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Newsstand: January 12, 2012
Today's the day of days, you say? Why a Thursday! Hooray! In the news: Mayor Rob Ford refuses to consider full-time personal security service, the brothers Ford are vowing to get fit and have fun, Mississauga councillor blames CBC for the city's graffiti problem, women's groups hate budget cuts, and it is going to snow.
It’s difficult for a lot of people to say, “No, we don’t want to use tax money to protect someone’s life if he or she feels legitimately threatened,” but we all know Rob Ford is not one of those people. The mayor’s brother, Doug Ford (Ward 2, Etobicoke North) and deputy mayor Doug Holyday agree that the mayor should consider hiring full-time security after Wednesday’s incident. (The incident: a man was arrested after breaking into the mayor’s house around 8 a.m. He was later charged with threatening death, among other things, and may have been the mayor’s sister’s common-law husband.) But the mayor is opposed to the idea of a security team, telling reporters he can take care of himself.
Speaking of the mayor taking care of himself, the mayor and his brother are planning to start a weight loss program. RoFo and DoFo are teaming up to battle their bulge and raise money for charity while they’re at it.
Mississauga city council has a graffiti problem, and they know just who to blame: Rick Mercer. Obviously. During a city council meeting Wednesday, Councillor Katie Mahoney “fumed” about the negative example Mercer sets by filming the rant segment of The Mercer Report in a graffiti-filled alleyway (dun dun dun!) in Toronto (DUN! DUN! DUN!). In addition to tacitly suggesting a national TV show shoot one of their staple segments elsewhere, Mississauga’s city council suggested other ways to solve their graffiti problem, including “Big Brother” security cameras and imposing an age limit on buying spray paint. This is all really good stuff, guys.
A group of women held a press conference on Wednesday calling the recent budget cuts a war on women and children. They claim the proposed cuts to the 2012 budget will have a more significant impact on women than men overall, with things like daycare spaces being reduced. The group also reminded everyone there is a $154 million surplus that could be put towards saving daycare and recreation programs.
There once was a thing called snow. It would blow and blow and blow. When it got icy, the driving got dicey, but then the spring came, hi ho. So soon we forgot all we were taught, and now we get stories like this: Environment Canada is making a special weather statement warning people it’s going to snow a bit on Friday. On a Friday in the middle of January it’s going to snow. You’ve been warned.