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Newsstand: August 15, 2011
You know, Monday, we'd like you a whole lot more if you didn't arrive at the beginning of the week all the time. In the news today: Mammoliti in hot water with communists, man moves on from death threats to graffiti, and a whole lot of Wongs.
Continue the series: Vimy Ridge, Juno Beach, Khe Sanh… Giorgio Mammoliti (Ward 7, York West) on Facebook? Maybe not quite, but the war of words in the councillor’s Facebook group has been escalating after Mammoliti recently announced he would not allow any “communists” to post and then accused several of his fellow councillors of being communists looking to take over the city. Well, that isn’t sitting too well with the Communist Party of Canada, who are considering filing a human rights complaint against Mammoliti and who compared him to witch-hunting senator Joseph McCarthy on the radio this weekend.
Robert Dunlop just can’t catch a break. After all, who among us hasn’t engaged in a little vandalism and made death threats against politicians, assuming there would be no consequences? No such luck for Dunlop at the moment. Last week, he was charged by police for issuing death threats to Rob Ford via Facebook and Twitter. Now, the 46-year-old man has been nabbed by police again, this time for allegedly spray-painting roads, cars, and sidewalks with such words as “NDP” and “Layton.” NDP officials have reportedly responded by saying, “Dude, we got a good thing going on. Don’t need the help right now.”
The Toronto Star has put out an interesting explanation of debt and what it means for Toronto and other municipalities. Or, as Ford Nation will undoubtedly call it, another typical lefty defense of gravy in its assorted flavours.
It begins! Stage workers at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts were locked out of the building this weekend as the city-owned venue’s management searches for “efficiencies” in order to reduce its budget, as per the mayor’s request. Management says it’s looking to take some of the plumminess out of the stage workers’ plum contract, claiming this will help make the facility more affordable for independent theatre companies. And the union is saying… nothing at all, despite management’s assurances that no performances will be cancelled, even if the two sides do not reach a consensus.
Sure, you cottage-goers get the beautiful lake, fresh air, mosquito-killing contests, and s’mores, but you miss things when you’re not in the city for the weekend. Like, for example, 1,200 people with the last name “Wong” meeting up in Toronto. You know, just to hang out and talk about how great it is to have the name “Wong.” And to be presented with an official Wong family crest from the Governor General, in recognition of the contributions that great Wongs of the past made to Canada. And what’s more awesome than that? Except maybe two pieces of chocolate on your s’more?