2 Comments September 16, 2015 at 4:00 pm

Extra, Extra: A TTC Shortfall, A Pan Am Surplus, and 6ix God Strikes Again

Every weekday’s end, we collect just about everything you ought to care about or ought not to miss.

With a $99 million shortfall on its $1.8 billion operating budget, the TTC faces difficult decisions on how to balance their budget. Among the choices are an increase in cash fares, boosting the cost of a Metropass, or a combination thereof. On Monday, city council’s Budget Committee will discuss the subject, and there’s no easy choice–service cuts are unpopular, and the TTC already gets more of its funding from the farebox than any transit agency in North America. The never-ending transit angst beats on!

Reports indicate that the Pan Am Games are expected to fall $50 million to $100 million under budget. For reaching their budget goals, 53 Pan Am executives will split a $5.7 million bonus pool, which the government says is standard practice for these kinds of events. The Games cost $2.5 billion, including at least $400,000 for everyone’s favourite mascot, PACHI.
It’s back-to-back nominations for the 6ix God at the upcoming BET Hip Hop Awards. Drake has secured a total of of 12 nominations, making this the second year in a row that he’s led in awards nominations. Among the nods given to Norm Kelly’s BFF are album, video and collaboration of the year. Artists such as Big Sean, Kendrick Lamar and Nicki Minaj also secured several nominations. Toronto public enemy number one, Meek Mill, is notably absent from the nominee list—please, think before you come before the great one, Meek.
From today’s edition of 12:36, Toronto’s new lunchtime tabloid newsletter: Rob Ford (Ward 2, Etobicoke North) thinks Toronto Police are still trailing him. 2018’s first declared mayoral candidate told SiriusXM’s Arlene Bynon he believes he’s still under police surveillance. At least cops know where he’ll be on October 2: Ford Fest, which will be held, this year, in the Sears parking lot at Islington and Rexdale. (Want more 12:36? Subscribe to it now.)