Newsstand: July 5, 2012

Bust out the krazy straws and get ready for another thirsty Thursday, people. First, suck up some news: Giorgio Mammoliti makes up a plan for child care, the TTC upgrades to debit, Adam Vaughan wants us to do something nice for one another, Mississauga considers a bag ban of its own, trees in heat, and Steve Nash to the Lakers.

By Sarah-Joyce Battersby • Illustration by Brett Lamb

Giorgio Mammoliti (Ward 7, York West) made something up and announced it as a fact on Wednesday. Ahead of the release of a report by the City’s child care task force, Mammoliti, the chair of that task force, said the province should just take over all the City-run daycare. To which the rest of the board retorted, “Um, what?” Other board members said such a proposal is not part of the report, nor is the type of public-private partnership that Mammo favours (a “Fisher Price Daycare,” for the record of made-up stuff). Basically the main thing the report will call for is continued and broadened discussion of the issue. Nap time.

The TTC is setting up debit payment systems at most of its collector booths. The rollout should be complete by the end of the year, and advancing the TTC’s operational capabilities to 1998 levels. Bravo, guys! Now let’s celebrate to the sweet sounds of Ace of Base’s “Cruel Summer.”

Councillor Adam Vaughan (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina) is asking city council to launch a civic pride generator/enforcer thing. It’s called “Two for Toronto“, and it seems like a nice idea. Inspired by a similar program in Calgary, the initiative would ask Torontonians to sign up and pledge time and effort to doing something nice that they think would be good for the city, like teach music to a neighbour or, presumably in Vaughan’s case, run for mayor.

As part of the growing trend of the 905 trying to outdo the 416, Mississauga’s mayor is considering a plastic bag ban of her own. Unlike Toronto city council’s recent vote to ban bags, Hazel McCallion says she doesn’t want the program to come as a surprise, so she’s sent the matter to an environmental committee for evaluation. Well la-dee-da Mississauga. La-dee-da.

The City issued another extreme heat alert on Wednesday, the third so far this summer. But as you trudge, back covered in sweat and nose filled with the smell of your fellow city dwellers’ juices, just thank your lucky stars that you’re not a tree. Those poor little guys are having a rough go of it.

And dealing a blow to one of the most bummed-out fan bases in all of the NBA, Canadian Steve Nash has passed up a three year, $36-million dollar offer from the Toronto Raptors to play out the last days of his career in the motherland in favour of a deal with the L.A. Lakers.