[jn_12]

all levels of public transport should be receiving investment so that there is a well integrated regional system. As it stands, decisions in this province and country are made for short term political advantage and not for addressing actual long term issues. Europe is decades ahead of us here, both in their political thinking and what they actually have built on the ground. Somehow we as North Americans think we are exempt from the problems that the rest of the world is facing and so we prefer to bury our heads in the sand and get sentimental for the 'Leave it to Beaver' 1950's rather than be proactive. A world without cars sounds wonderful to me!

There is some good that comes out of short term/sighted political intervention. If not for politics we'd have a Spadina Expressway and a slew of other highways across this city (and while that was actually rather progressive it went against the long term plans of the city). We do need a powerful non-political entity to oversee everything but at the same time, it's fair to acknowledge that professionals don't always know best. Of course, given the choice I take a planner's opinion over a politicians anyday.

 

[Silence&Motion]

Contracting out is simply a policy tool, and like any tool, it can be used well or poorly. There are two critical ingredients to successful government contracting. First, public managers should think carefully about the service quality standards they want to achieve, and then develop strong, performance-based contracts that hold contractors accountable for meeting them. Measurable performance standards should be built into contracts, along with incentives for exceeding standards and penalties for underperformance.

Thank goodness Mayor Ford is a clear thinking individual who never acts erratically and always considers all the possible options before acting.

 

[archanfel]

Privatization does not mean the government can shed all responsibilities. Citizens still have a contract with the government whereas the government has a contract with a particular company. It's the government's responsibility to make sure that the contact is well written and followed to the letter. The government should also keep the responsibility of overall planning (possibly by privatizing through a separate company). Therefore, when privatization goes wrong, it's still the government's failure.

The main goal of privatization is separation of power and prevent political consideration from interfering in normal business operations. The best system is where powers are separated and balanced, rather than concentrated in the hands of a single group, no wonder who benign that group is.

 

[W. K. Lis]

There was a love fest for Rob Ford yesterday. People were cheering, singing love songs, playing, and just having a good time in celebration of our great leader Rob Ford's good work.

...not.

See this link from The Star.

 

[Electrify]

One of Rob Ford's quotes was "The War On The Car Is Over". Ford will be around only for less than 4 or 8 years.

In that time, the pendulum will swing back the other way. We may follow what is going to happen in Europe:

From The Telegraph:

To me, that means other plans or proposals, such as the other parts of Transit City (IE. Finch West) maybe resurrected and the Downtown Relief Line maybe pushed more forward.

If all cars are banned from downtowns, how will goods and services be delivered? When a major rock band goes to perform in central London, are they going to bring all their stage equipment the bus? Major retail stores on Oxford Street will have their goods delivered by bicycle? If the President of the United States is to have a get together with the President of France, he is going to arrive by roller blading?

If you want a city park, then build a city park. I think the people pushing this proposal seem to forget what makes downtown cores so attractive, or at least seem to think they "magically" become attractive with absolutely no outside support.

EDIT: Appears it was total BS anyways: http://www.butireaditinthepaper.co.uk/2011/03/29/daily-mail-polls-readers-on-nonexistent-eu-car-ban/

 

[archanfel]

There was a love fest for Rob Ford yesterday. People were cheering, singing love songs, playing, and just having a good time in celebration of our great leader Rob Ford's good work.

...not.

See this link from The Star.

Good. People have the right to express themselves. Of course, we have a democratic system, not mob politics. And I think this sentence said it all "The rally drew union members from other parts of southern Ontario. " Ford is laughing for the free publicity. Here is how public unions who are paid by our tax dollars spend their money. Remember these people? They are the same ones who left us stranded via a flash strike. They are the same ones who left garbage piled up. They are the same one who slept on the jobs. Rob Ford was elected because people are furious with the unions, I doubt union protests will hurt him.

Not saying he is doing a good job. I'd like to protest and ask "Where are the cuts?". Unfortunately, I don't have a defined benefit pension or union protection against firing, so I actually have to work hard sometime.

 

[lafard]

Privatization does not mean the government can shed all responsibilities. Citizens still have a contract with the government whereas the government has a contract with a particular company. It's the government's responsibility to make sure that the contact is well written and followed to the letter. The government should also keep the responsibility of overall planning (possibly by privatizing through a separate company). Therefore, when privatization goes wrong, it's still the government's failure.

The main goal of privatization is separation of power and prevent political consideration from interfering in normal business operations. The best system is where powers are separated and balanced, rather than concentrated in the hands of a single group, no wonder who benign that group is.

If you're going to privatize services, then do it right and allow true competition. City endorsed private monopolies are no better or worse than if the city itself partook in those monopolies.

My hometown has NO garbage collection. NONE. Not public, not contracted. You're on your own. There are several independant contractors competing for service on a house by house basis. The system seems to work, although there are "garbage trucks" (basically modified pickup trucks) driving around almost every day. If you're going to privatize, you may as well go all the way. User fees are the norm for just about everything.

By the way, the property taxes in this city average 1100/yr for a half-million dollar house, and the city has run budget surpluses for decades, without taking a large proportion of revenue from development charges. Even with the user fees, the average household is still ahead. The difference? The province (BC) still pays for its own responsibilities.

This is the concern I have with the Ford model. There will be mandatory user fees implemented, but there will be no offset in property taxes. Empty promises. The problem is little to do with bloated unions and everything to do with downloading - but I don't think the average "taxpayer' realizes that. There is very little Ford can do to change that, no matter how much hero worship goes on.

 

[archanfel]

If you're going to privatize services, then do it right and allow true competition. City endorsed private monopolies are no better or worse than if the city itself partook in those monopolies.

My hometown has NO garbage collection. NONE. Not public, not contracted. You're on your own. There are several independant contractors competing for service on a house by house basis. The system seems to work, although there are "garbage trucks" (basically modified pickup trucks) driving around almost every day. If you're going to privatize, you may as well go all the way. User fees are the norm for just about everything.

By the way, the property taxes in this city average 1100/yr for a half-million dollar house, and the city has run budget surpluses for decades, without taking a large proportion of revenue from development charges. Even with the user fees, the average household is still ahead. The difference? The province (BC) still pays for its own responsibilities.

This is the concern I have with the Ford model. There will be mandatory user fees implemented, but there will be no offset in property taxes. Empty promises. The problem is little to do with bloated unions and everything to do with downloading - but I don't think the average "taxpayer' realizes that. There is very little Ford can do to change that, no matter how much hero worship goes on.

Exactly, competition is key.

I am not sure the problem is with downloading per se. I am fine with downloading. I am not fine with downloading responsibilities without downloading the power and that's what Ontario has done. For example, the city is required by law to pay tons of expenses (welfare, affordable housing, police etc), yet the province forbid the city from reducing/expanding these programs or keep more money to fund these programs. The city is always begging money while the money is ours in the first place.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

If you're going to privatize services, then do it right and allow true competition. City endorsed private monopolies are no better or worse than if the city itself partook in those monopolies.

My hometown has NO garbage collection. NONE. Not public, not contracted. You're on your own. There are several independant contractors competing for service on a house by house basis. The system seems to work, although there are "garbage trucks" (basically modified pickup trucks) driving around almost every day. If you're going to privatize, you may as well go all the way. User fees are the norm for just about everything.

By the way, the property taxes in this city average 1100/yr for a half-million dollar house, and the city has run budget surpluses for decades, without taking a large proportion of revenue from development charges. Even with the user fees, the average household is still ahead. The difference? The province (BC) still pays for its own responsibilities.

This is the concern I have with the Ford model. There will be mandatory user fees implemented, but there will be no offset in property taxes. Empty promises. The problem is little to do with bloated unions and everything to do with downloading - but I don't think the average "taxpayer' realizes that. There is very little Ford can do to change that, no matter how much hero worship goes on.

I'm curious -- what city has no organized garbage collection?

 

[nfitz]

I'm curious -- what city has no organized garbage collection?

I've lived in some in Indonesia ... and not small towns, but even cities as big as the GTA. It's been a few years though - things may have improved.

Personally I didn't find it worked well ... everyone knew which laneway had the large hill of garbage in it ... and the drainage ditches doubled as public toilets.

 

[Redroom Studios]

very similar situation in Naples, Italy where garbage collection and disposal is mafia controlled. Garbage is being dumped in ditches and along rural roads on the periphery of the city as there is no incentive for proper disposal by the thugs who collect it. Its a terrible problem there... http://www.newsweek.com/2008/01/13/trash-city.html

 

[DC83]

Rob Ford's Toronto is..

No Gay People!

http://www.xtra.ca/public/Toronto/Hate_speech_rhetoric_threatens_Pride_Toronto_debate-10001.aspx

Who's spewing hate, Rob!? Ughhhh!

 

[Torontovibe]

Sue-Ann Levy, from the Toronto Sun accuses the parade of harbouring hate speach. lol I find that pretty funny, considering that no other paper in Toronto, has said more hateful and homophobic things against gays. I used to read the Sun everry day, way back in the 70's & 80's and I phoned them numerous times to complain about their hateful, homophobic articles. The editor there once even hung up on me. (John Downing) After that, I vowed not to give those homophobes one more cent of my money. I haven't paid for one since. I HATE The Sun with a passion.

Benedict Levy can go to hell!

 

[lafard]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...aning-bloc-of-toronto-council/article1982945/

A victory for left-leaning bloc of Toronto council

Mr. Vaughan’s amendment, which passed 24-19, sets minimum sizes for all municipal boards, commissions and corporations at 11 members, including at least three city councillors. It spoiled a motion spearheaded by the executive committee, a group heavily stacked with Ford loyalists, that would have shrunk the boards of several cultural organizations down to nine and trimmed the number of councillors on the city’s library board to one from three.

A hush of disbelief fell over council chambers after the vote as Mr. Ford and his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, huddled over a screen displaying the names of council members who sided against them.

It begins...

edit: and, in a surprising twist, Giorgio Mammoliti says something dumb.

 

[SlickFranky]

edit: and, in a surprising twist, Giorgio Mammoliti says something dumb.

Nothing about brothels??? Hmmm....pretty dumb...I guess. That dude has raised the bar so high it's getting harder to impress me with dumb-ness these days.

Hopefully a trend has been set here. Those middlers should start understanding any day now just what sort of power they wield...but it could go either way. Will they be pulled back in by the Carrot of Power, or have they finally realized what a joke the Dear Leader is?