Rob Ford's Toronto

[adma]

Maybe this might provide a key...

Talking back to Toronto’s new Philistines

Yup--the magic word we've been waiting for. Philistines.

 

[tkip]

I tied to watch the new Sun News channel. Didn't like. They're basically coming off as a Fox News wannabe instead of being something different and fresh.

 

[Marko]

Maybe this might provide a key...

Talking back to Toronto’s new Philistines

Yup--the magic word we've been waiting for. Philistines.

Here's the thing... people make it sound as though all arts, literature, etc... would instantly disappear if the City of Toronto cut back on their subsidy of it, which is absurd. If for a period of time they didn't say, commission any new public sculptures - it doesn't also mean they're going to pull up a flatbed and remove all existing
sculptures from the city. What we see in the city now would remain largely intact - it just wouldn't be added to for a period of time. The vast majority of public art is not actually city funded at all, so if they were to cut away 20% of their funding, it would be equivalent to cutting back 1 or 2% of what may be produced over the period the cutbacks are in effect.

It's like a woman whose husband says "Honey, our company is cutting back and I'm only working 4 days a week for the rest of the year. We have to pay the mortgage and buy food, so to save money for a while, we'll eat out only once a week instead of twice, rent as many movies as we see in the theatre, and um, you can only buy one pair of shoes a month" and her replying "Only eat out once a week? But our friends will think we don't want to spend time with them!!" and even better, "No more shoes!? What am I supposed to do, go to work barefoot!@#?", when she has 2 closets full of shoes. "Come on now, let's not get hysterical, I'm going to be mowing the lawn myself instead of paying the landscapers." he says to her. "Philistine!!" she screams. "Suck it up, princess - I might have to sell my motorcycle!"

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Enough Guys.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Double-dip recession? With Ford and his clique considering that social programs run by the city to be "gravy", those types of actions would not be of benefit if one's family may have need of them in the future.

 

[jje1000]

I tied to watch the new Sun News channel. Didn't like. They're basically coming off as a Fox News wannabe instead of being something different and fresh.

Really? I thought they were really just trying to be like Fox 2.0. All commentary and opinion, little actual facts.

 

[tkip]

Really? I thought they were really just trying to be like Fox 2.0. All commentary and opinion, little actual facts.

Which is what I found when watching. No real substance to their reports/discussion. They're basically just an anti-liberal channel. As for this double dip recession? Considering I don't think the US even climbed out of the last recession, I really think this is just them falling much further back into it. Seems that the US and others are headed for a depression to be honest with you.

 

[GraphicMatt]

Here's the thing... people make it sound as though all arts, literature, etc... would instantly disappear if the City of Toronto cut back on their subsidy of it, which is absurd. If for a period of time they didn't say, commission any new public sculptures - it doesn't also mean they're going to pull up a flatbed and remove all existing
sculptures from the city. What we see in the city now would remain largely intact - it just wouldn't be added to for a period of time. The vast majority of public art is not actually city funded at all, so if they were to cut away 20% of their funding, it would be equivalent to cutting back 1 or 2% of what may be produced over the period the cutbacks are in effect.

It's like a woman whose husband says "Honey, our company is cutting back and I'm only working 4 days a week for the rest of the year. We have to pay the mortgage and buy food, so to save money for a while, we'll eat out only once a week instead of twice, rent as many movies as we see in the theatre, and um, you can only buy one pair of shoes a month" and her replying "Only eat out once a week? But our friends will think we don't want to spend time with them!!" and even better, "No more shoes!? What am I supposed to do, go to work barefoot!@#?", when she has 2 closets full of shoes. "Come on now, let's not get hysterical, I'm going to be mowing the lawn myself instead of paying the landscapers." he says to her. "Philistine!!" she screams. "Suck it up, princess - I might have to sell my motorcycle!"

Your example implies that Toronto is experiencing a short-term decline in revenues due to a bad economic situation, and thus must make temporary sacrifices to improve its financial situation. That's not the case at all. What this council is attempting to do is cut services to fit revenues that they've constrained themselves.

I hate these household equivalencies, but a better example would be this: husband takes a voluntary cut to his work hours and refuses to explore the variety of income-making possibilities available to him. Instead, he immediately tells his family that they simply must cut back on family dinners out at the local restaurant. His wife and kids can't help but wonder if this is all because he never much liked family dinners anyway.

 

[ibhattac]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/the-team-that-keeps-the-hordes-from-fords-door/article2121450/singlepage/#articlecontent

"calls to the mayor’s office are not formally logged into a centralized database, and Mr. Beyer throws his unofficial tallies away at the end of each day.

“It can be skewed because there is a huge silent majority out there and a lot of people who are in favour of what you’re doing, they’re not calling to say you’re doing a great job,” explains Mr. Beyer."

Thoughts?

 

[GenerationW]

I don't think he is clever at all. Nick Kouvalis is clearly a very uniformed and stupid person if he thinks there is no other options.

Calling someone stupid and writing "there is no other options" in the same sentence -- now THAT'S clever!

Like perhaps cancelling the 11% pay increase that our ex-convict mayor just gave them (isn't that a conflict of interest, someone with an extensive criminal history giving a huge pay increase to the police?).

I'd figure an ex-con mayor would be far more likely to hate the police and would try to slash police budgets, though I don't see a conflict of interest either way.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong is upset about the TTC spending $28,000 on an ad about the new Rocket subway train. (See this link.)

However Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong sees nothing wrong about spending $200,000 to remove bike lanes on Jarvis Street. (see this link.)

Upset about $28,000, but not upset about $200,000? Is it because Rob Ford says cars are good and public transit is bad? I wonder what would be the reaction over any advertisement costs should Jarvis Street return (temporarily I hope) to 5 lanes?

 

[tkip]

I think he honestly sees the 28k for advertising on the new trains as being a real waste of spending whereas the removal of the bike lanes is seen as necessary. Why do we need ads on the TTC about new trains that riders will see in action when taking the subway? Doesn't make any sense to me. The bike lane situation is another matter.

 

[Marko]

Yeah - the TTC ads about the new cars are kind of redundant. If they spent the $28,000 just outside TTC stations in an attempt to draw in riders, that would be a different story. This is preaching to the choir.

It's like going to the fireworks and seeing advertising that tells you "Hey, if you look up, you might see fireworks".

 

[EMP1729]

While the TTC ad may seem like "preaching to the choir", businesses routinely send advertisements out (whether direct mailing, on websites, TV commercials, etc) to their customers extolling the virtues of their new products and services to their existing paying customers.

They do this to show their customers that they have been loyal, and that the money that you gave us is going into improving service to you. Same thing applies to the TTC.
The TTC has enough image problems. The TTC has to show fed-up transit riders that they are somehow improving their service.

Unless you tell the public you are doing a good job, people don't care. Why do you think people suck-up to their bosses? Nobody cares about the guy that quietly does a good job, day in and day out.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Yeah - the TTC ads about the new cars are kind of redundant. If they spent the $28,000 just outside TTC stations in an attempt to draw in riders, that would be a different story. This is preaching to the choir.

It's like going to the fireworks and seeing advertising that tells you "Hey, if you look up, you might see fireworks".

Advertisements were also used inside existing vehicles whenever new vehicles were introduced. They did it with the introduction of the Peter Witt streetcars, the PCC streetcars, new look buses, and so on. Just because Rob Ford is anti-transit, does not mean the TTC should be as well (though it appears like that with some of the commissioners). What about if they introduce articulated buses, would that make a difference?