Breaking: Mayor Tory Steps Down.

[GameBoy27]

You need to clarify the difference between policies you disagree with and corruption where money or influence passes between people.
Then you need to prove there is as much corruption, not just make blanket statements based on your feelings.

Go ahead.

You can look them up yourself. I'll admit the Conservatives have been guilty of corruption. But when it comes to your views, you think there's no corruption on the Liberal side of the coin, which just isn't the case.

This is just one example, there's many more.

The Liberals cancelled two gas plants to save a few seats during an election year. This cost Ontario taxpayers a whopping $1.1 billion, and a senior Liberal operative was sentenced to four months in jail for deleting e-mails surrounding the decision. Kathleen Wynne was the co-chair of the 2011 Liberal election campaign when the decision was made, and she personally signed an important cabinet document during the gas plants scandal. One of Kathleen Wynne’s first decisions after the 2014 election was to cancel a committee that was searching for answers surrounding the cancellation.

 

[GameBoy27]

Its a combo of bigger distances for services/roads and property values

340 acres, that's how much land was changed by Wynne in the Greenbelt.
Totally the same thing.

Ford got $460,000 in donations from the greenbelt developers in 2018's election.

Has there been a decision in the investigation yet or are you just speculating that Ford's guilty of corruption? I'll wait until all the facts are in before I pass judgement.

 

[fearoffomo]

To make things clear, I do care about the city. Lived here my whole life. While it's not perfect (name one city of 3 million that is) it's far better than a lot of places on earth. What I don't care about is what consenting adults do behind closed doors. In the the case of Tory, he paid the price, he's resigned now let's move on. You seem to sweat the little things. What are you, a member of the morality squad?

Oh, and if you don't like Toronto, you know you're free to live somewhere else.

The Mayor of the largest city in all of the Canada, one of the largest in North America, doing something as stupid as fucking his employee is not a little thing.

Seeing as you have a problem with reading comprehension, I'll repeat, it's not simply the affair that's the issue, it's the fact that he with all his power and influence as the Mayor of Toronto, put himself in a compromised position by doing what he did.

 

[fearoffomo]

Please tell us how you would solve housing, transit, public services, homelessness, mental health, drugs, violent crime and infrastructure issues. News flash, it's not as easy as you think. Perhaps a Mayor who leans far to the left would solve everything. lol

I know what I wouldn't do, I wouldn't continually under fund services, infrastructure etc and let everything crumble around me.

I also wouldn't placate NIMBYs and abandon sound urban planning principles to build a modern city, much like the actual world class ones across the globe.

 

[ptp]

 

[Frankfooter]

You can look them up yourself. I'll admit the Conservatives have been guilty of corruption. But when it comes to your views, you think there's no corruption on the Liberal side of the coin, which just isn't the case.

This is just one example, there's many more.

The Liberals cancelled two gas plants to save a few seats during an election year. This cost Ontario taxpayers a whopping $1.1 billion, and a senior Liberal operative was sentenced to four months in jail for deleting e-mails surrounding the decision. Kathleen Wynne was the co-chair of the 2011 Liberal election campaign when the decision was made, and she personally signed an important cabinet document during the gas plants scandal. One of Kathleen Wynne’s first decisions after the 2014 election was to cancel a committee that was searching for answers surrounding the cancellation.

That's not 'corruption' that's stupid policy to gain votes.
Its no more corrupt than Ford's $1 beer policy.

An example of corruption is when you have rich developers who go to your daughter's wedding, get inside info, make $80 million in profit off of land deals and then donate big time back to the party based on the new rules you put in place.

 

[Frankfooter]

Has there been a decision in the investigation yet or are you just speculating that Ford's guilty of corruption? I'll wait until all the facts are in before I pass judgement.

Toronto, Canada and Global Breaking News – CP24

Most recent News News business news stories and video from CP24

www.cp24.com

 

[Anbarandy]

The strong Mayor powers are granted to whomever is Mayor. If a "non-corrupt" left wing (as we know left wing politicians are never corrupt) Mayor is voted in next time, they will have the same powers. I can guarantee you, they won't be complaining about them like they were when they were granted to Tory. lol

Be afraid, very afraid.

 

[GameBoy27]

Toronto, Canada and Global Breaking News – CP24

Most recent News News business news stories and video from CP24

www.cp24.com

Thanks for the link. The takeaway is "The provincial police’s anti-rackets branch has been poking around since mid-December. It has yet to determine if there is any evidence to support an investigation."

Like I said, I'll wait until all the facts are in before I pass judgement.

 

[GameBoy27]

That's not 'corruption' that's stupid policy to gain votes.
Its no more corrupt than Ford's $1 beer policy.

Yet a senior Liberal operative was sentenced to four months in jail for deleting e-mails surrounding the decision. Yeah, no corruption there. You to be the biggest Liberal apologist I've ever seen.

An example of corruption is when you have rich developers who go to your daughter's wedding, get inside info, make $80 million in profit off of land deals and then donate big time back to the party based on the new rules you put in place.

Again, has this been proven or are you just speculating? Has anyone gone to jail over this?

 

[Frankfooter]

Thanks for the link. The takeaway is "The provincial police’s anti-rackets branch has been poking around since mid-December. It has yet to determine if there is any evidence to support an investigation."

Like I said, I'll wait until all the facts are in before I pass judgement.

Sure, in the meantime.

Doug Ford tells PC campaign event about discussions to develop province’s greenbelt | Watch News Videos Online

Watch Doug Ford tells PC campaign event about discussions to develop province’s greenbelt Video Online, on GlobalNews.ca

globalnews.ca

 

[Frankfooter]

Yet a senior Liberal operative was sentenced to four months in jail for deleting e-mails surrounding the decision. Yeah, no corruption there. You to be the biggest Liberal apologist I've ever seen.

Again, has this been proven or are you just speculating? Has anyone gone to jail over this?

Yes, emails were deleted, but this wasn't about politicians making money it was a stupid decision to gain votes they were trying to cover up.

80 million?

Greenbelt lands for Southlake site bought for $80M in September

Records show land west of Newmarket was purchased by Green Lane Bathurst GP just weeks before the province proposed opening it for development

www.orilliamatters.com

 

[Anbarandy]

I know what I wouldn't do, I wouldn't continually under fund services, infrastructure etc and let everything crumble around me.

I also wouldn't placate NIMBYs and abandon sound urban planning principles to build a modern city, much like the actual world class ones across the globe.

Number 1, if you voted for Mel Lastman, Rob Ford and/or John Tory during the mayoral elections you have no agency, standing nor right to complain about the state of the city finances, services, maintenance, infrastructure, taxes etc.

Number 2, if you supported, championed, agreed and or smiled at/with the policies and practices of the above 3 mayors, see 1 above.

You got exactly what you wanted: stagnation, deteriorating maintenance/ finances/services etc and a whole whack of unneeded shiny objects that have drained scarce resources from more worthy projects.

3) Tory's biggest waste of scarce resources is the +$2billion allocated to moving an unnecessary elevated highway a few meters northward. Think of it, +$2billion capital project waste of scarce resources that could have been used to increase the state of good repair for city infrastructure and maintenance. This project can still be stopped and the resultant funds allocated for it to be reallocated to actual needed projects instead.

4) The next mayor should reinstate the vehicle levy/tax which would bring in tens of millions of dollars every year.

5) The next mayor should get council to pass a parking fee/tax. This would bring in $150-500million per year.

6) The Thug should come thru with the $50million per year he legislatively agreed to for upgraded TCHC property. He hasn't.

7) The Thug should keep his fuckin oinking snout out of city politics.

 

[Dutch Oven]

Number 1, if you voted for Mel Lastman, Rob Ford and/or John Tory during the mayoral elections you have no agency, standing nor right to complain about the state of the city finances, services, maintenance, infrastructure, taxes etc.

Number 2, if you supported, championed, agreed and or smiled the policies and practices of the above 3 mayors, see 1 above.

I noticed you left Miller off the list. What did he do to avoid your disdain?

3) Tory's biggest waste of scarce resources is the +$2billion allocated to moving an unnecessary elevated highway a few meters northward. Think of it +$2billion capital project waste that could have been used to increase the state of good repair for city infrastructure and maintenance. This project can still be stopped and the resultant funds allocated for it to be reallocated to actual needed projects instead.

I'm not sure which you are saying is unnecessary - moving the Gardiner, or having a Gardiner? If the latter, how do you suppose any of those hundred of thousands of commuters would get downtown? Do you really think the Gardiner as currently designed does an adequate job? Why is trying to improve the road system a waste? Or is it the specific solution you take issue with? Doesn't sound like it, since you want to reallocate the money to other unrelated projects.

4) The next mayor should reinstate the vehicle levy/tax which would bring in tens of millions of dollars every year.

War on the car? How does this help the city afford to repair its infrastructure? Kill the commute and you'll kill the commercial tax base of the city.

5) The next mayor should get council to pass a parking fee/tax. This would bring in $150-500million per year.

War on the car, part II. If you increase parking costs in the city, fewer consumers will do business here. Fewer businesses will locate here. It's bad enough already. Your proposal would significantly reduce city revenue, not increase it.

6) The Thug should come thru with the $50million per year he legislatively agreed to for upgraded TCHC property. He hasn't.

The biggest problem with subsidized housing, including housing for the homeless, is that it shouldn't be in Toronto at all, where the cost of providing it is the highest in the province. There are many communities in Ontario where employers go begging for workers and where subsidized housing could be built on the cheap. Affordable housing needs to be a provincial mandate, not a municipal responsibility. But that would mean that the "hardship industry" in Toronto would have to shrink substantially!

7) The Thug should keep his fuckin oinking snout out of city politics.

Cities only govern themselves so long as Provinces are satisfied they are doing their jobs.. There's a better argument that Toronto shouldn't even exist, given its broader integration with the entire golden horseshoe.

 

[Anbarandy]

I noticed you left Miller off the list. What did he do to avoid your disdain?



I'm not sure which you are saying is unnecessary - moving the Gardiner, or having a Gardiner? If the latter, how do you suppose any of those hundred of thousands of commuters would get downtown? Do you really think the Gardiner as currently designed does an adequate job? Why is trying to improve the road system a waste? Or is it the specific solution you take issue with? Doesn't sound like it, since you want to reallocate the money to other unrelated projects.



War on the car? How does this help the city afford to repair its infrastructure? Kill the commute and you'll kill the commercial tax base of the city.



War on the car, part II. If you increase parking costs in the city, fewer consumers will do business here. Fewer businesses will locate here. It's bad enough already. Your proposal would significantly reduce city revenue, not increase it.



The biggest problem with subsidized housing, including housing for the homeless, is that it shouldn't be in Toronto at all, where the cost of providing it is the highest in the province. There are many communities in Ontario where employers go begging for workers and where subsidized housing could be built on the cheap. Affordable housing needs to be a provincial mandate, not a municipal responsibility. But that would mean that the "hardship industry" in Toronto would have to shrink substantially!



Cities only govern themselves so long as Provinces are satisfied they are doing their jobs.. There's a better argument that Toronto shouldn't even exist, given its broader integration with the entire golden horseshoe.

He was not Lastman, Ford or Tory.

Both. There are not hundreds of thousands of commuters using that stretch of the Gardiner to get downtown. That stretch of the Gardiner is a waste. Moving it a few meters north is a waste. Tearing it down, a widened Lakeshore Blvd E., one way Richmond, Adelaide, will only add 3 minutes to the commute. Saving's reallocated to long term road maintenance a repair which right now is fair but will degrade to poor by 2024 and only get worse.

There is no war on the car except in idle and fertile minds. Fewer this and fewer that, what a load of nonsense. It will increase revenue. Car drivers should pay their way in the city.

Wow, ship the homeless and precariously housed to burgs where land is cheap and jobs worth dong are non-existent. More wow bullshit > a provincial mandate with no provincial responsibility nor funding, the Thug way!

 

[Dutch Oven]

He was not Lastman, Ford or Tory.

Both. There are not hundreds of thousands of commuters using that stretch of the Gardiner to get downtown. That stretch of the Gardiner is a waste. Moving it a few meters north is a waste. Tearing it down, a widened Lakeshore Blvd E., one way Richmond, Adelaide, will only add 3 minutes to the commute. Saving's reallocated to long term road maintenance a repair which right now is fair but will degrade to poor by 2024 and only get worse.

You seem strangely unaware of the traffic on the Gardiner. I think it's pretty conclusive proof of the volume of commuters. No one who drives on it would be persuaded to your conclusions. In the words of Cake - "If you want to have cities, you've got to build roads!".

There is no war on the car except in idle and fertile minds. Fewer this and fewer that, what a load of nonsense. It will increase revenue. Car drivers should pay their way in the city.

The number of failing businesses which turned things around by charging more for the same (or an inferior) service or product? Zero. Same with cities. There's a reason the most successful retail stores provide free parking for their customers. Your business thinking is truly maverick! Do you work for the movie cinemas, who are currently trying to chase their few remaining customers out the door with premium seat fees?

Wow, ship the homeless and precariously housed to burgs where land is cheap and jobs worth dong are non-existent. More wow bullshit > a provincial mandate with no provincial responsibility nor funding, the Thug way!

You are offering the definition of insanity. Toronto's growing homeless and subsidized housing population have already proven that their futures don't lie in this city. How long do you want to let them suffer under their own delusions? The rest of Ontario is hardly the horror that Toronto denizens imagine. To break the cycle, its time to realize that there is opportunity in Ontario outside of Toronto, and that those who need help need to be willing to make different decisions than the ones that brought them to where they are now.

Every job is worth doing. That's why jobs exist.

 

[Anbarandy]

You seem strangely unaware of the traffic on the Gardiner. I think it's pretty conclusive proof of the volume of commuters. No one who drives on it would be persuaded to your conclusions. In the words of Cake - "If you want to have cities, you've got to build roads!".

The number of failing businesses which turned things around by charging more for the same (or an inferior) service or product? Zero. Same with cities. There's a reason the most successful retail stores provide free parking for their customers. Your business thinking is truly maverick! Do you work for the movie cinemas, who are currently trying to chase their few remaining customers out the door with premium seat fees?



You are offering the definition of insanity. Toronto's growing homeless and subsidized housing population have already proven that their futures don't lie in this city. How long do you want to let them suffer under their own delusions? The rest of Ontario is hardly the horror that Toronto denizens imagine. To break the cycle, its time to realize that there is opportunity in Ontario outside of Toronto, and that those who need help need to be willing to make different decisions than the ones that brought them to where they are now.

Every job is worth doing. That's why jobs exist.

1) I am talking about that stretch of the Gardiner, from Jarvis St. to the DVP. That elevated stretch of the Gardiner does not move hundreds of thousands of commuters. I live right by the lake, right near the Gardiner. I see, I experience, I read, I follow - Toronto. You do not live here at all, you live in exurbia and only travel to Toronto via personal vehicle. U come in, do your shit and get out. That's the extent of your intimate knowledge of Toronto.

2) If you really believe successful retail stores/centers/malls offer free parking then that is even more proof that you just are so unaware. The costs of that parking is passed on to customers in the price customers pay for goods and services.

3) Businesses will leave! Retail will close! The city will be gutted! People will lose jobs! The price of everything will go up! Fear mongering, all of it and none of it true. Raising the minimum wage did not produce the calamity that the business community and conservative fucks warned. The vehicle tax did not lead to disaster. The Toronto Land Transfer Tax did not cause property sales to plummet as the RE industry keeps warning about. Tax hikes did not lead to businesses taking a hike. I'll tell you what causes calamity, it is the unaffordability caused by unchecked free enterprise/greed.

4) Get back to me, when you have a handle on Toronto because to tell you the truth it is a waste of time debating with someone who is a foreigner to Toronto.

 

[chrispalen]

Finally, John Tory, the wolf in sheep skin mayor is gone today. He put out a public image of a do no harm mayor. And he dared to say in today’s speech that he managed to move the city forward. But if we look deep down his performance, there is huge city budget deficit, lots of unused trucks sitting idle, paying city employees free via hats, Cross town LRT not done and huge cost overrun, transit safety down the hill, housing is a mess, homeless citizens die in the cold, warming centres not open 24/7. Yet he spent taxpayer $$ for foreign travels and have sex with a staff less than half of his age.

let’s elect a capable person to take his place to move the city in the right direction.

CP

 

[explorerzip]

There's a reason the most successful retail stores provide free parking for their customers. Your business thinking is truly maverick! Do you work for the movie cinemas, who are currently trying to chase their few remaining customers out the door with premium seat fees?

Isn't amazing that The Eaton Center and surrounding business exist even with "oppressive" paid parking? How can there be a Canadian Tire, Best Buy and Cineplex at Bay and Dundas, an Ikea at Yonge and College, a giant Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens, and bars, restaurants, hotels, cultural and spots venues downtown? How is it that hundreds of thousands came downtown for the Raptors celebration parade a few years ago? I'm sure that more than a few that came from the 905. Some might have even been crazy enough to drive in and pay for parking. It should be obvious that people work, live and play downtown. Some people want to be downtown even with paid parking.

I get it that many 905'ers won't come downtown to go to stores they already have. On the other hand, they will come for sports games, shows, concerts, cultural events. They are likely going to restaurants and bars before and after those events too.

You are offering the definition of insanity. Toronto's growing homeless and subsidized housing population have already proven that their futures don't lie in this city. How long do you want to let them suffer under their own delusions? The rest of Ontario is hardly the horror that Toronto denizens imagine. To break the cycle, its time to realize that there is opportunity in Ontario outside of Toronto, and that those who need help need to be willing to make different decisions than the ones that brought them to where they are now.

Maybe think about why there are usually more homeless in cities versus the suburbs. This problem isn't unique to Toronto BTW. If you're a pandhandler, do you spend your time downtown where there are thousands of people on the street that might be willing to give you a few bucks? Or in Milton where you're unlikely to see a person on the street?

If someone is homeless then how are they going to get to these sububrban homeless shelters you propose? Perhaps we should get the people of Oakville or Mississauga to pay for the shelter and the travel costs needed to ship the homeless to them? How well do you think that will go over?

 

[explorerzip]

1) I am talking about that stretch of the Gardiner, from Jarvis St. to the DVP. That elevated stretch of the Gardiner does not move hundreds of thousands of commuters. I live right by the lake, right near the Gardiner. I see, I experience, I read, I follow - Toronto. You do not live here at all, you live in exurbia and only travel to Toronto via personal vehicle. U come in, do your shit and get out. That's the extent of your intimate knowledge of Toronto.

2) If you really believe successful retail stores/centers/malls offer free parking then that is even more proof that you just are so unaware. The costs of that parking is passed on to customers in the price customers pay for goods and services.

3) Businesses will leave! Retail will close! The city will be gutted! People will lose jobs! The price of everything will go up! Fear mongering, all of it and none of it true. Raising the minimum wage did not produce the calamity that the business community and conservative fucks warned. The vehicle tax did not lead to disaster. The Toronto Land Transfer Tax did not cause property sales to plummet as the RE industry keeps warning about. Tax hikes did not lead to businesses taking a hike. I'll tell you what causes calamity, it is the unaffordability caused by unchecked free enterprise/greed.

4) Get back to me, when you have a handle on Toronto because to tell you the truth it is a waste of time debating with someone who is a foreigner to Toronto.

My office overlooks the Gardiner near Jarvis and there's a clear difference in traffic on the Western vs Eastern half. I also think reubilding that section is a big waste of money. On the other hand, the city needs to proceed carefully for how it's going to manage Southbound traffic on the DVP or Eastbound traffic on the Gardiner East of Jarvis. Sadly, I don't have much confidence in the city to manage this well because of dumb decisions in the path.

The Queens Quay re-alignment near Bathurst has to be the dumbest of them all. The streetcar tracks start in the middle and then move to the South side of the street. That made the street very confusing because the intersections are unique to that section. So the city had to install hundreds of extra road signs and signals to deal with that odd arrangement. I think a better plan would be to keep the streetcar tracks in the centre, but reduce the car lanes to one in each direction, which is what we have today. Or have the streetcar tracks be consistently on the South side.