning and good deals.

"I've been elected 7 years. When I first got elected, I bought 10,000 business cards and 10,000 letterhead and envelopes. And I still have them."

How do constituents feel about all this back-and-forth over money?

"I think that possibly maybe he's being prudent about what he's spending," suggests Janet Turner.

"If he wants office equipment, he should use his own money," feels Debbie Leon.
A vote on whether an auditor should take a closer look at the books of both men will be taken at the end of May.

But Ford maintains he's got nothing to hide and welcomes any internal investigation into his spending. Or lack of it.

"There's nothing there," he proclaims. "Investigate what? Zero. Zero"
He believes his colleagues should move on, worry about the real business of the city - and keep their nose out of his.

Holyday is on vacation until next week. There's no immediate word on where he is - or who paid for his trip.

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