Saturday, February 06, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Pontification By The Media And Beauracrats...
TTC 's great election overhaul
The TTC’s failure to communicate: Editorial
You are correct it is tough to terminate a union worker. You have to have a pretty good case such as theft. By the time the termination getsx through the provincial labour Board the employee is hired back with back pay.
However, we can and should terminate any non union "manager" who is not supervising our employees as they are paid to do.
Lets start there, Then lets take the union grievances and make them stick to their contractual obligations.
As for council the way the race looks its going to be staus quo at city hall....sad to say
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Calling Councilors "Crybabies" Is An Insult...
...to "babies (a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk) and elevates them beyond their projected intelligence and demeanor.
Crybabies can’t admit error: Levy
Taking the high road would have meant that, after reopening the issue at council, as they did Wednesday, they would have quietly voted to rescind the payment to Heaps and been done with it — recognizing they were facing a lawsuit by the Toronto Party for their Dec. 7 decision.
(The payout was no longer an issue to Heaps himself. Bowing to weeks of mounting pressure, he finally decided Monday not to take it.)
But not this bunch of spoiled children.
They were unrepentant, uncompromising and downright nasty in an effort to prove they were right.
They voted 37-0 to receive the original motion instead of clearly overturning it — leaving everyone, including Toronto Party co-founder Stephen Thiele, scratching their heads as to the implications for their lawsuit.
“We’ll have to take a look at what that means, exactly,” he said.
Thirty-three councillors also backed a plan by Coun. Karen Stintz to look at creating a voluntary insurance fund to protect candidates running for election — even though city solicitor Anna Kinastowski said they’d already looked into the possibility and it is not feasible.
Some councillors didn’t even have the guts to sit in on that part of the meeting, claiming a conflict of interest for being named in the Toronto Party lawsuit — even though Kinastowski said days ago there was no conflict.
Mayoralty candidate Giorgio Mammoliti was conspicuous in his absence, as was Howard Moscoe, Maria Augimeri and Paula Fletcher (who moved the Dec. 7 motion).
Mayor David Miller set the tone for the debate by attempting to bully Kinastowski into admitting her legal opinion — that council was breaking the City of Toronto Act, the Municipal Elections Act and case law by opting to pay Heaps — was not shared by other lawyers working for the city.
Apparently satisfied that he’d reduced her to a pulp (which he didn’t), he left the chamber.
But the mayor was only warming up.
He came back to his seat to paint Coun. Heaps, his loyal NDP follower, as a hero.
He told council that Heaps was a “decent, ordinary man” who ran for office against a “powerful political machine” and in the final days of the election circulated a Globe and Mail article that “took a little poke” at his opponent.
The mayor said Heaps was sued for libel — by someone who lost the election and had a “vendetta” — and was subsequently hung out to dry by council.
“We have a duty to protect the people who win ... and are subject to a campaign of harassment,” he said, getting vigorous applause from his acolytes when he was through.
As if the mayor hadn’t impugned the reputation of Heaps’ opponent, Michelle Berardinetti (who narrowly lost by 89 votes) enough, Gord Perks took a few more punches.
“I’m disappointed Coun. Heaps has too much integrity to take what we’ve offered him,” he said.
I’m surprised they didn’t nail themselves to the cross after they spoke.
The truth is, Heaps lost the lawsuit and was forced to not only issue an apology to his opponent (admitting his actions may have had an impact on the election) but to pay her a $20,000 settlement.
As for the candidate protection fund, I think they’re all a bunch of crybabies.
When I ran for MPP in St. Paul’s last August, my opponent put out three pieces of literature attacking my writing and my so-called anti-human rights stance (even though I’m openly gay!).
I laughed, recognizing it was part of the political game.
As Frances Nunziata said, any candidate who runs takes a risk.
“If you feel intimidated, don’t run,” she told council.
Yes, do us a favour. Don’t run.
sue-ann.levy@sunmedia.ca
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Not Good News.....
Sunday, January 03, 2010
As A Team They Might Get an -F Grade...
...not withstanding their individual grades.
City Hall report cards are in
Candidates will start registering to run in the 2010 Toronto election tomorrow. What better time to look at the incumbents? From a distance this council deserves a D-. But the Sun's Sue-Ann Levy, Bryn Weese and Rob Granatstein get their markers out and go through every councillor's work at City Hall.
The Majority Of People Honor Symbols..
..the flag, the cross, the hockey stick, etc. etc.
Show us the money!
Sure it's symbolic, but a pay freeze for our city politicians would be a good resolution
In his first act of defiance -- or shall we say chutzpah -- would-be mayor Joe Pantalone is adamant he won't be freezing his salary this year.
In fact, council's tree emperor and deputy mayor -- who says his plans to run for mayor are "really, really solid" -- told me late last week the question of whether or not to take the cost-of-living increase due councillors this month is not a "real issue" in this year's municipal election campaign.
"I think we should address real issues rather than symbolic ones," he says. "The question of salaries is not relevant ... it makes a good sound bite but doesn't solve anything."
He believes the "real issue" is the city's revenue sources and what the next mayor has to do to make the city work.
Now don't get me started on what Panta-looney and the rest of the Millerites have "really, really" done with the ever-increasing flow of tax money into Socialist Silly Hall. For this bunch, all the revenue sources in the world would never be enough.
Of course the move to take a salary freeze is symbolic. I said so last year while pushing for councillors not to take their 2.4% pay hike on the eve of their negotiations with CUPE 416 and 79.
Mayor David Miller showed no leadership on the issue and we all know that the recalcitrance of Pantalone and Co. (they refused to give up their pay hike) didn't exactly contribute to goodwill during the 39-day strike.
If inflation is running at around 1%, as it was in November, the most councillors could expect to add to their $99,153.60 salaries is about $1,000 this year -- which would see them top out at just slightly more than $100,000. They'd save about $50,000 at most with such a move, which is mere pennies in the grand scheme of a $9.2-billion operating budget.
That said, I would hope that with an election and a $500-million-plus shortfall looming they'd have the gumption not to take their pay hike this year.
Councillors can call it their New Year's resolution -- one that will show they're at least prepared to take the lead and do their part to cut a little fat.
That's why mayoralty candidate Rocco Rossi has already pledged to cut his salary by 10% and freeze it for the full term should he be successful in his bid.
"Forgoing the increase won't solve the fiscal crisis on its own ... but the example is critical," he says, noting he feels councillors should follow suit by not taking their pay hike this year.
JUST A SYMBOL
(For the record, Rossi's opponent George Smitherman told me when asked recently about whether he'd consider lowering his salary by 10% that "people need more than symbols." In other words, no.)
But Coun. Adam Giambrone, who is "very seriously considering" a mayoralty run as well (he'll decide by month's end), said he won't be taking any salary increase this year and thinks all of council should do the same.
"The increase will be basically negligible," he reasons.
Coun. Case Ootes, head of council's Responsible Government Group, says he won't be leading the charge for a pay freeze as he did last year. But he expects not to take his wage hike.
"I think it's appropriate that we do freeze our salaries in recognition of the fact that there are people who have lost their jobs and their pensions," he says.
Councillors Doug Holyday and Frances Nunziata agree.
"It doesn't matter how much it is ... we should be setting an example," says Nunziata. "But some councillors are greedy ... they think they're worth $1 million and feel they can go to the doors and justify it."
SUE-ANN.LEVY@SUNMEDIA.CA
Saturday, November 28, 2009
The Fish Always Stinks From The Head Downward....
Giambrone, Mihevic....
James: Wheels falling off the TTC
November 28, 2009
Royson James
But after a most disastrous month for transit, there is not much sympathy on the buses and trains and streetcars for a system that too often fails to anticipate the most elementary foul-ups and address them with dexterity and minimum fuss.
In fact, commuters have grown increasingly edgy, with cause. Management and political leadership just seem to be perpetually a step behind. Like the Dallas Cowboys' cornerback Terence Newman, the TTC has the speed, provides good coverage but somehow manages to mistime a jump, slip and fall, and fail at critical times.
Much of the negative news on the transit agenda today is probably unavoidable – bad luck, bad social conditions in the city, reduced funding from the province.
It is not the TTC's fault that a worker, not from the TTC, punctures the concrete casing around its subway tunnel, shutting down homebound trains for an evening.
But must it be so inept in informing riders – and so callous in not accounting for refunding of fares when people were allowed to go into the station, drop fares, only to find there was no service?
For years, TTC officials refused to release statistics on suicides from people jumping in front of trains. The Star doesn't report on suicides, except in unusual circumstances. Such reports may encourage those considering an attempt.
Still, in the midst of all its problems this week, the TTC was forced to release suicide statistics showing an average of one episode per month. There were 22 jumpers in 2007, with 13 deaths.
Meanwhile, bus passengers are being shot by stray bullets, as are transit operators.
The TTC can't be blamed for the bad men in our city. But it surely is harmed by the effects of their deeds. Already, there are transit cops on the subway.
In fact, the presence of transit security hasn't been a welcome sight for many commuters, again caught up in another TTC surprise – crowd control measures that have disrupted commuting routes at the Bloor station and infuriated many.
Toss in the irritatingly high fare hike, starting Jan. 3, and the embarrassing screw-up over the ban on token sales to prevent hoarding and the reintroduction of paper tickets, and the anger mounts.
The TTC is well-practised at raising fares. Yet they bungled this one, too. We expected fares to go up in 2009, but the mayor decided not to – a bad move that has forced a much higher than normal increase for 2010. If fares had been hiked 10 cents in 2009, you would need only 10 cents, maybe 15 cents more in 2010.
With that kind of small, incremental increase, few commuters hoard tokens, as they started doing with a 25-cent hike pending.
Transit officials know about hoarding. It's happened before. They should have anticipated it this time, especially with tokens being the only single-fare medium.
Instead, we have chaos at the turnstiles, huge lineups, no tokens, no tickets and angry riders.
Into this milieu, TTC chair Adam Giambrone launched a television show this month, On the Rocket. It seemed like a great idea.
Planning to run for mayor, Giambrone was getting free air time to practise the art of political stumping, and sell his attributes.
Now it's blowing up in his face. Overheard on the subway: "Before that Giambrone guy tries to run the city, he should learn how to run the transit system."
Ouch!Tuesday, August 04, 2009
A Group Not Known For Being Publiciity Shy!
Strike-vote no-shows shirked their duties
Councillor Pam McConnell flew in to represent her Ward 28 Toronto Centre-Rosedale constituents from her Florida vacation Friday to cast her "yes" vote on ending the strike.
Where were Gloria Lindsay Luby (Ward 4, Etobicoke Centre), Kyle Rae (Ward 27, Toronto Centre-Rosedale), Giorgio Mammoliti (Ward 7, York West), John Filion (Ward 23, Willowdale) and Howard Moscoe (Ward 15, Eglinton-Lawrence)?
They were marked absent from the most important vote of Mayor David Miller's tenure! Without an appropriate excuse, this is highly disrespectful to both the constituents and democracy itself.
What are they for?
If you are one of the tens of thousands of Torontonians not represented Friday and want to hold them to account, call them today: Mammoliti's number is 416-395-6401, Filion's 416-395-6411, Rae's 416-392-7903, Lindsay Luby's 416-392-1369 and Moscoe's 416-392-4027.
Perhaps ask them what it is they think they do for a living?
Meanwhile, Ward 39 Councillor Mike Del Grande made an excellent point yesterday.
"We need an accounting of all the costs and all the savings of this strike."
TRANSPARENCY
And that includes how much money was spent on workers' "double- and even triple-time" this weekend. He will put forward a motion this week. As the only known chartered accountant on council -- one who isn't on any of the committees where such a skill could prove useful -- Del Grande is looking for transparency.
He, too, wants to know if, and how much, McConnell's plane ticket cost the taxpayer, why unionized workers were clearing garbage at a slower pace by hand instead of by machine and just how the city is going to cover next year's $700-million budget shortfall? Now you know why the socialists don't want the accountant around!
Del Grande is also curious about the silent six and agrees that when you're the boss of an organization, and when you're talking about tens of millions of dollars to be added to the taxpayers' bill, you had better have a good excuse for being absent.
For me, having a booked vacation during a month council doesn't normally meet doesn't cut it because elected public service requires sacrifice and being around when the chips are down and decisions difficult. When the city is on strike, the management doesn't get holidays!
NO EXCUSE
A so-called conflict-of-interest is also an unacceptable absentee excuse since such conflicts are recorded and the member is still at council taking notes for the constituents.
Who knows how this 21-17 vote could have come out!
Other than Cesar Palacio, who did have a personal tragedy, unless there's a justified reason, I believe the five should immediately resign! What vote in the future could possibly be more important?
True, there were some surprising votes -- Councillor Norm Kelly broke ranks with the Miller inside club and voted against settling. Councillor Doug Holyday shocked the opposition he helped lead to vote with the mayor. There are some on the left who feel betrayed by Kelly and others on the right angered by Holyday, who they say pulled the same stunt on the TTC essential-service debate.
But both showed up and voted. There are six elected representatives who didn't bother!
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.
James: Adam Giambrone faces tough balancing act
...the people speak: