Toronto’s year-long casino debate finally comes to an end, but did we learn anything?
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Rob Ford crack cocaine scandal: Will Ford Nation desert him?
So this is the next big Rob Ford story. I was all set to go into the long weekend with a quick blog post about Mayor Rob Ford and magnets. It would have been light, and maybe kind of funny. … Continue Reading
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City Hall’s very messy transit fight leaves some hope for transit expansion
It’s been said that Toronto City Hall, devoid of any formal party structure, is where you go if you want to see how the political sausage is made. After all, Municipal government is the only place where all debates play … Continue Reading
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Taking on the Ford brothers’ new favourite tax study
It’s a rare thing for Mayor Rob Ford and his brother, Coun. Doug Ford, to actually cite studies when they make grandiose points about issues of the day. Generally, they’re more gut feeling kind of guys. Doug will say something … Continue Reading
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News
Mayor Rob Ford’s inaction on transit sparks council revolt – again
Not this again. Going into yesterday’s meeting of Ford’s cabinet-like Executive Committee, conventional wisdom had it that members had two choices when it came to an agenda item relating to new taxes, tolls and fees to support transit expansion in Toronto … Continue Reading
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Can Rob Ford make his case for reelection, one insignificant issue at a time?
It may be too early to really take the crystal ball to Toronto’s 2014 municipal election, but I know this: Mayor Rob Ford is not going to win reelection on a platform that puts the expansion of the island airport … Continue Reading
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Council Scorecard: How did your councillor vote on the island airport tax deal? Oh, and burgers, too
Toronto Council Scorecard, April 11, 2013: Google Docs (Best View) - Download (PDF) - Download (PNG) - What is this? Last week’s meeting of Toronto City Council was a study of priorities. By which I mean there was a long, drawn debate about burgers and how … Continue Reading
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Hamburgers vs. homelessness: Mayor Rob Ford & council struggle to define priorities
For me, the best moment of Toronto City Council’s meeting this week came from Coun. Josh Matlow. The Ward 22 rep, who has sometimes found himself the subject of jokes because of his commitment to earnest even-handedness, stood up late in … Continue Reading
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Don’t let the Big Move overshadow needed small moves on transportation
Don’t get me wrong: I really like that Metrolinx’s Big Move transit plan has forced the GTA to finally have a real conversation about large-scale transportation planning and how to fund it. It’s way overdue. But let’s not let talk of … Continue Reading
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Karen Stintz, not Rob Ford, looks mayoral in response to federal budget
Yesterday’s federal budget announcement should have been a gimme for Mayor Rob Ford — an easy chance to score some leadership points. Instead, the day belonged to TTC chair Karen Stintz. With longtime Ford family friend Jim Flaherty delivering another budget, … Continue Reading
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Olivia Chow and other would-be mayors should stick with current transit plans
So is it safe to say that Olivia Chow will run for mayor of Toronto in 2014? All signs point to “yes, probably.” Last week — days before the CBC aired a biopic about her late husband — Chow told … Continue Reading
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How Toronto City Council came up $500M short in transit debate
There seem to be a number of contrasting narratives coming out of last week’s transit funding debate. And I understand why: that meeting was one of the most confusing political events I’ve ever seen. At several points, councillors had to … Continue Reading
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Do Scarborough councillors want a subway or just political cover?
On Tuesday, a full two-thirds of those in attendance at a meeting of Toronto City Council voted to reverse a bid by Mayor Rob Ford to delay debate on new taxes, tolls and fees to fund transit expansion in the … Continue Reading
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More questions than answers with revived Scarborough subway plan
Like the bad guy in a horror movie, the presumed-dead Scarborough subway has emerged from the shadows for one last strike. Some councillors from Scarborough wheeled out an old banner and old arguments yesterday, suggesting that when council has its … Continue Reading
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Knocking down common arguments against new taxes for GTA transit
A few weeks back, I drew a line between those who deny the need for new funding sources to build transit in the GTA and those who persist in denying the science of climate change. Since then, we’ve heard a … Continue Reading
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Council Scorecard Projection: Downtown casino now a dead issue walking
The downtown Toronto casino is not happening. The debate is done. It’s really, really done. There are so many gambling clichés that I could use to describe the situation. The downtown casino has gone bust, I might say. Or that … Continue Reading
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Casino Toronto: What’s in it for Rob Ford?
After months and months of tedious debate, staff at City Hall released their report on the subject of a Toronto casino on Monday. It’s a big document that expresses only guarded support for the idea of a downtown gambling venue, detailing … Continue Reading
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Vomit away, Mr. Mayor, but you still don’t have a realistic plan to fund transit expansion
Yesterday, Metrolinx revealed their “shortlist” of possible taxes, tolls and fees that could be implemented over the coming years to pay for more than $50 billion in needed GTA transit projects. Also yesterday, when Mayor Rob Ford heard about this, … Continue Reading
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There’s only one reason to care about Rob Ford’s personal life
Does Mayor Rob Ford like to drink? Does he like to drink a little too much? I don’t know. I don’t care. And you shouldn’t care either. As long as the mayor isn’t driving while impaired or endangering anyone, the … Continue Reading
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GTA transit revenue deniers don’t deserve any more of our time
With the Toronto Region Board of Trade finally taking an official position in support of new taxes and fees for transit expansion on Monday, politicians and pundits in the Greater Toronto Area that still deny the need for regional transportation … Continue Reading
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So much to hate about the Sarah Thomson and Rob Ford story
I started to write about Toronto mostly because of Rob Ford. But I don’t much like writing about our mayor these days. Instead I like to write about more substantive things. I like to write about budgets, council voting strategy, … Continue Reading
