Boges

How are these services "men's toys"?

The Korean War isn't over, there's still a US Military presence there. There's a large US presence in both Germany and Japan too ditto for Saudi Arabia. Even if the "reasons" for going to war in Afganistan have been achieved, I doubt the US would leave at this point.

So Snow Removal isn't essential but certain pools (not all but underused ones) are sacrosanct. We haven't had a lot of snow this winter, but last winter we had a ton. BTW proper landscaping of parks (or cutting grass as you put it) allows kids and adults a like to get outside and enjoy nice greenspace for free. Also do you think perhaps there are other more pressing factors that contribute to the lack of healthy children then access to pools?

Swimming at a public school is s civil right now? No school I ever went to had a pool. The local community centre had a pool. The column would indicate using Community Centre pools are a lot more cost effective. Don't public schools have libraries with internet? And they aren't saying all libraries will be closed or have their hours reduced. Why can some efficiencies be made? http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/hours-locations/ I checked the hours in some of the Libraries in poor areas of Toronto and some are open until 8:30pm. So lets say they cut the hours to 7pm, would that really ruin people's lives?

You could always tweet or e-mail her and ask her what her sources are. I'm not cuz if she was lying I'm sure people who know the figures would call her on her fabrications. But anyway if labeling these "services" as under utilized is a new narrative, what was the old one? I know that's why they were making the TTC cuts.

What evidence do you have that Sue Anne Levy has ever reported incorrect facts? You just don't like the numbers she's reporting.

Harper didn't nominate Jean so I'm not sure why you called her his buddy. I think more was made that her husband had French citizenship and was seen as a separtist. The GG is only a figurehead is there any instance in the history of our country where the GG or Queen didn't do what the PM told them?

Well when you think about it. Kids access to the internet and gaming have greatly reduced their love for physical activity. I played MW3 last night and I could hear several high-pitched voices of kids. I'm guessing the kids that go to Libraries these days aren't going there to read Moby Dick but to go online.

Why because of one idiotic captain? So if an Air Canada plan crashes in Europe and you have a flight to, say, Florida; would you cancel? Cruising is overwhelmingly safe. That ship shouldn't have been anywhere near the shore.

I'm sure the same could be said, by many, about someone like Royson James.

Havana Club isn't even that great. Appleton's Reserve is teh shizz. Screetch is good "get hammered" rum.

Well since the OP was just a re-post of a Star column I thought I'd counter with this, equally as partisan, article. http://www.torontosun.com/2012/01/18/budget-battle-not-a-loss-for-ford If these numbers are to be believed, the way this money is to be spent isn't exactly good stewardship of taxpayer money. And to imply that if there wasn't an arena or a pool available for free for poor youths, they'd be criminals, is rather offensive. Don't their taxpayer-funded schools have extra-curricular activities? Aren't there already public parks for kids to play in. Are community centres all across the city bursting at the seams from over-use? Also is there any evidence that these specific pools and arenas were keeping kids out of gangs?

I imagine it would take more than a few people to get a nuke in the US, Canada, the UK or any NATO country. Who says he's the real man behind them? And how the Hell did you get on Wikipedia today! :-D

And Fundamentalist Islam won't be stopped either. But the invasion of Afganistan certainly crippled Al-Queda's ability to organize and plan attacks on a large scale. Sure it may still happen but considering the death of Osama bin Laden recently the US Military is clearly doing a decent intelligence job in keeping the who's who of Al-Queda on the run and away from planning large scale attacks. The main threat of Fundamentalist Islam is from home-grown terrorists like the one's the perpetrated the London bombing. So more needs to be done at home to teach first generation Canadians from Muslim countries that Fundamentalist Islam is wrong.

Who's proposing such a thing?

What like Nazism? Sure you can't defeat ideas but you can kill the people that believe those ideas. Or at least cripple their ability to attack again.

It's a case of fixed expenses and discretionary expenses. There are things that the City needs to spend money on and they have to budget for it. Just like I budget for my cable bill, car payment, insurance, mortgage etc. At the end of the year I hope I have some money left over. Shouldn't I put that towards paying down debt or towards retirement and not the expenses of next year?

But they aren't essential public services like education, public safety and garbage removal. As a student I went to Libraries to get better resources, but then again I didn't have internet. School's have libraries don't they? Kids can get physical activities by playing street hockey or any number of outdoor activities that are free.

Well I do consider both going to the Library and a Pool leisure activities actually.

Well how else to you propose having a climbing wall, wave pool, mini-putt course, basketball court, buffet restaurant, gym, two pools, as well as the bridge on the deck of a ship?

That's like saying if the Titanic didn't hit the Iceberg it wouldn't have sank. If this captain wasn't being a showboat idiot this wouldn't have happened. Then again. . . This could have also been a contributing factor

You're spinning as much as I am. There were budget cuts just not as deep as Ford would have liked.

So if it wasn't top heavy it would have just bounced off the rock?

That's a perception you and/or Star readers may have that already hate Ford. I doubt that's the public's perception. The true test of Ford's public perception is how he and his allies handle the coming clash with the Public Service Unions.

You're expecting a guy who cared so little about his passengers he was one of the first off his ship to honour kill himself. This guy is probably going to jail for awhile though.