Rob Ford's Toronto

[jje1000]

Ford trying to cut services that he doesn't use? The best example of 'screw you, got mine?' Budget bias?

Pricey Etobicoke leaf pickup escapes budget axe

Right about now, the curbsides on Mayor Rob Ford’s leafy Etobicoke street are being swept clean by city workers manning mechanical leaf collection machines.

It’s a luxury service that only a small portion of the city —central Etobicoke and pockets of Scarborough — receives. And it comes with a hefty price tag: about $500,000 annually.

But even in this day of deep cuts and gravy draining at city hall, the leaf collection program has survived.

It will not be on the chopping block next week when city manager Joe Pennachetti presents his final bare-bones budget to council for consideration, a budget that is expected to slash museums, library hours and environmental initiatives, among other things.

In fact, mechanical leaf collection never came up in the KPMG service review — although the consulting firm did look at it.

“I don’t know this, but I suspect the reason is that in the initial meetings with KPMG I’m sure staff warned them, ‘Don’t even bother with seasonal programs like leaf collection or windrow’ — we’ve behaved so badly on council,” said Councillor Shelley Carroll, a former budget chief.

Leaf collection, Carroll explains, is really the result of a longstanding “game of petty political brinkmanship.”

Etobicoke has enjoyed the service since well before amalgamation, similar to how North York residents had special windrow snow clearing. Once the former cities merged, council looked at these fragmented services and debated cutting them or extending them across the city.

When leaf collection hit the chopping block, Etobicoke councillors threatened to vote away windrow clearing. Meanwhile, a Scarborough councillor argued their residents deserved a slice of the pie. And while windrow clearing has now been extended throughout most of the city, leaf collection never was.

Councillor Paula Fletcher, a left-winger who represents Toronto-Danforth, says she has nothing against the leaf collection in Etobicoke, but she wishes that kind of respect for local programs was extended to the entire city.

“You see the way things have been targeted, like Riverdale Farm, which was in the old city of Toronto before amalgamation,” said Fletcher. “Mechanical leaf collection seems to have been protected, but nothing else seems to have been.”

For Elstree Rd. resident Halinka Dybka, 46, the service is invaluable. There are five 200-year-old oaks on her property.

“The leaves are beautiful but it would take days to bag up all the leaves. And then city workers would have to be loading the bags. It’s all labour,” she said. “And I think anywhere in the city that needs it should get it.”

The mechanical leaf collection program operates for about 6 weeks each year, beginning around October and ending in early December.

KPMG did not respond to an interview request.

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1091062--pricey-etobicoke-leaf-pickup-escapes-budget-axe

 

[Marcanadian]

Ah, thank goodness the leaf pickup was spared! I almost got worried there for a second. Now I have to go catch my insanely crowded TTC bus so I can get to the library before it closes.

 

[Justin10000]

Filip, you need to write a bit more carefully. You just called Ford a "progressive mayor".

But I agree that Miller, etc. would also have had to evict.

I am not sure Miller would have evicted Occupy Toronto. If Miller ran, this would have been his 3rd term, in his first year. I think he would have taken the chance, and just allowed the protesters to stay. Ford is not a strong mayor, and his approval ratings is in the gutter. He needed a issue to appeal to his base of right-wing nut-bars, and this was it.

 

[nfitz]

I am not sure Miller would have evicted Occupy Toronto.

Also, G20 would never have happened on Miller's watch!

 

[mig174]

What's the problem with raising property taxes? Aren't they the lower in 416 when compared to ALL surrounding areas?

 

[voxpopulicosmicum]

I am not sure Miller would have evicted Occupy Toronto. If Miller ran, this would have been his 3rd term, in his first year. I think he would have taken the chance, and just allowed the protesters to stay. Ford is not a strong mayor, and his approval ratings is in the gutter. He needed a issue to appeal to his base of right-wing nut-bars, and this was it.

I'm not sure he would have, but I suspect he would have. I believe he may not have wanted to, but Miller was a conciliator (some might say an appeaser, but that's a semantic and subjective difference).

 

[neubilder]

The title of this thread irks me every time I see it.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

The title of this thread irks me every time I see it.

2 years left as of Jan 1.

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

There is still time for him to change his ways

 

[nfitz]

There is still time for him to change his ways

Where's the Ghost of Toronto Future when you need him.

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

I usually tell people not to personally attack anyone but the TTC service cuts have made me use a few choice words over the past few days regarding Ford

 

[toraerach]

I'm not sure he would have, but I suspect he would have. I believe he may not have wanted to, but Miller was a conciliator (some might say an appeaser, but that's a semantic and subjective difference).

I think Miller probably would've done something eventually. Unlike Ford, however, I don't think he would have been as personally demonized over it. Ford fits the 1% image almost perfectly, and his antics have, in part, laid the groundwork for Occupy's popularity in some quarters - and will most likely contribute to the longevity and intensity of the movement in this city. The way the eviction occurred was reminiscent of the Miller era (i.e. the handling of the Tamil protests), which makes me think that it was a Blair operation with little input from City Hall. As much criticism Miller and Blair got for the G20 fiasco, I do think they had very little say in what went down then. And although Blair especially made some horrible mistakes during the summit (like showing off the "weapons" to the media), I think at heart he's fairly progressive about these matters. I shudder to think how the eviction would have transpired had Fantino or some Ford appointee been in charge of it.

 

[Danielinthecity]

Hilarious

Ah, thank goodness the leaf pickup was spared! I almost got worried there for a second. Now I have to go catch my insanely crowded TTC bus so I can get to the library before it closes.

Thanks, Marcadian...

...for injecting a smile on an otherwise infuriating subject...

 

[jn_12]

Also, G20 would never have happened on Miller's watch!

In fairness, the G20 and Ocuppy Toronto are two very different things. Miller was very vocal in his opposition to the G20 but he was powerless against the feds.

 

[nfitz]

In fairness, the G20 and Ocuppy Toronto are two very different things. Miller was very vocal in his opposition to the G20 but he was powerless against the feds.

The city and Miller both welcomed the G20 summit to the city when it was announced. The city co-operated in issuing permits, renting out facilities, removing trees. It was a nightmare in the preceding months trying to get other things permitted in the city as staff were too busy dealing with the G20.

He may well have been vocal in opposition to the media, but the City could have stopped it in many ways beforehand, and certainly didn't have to be co-operative and welcoming. Every recent G8/20 summit in a large western city has gone a similar way - it's not like what happened wasn't unexpected.