news
Newsstand: September 29, 2011
Every Thursday is critical, and potentially dangerous. But don't worry, it will all be over soon. First, some news: three-way split-grade class worries parents, a Black Blocer avoids jail time, towing illegally parked cars is decreasing but parking problems persist, and a peek inside City staff expense reports.
Parents at a Parkdale elementary school are leery of a new split class that spans across three grades—four, five, and six. Though the TDSB says the arrangement is a temporary fix for a higher-than-projected student roster, a spokesperson claims such multi-generation learning packs are “not highly unusual,” particularly in the board’s alternative school programs. However, claims that breaking down grade-level barriers can lead to better socialized children can pretty safely be rejected if you’ve ever met someone who graduated from the TDSB’s alternative schools program. Totally sickatating freakazoids.
An admitted Black Bloc thing guy from the G20 was spared jail time after pleading guilty to mischief and disguise-wearing charges. In sentencing Robin Henry, the judge deemed the 22-year-old culinary student from London, Ont. as low risk for re-offending and commended the young man’s sense of social justice and political engagement, as displayed to the courts in a letter Henry submitted explaining his actions. And Henry’s lawyer pointed out that under the Harper government’s plan for mandatory minimum jail sentences, this kid would be in jail right about now.
In the grand tradition of the Toronto Star obtaining information, the paper has obtained information that shows a decrease in the number of illegally parked cars that get towed off city streets. The police want to credit the 33 per cent drop in tows over five years to people not parking illegally anymore. But towing operators who have contracts with the police think it may be something else. Like say, the fact that towing takes a while and though ticket quotas for traffic cops are a no-no, those that exceed their “performance standard” are rewarded with days off. Plus parking tickets rake in about $80 million for the City. That’s 80 million, in buckaroos. Though one can’t be sure any of what we just said has a direct correlation to the decrease in towing, it’s being put out there.
Meantime, IBM tells us not to worry about our parking problems because they could be a teeny bit worse. Out of the 20 cities with the worst parking problems in the world, Toronto is doing better than the 17 absolutely most nightmarish cities for parking in the entire world.
And Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong (Ward 34, Don Valley East) continues his crusade to request information about City Hall employees. After uncovering information about overtime pay earlier this week, Minnan-Wong is now telling us how much City employees billed for mileage. (About $1.4 million last year.) The more you know.