Toronto 2015 Pan American Games

[BurlOak]

I have tea and a donut by myself...no, I don't expense it......no one here does because, as I said, whether you are travelling on company time/dime or not...you would still eat breakfast..

If one eats breakfasts at home, a buttered bagel and 2 cups of tea while scanning the paper and watching the news costs about 30 cents. If one leaves home at 4:30 am for a meeting in an out-of-town location and breakfast is taken on the road, that same meal costs about $5.00.

If one brings lunch to work, a sandwhich, fruit, cookie will cost about $1.00. On a trip out of town, at a fast food restaurant, the combo would cost $11. The other option is to meet with some individuals who decide to go to a fancier dine-in restaurant and the bill with tip comes to $25. The maximum allowed reimbursement is $11.

On average, one probably looses money on an average trip, while providing a great benefit to the company. Maybe the policy should be that the meals will be reimbursed, less $0.50 for breakfast, $1.00 for lunch, and $2.00 for dinner.

 

[waterloowarrior]

The Athletes Village has always been a separate budget and the figures were widely published. The media needs to do some basic research before repeating the opposition claims.

Some articles from 2009 that state a $1.4 billion budget for the games and $1 billion for the athletes village.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/canadian-athletes-give-thumbs-up-to-toronto-s-pan-am-win-1.779833
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/2121977-toronto-hamilton-wins-pan-am-games-bid/

 

[Edllguy]

Who will own the York University Athletics Stadium after the Pan am games and will York University be free to make any changes as they please to the stadium, after the games, or do they have to seek permission from a governing body/authority?

Thanks

 

[ChesterCopperpot]

York contributed 46% of the construction cost for the stadium - it will be theirs after the games.

 

[ChesterCopperpot]

Progress on the Stadium

 

[nfitz]

So, for example, coffee at Starbucks. If I take a client for a quick coffee meeting to talk over business I could (I say could because I rarely expense something that small....not worth the bother) expense that. But if I am enjoying some free time and I just pop into a SB for a cup of joe...then, no that is not expensable because it is no different than what I might do at home were I not on the business trip.

That varies by person. I can't recall EVER dropping in for a coffee at Starbucks or Tim Horton's on my spare time. If I grab a coffee in an airport somewhere, I expense it, because it's not something I'd have spent money on ... though typically it would be a small meal as well. On the other hand, if I'm heading across town for a meeting, and grab a sandwich on the way, I wouldn't expense that - as I'd have grabbed that same sandwich for lunch anyway. It's all about the context - and we don't know the context here.

Yet someone making over $300k a year who happens to want a cup of tea takes the time to collect the slip of paper and then include it in their expense claim for the trip? When you see that you have a right to be very skeptical about all of the expenses and get the sense of "entitlement" that people are expressing anger towards.

Entitlement? If it's a valid expense, I don't see any issue in claiming it. It doesn't sound like it was overly expensive - if anything it's amazing how cheap it was. If we were looking at $10 cups of coffee, or bottles of wine ... now that might be a story.

I've claimed the occasional TTC fare as an expense, because I've had to pay cash out of my pocket. My colleagues who drive have no problem claiming mileage or taxi fare. Am I supposed to eat the $2.65 because I took the better way? (though if I use a Metropass, I don't bother).

 

[TheTigerMaster]

That's why I can't get jiggy with the innumerate. Get outraged about the $300k+ salary all you want. Getting outraged about a cup of tea is Fordian. That is, beyond stupid. And dangerous, as it makes you elect incompetents.

And this is exactly why people like Rob Ford get elected. People get too emotional over insignificant pocket change and completely ignore the big issues such as throwing away hundreds of millions of dollars on cancelled projects.

 

[Johnny Au]

And this is exactly why people like Rob Ford get elected. People get too emotional over insignificant pocket change and completely ignore the big issues such as throwing away hundreds of millions of dollars on cancelled projects.

Penny-wise, pound-foolish indeed.

 

[Peepers]

Another major Pan-Am game scandal unearthed by the Toronto SUN:

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/10/03/pan-am-games-diversity-push-raises-questions

It turns out that in awarding the hundreds of millions in contracts - the Pan-Am games is giving priority to companies with "diversity certification" i.e. companies whose owners are from a diversity target group, e.g. "visible minorities" , women , aboriginals, LGBT's.

This is discrimination in its purest form. In awarding contracts what does the race , ethnicity or gender of the business owner have to do with anything?

I would like to see Kathleen Wynne explain why she thinks it is fair to give preference to a company owned - for example - by a recently arrived visible minority over a company owned by a fourth generation white male.

 

[FNTS]

Fostering a more inclusive, equal society?

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

Another major Pan-Am game scandal unearthed by the Toronto SUN:

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/10/03/pan-am-games-diversity-push-raises-questions

It turns out that in awarding the hundreds of millions in contracts - the Pan-Am games is giving priority to companies with "diversity certification" i.e. companies whose owners are from a diversity target group, e.g. "visible minorities" , women , aboriginals, LGBT's.

This is discrimination in its purest form. In awarding contracts what does the race , ethnicity or gender of the business owner have to do with anything?

I would like to see Kathleen Wynne explain why she thinks it is fair to give preference to a company owned - for example - by a recently arrived visible minority over a company owned by a fourth generation white male.

Rant/ This is going to be a fun couple of years. All of you wankers who thought we were exaggerating when we said that these big sports games are rackets to put your tax dollars in favoured pockets are just NOW waking up to reality? This will be ridiculously costly, with $$$ going to the well-connected and shameless. Transgender company heads is better than Deco Labels getting a sweet deal, or vice versa? Bull. There is NEVER anything transparent about contracts for this type of event, and to be outraged about this is to somehow blind yourself to the fact that the 4th Gen white male who gets a contract is greasing the same wheel in a different fashion. Faux outrage... whatever. /rant

 

[Peepers]

Fostering a more inclusive, equal society?

I see you have bought into the Liberal manufactured guilt.

There is nothing "equal" about awarding contracts to companies based on the ethnicity or gender of the company owner! It is blatant discrimination that has no place in a just society! Canada is not like the U.S. where minority owned businesses have been given special breaks on government contracts for years as a way to redress a history of slavery. Canada does not have a history of slavery that it needs to atone for.

I would challenge anyone to give me a good explanation why a company owned - for example - by a recently arrived businessman from South-Asia - should be given priority over a business owned by a 5th. generation white male! Give me one good reason!

 

[nfitz]

I see you have bought into the Liberal manufactured guilt.

I suppose it's better than buying into the Ku Klux Klan's manufactured sense of entitlement.

 

[Peepers]

I suppose it's better than buying into the Ku Klux Klan's manufactured sense of entitlement.

You mean "white privilege"?

For those who don't know what "white privilege" is - this video does an excellent job of explaining

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7zamKV96ok

"please confess your white privilege to a diversity coordinator and you will be absolved of your white privilege" .

 

[BurlOak]

Another major Pan-Am game scandal unearthed by the Toronto SUN:

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/10/03/pan-am-games-diversity-push-raises-questions

It turns out that in awarding the hundreds of millions in contracts - the Pan-Am games is giving priority to companies with "diversity certification" i.e. companies whose owners are from a diversity target group, e.g. "visible minorities" , women , aboriginals, LGBT's.

This is discrimination in its purest form. In awarding contracts what does the race , ethnicity or gender of the business owner have to do with anything?

I would like to see Kathleen Wynne explain why she thinks it is fair to give preference to a company owned - for example - by a recently arrived visible minority over a company owned by a fourth generation white male.

Of the three so called scandals so far -91 cent parking claim, bonuses for executives if they stay to the end, and discriminating against companies - this is by far the worst. If is also interesting that it seems to be getting the least coverage on the talk show circuit.