Rob Ford's Toronto

[sno man]

Yes, of course, I'm THAT BLOODY DENSE that I didn't want to make the utterly tenuous link between the inconsiderate driver of random vehicle on the road and Rob Ford.

What a stretch.

I bet the city-run trucks are perfect citizens of the road.

Without checking, I'll bet you $5.00 the Toronto trucks collectively have a way better safety rating than the GFL trucks... I'll even spot you 20 points to even...
You can donate the five bucks to Socknaki.

 

[polluted]

right... one truck...

So, what are you saying?

Who is responsible for the driver of that truck? Rob Ford? Council? The Ministry of Transportation? Himself?

A GFL truck killed a woman 2 years ago, if I remember correctly.

A City of Toronto truck killed a young boy last year.

 

[newearthling]

Without checking, I'll bet you $5.00 the Toronto trucks collectively have a way better safety rating than the GFL trucks... I'll even spot you 20 points to even...
You can donate the five bucks to Socknaki.

Yeah, when I read that article a few weeks, I was amazed! They must be getting caught every week doing stupid and dangerous stuff to have a violation rate over 70%

 

[polluted]

Without checking, I'll bet you $5.00 the Toronto trucks collectively have a way better safety rating than the GFL trucks... I'll even spot you 20 points to even...
You can donate the five bucks to Socknaki.

Socknaki, nah. I write in Ben Kerr.

 

[polluted]

If you can find figures for the City-owned trucks, I'd love to read them.

I don't doubt it's true. They're not understaffed and underpaid.

 

[casita]

LMAO

"Rob needs rehab buddy. Must be blonde, able to drive n not DUI when "running errands" & enjoy group sessions. Apply @ greenstone ha"
https://twitter.com/trisha4660/status/471106918703177728

 

[newearthling]

This is posted for Sublime, who is temporarily unavailable.
This issue with GFL goes deeper than the safety record of the trucks. (The safety record also possibly involved killing a child.)

Toronto's new garbage magnate stickhandles his way to the front
JOHN LORINC
Special to The Globe and Mail
Published Wednesday, Oct. 26 2011, 3:00 AM EDT
Last updated Thursday, Sep. 06 2012, 10:31 AM EDT

Industry observers agree: GFL emerged from relative obscurity – it operates several GTA transfer stations while its largest subsidiary, National Waste Services, has contracts to collect municipal trash and recycling in Hamilton, Oshawa and until recently Kawartha Lakes – to win the high-profile Toronto deal. “They’re a new player,” said Octagon Capital research analyst Robert Gibson.

The firm significantly under-bid larger rivals like The Miller Group and Waste Management Canada to win the contract, a tactic that has attracted much attention. “You wonder how much money they can make off it,” said Mr. Gibson. “Obviously, the guy who won [the contract]has significantly lower operating costs or a lower profit margin.”

Mr. Dovigi formed GFL in 2007, merging several local haulers, including National Waste Services., which in 2005 had won a $40-million five-year contract to collect residential waste and recycling in parts of Hamilton. One of GFL’s early backers was Bay Street veteran Christopher Payne, managing director of Genuity Capital Partners and a long-time CIBC executive.

Genuity has underwriting links to another of Mr. Dovigi’s backers in the waste industry. Roark Capital Group, an Atlanta private equity firm, invested $105-million into GFL last fall. In 1995, the firm’s managing partner, Jeffrey Keenan, started a small Texas trash hauler, IESI Corp., and built it into the 10th largest waste firm in the U.S., with contracts in major metropolitan regions, including New York. According to The New York Times, IESI in 2000 threatened to withdraw service in parts of New York because the routes were not profitable.

 

[sno man]

Socknaki, nah. I write in Ben Kerr.

No, the point of losing is that it hurts a little. Cross me again and the five bucks goes to Chow.
;^)

 

[newearthling]

If you can find figures for the City-owned trucks, I'd love to read them.

I don't doubt it's true. They're not understaffed and underpaid.

That's how GFL got the bid. By bidding way too low, so that they would have to cut a lot of corners, including not paying their staff properly and not training them properly either.
We the pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and drivers are paying the price of that greed every time we walk on the street on garbage day.
>70% violation rate is absurd for a company working for the city!
edit: We also paid the price with crappier service. And council is debating not to renew contract on the west side of TO right?

 

[polluted]

That's how GFL got the bid. By bidding way too low, so that they would have to cut a lot of corners, including not paying their staff properly and not training them properly either.
We the pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and drivers are paying the price of that greed every time we walk on the street on garbage day.
>70% violation rate is absurd for a company working for the city!

I don't dispute the corner-cutting ... that's why I wrote 'understaffed and underpaid'. The money has to come from somewhere.

Still not seeing how Rob Ford is held to blame, though. 31 other council members were complicit.

I'd be happy to see the contract expire, although I haven't had a problem with the actual service at my door.

 

[ParkdalePetunia]

I don't dispute the corner-cutting ... that's why I wrote 'understaffed and underpaid'. The money has to come from somewhere.

Still not seeing how Rob Ford is held to blame, though. 31 other council members were complicit.

I'd be happy to see the contract expire, although I haven't had a problem with the actual service at my door.

For me personally, I think it's relevant because Ford touts it as one of his greatest achievements while in office. While he isn't solely responsible for it, he likes to pretend he is and therefore should reap the negative side effects of it.

 

[kaboi]

If you can find figures for the City-owned trucks, I'd love to read them.

I don't doubt it's true. They're not understaffed and underpaid.

Or maybe you could find them and share?

There was a recent report that I believe showed the number of complaints by ward. You could dig that up, and while you're at it, see if you can't find something on the safety record of the city-owned trucks (comparable to the recent GFL rating issue).

For all the armchair psychology and idle speculation on this board, the most enjoyable posters also put forward arguments backed up by facts and supporting links.

 

[polluted]

Or maybe you could find them and share?

There was a recent report that I believe showed the number of complaints by ward. You could dig that up, and while you're at it, see if you can't find something on the safety record of the city-owned trucks (comparable to the recent GFL rating issue).

For all the armchair psychology and idle speculation on this board, the most enjoyable posters also put forward arguments backed up by facts and supporting links.

I have already searched for it and can only find references to the poor safety record of GFL.

I hoped that some of the posters who originally posited that the city owned trucks were safer may have had figures to back it up. As such, I agree with the last sentence of your post.

 

[newearthling]

For me personally, I think it's relevant because Ford touts it as one of his greatest achievements while in office. While he isn't solely responsible for it, he likes to pretend he is and therefore should reap the negative side effects of it.

And Ford used to hang out at RDiB's club on Bloor W, where he probably bought drugs, etc.

 

[polluted]

Or maybe you could find them and share?

There was a recent report that I believe showed the number of complaints by ward. You could dig that up, and while you're at it, see if you can't find something on the safety record of the city-owned trucks (comparable to the recent GFL rating issue).

For all the armchair psychology and idle speculation on this board, the most enjoyable posters also put forward arguments backed up by facts and supporting links.

Found it buried in a Star article:

"The city’s own overall violation rate is 55.8per cent."

That seems remarkably high, too.

http://www.thestar.com/news/city_ha...bage_collectors_safety_rating_downgraded.html