[nfitz]

anyway, thats not the point, whats important is that Karen Stinks at her job, and is failing the city in a massive way that makes me question how she can sleep at night. if she has even an ounce of self respect she'd change her ways drastically or resign.

Seems to be doing a great job to me in deflecting Ford, and still giving the appearance of being loyal. She's preserved the Eglinton Line, the new streetcars, the new carhouse, almost all the service (and given council a method to preserve all of it if they want), and managed to completely torpedo the Sheppard line (remember, Ford campaign on diverting the Eglinton money to Sheppard), and avoid the whole scale service cuts that Ford wanted, with only token cuts. She's in a very delicate position, and I doubt anyone else would have pulled it off.

 

[Dandy Horse]

ok. what about finch, don mills, a shepherd plan that is realistic? lakeshore east, etc. allowing bob to cancel TC is a failure of a lifetime, something that can not be mediated at all by not cutting the dufferin bus, but simply keeping it as the status quo. as if were supposed to be happy about that.

 

[Dandy Horse]

we need someone in there who is willing to take a chance to better the entire system, not someone who's top goal is to appear loyal to ford. it doesn't help her image that she always sounds like she's about to fall asleep either.

 

[Rainforest]

ok. what about finch, don mills, a shepherd plan that is realistic? lakeshore east, etc. allowing bob to cancel TC is a failure of a lifetime, something that can not be mediated at all by not cutting the dufferin bus, but simply keeping it as the status quo. as if were supposed to be happy about that.

Don Mills and Lakeshore West LRT were put on the back burner (i.e. left without funding) even before Ford was elected mayor, let alone before Karen Stintz was appointed the TTC chair.

 

[Rainforest]

Seems to be doing a great job to me in deflecting Ford, and still giving the appearance of being loyal. She's preserved the Eglinton Line, the new streetcars, the new carhouse, almost all the service (and given council a method to preserve all of it if they want), and managed to completely torpedo the Sheppard line (remember, Ford campaign on diverting the Eglinton money to Sheppard), and avoid the whole scale service cuts that Ford wanted, with only token cuts. She's in a very delicate position, and I doubt anyone else would have pulled it off.

Agreed with much of it; a minor correction is that saving Eglinton is Metrolinx and McGuinty's work. Stintz probably supports it as well, but she was not a part of negotiations between Metrolinx and Ford on that matter.

 

[voxpopulicosmicum]

She's a politician. She's politicking (likely setting herself up to run as a moderate conservative in 2014). I never liked her and I'm certainly not a fan of appeasing Ford, but why would you possibly think she's principled enough to take such a stand?

More generally, what is it about our political system that has you believing politicians are superhuman founts of perfect moral behaviour?

Miller is a political hero of mine. I think he's as principled as they come, but he clearly passed the buck when it came to controlling the rabid rats nest that is the Toronto Police Service.

Even half-decent politicians have strong survival instincts. Being guaranteed to be able to fight another day is more important than the chance to pull off a miracle.

 

[Palma]

i would also argue that the blight on the landscape is not the spadina subway itself, but what surrounds it.

Which is nothing, which is why it was put in the wrong place.

 

[canmark]

Karen Stintz goes Undercover.

TTC chair Karen Stintz has a new starring role on TV after she donned a dark wig and disguise last summer for an episode of Undercover Boss Canada.

The TV show, already popular in Britain and the U.S., puts executives, masquerading as trainees, on the frontlines of their own businesses.

Stintz, the city councillor for Eglinton-Lawrence, said it was an eye-opener working in July at the TTC’s upholstery shop, cleaning buses, posing as a station janitor and staffing the transit system’s lost-and-found.

Stintz also rode in the driver’s booth of one of the new Toronto Rocket subway trains, although she never actually handled the controls.

* * *

“As we talk about the jobs to outsource there are efficiencies we can get, but when I worked with Sylvia cleaning the station — she has so much pride in that station. She’s the eyes and ears of that station,” Stintz reflected. “We need to build more accountability and more ownership in the TTC. Building a culture of accountability. Everybody I worked with were longtime TTC employees that did have a lot of pride, and were frustrated by their colleagues that don’t.”

Globe and Mail: Karen Stintz goes undercover, poses as a TTC worker for TV

 

[Long Island Mike]

Karen Stintz goes Undercover.



Globe and Mail: Karen Stintz goes undercover, poses as a TTC worker for TV

Canmark: Is this show available on the Internet? This is something I would not mind watching...
From those pictures of KS wearing that dark wig and glasses she reminded me of Sarah Palin...
LI MIKE

 

[Palma]

Do the people get things given to them like the U.S show?. I doubt it considering the funding issues

 

[Dandy Horse]

I take back what she said, she seems to be doing a good job. for as much as my meaningless opinion is worth, i changed it. go Karen go!

 

[MetroMan]

You seem to be forgetting that she's been playing both sides here. She completely ignored the will of council when they voted to preserve bus service and gave the money to WheelTrans -- not what council voted for. Then on the other hand is playing against Ford on the LRT file.

She's playing both sides. She deserves fire from both sides.

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

You seem to be forgetting that she's been playing both sides here. She completely ignored the will of council when they voted to preserve bus service and gave the money to WheelTrans -- not what council voted for.

Perhaps she did that to prevent herself and Council for being labeled as 'not being a friend of the disabled'

 

[nfitz]

I take back what she said, she seems to be doing a good job. for as much as my meaningless opinion is worth, i changed it. go Karen go!

And yet she just unnecessarily and significantly cut bus and streetcar service effective next week.

I note that she didn't cut service on the subway line she uses though.

 

[jeffreym]

Perhaps she did that to prevent herself and Council for being labeled as 'not being a friend of the disabled'

She first wanted to put the money towards the new streetcars. Then, when the city solicitor said that she couldn't do that, she wanted the money to be directed towards wheeltrans. She was just desperate to do what the Fords wanted, and they were desperate to cut service.