January 1, 2007
Übercouncil Wishlist for 2007
This council is markedly more powerful than any that have sat before it, and citizens should embrace this as an opportunity to redress a number of grievances that have long been insurmountable because of conflicts with other orders of government. Now that the City of Toronto has a charter, we can finally rewrite our rather prudish history with laws more suited to us metropolitan types. By no means a complete list, these are things that our new powers should change especially:
Extend "last call" for the last time! Some readers may remember the drinking age in flux in Ontario, and many more will remember last call in Toronto the Good being on the order of 1 AM, the time when many Europeans are just starting to head out to the clubs. Now, the province's 1979 justification for making the drinking age 19, Grade 13, has been eliminated, and for years, citizens have been calling for a longer night at the bar. For some reason, Toronto the Responsible could handle 4 AM last call for Nuit Blanche because it was a "cultural event," but the weekly cultural ritual of Partying on the Weekend is too mundane an occasion to give us some freedom. Thankfully, the AGCO can no longer turn us down because of the City of Toronto Act.
Repeal the curfew. Few people are aware of this ageist edict that says teens under the age of 16 must not be outside one minute beyond midnight unless accompanied by a parent. The Child and Family Services Act, unknown to most until the stabbing of a 12 year-old at Queen & John in March, charges parents with negligence if their children are found out of doors between midnight and 6 AM. This law has already had a chilling effect on local music: formerly "all ages"-safe venues like the Big Bop and Funhaus have recently instituted strict 16+ policies for shows. It's time to start treating teenagers like people.
Take a tougher stance on automobiles. Frankly, the arguments against congestion charging don't convince us, especially for larger vehicles. Clean air and cars simply don't mix. Highway user fees, expanded HOV lanes and mandatory carpooling are just the tip of the melting iceberg: if we are to take on deadly smog and the increasingly real threat of climate change, we need to half our carbon emissions in less than a decade. The best place to start is with private transportation, but don't stop there: why not offset every municipal kilowatt with renewable energy?
Collect a share of the sales tax, sort of. It seems obvious that neither McGuinty nor Harper will budge on a share of the PST or GST, which is not as big a calamity as it may seem. The City of Toronto Act, of course, only solves half the problem: regardless of the powers it may now exercise, the funding structure of the city is still essentially flawed. With the GST on decline, it would not make a cent of difference to Torontonians if 1% of all sales made within city limits went directly to city coffers. We, for one, would be happy to pay a few pennies on a cup of coffee if it meant we could drink it on a shiny, new, low-floor streetcar.
Are there things that have bugged you for years, readers? How would you like this council to take the reins from Ontario?
Photo by Cretaceous in the Torontoist Flickr Pool.
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I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you on the curfew issue. No kid under 16 should have any reason (with a few acceptions) to be out on the streets past midnight. You already stated a good reason why -- 12 year olds being stabbed in clubland. Or how about the 15 year kid who was shot at 5am last week? Treat them like adults? Maybe when they have jobs and are supporting themselves...until then, parents have the responsibility to protect their children. As for the clubs suffering, so what? These kids have their whole lives to go out to clubs, and I think their safety is a little more important than a club suffering. There are still plenty of all-ages shows to go to (I'm at them all the time).
I'm not a parent, nor am I a prude, but a 15 year old kid doesn't have enough life experience to necessarily make good judgements if they come across trouble in the middle of the night downtown. Do you really think they're going to call their parents at 3am? Not likely.
> There are still plenty of all-ages shows to go to (I'm at them all the time).
The reason this disturbs me so much, aside from the obvious age discrimination, is the chilling effect it has had on youth culture. If an all-ages show goes past midnight, it is essentially an illegal event.
Ageism is perhaps the only form of discrimination where the oppressed becomes the oppressor, and nobody will stand up for the rights of young people because they don't have the right to vote. I think a lot of people are out of touch with teenagers, and could really benefit from starting conversations with them. Most people would be surprised that the next generation is a lot more cognizant than they are given credit for.
Growing up in the suburbs of New York, I was allowed to go into the city at 15 on the weekends because I went with friends, called my parents every couple of hours, and I was honest about what I was doing. I think that if parents and children are in agreement, especially in the safest large city in North America, a younger teenager should be able to self-determine her location.
This has nothing to do with teenagers being cognizant. I talk to teenagers *all* the time when I'm shooting shows and also mentor a few, and I know they're not idiots. This has to do with the fact that, while yes, some kids may be responsible and keep in contact with their parents throughout the night, most aren't. I have teenaged sisters, 15 and 17, and I know exactly what they get up to. While I'd like to think of them as responsible kids, they've proven otherwise.
In the 2004 edition of their annual round-up of quotes, Now printed the following:
I had been out of Northern for less than a year when the controversy erupted, but I still feel the same way now that I did then: Fuck you, Len Rudner.As a newcomer to the city, I agree with some of the suggestions - last call, for example. If you are responsible enough to be allowed to drink, then there isn't much difference between 1am and 3am so just let it go.
On the u16's out after midnight unaccompanied, I can't see a worldly reason why this would be acceptable. Don't they have school to go to? I'd like to think that after midnight all young people are safe at home.
But beyond that, I'm suprised there isn't a general desire to use the city council's power for much longer term visions - espeically a massive improvement of the waterfront area, and the installation of miles and miles of cycle paths. Make this city a world class destination for visitors. I think most of the appealing aspects of international travel are already here - culture, hotels, airports, shops, restaurants etc, but the waterfront of this city is an unbelievable let down, Shouldn't Toronto be thinking bigger than a couple more hours in the pub?
A kid in their early teens out at 3AM has about a 95% chance that they're doing something else illegal (drugs, graffiti, petty theft...). The curfew is just a substitute for those other offenses. Now, is a curfew really a just thing? Not really, law-abiding citizens should be free to move around at any time. But the kid has a 95%+ chance of not being law-abiding. So....
Tell you what, you can repeal the curfew when every building in my neighborhood is no longer covered in graffiti from 14-year-olds, okay?
There's no reason why someone under the age of 16 should not be allowed to be outside after midnight. Generally in a society, we don't take away a right simply because we can't specifically think of a reason not to. We should give teenagers the benefit of the doubt, especially if you consider that nobody really has a reason to be out at a certain time of night regardless of age. A student has to be at school by 9:00, but don't most adults have to be at their jobs by the same time? Teenagers should have the same freedom to make bad decisions as adults do.
Didn't anybody else have pizza with their friends at 1 AM in the local town when they were 15?
Forgive me for another New York example, but in New York, planners are faithful to the memory of Jane Jacobs when they plan not just for livability, but for 24-hour use; simply, if a plan does not meet that simple criterion, it is revised until it does. This can be seen with all the development that is happening in Lower Manhattan: there is a guiding Jacobsian principle that people of all ages should have many different reasons to be using the same space at all times of day and night.
With the TTC mulling 24 hour Y-U-S service, hopefully the city itself will become a little more 24 hours, and teenagers choosing to engage in normal, legal activities (like seeing a Midnight Movie) after the sun sets wouldn't seem so foreign.
The curfew is something that should really be in the hands of parents or caregivers, not the government.
I don't know how many times I was out after midnight before I turned 16, but I know that I wasn't doing anything particularly bad, and that my parents certainly weren't guilty of negligence (since they knew where I was, what I was doing, and who I was with -- and it was their call to say no).
And Foo,
95%, huh? Where are you getting your stats from? Have you even ever been a teenager? Have you ever, like, had a girlfriend and had to leave her house to go home late? Is underage kissing illegal now? Or have you ever stayed late and watched TV with your friends? Ever been to a concert? A late movie at the Paramount? There are so many non-illegal things that teenagers do after midnight.Granted, there's some illegal activity like drugs or alcohol, but it's not like kids who drink are gonna be more cautious about leaving their homes because of a curfew.
Curse my slow fingers. I agree with Kevin -- and his latest comment -- that there's a lot of fun innocent stuff that kids do after midnight. I like the pizza example. To me, setting midnight as the point where good kids all of a sudden turn evil is as arbitrary as setting a strict specific age on consent laws.
I can't say where I come out on the whole curfew thing; I see some merit to both arguments. However...
"Teenagers should have the same freedom to make bad decisions as adults do."
Sorry Miro, but this is just a patently dumb statement. There's a huge difference between the average 15 year old and the average 18-19 yr old, not only in their judgement, but in their ability to handle themselves in social environments. You know, I thought the exact same thing...when I was 15. Now that I'm an adult, I KNOW BETTER, and am so thankful my parents cared enough to enforce a curfew on me. The sad truth is, in todays society, there are a hell of a lot of parents that DON'T care enough. And the other sad truth is, this is an incredibly litiginous society. So, if the city see's fit to cover their own legal ass by enforcing a curfew, I don't have much of a problem with it. I do think there should be some wiggle room though(to allow for the arguments of previous posters).
Is "chilling" the word you want to use? If so, what word will you use when something actually has a "chilling" effect. We're talking about all-ages shows, not geopolitical relations. Get a handle on the language.
How about treating kids like kids? I think back to grade school and early high school, and those kids who were "adults," living miniature adult lives, tended to burn out early on all that. Later, while the rest of us were just discovering another new part of the world, say clubs, or bands playing live, it was old hat to them. Thing is, those mini-adults couldn't go back and be kids again. Despite recent asinine New York Times Magazine articles about the kids of Park Slope or Williamsburg middle-class-bohemians starting 12 year old indie bands, this is a non-issue. Kids under 16 have no reason to be out.
Luckily, this ridiculous idea has zero chance of getting any political traction. The other ideas are fine and have been talked about for some time now in Toronto.
Hanging out at a friend's house eating pizza after midnight is a lot different than hanging out on the streets.
Instead of me sounding like a broken record here, I'll just say that Brokenengine and Dog Bone summed it up nicely.
Aside from the curfew thing (which I, as a nonparent, think should be the parents responsibility) I totally think your suggestions are rock solid.
Congestion charging would give the city some money that we could put towards cycling infrastructure and transit. It would also be a good idea to add a few cents tax per litre for petrol. Any measures to dissuade motorism is welcome with me.
There is a distinct age divide in the comments here. Myself, Miro, David, and Kevin are much closer together in age than Carrie, Broken Engine, and probably Dog Bone.
I don't understand why the concept of "wisdom" is so often misapplied in order to naturalize certain (political) power relationships. It's not too far off from Mike Harris's "Common Sense Revolution" or Margaret Thatcher's "There Is No Alternative" approach to policy, or the more general government-knows-best or let-the-free-market-take-care-of-it ideologies.
What frightens me most, however, is the likelihood that I'll someday buy into it. Which is why Darren O'Donnell (previously cited by Ron as one of the Torontonians of the year in yesterday's Love/Hate post) is such an inspiration. His "Toronto the teenager: why we need a Children's Council" piece in the first uTOpia book is a manifesto for youth empowerment, as are his Haircuts by Children and Ballroom Dancing bits of Social Acupuncture.
MANDATORY RENEWABLE ENERGY – THE ENERGY EVOLUTION –R2
In order to insure energy and economic independence as well as better economic growth without being blackmailed by foreign countries, our country, the United States of America’s Utilization of Energy sources must change.
"Energy drives our entire economy." We must protect it. "Let's face it, without energy the whole economy and economic society we have set up would come to a halt. So you want to have control over such an important resource that you need for your society and your economy."
Our continued dependence on fossil fuels could and will lead to catastrophic consequences.
The federal, state and local government should implement a mandatory renewable energy installation program for residential and commercial property on new construction and remodeling projects with the use of energy efficient material, mechanical systems, appliances, lighting, etc. The source of energy must by renewable energy such as Solar-Photovoltaic, Geothermal, Wind, Biofuels, etc. including utilizing water from lakes, rivers and oceans to circulate in cooling towers to produce air conditioning and the utilization of proper landscaping to reduce energy consumption.
The implementation could be done on a gradual scale over the next 10 years. At the end of the 10 year period all construction and energy use in the structures throughout the United States must be 100% powered by renewable energy.
In addition, the governments must impose laws, rules and regulations whereby the utility companies must comply with a fair “NET METERING” (the buying of excess generation from the consumer), including the promotion of research and production of “renewable energy technology” with various long term incentives and grants. The various foundations in existence should be used to contribute to this cause.
A mandatory time table should also be established for the automobile industry to gradually produce an automobile powered by renewable energy. The American automobile industry is surely capable of accomplishing this task.
This is a way to expedite our energy independence and economic growth. It will take maximum effort and a relentless pursuit of the private, commercial and industrial government sectors commitment to renewable energy – energy generation (wind, solar, hydro, biofuels, geothermal, energy storage (fuel cells, advance batteries), energy infrastructure (management, transmission) and energy efficiency (lighting, sensors, automation, conservation) in order to achieve our energy independence.
Jay Draiman
Northridge, CA. 91325
1-1-2007
P.S. I have a very deep belief in America's capabilities. Within the next 10 years we can accomplish our energy independence, if we as a nation truly set our goals to accomplish this.
I happen to believe that we can do it. In another crisis--the one in 1942--President Franklin D. Roosevelt said this country would build 60,000 [50,000] military aircraft. By 1943, production in that program had reached 125,000 aircraft annually. They did it then. We can do it now.
The American people resilience and determination to retain the way of life is unconquerable and we as a nation will succeed in this endeavor of Energy Independence..
Here's an idea - how about removing the curfew, but making it clear that anyone who commits a crime between, say, 12am and 6am will be tried like an adult in court regardless of age? By staying out after 12am they're saying "I'm mature enough and responsible enough for my own actions", and therefore shouldn't get any special treatment in court.
I was going to make a similar comment, Little Boy Blue.
Also: isn't pointing out an "age divide" among commentators ... ageist?
Yeah, Jonathan...you calling me old (on my 30th bday, I might add)? Sigh. ;)
He does make a point, though -- I'm sure our opinion on this likely does have somewhat to do with age. My thoughts on some things are much different now than when I was 19ish.
Well, no doubt, but I just don't see why pointing it out makes any difference.
I thought "chilling" was out of whack to bring into this discussion, now it's Thatcher and Harris? Somehow discussing kids as kids is Thatcherite? Ideologues really do have to fit everything into a pre-existing narrative of how the world works huh?
The great thing about projects like Haircuts for Children is they treat kids like kids (and during the daylight too, but that's beside the point) -- not as weird unformed adults who deserve all the rights and privileges that time affords. Those projects have nothing to do with the discussion here. Neither does the age of the contributors to this discussion.
How about ditching the curfew, but when Jack or Jill McTeen get busted for drugs or jaywalking or solicitation at 4AM, still charge the parents with neglect?
Toronto won't become a 24 hour city if 30% of the population isn't allowed to be 24 hour citizens.
Extended last call to 3 or 4AM. Put tolls at all highway off-ramps adjacent to the downtown region and give the revenue to the TTC and waterfront.
Happy B-Day Carrie! Mine is tomorrow! However, you have just entered your 30's, and as my wife likes to point out, tomorrow, I begin my mid-30's... *shudder*
But thats ok right? Because 30's are the new 20's...right? Anyone? *sigh*
But wait, if we're saying that teenagers are responsible enough to make decisions and be out roaming the streets, why should we charge the parents with neglect if the kids happen to be breaking the law? Shouldn't the teenagers take that responsibility they're so fit for?
I don't believe merely being in public at 3AM is a sign that you accept, or are prepared for, adult responsibilities. If they aren't old enough to drink or vote, mommy and daddy still have to take some of the blame when their kids screw up.
Give teenagers the benefit of the doubt, but realize they aren't all fully mature adults who are done being raised. Besides, it's about time we started holding parents accountable.
Although teens think they're mature and smart, they really aren't. It's a fact that there is no substitute for experience. When I was 15 I was convinced of things that, frankly, I find incredibly silly and immature now, with some miles under my tires out in the real world.
Treating teenagers as adults only reinforces the problems we're facing in society - namely, immature people being allowed to make mature life decisions.
I say, leave the curfew in place and continue to *not enforce it* as they currently do, but have it in place to round up those trouble-making whipper snappers should the need arise.
As far as "congestion tax" goes, I already pay special car-only taxes and fees - gas taxes, license fees, insurance, etc.
I should be forced to take an hour's worth of transit just to satiate your green guilt? No thanks, I'll stick to my 15 minute body odor free commute.
Has it occurred to anyone that curfew laws violate the Charter?
c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
d) freedom of association. That "everyone" would not include people under the age of 16 is preposterous. The Charter also guarantees people's right to move around the country freely.
I am going to go out on a limb here and say that curfew laws are null and void.
Also, as far as justice is concerned, it is unacceptable to keep laws that we don't believe in. One argument against the legalization of marijuana in Canada is that the law is "not enforced". That doesn't change the fact that it is unjust to throw people in jail for what is essentially a personal choice.
Also, most youth crimes are committed between 3 PM and 6 PM, right when school lets out.
I didn't say we need to treat teens like adults, but that we need to treat them like people. The best thing we can do is give everybody the liberty of mobility (regardless of time of day) equally and make the city safe for everyone, which we have already done a stellar job of.
There's nothing wrong with a curfew for youths under 16 being required to being accompanied by an "adult" after midnight. Unless of course that adult is a pimp, but that's another story. May be the curfew is too liberal. How about 3pm to 8am weekdays and all day on weekends and school holidays for a curfew? As to the argument that curfews violate the charter, then we can get rid of the Youth Justice Act and charge the brats under the criminal code. How about those apples? You can't have special privileges, like light sentences without having some restrictions! Parents should be responsible for their children 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
As far as HOV lanes are concerned. They are in fact the anti-green ruse of the "auto"cracy. Anything that makes getting your SUV in and out of the city quicker is probably a bad idea. MTO is the lets build more roads bureaucracy of the provincial government. McGuinty's crowd is so deep with the developers it's surprizing that anything green can be seen within an hours drive of Toronto!
Outta control comment #3> "I didn't say we need to treat teens like adults, but that we need to treat them like people."
They're not being treated like people right now? Gee wiz, perspective already! Can't talk about this without it, so, g'nite & g'luck to this thread.
'Extend "last call" for the last time!'
aye!
Teenagers should not be treated like adults, granted. But the curfew is just damn idiotic and discriminatory. It comes from some ridiculous notion that night is somehow a dangerous and awful time.
And, geez, an under-16 kid can only be outside with a PARENT? So if parents leave town and leave the kid with the grandparents and the kid gets sick and has to be driven to a hospital - that's now illegal? C'mon, this is beyond idiocy.
Well if we're going to keep the curfew then logically we should change last call to 11:30.
That way all the adults who have had a few drinks and are now less capable than a sober 15 year old at making decisions can get home for midnight.
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