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Mayor John Tory's Toronto

nohostages said:
Don't be too chagrined, at least you care. I think I recall you being in construction or renos? There are the real opportunities to make a difference in the trades. The crap I recall going into the burn pile when I was doing custom additions in the oughts makes me cringe. It takes effort and costs more to do it well, and it was grudge money for most clients. Nowadays we're likely to be quizzed by potential clients who want to ensure proper disposal before we are hired.
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Yeah, I work in custom residential construction (mostly...we do the odd institutional, commercial, and industrial work) and it's funny you mention clients wanting to ensure proper disposal of waste as I have yet to come across it. We've worked on projects where all sorts of lip service was paid to proper waste streaming and other environmental practices, but as far as I could tell it was the same old story. I'm in no position to influence the waste management practices of our contractor clients, but I do my best to recycle every little (and I mean little) piece of scrap metal that our operation produces as well as ensuring that we use as much cut-off material as possible, mostly on the same project at which it was produced. We do tend to be producers of the least waste at most projects, everything else having been reused or recycled. I'm actually proud of promoting a waste reduction culture at work that has seen most of my coworkers follow my lead. (It may be my greatest accomplishment of all time hahahaa).
 
MTown said:
Yeah, I work in custom residential construction (mostly...we do the odd institutional, commercial, and industrial work) and it's funny you mention clients wanting to ensure proper disposal of waste as I have yet to come across it. We've worked on projects where all sorts of lip service was paid to proper waste streaming and other environmental practices, but as far as I could tell it was the same old story. I'm in no position to influence the waste management practices of our contractor clients, but I do my best to recycle every little (and I mean little) piece of scrap metal that our operation produces as well as ensuring that we use as much cut-off material as possible, mostly on the same project at which it was produced. We do tend to be producers of the least waste at most projects, everything else having been reused or recycled. I'm actually proud of promoting a waste reduction culture at work that has seen most of my coworkers follow my lead. (It may be my greatest accomplishment of all time hahahaa).
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Gotta say, major props. In my experience, our industry and the workers in it tend to be among the worst offenders for littering, waste, and non-recycling. Unless it is aluminium or copper.
 
freshcutgrass said:
You are correct about that, but I think the issue that represents is that we used to have higher standards and were willing to pay for it.

....streetcars used to come more often
....grass used to be cut on public property
....flowers flourished in public parks
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I can agree that the maintenance of a certain standard is desirable and am as always willing to pay for such a standard (being the good working-class, taxpaying peon that I am), but perhaps some things were/are just superfluous. Such as the twice-weekly rubbish collection. Or streetcars that came more often. (For this, I must ask--and please forgive my ignorance, I'm only 29 and don't remember the "good old days" so well--what was more often than the less than ten minutes the 501 gets to me now?). No one should require rubbish collection twice a week and streetcars coming too often when there may not be people needing them there and then.

Now, the upkeep of public lands is an entirely different beast. The failure to upkeep public lands in keeping with a lofty standard reflects poorly on a society and can foment poor societal self-worth and respect as well as perpetuate a sort of selfish individualism. ....as some of my peers might say, "ain't nobody got time for that".

Upkeep of public lands and having superfluous services (regardless of whether or not some people are willing to pay for them) are two different things.
 
wopchop said:
Gotta say, major props. In my experience, our industry and the workers in it tend to be among the worst offenders for littering, waste, and non-recycling. Unless it is aluminium or copper.
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Yeah, I know all about that. Even after 15 years in the industry I still can't get my head around the amount of waste generated by construction projects.

Speaking of metals, I've seen guys chucking copper....yes, copper (ffs, $3/lb scrap) just because it was small cut-offs, as if it wouldn't add up to anything. *shrug*...more for me.
We recycle all metals we use: lead, brass, copper, zinc, aluminium, steel, and stainless.

In any case, I don't count....I'm sort of a hippie aka the exception proving the rule.
 
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MTown said:
I'm only 29 and don't remember the "good old days" so well--what was more often than the less than ten minutes the 501 gets to me now?). No one should require rubbish collection twice a week and streetcars coming too often when there may not be people needing them there and then.
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You have pointed out one of the obvious reasons our standards have slipped...people like yourself who simply don't know any better.

Your assertion that the Queen car's service being improved upon would be a waste is proof of that. If there's a poster child for lost-cause TTC service, it's the Queen streetcar. And as a regular user, your notion that reliable less than ten minute headways on the Queen car doesn't even exist, let alone representing good service.

Our lifestyles and attitudes have changed over the years to accommodate less garbage pick ups, but less public transit service...no.
 
the lemur said:
Aren't the GFL people buddies with the Fords? Could Rob/Doug have put pressure on GFL to withdraw the offer to make Tory look bad?

/idle speculation
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They did agree to that contract when Ford was mayor.

680News Toronto ‏@680News 1m1 minute ago
MLSE and Tim Hortons are the sponsors to help keep outdoor skating rinks open, Tory says.
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the lemur said:
Aren't the GFL people buddies with the Fords? Could Rob/Doug have put pressure on GFL to withdraw the offer to make Tory look bad?

/idle speculation
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only person making Tory look bad is Tory. He should be boasting. He should point out that his predecessor never met a conflict of interest he didn't embrace. If this had been Ford, he would have sneered, scowled, painted everyone else as the villain and dug in his heels and insisted the sponsor stay and that everyone who wants to follow rules simply hates kids and ice rinks. Just like he did with his many COI incidents, his use of city staff and supplies to coach and raise funds for his football project and so many other things.

How refreshing -- a conflict was discovered and the situation was immediately addressed and rectified according to the rules.
 
freshcutgrass said:
You have pointed out one of the obvious reasons our standards have slipped...people like yourself who simply don't know any better.

Your assertion that the Queen car's service being improved upon would be a waste is proof of that. If there's a poster child for lost-cause TTC service, it's the Queen streetcar. And as a regular user, your notion that reliable less than ten minute headways on the Queen car doesn't even exist, let alone representing good service.
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I didn't mean that it would be a waste to improve service on the 501. I meant it may be superfluous to have more frequent service just for the sake of having more service and on all lines at all times. I'm all for increased service on the 501 at certain times of day (basically 22 hours a day on the 501, as far as I can tell) as I know it could be used. The St Clair streetcar? Not so sure.
 
the lemur said:
Aren't the GFL people buddies with the Fords? Could Rob/Doug have put pressure on GFL to withdraw the offer to make Tory look bad?

/idle speculation
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On the contrary, unlike the Fords they know what a conflict of interest is and withdrew support as they are currently bidding on a relatively minor city contract.
 
MTown said:
On the contrary, unlike the Fords they know what a conflict of interest is and withdrew support as they are currently bidding on a relatively minor city contract.
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It's interesting having a mayor who can make a few phone calls and find corporate donors. But if this is how the rinks are going to be funded, city hall should line up the sponsors for next year, now.
 
W. K. Lis said:
To mow that park lawn, patch the bald grass patches, plant flowers, pull the weeds out of the sidewalks, control the poison ivy, pick up the litter, paint, fix the picnic tables... all cost money. Saving money means doing without.
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Does the city hire summer students to do this sort of thing? It seems like a good minimum wage summer job, but I can imagine that the union might have a problem with it.
 
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