news
Newsstand: January 24, 2012
It's a Tuesday and so it's okay if you want to make a milkshake today. In the news: Ford delays selling off TCHC housing units; TTC Chair puts extra money towards Wheel-Trans for dialysis patients, still gets chastised; Occupy is leaving City Hall, planning to show up everywhere; thoughts about the City selling Metro Hall; and lifting the Facebook ban at City Hall.
Mayor Ford is beating his own mushy middle (losing 10 pounds in the first week of his weight-loss challenge), but it looks like he’s been spooked by city council’s. The mayor has delayed a vote on selling Toronto Community Housing Corporation units until he gets more consultation with other councillors. Executive Committee was expected to vote on the sale of 675 TCHC units in their meeting today. The estimated $220 million to be made from the sale of the units is set to go to repairs on other TCHC units.
So, this is awkward. Last week city council voted to add $5 million to the TTC’s operating budget to, quote, “prevent service reductions.” A lot of councillors, like Lindsay Luby (Ward 4, Etobicoke Centre), wanted that money to prevent service reductions on the bus routes that are set to be cut back in February. TTC Chair Karen Stintz wanted the money to go towards the $700 million bill for new streetcars. But in the end Stintz decided to put the $5 million towards preserving Wheel-Trans service for dialysis patients. What can you say, right? It’s hard to come out against helping dialysis patients who rely on public transit. Hard, but not impossible for Councillor Luby, who called the decision “too cute” and “disappointing.”
The Little Occupy that set up at City Hall last week is giving up on its plan to get an injunction against the Province’s eviction order. For now, the group plans to just rove the city, occupying from place to place along the way in hopes that the spring will bring more Occupiers out from their warm apartments and back into a Big Occupy.
Councillor Paul Ainslie (Ward 43, Scarborough East) has been bitten by the real estate bug. Ainslie is suggesting that the City sell or lease Metro Hall in order to cash in on the city’s hot real estate market. There are 27 city departments with offices in Metro Hall, located at King and John Streets, but Ainslie suggests moving them into smaller, rented offices—along the subway line. Wouldn’t we all like to be along the subway line, Ainslie? Wouldn’t we all.
Speaking of Councillor Paul Ainslie, he is also suggesting that City Hall lift its ban on Facebook. Ainslie says he’s heard a lot of complaints about the ban, blamed David Miller for putting in place, and promised that everyone would use it “appropriately.” He did not elaborate on what he considers to be the appropriate use of Facebook.