Fordtopia: Year Two

[Black Dog]

Picking up where we left off...

2012 budget coming down: tax hikes, job and service cuts

Among the “service level adjustments:” reducing off-peak hours at certain arenas, eliminating programming at selected TDSB pools, closing five of 105 wading pools, cutting almost $5-million out of community grants and changes to snow clearing and street cleaning standards. It also calls for the end of WinterCity programming, no more free Wheel Trans service for dialysis and a $7-million cut to libraries. It asks council to defer hiring 236 police officers, 68 firefighters, and 36 paramedics, and would close three shelters.

Edited November 28, 2011 by Black Dog

[Boges]

Good for him.

[eyeball]

It asks council to defer hiring 236 police officers

Can't argue with that.

[jacee]

Picking up where we left off...

2012 budget coming down: tax hikes, job and service cuts

Closing shelters in a recession is ludicrous, especially when it's just been made illegal for people to sleep on sidewalks/subway grates, they can't sleep in parks ... where do the homeless sleep?

[eyeball]

Closing shelters in a recession is ludicrous, especially when it's just been made illegal for people to sleep on sidewalks/subway grates, they can't sleep in parks ... where do the homeless sleep?

I know it's weird. How do right-wingers crack down and get tough without hiring new cops?

[Black Dog]

Good for him.

[Boges]

First time Ever! We will spend less next year than we did this year.

Yours,

R. Ford

[jacee]

I know it's weird. How do right-wingers crack down and get tough without hiring new cops?

And what would the cops do with them anyway? Is Ford building more jail facilities to house the homeless? (Only if Harper gives him the money, and I doubt that!) Are we now paying police officer wages to herd the homeless around from here to there ... since they aren't allowed to sleep? Maybe police will beat them up so they can take them to the hospital to sleep! Maybe they should just deliver them to Rob Ford's front yard ... with tents and video cameras! Or to City Hall!

Wouldn't it be cheaper than police and jails and hospitals to just keep the shelters open?

I'll be interested to see how the police (TPS, Chief Blair) respond to this information.

Edited November 28, 2011 by jacee

[Black Dog]

First time Ever! We will spend less next year than we did this year.

Yours,

R. Ford

Is that a "Rob Ford Guarantee"?

[Boges]

Is that a "Rob Ford Guarantee"?

Guess so.

[Black Dog]

Guess so.

Welp, it's pretty easy to cut spending when you're doing so on the backs of people with kidney disease and toddlers. Whether that's ipso facto a good thing is up for discussion.

Anyone else see that the mayor's office failed to hit its 10% budget cut target? In fact, they're even hiring an extra staffer.

[Boges]

Welp, it's pretty easy to cut spending when you're doing so on the backs of people with kidney disease and toddlers. Whether that's ipso facto a good thing is up for discussion.

Anyone else see that the mayor's office failed to hit its 10% budget cut target? In fact, they're even hiring an extra staffer.

Well the 90 some Libraries was a no go zone so . . .

[Black Dog]

Well the 90 some Libraries was a no go zone so . . .

And yet they are still cutting $7M and more than 150 staff from the libraries.

Like I said, it's easy to cut spending if you have no regard for the costs of the cuts.

[Boges]

And yet they are still cutting $7M and more than 150 staff from the libraries.

Like I said, it's easy to cut spending if you have no regard for the costs of the cuts.

150 less people to yet SHHHH at rowdy teenagers.

Sorry that was mean.

[Boges]

IT'S A BUDGET THAT SLAMS THE DOOR ON OUT OF CONTROL SPENDING!!!!!

[Shwa]

Maybe they should just deliver them to Rob Ford's front yard

But by God, let me tell ya, and I'm not kidding: if they do that, the homeless had better not be wearing red warrior princess costumes or there will be mayhem. Mayhem I tells ya! Mayhem!

[Shwa]

IT'S A BUDGET THAT SLAMS THE DOOR ON OUT OF CONTROL SPENDING!!!!!

Shrill thrill from the shill? (say that 10 times really fast)

[Jack Weber]

Closing shelters in a recession is ludicrous, especially when it's just been made illegal for people to sleep on sidewalks/subway grates, they can't sleep in parks ... where do the homeless sleep?

I assume Rob "Effing" Ford will use the Slasher Jimmy method....

Put 'em in jail!!!!

"Are there no prisons!!!Are there no workhouses!!!"

[Guest Peeves]

Welp, it's pretty easy to cut spending when you're doing so on the backs of people with kidney disease and toddlers. Whether that's ipso facto a good thing is up for discussion.

Anyone else see that the mayor's office failed to hit its 10% budget cut target? In fact, they're even hiring an extra staffer.

That's a misrepresentation of the cost cutting plans. Obviously cuts have to be made and employment made viable. Past costs are un sustainable and those complaining of THE COUNCIL's cuts aren't offering any alternatives. Maybe we should hear from Miller and his Pinko cronies?

[grogy]

Closing shelters in a recession is ludicrous, especially when it's just been made illegal for people to sleep on sidewalks/subway grates, they can't sleep in parks ... where do the homeless sleep?

Is there room on your couch?

You can make a personal choice to take care of others with your resources, I choose not to, of course I pay a lot of taxes so I am likely doing more than you are anyway.

[Shwa]

Is there room on your couch?

You can make a personal choice to take care of others with your resources, I choose not to, of course I pay a lot of taxes so I am likely doing more than you are anyway.

Of course, if you live in Toronto, you are going to be paying even more taxes.

More taxes, less services.

Facing $139M surplus, Ford wants to cut $88M in services

Critics accused the mayor of cooking the books to “create a crisis” and push cuts that will inflict needless suffering. But Ford will fail, they predicted, to persuade a majority of councillors to vote them into reality

.

Where have we seen that sort of political expediency before hmm?

Added Councillor Mike Del Grande, the budget chief: “It’s too bad the rest of the world doesn’t have the courage to do what we are doing today.”

Right, because it is just "common sense."

Voters chose Ford to replace retiring Miller just over a year ago, after the former Etobicoke councillor promised “services will not be cut, guaranteed.” In January, after taking office, he revised that promise to no “major” reductions.

Ford’s proposed budget does include a surplus — $83 million, carried over from 2010, Miller’s final year in office.

[Black Dog]

That's a misrepresentation of the cost cutting plans. Obviously cuts have to be made and employment made viable. Past costs are un sustainable and those complaining of THE COUNCIL's cuts aren't offering any alternatives. Maybe we should hear from Miller and his Pinko cronies?

Here's a dirty little secret that Fordites don't seem to understand: in a growing city, costs are always going to rise. There's always another road to repair, a water main to fix, more homes from which to collect garbage. The alternative to rising costs is stagnation and decline.

As for Miller, well, he kept property taxes in line with inflation and tried to find ways to raise additional revenue (such as the VRT and land transfer tax) within the limited set of tools available to municipalities.

[mentalfloss]

I know it's weird. How do right-wingers crack down and get tough without hiring new cops?

They give the existing union a huge raise of course.

Because right-wingers love unions.

Edited November 29, 2011 by mentalfloss

[Boges]

Of course, if you live in Toronto, you are going to be paying even more taxes.

More taxes, less services.

I'm curious how that's much different from Daddy Dalton. He implements a Health premium and then de-lists many services that used to be covered by OHIP.

I have to wait until the end of January for an MRI and people are telling me I'm lucky.

[Boges]

Here's a dirty little secret that Fordites don't seem to understand: in a growing city, costs are always going to rise. There's always another road to repair, a water main to fix, more homes from which to collect garbage. The alternative to rising costs is stagnation and decline.

As for Miller, well, he kept property taxes in line with inflation and tried to find ways to raise additional revenue (such as the VRT and land transfer tax) within the limited set of tools available to municipalities.

But perhaps the rate of spending increases didn't totally reflect the increase in population.