Social housing council lavish spending

[Mr.Canada]

TCHC council members were spending thier budgets on many lavish things all funded by the taxpayer. Including $40,000 on a Christmas party, HOlt and Refrew chocolates for all staffers, manicures, pedicures. A week long Muskoka spa getaway for the council members to discuss the council business. Millions of dollars in personal spending instead of spending the money on the poor people in social housing who need repairs including stoves, fridges and bedbugs.

Spending by staff at the housing corporation — the largest social housing provider in North America — included almost $2,000 for manicures and pedicures at a local spa for eight staff members and Christmas parties costing more than $40,000 each.

A report by Auditor General Jeff Griffiths also questioned expenditures such as $1,800 for a boat cruise, retail gift cards for employees and $6,000 for an offsite planning session in Muskoka. Employees also spent $1,000 on chocolates from upscale department store Holt Renfrew.Source

Mayor Ford has asked the council to resign and they have all refused, including the CEO.

“I asked Keiko [Nakamura, TCHC CEO] to resign, she said no. I’ve asked the board members to resign, they said no,” he said, admitting he was taken aback at their refusal. Source

Mayor Ford will now make a motion for vote in council to get this council out.

I'm surprised that more socialists here aren't outraged by this. This groups is stealing money from the poor to fund a lavish, "rich" lifestyle. Money that could and should be used to help upgrade and refurbish some units. Oh, I forgot, the socialists cannot be seen agreeing with anything Mayor Ford says.

Edit- The TCHC CEO has said that some people have been fired. Well who are they and why were they fired? The taxpayers have a right to know.

Edited March 3, 2011 by Mr.Canada

[Michael Hardner]

I'm surprised that more socialists here aren't outraged by this.

I'm outraged !

I'm also surprised that audits are not ongoing, and that they appear to happen so infrequently.

http://www.toronto.ca/audit/index.htm

An annual audit by department might result in some savings, one would think.

[Oleg Bach]

These facist lefties blew money in the stock market...Where did that money go? Of course it was absorbed by right wing finiacal types...which is ironic - that these dupes would hand over leftist money to the rightwingers...all in the spirit of greed. Looks like eventually Ford will fire them...but Fords Bay Street friends will have profited via tax dollars - and he will NOT be firing anyone at the exchange or in the law office towers....Ford is about buisness - and these socialist housing jerks are about ----------------well - real expensive chocolate I suppose.

[Mr.Canada]

I'm outraged !

I'm also surprised that audits are not ongoing, and that they appear to happen so infrequently.

http://www.toronto.ca/audit/index.htm

An annual audit by department might result in some savings, one would think.

I agree. Isn't it funny how the left wing who claim to support the poor are silent right now on this issue?

[Michael Hardner]

Well, CBC 1 had a representative of the TCHC today and was grilling him fairly well. I wouldn't say they're silent, but definitely quiet.

[Mr.Canada]

Well, CBC 1 had a representative of the TCHC today and was grilling him fairly well. I wouldn't say they're silent, but definitely quiet.

Yes, I didn't mean literally silent but very quiet. Man people here are so hung up on the every single word and how it's used, I find it annoying...anyways...

I wonder if they're afraid of having to side with Mayor Ford. They should forget partisan politics and just do the right thing for a change. The right thing to do is to fire these people on council and have a new council get to work immediately on improving the social housing situation.

The TCHC needs to stop paying lip service to the media and start improving the units. One by one and floor by floor unbtil the work is complete. The left wing must be able to support this, it's exactly what they want.

[Shakeyhands]

I agree. Isn't it funny how the left wing who claim to support the poor are silent right now on this issue?

You are nuts. I've got news for you friend, not everything is black and white nor is everything left and right. Everyone is outraged when people misuse the public trust. Not everything is split along partisan lines... well for most people.

Our very own right wingers become spitting mad and defend everything the right does, luckily those of us who identify themselves as "left" have some common sense and can see when something needs fixing.

[Shakeyhands]

Well, CBC 1 had a representative of the TCHC today and was grilling him fairly well. I wouldn't say they're silent, but definitely quiet.

How is the CBC left?

[Mr.Canada]

You are nuts. I've got news for you friend, not everything is black and white nor is everything left and right. Everyone is outraged when people misuse the public trust. Not everything is split along partisan lines... well for most people.

Our very own right wingers become spitting mad and defend everything the right does, luckily those of us who identify themselves as "left" have some common sense and can see when something needs fixing.

Yet left wing posters here are very quiet. No agreeing with Mayor Ford. No calls for resignation. No screaming about the 41 million dollars gambled on the stock market. Nothing from the left wing of MLW.

It leads me to think if the left wing of MLW even care about the poor at all or is it just themselves they care about?

Mayor Ford is the one who is going to bat for the poor in the social housing. Where were the protests outside the TCHC offices by OCAP over this scandal? If they claim to side with the poor, this would be a perfect venue to thrust their message upon.

[Michael Hardner]

How is the CBC left?

I'd say they're a left-of-centre mainstream media provider. No ?

[Mr.Canada]

I'd say they're a left-of-centre mainstream media provider. No ?

The left is wishing that this news goes away quickly because they cannot be seen to be agreeing with a conservative Mayor.

[Mr.Canada]

These facist lefties blew money in the stock market...Where did that money go? Of course it was absorbed by right wing finiacal types...which is ironic - that these dupes would hand over leftist money to the rightwingers...all in the spirit of greed. Looks like eventually Ford will fire them...but Fords Bay Street friends will have profited via tax dollars - and he will NOT be firing anyone at the exchange or in the law office towers....Ford is about buisness - and these socialist housing jerks are about ----------------well - real expensive chocolate I suppose.

I welcome the investment of public monies because this has the ability to make these groups self sustaining. meaning that if they are able to generate their own income then we wouldn't need to fund these with public dollars. However the way that it's invested needs reviewing.

Almost nothing is being said over at Rabble either and many of those posters actually live in public housing. This is very strange to say the least. I thought they'd be up in arms and would be wanting OCAP to protest at the TCHC offices. I guess not.

Edited March 3, 2011 by Mr.Canada

[Shakeyhands]

I'd say they're a left-of-centre mainstream media provider. No ?

I wouldn't say they are right or left. I suppose if you look at it from the arts perspective you could say so. Froma news organization point oif view I'd say they are or attemp to be as down the middle as they can be.

[Michael Hardner]

I wouldn't say they are right or left. I suppose if you look at it from the arts perspective you could say so. Froma news organization point oif view I'd say they are or attemp to be as down the middle as they can be.

I find their perspective to have a distinct Liberal tinge. Not burn-down-the-banks left but left...

Check out this morning's news stories:

http://www.cbc.ca/metromorning/

"Going Nowhere"

Guest host Karen Horsman spoke with Ronald Struys. He is a board member with the Toronto Community Housing Corporation.

Mental Health Solutions

Guest host Karen Horsman spoke with Dr. Kwame McKenzie. He is a psychiatrist and researcher with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and today, he is speaking at the Twelfth Annual George Brown College Mental Health Conference External Site.

Hunger Report

Guest host Karen Horsman spoke about the hunger report External Site with Jane Cali. She is the Director of Programs & Advocacy at "Sistering".

Women In Business

Guest host Karen Horsman spoke with Deborah Gillis. She is the Senior Vice President of Catalyst Census of Corporate Canada External Site.

Privatizing TCHC

Guest host Karen Horsman spoke with our business commentator Michael Hlinka.

Megalomaniac

Guest host Karen Horsman spoke with Dr. Irvin Wolkoff. He is a Toronto-based psychiatrist.

Thursday March 3, 2011

Partnership Project

Guest host Karen Horsman spoke with Ontario's Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Eric Hoskins, and with Helen Burstyn. She is chair of the Ontario Trillium Foundation External Site.

Feminism

Guest host Karen Horsman spoke with Judy Holm. Her documentary "The F Word: Who Wants to be a Feminist?", premiers tonight on CBC's Doc Zone at 9pm.

Tigers' Swing

Guest host Karen Horsman spoke with Burlington golf coach Sean Foley External Site. One of his current clients is Tiger Woods.

What's Next For TCHC?

Guest host Karen Horsman spoke with long-time TCHC tenant Beth Raymer, and with Mike McKenzie. He is chair of the Scarborough Village Neighbourhood Association.

[Mr.Canada]

I finally found out why the left is so quiet on this issue. It's because some of the members which are on the TCHC board are in fact poor/homeless activists. I guess they don't want to slam their own.

[Black Dog]

I love the fact that Ford is demanding greater accountability while simultaneously threatening to privatize the whole works.

As for the TCHC, I'd like to hear more about the real problems (ie. flouting the procurement process) and less about piddling shit like Christmas parties and chocolates.

[guyser]

As for the TCHC, I'd like to hear more about the real problems (ie. flouting the procurement process) and less about piddling shit like Christmas parties and chocolates.

I like how you are a dog on a bone with this, keep it up. However, the problem is the piddling shit sinec it is what starts the process.

Dont lose site of the fact that it may not appear piddling when it is your apartment (TCHC) being overrun with bugs, or your heat is not working well or security is broken when those christmas parties and chocolates costs would more than fix the problems for you.

The Mayor of NYC started having the cops bust people for the minor things thinking that it would curtail the escalation to bigger crimes later. Seems he was right.

When the "entitlement" these folks felt was theirs is moved off the table, the mind then thinks about the next rule or regulation a little more seriously.

[Black Dog]

I like how you are a dog on a bone with this, keep it up. However, the problem is the piddling shit sinec it is what starts the process.

Dont lose site of the fact that it may not appear piddling when it is your apartment (TCHC) being overrun with bugs, or your heat is not working well or security is broken when those christmas parties and chocolates costs would more than fix the problems for you.

I agree it's about perception, but righting symbolic wrongs is a shit way to run a city, especially if you use those symbolic wrongs to make changes that may be unnecessary at best or counterproductive at worst. I'm less concerned with optics than I am with the practical realities. I mean, despite these revelations, I still have no idea if the TCHC is fulfilling its mandate or not. That's the real question, not how much they spend on spa trips or chocolate.

[M.Dancer]

I love the fact that Ford is demanding greater accountability while simultaneously threatening to privatize the whole works.

As for the TCHC, I'd like to hear more about the real problems (ie. flouting the procurement process) and less about piddling shit like Christmas parties and chocolates.

Privatizing has one thing going for it. Getting existing properties into the programme will counter "low income ghetto-ization". Far too many neighbourhoods are congested with subsidized housing, neighbourhoods need more diversity...

Kids growing up where everyone is poor limits their vision of what they can achieve.

[Black Dog]

Privatizing has one thing going for it. Getting existing properties into the programme will counter "low income ghetto-ization". Far too many neighbourhoods are congested with subsidized housing, neighbourhoods need more diversity...

Ford is pretty much a squeaky wheel greaser, so I can't imagine it would take too many phone calls from "concerned neighbours" to quash any effort to create any kind of income diversity.

[Mr.Canada]

Ford is pretty much a squeaky wheel greaser, so I can't imagine it would take too many phone calls from "concerned neighbours" to quash any effort to create any kind of income diversity.

I see. So you're for having all the poor people living all together segregated in various areas of the city. Nice to know where you stand.

[Black Dog]

I see. So you're for having all the poor people living all together segregated in various areas of the city. Nice to know where you stand.

You are so stupid.

Seriously: where do you get this shit?

Edited March 8, 2011 by Black Dog

[M.Dancer]

Ford is pretty much a squeaky wheel greaser, so I can't imagine it would take too many phone calls from "concerned neighbours" to quash any effort to create any kind of income diversity.

That's a possibility, just not sure how likely. There would not need be any zoning changes....just simply a property owner who is willing....the neighbours wouldn't even know.

Now the catch is, how many property owners would do this? In effect the argument would be made that they are trading rent security for their right to screen prospective tenants.

[Shakeyhands]

You are so stupid.

Seriously: where do you get this shit?

Take it easy on him BD. You wouldn't pick on the challenged nephew at Xmas dinner. This is very similar.

[guyser]

Now the catch is, how many property owners would do this? In effect the argument would be made that they are trading rent security for their right to screen prospective tenants.

When home prices were booming, plenty. Since the increase in value more than offsets the cost of repairs from a chitty tenant.

Now, probably a lot of lamdlords would still take the guarantee. I am assuming they have an out clause in the lease, TCHC or not.