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Newsstand: June 17, 2011
Illustration by Sasha Plotnikova/Torontoist.
Oh, hello Friday. There was a song about you once upon a time. Today: Rob Ford performs magic with his office expenses, the TTC launches a suicide prevention program, and the City goes after out-of-province scofflaws.
Rob Ford’s transparency has been called into question at various times and in various ways. But after Ford has disclosed a first-quarter expense report of just $1,718.46, city councillors are calling into question just how honest the mayor has been in recording expenses. It seems municipal politicians must disclose all money spent on their offices, even if the money is their own. You might not be aware of that but Ford sure is; he’s been busted for failing to disclose before.
In other Ford news, the mayor has quietly sent a memo to unions letting them know he plans to farm out more than 100 police janitorial jobs to the private sector. The logic of saving money by replacing Toronto Police Services’ lowest-paid employees isn’t yet apparent, but hopefully it will be as of Tuesday, when the City meets with representatives of CUPE Locals 79 and 416, the unions that represent Toronto’s janitors.
The TTC is hoping to curb subway-related suicides with a new suicide prevention program that will see payphones equipped with the ability to directly connect callers with a counsellor installed throughout the system. City council says it fully supports the payphones, but could the TTC maybe think about running commercials while people are waiting to be connected to counsellors?
Speaking of council, our elected municipal leaders have voted against sending a letter to the NHL in favour of Toronto getting a second professional hocket team, while Anthony Perruzza (Ward 8, York West) got two minutes in the penalty box for roughing the Leafs’ egos during council’s discussion. The councillor argued a second NHL team is needed because Toronto’s first team is so bad. In that case, could we get a second council as well?
Tired of those cocky Quebecers and Albertans swaggering around the city, parking wherever they please and refusing to pay the tickets? So is the City, and it will be looking to hire an agency to track down out-of-province parking violators and bug them into paying their tickets. Currently, 90 per cent of people from outside Ontario that get ticketed in Toronto don’t pay, which means lost revenue for Toronto and some very huffy meter maids. We don’t know how the City’s plan will go, but we’re hoping it looks something like the ending of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.