Posts Tagged ‘city council’

The casino vote is all or nothing: Doug Ford

- April 18th, 2013

Doug Ford

The Fords will know when to fold ‘em when it comes to a Toronto casino.

Councillor Doug Ford made it clear Thursday if city council rejects a downtown casino in the next few weeks, Mayor Rob Ford’s administration will walk away from the issue.

“We’re going to try (to win the vote),” Ford said, looking ahead at what appears to be an uphill battle for the pro-casino forces at council.

But Ford stressed if council rejects pushing ahead on a downtown casino the mayor won’t campaign in 2014 on reopening the issue.

“Once it is done, it is done,” Ford said. “We move on, continue running the city and just move on.

“If the councillors don’t want it, very simple, we aren’t going to do it.”

Regardless of what side you are on in the casino debate, Ford’s comments make the stakes of the looming council vote that much higher.

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Don’t bet on a casino: 3 ex-Mayors to city council

- January 30th, 2013

City Hall is gearing up for the great casino debate in the next few weeks. Three of Toronto’s ex-mayors – David Crombie, Art Eggleton and John Sewell – have teamed up to tell Mayor Rob Ford and city council not to bet on a casino.

Here is the letter they released today (full disclosure – Art Eggleton seems to have provided it exclusively to the Toronto Star yesterday):

 

January 30, 2013
The Mayor and City Councillors
Toronto City Hall
Dear Mayor and Councillors,
We are former Mayors of Toronto who believe that it is not in our city’s best interest to establish commercial casino operations in Toronto.
In the years we served in office, we saw countless proposals that proponents said would bring the city big revenues, many jobs, and much prestige. And some of them did, but beware the sales pitch. The numbers don’t always add up, and we think that is a real possibility in this case. Revenues can be inflated and costs such as police services and traffic congestion underestimated. In fact, extensive research in the U.S., carried out by Earl Grinols, professor of economics at Baylor University, indicates that for every $1 in benefit, there is a cost of at least $3. These costs are reflected in infrastructure costs, higher regulatory expenses, additional policing and criminal justice costs, and larger social welfare expenditures.
A Canadian study by the RCMP in British Columbia has also linked increased crime to casino gambling, noting that “members of organized crime also use casinos for criminal purposes such as loan-sharking and money laundering”.
And how will local businesses in and around the Casino be affected? According to some studies, not too well. Casinos want to keep you in the building, not roaming to outside restaurants and other establishments in the community. They have their own restaurants and shopping facilities to keep you inside. In Atlantic City many restaurants have closed near the casinos, leaving a few pawnshops and cash for gold stores.
It has been suggested that a casino shouldn’t be in a residential neighbourhood. But look at downtown Toronto and almost anywhere else in the city. Condo development is putting residential communities everywhere.
The social costs of gambling must also be taken seriously. It preys on the poor and those vulnerable to addiction. Problem gambling is already an issue. A commercial casino in Toronto will make it that much worse. Studies indicate that where casinos go, so go increases in poverty, homelessness, gambling problems, suicides, drug/alcohol addictions, and crimes by those feeding their habit. Not only are the gamblers affected but so are their families, their kids.
Toronto is not about to become another Las Vegas, a tourist gambling destination. And we wouldn’t want it to. Much of the casino revenues are likely to be generated locally by taking away from other games of chance and lotteries. There are already enough gambling opportunities. We say enough is
enough. Governments shouldn’t be expanding gambling opportunities as a means of balancing their budgets. A commercial casino operation is not in Toronto’s best interest.
Sincerely ,
David Crombie, John Sewell, Art Eggleton

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Quote of the Day – City’s retiring CFO gives his two cents

- October 3rd, 2012

CFO Cam Weldon

Cam Weldon, the City of Toronto’s chief financial officer (Don Peat/Toronto Sun)

“One more thing, you need to be nicer to each other when I’m gone – you’ll accomplish more, you’ll live longer and you’ll retire happy like me.”

- City of Toronto Chief Financial Officer Cam Weldon’s advice to city councillors during his retirement speech on Wednesday

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Councillor Ron Moeser’s leg

- September 10th, 2012

Councillor Ron Moeser hasn’t been at city council very much this year due to ongoing health problems.

Moeser sent an email to councillors Monday morning updating them on his condition and indicating he may be back in October.

Here’s a copy of the email obtained by the Sun:

 

Dear Colleagues,
 
This is to update you on my current medical condition. I am still recovering from the latest surgery and hope to have the metal brace removed in time to attend the October Council meetings.
 
Thank you for your understanding through this trying time.
Councillor Ron Moeser

Scarborough East, Ward 44

 

But he didn’t stop there.

To drive his point home, Moeser also attached a photo of his leg.

Here it is:

IMG-20120908-00002

I’m no medical expert but that looks fairly painful.

Hope he gets well soon.

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What to expect when Councillor Josh Matlow is expecting

- July 24th, 2012

Screen shot 2012-07-24 at 10

Councillor Josh Matlow has a mini-Matlow on the way.

The rookie councillor announced on Twitter Monday that his wife Melissa is four months pregnant.

“I’ve never been so clear about why I care so much about fighting for the health of our community and city,” Matlow tweeted.

His breaking baby news was quickly met with a torrent of congratulations.

The couple don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl yet but I’m told they will find out soon.

All the best to the Matlows.

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Quotable Quotes: City Council recap

- July 9th, 2012

cityhallpic2

Toronto city council meets this week for the last meeting before the summer break (story on that here). Here’s some of the more memorable quotes from city council meetings during the first six months of 2012:

“That whole meeting was irrelevant.”
- Mayor Rob Ford after city council voted in February to revive most of the Transit City plan.

“The people of this city have spoken loud and clear. They want subways,  folks. They want subways, subways, subways.”
- Mayor Rob Ford during the Sheppard subway vs. Sheppard LRT debate at council in March.

“I think we’re going to get sued.”
- Mayor Rob Ford immediately after Toronto city council voted to ban plastic bags starting January 1, 2013.

“Just get rid of the damn bags!”
- Councillor David Shiner urging councillors to support a bag ban at the June city council meeting.

“This is a vote. We’ll get past it. We’re one city. We need to move forward together.”
- TTC chair Karen Stintz on whether she could work with Mayor Rob Ford after the Sheppard subway vote in March.

“My advice to the taxpayer would be don’t send us any more activists, don’t send us any more unionists, don’t send us any more cyclists … Send us some people down here with good common sense who just want to manage the city’s affairs, that’s what’s needed.”
- Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday in April following a debate on contracting out cleaning jobs.

“F— off.”
- Councillor Gord Perks to Councillor Josh Colle during a debate on gun control in May. He later apologized.

“You just don’t get anywhere with these monkeys.”
- Councillor Doug Ford during the debate over the Sheppard subway in March.

“I apologize for saying monkeys.”
- Councillor Doug Ford after councillors demanded an apology for him calling them monkeys during the Sheppard subway debate in March.

“There is no way that you can say that (Mayor Rob Ford) saved the day, that he won the day. He, frankly, lost the day quite miserably.”
- Councillor Joe Mihevc after the 2012 budget vote at city council in January.

“I have never seen councillors so confused as they are today.”
- Speaker Frances Nunziata to council during the March special council meeting on the Sheppard subway.

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Careful what you vote for: Ball hockey edition

- May 27th, 2012

Councillor Josh Matlow

Councillor Josh Matlow (Toronto Sun file photo)

A majority of councillors started Toronto on this not-so brilliant breakaway to the edge of ball hockey bureaucracy a year ago.

Back in May 2011, a majority of councillors were onside with Councillor Josh Matlow’s push to have city bureaucrats find a fix for Toronto’s ball hockey ban.

Mayor Rob Ford and 35 councillors voted in favour of Matlow’s motion to have staff look at ways to exempt streets from the city’s ball hockey ban.

Matlow revealed this week the staff would be coming forward with that plan at the June public works meeting (story here). As details of the proposed plan spread, it didn’t go over well with scathing reaction from Matlow’s fellow councillors (story here and here). A day later, Matlow iced the idea (story here).

Reading the motion from that May council meeting, it’s not surprising city staff came back to Matlow with this ridiculously bureaucratic process for parents to go through to get their street exempt from the city’s rarely enforced ball hockey ban.

The motion the majority of council supported ordered the city manager to report to the public works committee on “the type of streets on which street hockey or other ball sports are suitable” such as dead-end streets, cul-de-sacs and ones with low traffic volume. It also asked the city manager to do a feasibility study on “a procedure that allows any Toronto resident residing on a street with a speed limit at or lower than 40 km/hr to apply for an exemption from the current city by-laws that prohibit playing street hockey and other ball sports.”

Although Matlow is taking all the hits on this initiative, he sure got a helping hand from councillors.

So who cast their ballot to start the ball rolling on this?

Along with Matlow and the mayor were Councillors Paul Ainslie, Ana Bailão, Michelle Berardinetti, Shelley Carroll, Raymond Cho, Josh Colle, Gary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Janet Davis, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Sarah Doucette, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Doug Ford, Mary Fragedakis, Norman Kelly, Mike Layton, Chin Lee, Giorgio Mammoliti, Pam McConnell, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Joe Mihevc, Peter Milczyn, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Ron Moeser, Frances Nunziata, Cesar Palacio, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, David Shiner, Karen Stintz, Michael Thompson and Adam Vaughan.

Seven councillors faced off against this idea right from the start. The seven councillors who voted no to starting staff down this inevitable path to a ridiculously bureaucratic process were Councillors Maria Augimeri, Mike Del Grande, Frank Di Giorgio, Mark Grimes, Doug Holyday, Gloria Lindsay Luby and John Parker.

Parker made his thoughts on the initiative crystal clear last Wednesday when he told reporters the following:

“Look, I love my colleague Councillor Matlow to bits and I would never suggest that anything he brings forward is for the benefit of gaining public profile and the odd cheap headline. But I think the city has done just fine by way of accommodating road hockey on our streets without the benefit of a whole lot of study by city staff and committees.”

So there you go, Matlow may be in the penalty box for this one but he had some help from a lot of council teammates to get here.

***

Here’s how councillors voted back in May 2011 on the motion entitled “Exemption to By-Laws Prohibiting Street Hockey and Other Ball Sports to Promote Active and Healthy Youth and Community Engagement”:

Yes: 36
Paul Ainslie, Ana Bailão, Michelle Berardinetti, Shelley Carroll, Raymond Cho, Josh Colle, Gary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Janet Davis, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Sarah Doucette, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Doug Ford, Rob Ford, Mary Fragedakis, Norman Kelly, Mike Layton, Chin Lee, Giorgio Mammoliti, Josh Matlow, Pam McConnell, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Joe Mihevc, Peter Milczyn, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Ron Moeser, Frances Nunziata, Cesar Palacio, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, David Shiner, Karen Stintz, Michael Thompson, Adam Vaughan

No: 7
Maria Augimeri, Mike Del Grande, Frank Di Giorgio, Mark Grimes, Doug Holyday, Gloria Lindsay Luby, John Parker

Absent: 2
James Pasternak, Kristyn Wong-Tam

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Rob Save the (Future) King

- May 20th, 2012

Mayor Rob Ford

Mayor Rob Ford at the executive committee meeting last Monday (Toronto Sun files)

The Ford brothers will meet Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at Ashbridge’s Bay Park Monday night.

Mayor Rob Ford talked about the coming meeting on his radio show on NEWSTALK 1010 on Sunday and seemed pretty pumped about the prospect of meeting the future king.

Apparently both Fords are big fans of the British monarchy.

“I can’t wait to meet Prince Charles and the Duchess,” Mayor Ford told listeners.

Councillor Doug Ford – whose candid comments often land him in hot water and on the front page – vowed he’ll be keeping quiet around the royals in a bid to avoid controversy.

“I always seem to say something and that’s it, so I’m keeping my mouth shut,” Ford said on-air.

The Fords ended their Victoria Day weekend show with a nod to Prince Charles’ mom, Queen Elizabeth II.

“God bless the Queen and Canada,” Councillor Ford said just before signing off.

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Does Josh Matlow have a political death wish?

- May 2nd, 2012

Councillor Josh Matlow

Councillor Josh Matlow (Toronto Sun files)

Leading the charge in Toronto’s latest road toll debate is Councillor Josh Matlow (see story here).

Road tolls have been “political kryptonite” in Toronto politics for years but the rookie councillor seems hellbent to put the pedal to the metal on this idea.

I asked him if he’s thought about the fact his road toll stand could be political suicide.

“I’ve thought about it,” Matlow said.

“I’d rather do what I know is right than be so careful that I’m not doing what I ran to do which is to reflect my community and help build my city.”

“I’m well aware that toll roads have been a very taboo subject for a long time.”

We’ll find out in the next few weeks if it is going to remain a taboo subject for a while longer.

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Quotable Quotes: City Council March 5 edition

- March 5th, 2012

Mayor Rob Ford and Councillor Frances Nunziata

Mayor Rob Ford talks to Speaker Frances Nunziata during Monday’s city council meeting (Craig Robertson/Toronto Sun)

Monday’s city council meeting had some quotable moments.
Here’s what councillors had to say during the debate to restart the TTC commission and after the vote:

“Our commission isn’t functioning well.”
TTC chair Karen Stintz to city council about the current TTC commission

“You can stab me as many times as you want, I’ll still be standing.”
Councillor Frances Nunziata responding to Councillor Adam Vaughan’s heckling

“You have been taking that taxpayer to the cleaners.”
Councillor Anthony Perruzza blasts Mayor Rob Ford’s administration for cancelling Transit City

“You know, you are an idiot.”
Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti to Councillor Anthony Perruzza

“The theme of this administration is change.”
Councillor Norm Kelly to his council colleagues

“One proposes some sort of blended board with everything but U.S. peacekeepers and Smurfs on it.”
Councillor Adam Vaughan describing how erratic councillors who support Ford were during Monday’s meeting.

“This is worse than the Roman senate.”
An anonymous councillor describing Monday’s meeting

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