Merry Christmas Rob Ford!

On Christmas Day of 2011, Ford's mother-in-law "called police between 4 and 5 a.m. to report that the mayor had been drinking and was taking his children to Florida against the wishes of his wife, Renata."

According to his mother-in-law Rob Ford was having a temper tantrum and was basically planning to kidnap the children and take them to Florida with him.

The Toronto Star reported, "According to numerous police and emergency service sources, 911 calls to the mayor’s Edenbridge Drive home are a reality for the South Etobicoke division. Exactly how many calls have been made is unknown."

Want to learn more about Rob Ford and his neighbourhood? For fun read:

A Beautiful Day in Rob Ford's Neighbourhood

Rob Ford Falling Down

Rob Ford trying to throw a football and falling down instead.

According to spectators he may have been drunk at the time.

Rob Ford on 22 Minutes

Plus for fun, here is Rob Ford's 911 call when he was confronted by Marg Delahunty outside his home.

Rob Ford GUILTY, Booted from City Hall

 

Mayor Rob Ford kicked from office, found guilty of conflict of interest 

JUSTICE AND DEMOCRACY HAS SPOKEN TODAY.

In a bombshell ruling, a judge has found Mayor Rob Ford guilty of breaching provincial of conflict of interest law and ordered him removed from office, but put that ruling on hold for 14 days. It is a great day for democracy and the rule of law in Toronto.

That apparently means Ford remains in office while his lawyer launches an appeal and asks Divisional Court to put an indefinite stay on the removal order pending the outcome of that appeal. But the appeal will likely be turned down as Rob Ford is "cut and dried guilty" of misusing his public office for personal advantages - something he has done more than once.

It also gives Toronto City Council a little time to figure out how to deal with the prospect – unprecedented, in modern times – of a mayor being removed from office by the courts.

If Ford’s lawyers cannot convince Divisional Court to stay the removal order within 14 days, council will have the option of either appointing a councillor to be caretaker mayor until the end of the term in December 2014 or triggering a mayoral byelection.

Ontario Court Justice Charles Hackland’s decision appears to disqualify Ford from running in a byelection before the end of the current term, but does not say he can’t run in future civic elections in the province of Ontario.

In finding the mayor to have violated the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, Hackland had the option of banning Ford from running for up to seven years. But that option was not exercised.

The hotly awaited decision followed a two-day hearing in early September that saw Ford grilled over his conduct at a Feb. 7 council meeting and the events that led up to it.

The city’s integrity commissioner ruled in 2010 that then-councillor Ford was wrong to use official letterhead and other city resources to solicit donations from people lobbying him for his namesake football foundation.

Council agreed and ordered Ford to repay $3,150 to lobbyists, their clients and one private firm. Ford ignored six reminders from the integrity commissioner before she brought the issue back to council Feb. 7.

There, Ford made an impassioned speech about why he shouldn’t be forced to repay the money, arguing it was spent distributing football equipment to schools. He voted to cancel the order that he repay.

In March, Toronto resident Paul Magder alleged Ford broke a provision in the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act which states elected officials can’t speak to, or vote upon, items in which they have a “pecuniary interest.” Which means Ford should not have voted in that particular vote and should not have even been allowed to speak during the debate.

At the hearing before Hackland, Magder’s lawyer Clayton Ruby argued Ford was “reckless” and “wilfully ignorant” of the law when he did not recuse himself from the debate and vote.

Ford, who was on council for a decade before becoming mayor in late 2010, claims that he never read the Conflict of Interest Act or the councillor orientation handbook. Nor did he attend councillor training sessions that covered conflicts of interest.

The mayor promised in his oath of office to “disclose conflicts of interest” but, when asked by Ruby if he understood the words, Ford said: “No. My interpretation of a conflict of interest, again, is it takes two parties and the city must benefit or a member of council must benefit.”

Ruby accused Ford of “wilful blindness.”

“As mayor he ought to have had a clear understanding of his obligations. This entire pattern of conduct shows that he chose to remain ignorant, and substituted his own view for that of the law,” Ruby said.

Ford, longtime coach of Etobicoke’s Don Bosco Eagles, vehemently disagreed, saying he acted only in the best interests of his high school students and for the benefit of his football team. (Which by itself, favouritism, is a conflict of interest.)

Ford’s lawyer, Alan Lenczner, offered a three-pronged defence.

He pointed out that city council had no legislative authority to make Ford repay $3,150 in football charity donations in the first place. That means Ford was guilty of misusing his office in the first place. (Which is not the wisest move for a defense lawyer to make, because it implicates Rob Ford in more wrongdoing.)

Second, that if council did impose a penalty it was under Toronto’s code of conduct, not the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, so Ford could not have breached the act. If the Act applied, elected officials could not defend themselves when criticized by the integrity commissioner, he added. However Provincial and Municipal Acts still effect actions taken within city councils, so this point was in error.

Finally, that if Ford did err by not declaring a conflict, it was an inadvertent “error in judgment.” Implying that Rob Ford did so out of stupidity and rather than out of greedy manipulation.

Justice Charles Hackland saw these three things as a very flimsy defence (like any sane person would) and found Rob Ford guilty of conflict of interest, thus forcing him to vacate his role as Mayor of Toronto.

SO LONG AND GOOD RIDDANCE!

Rob Ford's conflict of interest trial

Tomorrow...

On Wednesday, Mayor Rob Ford will be in court to explain why he participated in a council debate about whether he should return $3,150 in improperly raised donations.

The case was initiated by Toronto resident Paul Magder, whose lawyer argues Ford should have taken no role in discussing a report from the city’s integrity commissioner that concluded he had improperly used his city council status to solicit funds for his football foundation.

Commissioner Janet Leiper took the matter to council after Ford ignored six requests from her for proof that he had repaid the money, as ordered, to the donors — several lobbyists, their clients and a business.

Despite a warning from the council speaker that he might be in a position of conflict of interest, Ford made a speech and took part in the 22-12 council vote that relieved him of any obligation to return the funds.

(Routinely, councillors declare conflicts on agenda items that may affect their own or their family’s financial interests, and absent themselves from speaking or voting on the item in question.)

The stakes are high. If found to have contravened conflict of interest rules by voting on the item, Ford could be forced from office. Alternatively, he might keep his job if the court found a contravention occurred by reason of “inadvertence” or error in judgment.

Rob Ford distracted while driving, illegal behaviour

Earlier this month someone posted a photo to Twitter of Ford reading while driving his car on the highway. Not sitting in traffic on the highway, mind you, but "moving at about 70 km."

When asked whether the allegation was true, Ford replied, "Probably. I'm busy."

As mayor, Ford has refused his right to chauffeur.

One of these days he is going to accidentally kill someone - and it won't really be an accident because it will be his negligence while driving.

Ford has also been caught talking on his cellphone while driving in the past, which is a crime in Toronto.

Rob Ford tempted to quit

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says he asked his family if he should step down after a tense altercation with a reporter behind his home.

The reporter in question was snooping around the nearby preserved land which Rob Ford wants to purchase and not doing anything illegal when he decided to try taking photos of Rob Ford's home by standing atop a cinder block (also not illegal).

The mayor said his family is upset after the incident in which he confronted city hall reporter Daniel Dale behind Ford's property in Etobicoke between 7:30 and 8 p.m. Wednesday.

"I said, 'Do you want me to step aside?' They said no way. You keep doing what you're doing," Rob Ford claimed on Thursday.

However we see two possibilities.

Either Rob Ford was A) seriously tempted to quit or B) making up the whole story about being tempted to quit just so he can spin the media attention.

Either way the stress must be getting to Rob Ford. If he is tempted to quit, by all means he should quit.

One thing is for certain. There is no way Rob Ford or his brother Doug Ford will ever get re-elected.

Rob Ford's subway plan loses council support due to his bullying

CANADA - Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is up against the ropes and has only himself to blame for Toronto city councilors openly revolting against his greedy subway plan.

Toronto Transit Commission chair Karen Stintz and a majority of council members have signed a petition demanding a special meeting on Wednesday to reverse Ford’s subway plan.

Councilors are doing this for four reasons.

#1. Ford’s vision for the future proposes costly subways where they aren’t needed (rich parts of suburbia where most people drive anyway). Plus canceling an already approved network of fully funded light rail lines in a region that desperately needs it.

#2. Rob Ford's bullying and rowdy behaviour has councilors upset. After a year of enduring Rob Ford's abrasive governing style councilors are finally rebelling against his threats, taunts and refusals to compromise.

#3. Because Rob Ford's subway plan proposes giving billions of $$$ to his brother Doug Ford, who would be in charge of the new subway expansion... can we say NEPOTISM?

#4. Because Toronto City Council is a democracy, not the Kingdom of Rob Ford.

You see normally mayors would build coalitions and make deals to win the support of councilors so that their efforts go through... basically forcing councilors to break their promises just so they can keep different promises.

The problem is that Rob Ford doesn't keep his own promises when he makes deals with councilors. He makes a deal, gets the vote through, and then breaks off the deal before he has kept his end of the bargain. He then forms a new deal with different councilors and repeats the process.

After a year of doing this again and again Rob Ford has run out of councilors who trust him on his word. They want him to uphold promises he made and has already broken. And its apparently too late for him to go back and try and make good on his broken promises.

So its really no surprise all the city councilors he has pissed off has realized hey, lets give the axe to Rob Ford's big nepotism scheme that would see billions of dollars being funneled through his brother. Sure, we do want more subway lines, but we want them in poor neighbourhoods where they are most needed.

Now lets contrast this former mayors David Miller and Mel Lastman.

They almost NEVER lost a vote. They almost always found a way to get council support and get things done because they kept their promises and their compromises. They did lose the rare vote, but it was exceptionally rare.

Rob Ford, only a year in office, has lost control of the budget, has a city council with a majority revolt and is now facing a reversal of his transit agenda.

Between his bullying and promise breaking it is really no surprise. Even the moderates and hard line right-wingers (the backbone of Rob Ford's support) in council are turning against him.

In unrelated news Rob Ford recently lost 20 lbs during his "Cut the Waist" challenge. If he was really serious about cutting waste he would start keeping his promises and treating councilors with RESPECT.

Rob Ford's Crack Dealer Arrested

Rob Ford's crack cocaine dealer, Scott MacIntyre has been charged with two counts of threatening death, forcible entry and possession of heroin and cocaine.

Several Toronto Police cruisers were staked outside Mayor Rob Ford’s Etobicoke home, yesterday, and a 45-year-old Toronto man is under arrest.

Scott MacIntyre is the ex-boyfriend of Ford’s sister Kathy, but is also Rob Ford's crack dealer. Police have yet to confirm the drug connection between the man arrested and Rob Ford, because Rob Ford is claiming he barely knows the man.

The cruisers arrived on the scene around 8:30 AM, after officers were called to nearby Clay Court for a suspicious vehicle, but they soon after visited the mayor’s house on Edenbridge Drive.

Investigators from 22 Division said little about what took place, labeling it a “death threat investigation”, wherein Scott MacIntyre is alleged to have uttered death threats against Rob Ford and forcing his way into his home.

Speaking briefly to reporters, brother and city councilor Doug Ford simply called it a security breach, not commenting at all on his brother's history of drug and alcohol abuse.

“I’m more concerned about his safety than he is. It goes with the job, no matter if it’s the Mayor of Toronto, the Mayor of New York, or the Mayor of Calgary,” says Doug Ford.

“I told Rob the other day there’s a lot of crazies out there. In my opinion, the mayor of the future, of the present, or of the past – they should have a security detail.”


Except this wasn't a normal crazy person who showed up. This is someone Rob Ford knows personally, a man who dated his sister, and was selling Rob Ford drugs (possibly on a regular basis, as addicts keep coming back for more).

Doug also said a security detail is available for the mayor if he wants, but Rob has always refused one because he likes his privacy. (More likely he wants his privacy so he can do illegal things without people watching him.)

The Mayor is downplaying the incident, despite this being the third death threat he has received since his term as mayor began.

“My kids are alright, everyone’s alright. You have to take care of your family first so that’s pretty well what I said and he took off and that was it.” he told 680News.

“I don’t want to get into too many details. It’s over and done with.”

Police presence has eased in the neighbourhood, with only two or three vehicles parked on neighbouring streets.

Meanwhile Rob Ford needs to find a new crack cocaine dealer.

UPDATE!!!

January 12th, 2012

Scott MacIntyre, the man accused of threatening the life of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, made a brief court appearance on Thursday.

MacIntyre, 45, was arrested on Wednesday, about six hours after someone allegedly forcing (or trying to force) his way into Ford's west Toronto home.

In court MacIntyre was subdued as he listened to the charges against him: two counts of threatening death, one count of forcible entry, possession of cocaine and possession of heroin.

The judge ordered MacIntyre — who is the partner of Ford's sister Kathy Ford — to have no contact with the mayor or his family.

"Fine. That's fine by me," he said.

MacIntyre has been ordered held in jail until his next court appearance on Jan. 26 2012.

The latest incident at the mayor's home began at about 8:30 on Wednesday morning when a neighbour reported a suspicious person to police.

Ford told reporters he had dealt with an "unwelcome visitor" but gave no indication that he knew the man.

But MacIntyre is well known to police and to Ford.

MacIntyre was also arrested in 2005 after Kathy Ford was shot in the face at her parents' home in Etobicoke. He faced numerous charges, but they were later withdrawn and Scott and Kathy reconciled.

MacIntyre has also spent time in jail for assault and for drug trafficking for crack cocaine, cocaine and heroin.

On Wednesday the mayor's brother, Doug Ford, called for more security around his brother. On Thursday he didn't want to talk about the incident.

"I'd rather not even comment about that. What happened, happened and we'll move forward," he said.

Hush hush, lets not talk about my brother and his drug addiction problems.

Tasha Hearts Rob Ford

A funny music video mocking Rob Ford.

Rob Ford pushes TTC fare hike, job cuts and longer wait times

Rob Ford is cutting back on funding for the TTC and it spells dire news for anyone using transit.

According to a draft of a new TTC report, the proposals include reducing the frequency of transit vehicles; raising the price of tokens by 10 cents; eliminating 422 jobs and reviewing 500 others for possible outsourcing; delaying the arrival of dozens of new vehicles; and making dialysis patients without mobility devices ineligible to use Wheel-Trans.

The proposals are intended to address the city’s demand for a 10 per cent cut to the TTC’s $1.4 billion operating budget and to reduce a $1.5 billion long-term shortfall in its capital budget. They will be debated at a special Friday meeting of the TTC’s councillor commissioners.

“TTC management has worked very hard to respond to the fiscal challenges of the city,” said the TTC chair, Councillor Karen Stintz. “And we’ll have to make some difficult decisions on Friday.”

The TTC report is separate from the one released Monday by city manager Joe Pennachetti. His report suggested eliminating the late-night Blue Night bus service, “or making it a premium service by raising fares.”

Faced with a public outcry and squeamish councillors, the TTC softened a proposal earlier this year to save $7 million through cuts to routes with low ridership. Its officials have now attempted to slash TTC spending while leaving routes intact. But they did put forth another idea that will almost certainly prove contentious: lengthening the intervals between vehicles.

“We just wanted to make sure that we continued to offer the same service, that we weren’t cutting back on routes,” Stintz said. “So we may decrease the number of buses that go by in any given hour, but people would be able to rely on the service being there.”

Their buses, however, would be even more crowded, and passengers would have to wait longer for them to arrive. The TTC projects another all-time ridership record for 2012: 502 million rides, a 3 per cent increase.

“It was claimed that we would squeeze gravy from the system,” said Councillor Maria Augimeri, the only critic of Mayor Rob Ford on the nine-member commission. “These recommendations show the only thing getting squeezed will be the riders on packed buses, streetcars and subways.”

In another potential blow to passenger comfort, TTC officials recommended delaying delivery of 15 of the 204 large low-floor streetcars already on order with Bombardier.

They also recommended deferring 134 new buses expected to arrive between 2013 and 2016. And they said the city should buy 10 fewer new Toronto Rocket subway trains than had been considered.

The 10-cent fare hike, which would apply only to tokens, may be another tough sell. A 10-cent hike was abandoned a day after it was threatened in January, and Mayor Ford has since conveyed to TTC officials that he is opposed to any increase.

The TTC has about 12,000 employees, about 10,000 of which are unionized. Of the 422 jobs targeted for elimination in an attempt to save $32 million per year, 171 would be union positions, 251 management positions. The cutbacks would probably involve both buyouts and layoffs of managers, who will receive the details Tuesday.

The cutbacks would target all or nearly all managers at the TTC-owned Toronto Coach Terminal, raising questions about how the facility will function.

Up to 500 additional union jobs may be targeted for contracting-out. These include jobs in maintenance and in trades such as woodworking and welding. “There are some jobs that can be outsourced easier than others,” Stintz said.

Only about 1,800 of Wheel-Trans’ 45,000 customers are dialysis patients. But they make frequent trips — 210,000 per year — and they are the only people permitted to use the service who do not use mobility devices. Rendering them ineligible would save about $5 million per year.

Stintz hinted that the TTC would first ask the provincial government to pick up the cost of serving them. “I think the Ministry of Health would acknowledge that dialysis patients have unique needs, and that they do rely on Wheel-Trans,” she said.

2,000 child-care subsidies to be axed

If you are a low-income parent of young children hoping to return to work or school in the next year, your chance of getting one of the city’s 24,0000 child-care subsidies is about to get tougher.

Toronto city council is about to take an axe to 2,000 subsidies in an effort to slash its chronic operating deficit. (Such an action will mean many low income parents will be force to quit their jobs and stay home with their kids thus hurting Toronto's economy and putting more stress on the welfare system.)

The subsidies are funded through a city reserve that will be depleted in early 2013, says a report by the city manager who recommends the subsidies be “suspended” at that time.

The only way the city can afford those subsidies is for a new infusion of cash from Queen’s Park, Joe Pennachetti says in his report released Monday.

So far, none of the provincial party platforms are promising any new money for child care.

If city council approves Pennachetti’s report later this month, Toronto would be returning to mid-1990s levels of child-care service to low-income families, advocates say.

“This is such a betrayal of the families and the children of this city,” said Councillor Janet Davis, vice-chair of the city’s community development and recreation committee.

“The recommendations of the mayor and his consultants target the most vulnerable and it is a shameful way to try to balance the budget on the backs of those who are least able to defend themselves,” she said in an interview.

More than 20,000 families are already on the city’s daycare subsidy waiting list, and some never get a spot, she added.

City staff has been warning politicians of the impending child-care cash crunch for more than a year, said Elaine Baxter-Trahair, the city’s general manager of children’s services.

“This is no different from what we have been saying all along,” she said. “Unless our funding pressures are addressed (by Queen’s Park) when the reserve fund is depleted, we’ll have to start reducing incrementally.”

The cuts would begin through attrition next summer and fall, as children leave the system or grow up, she said.

Each Toronto child-care subsidy costs about $10,000 a year. The 2,000 subsidies at risk carry a price tag of about $20 million annually and are currently being funded through the city’s child-care expansion reserve fund.

About $16 million annually in new money from Queen’s Park would be needed to save those spaces, assuming the city agreed to kick in its 20 per cent, or $4-million annual share.

The loss of those subsidies will mean some centres won’t be able to fill vacancies because area parents can’t afford full fees, which can run as high as $1,600 a month for an infant and $1,000 a month for a pre-schooler.

The subsidy cuts come at a time when centres are already scrambling to deal with the loss of 4- and 5-year-olds to all-day kindergarten.

“It adds to centres’ fiscal pressures, no question,” Baxter-Trahair said.

In addition to cutting the 2,000 daycare subsidies, the city manager’s report recommends a broader review of Toronto’s child-care system to further reduce costs.

The review, which would be part of the city’s child-care task force, struck earlier this summer and headed by Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, will look at the possibility of transferring some or all of its 55 directly operated child-care centres to non-profit or commercial operators.

It will also consider scrapping the city’s quality ratings system and services for children with special needs and will look into setting a maximum per diem rate based on the average cost of non-profit daycares, instead of paying centres their actual costs.

Rob Ford's budget mess

First, Rob Ford hired a corporate assassin in KPMG to do his dirty work, a futile attempt to distance himself from the planned sacking of Toronto.

End subsidized daycare. Close libraries. Sell the zoos. Padlock museums.

“Don’t blame us,” Rob Ford's cronies protest. “These are just recommendations from the consultants.”

Pulling a Pontius Pilate and washing its hands, KPMG said, “These are not recommendations; they are a list of opportunities….”

The carefully crafted image is one of positive ventures; investments. Instead, by the end of the month, Toronto could face:

Fewer medical calls from fire fighters. A smaller police force. Reduced TTC service. Death of the “Hardship Fund” that provides medical services for the city’s poor.

City manager Joe Pennachetti came clean Monday and dipped his hands into the blood. When he pulled them out, few city services remained untouched by the axe. Ah, yes, Joe P is recommending many of the very cuts, er, opportunities, KPMG listed in July.

Now, the bleeding mess has been dumped in Mayor Rob Ford’s hands, where it belongs.

It is the same mayor who looked voters in the eye a year ago and swore on their votes that he could find close to $2 billion in savings at city hall without chopping a single service. Waste, he said, littered the city hall corridors like the leaves of autumn.

Rob Ford, of course, found teaspoons of “gravy” where he pointed to vats of supposed waste. So, next Monday his hand-picked executive committee of 12 sycophants must vote on Pennachetti’s recommendations and advise city council where to cut:

End the very popular community environment days. New “minimum standards” for snow removal, grass cutting. Chop $6 million from community and arts grants — affecting TIFF, AGO, ROM, and tiny community groups.

Caught, hoisted on his own petard, as they say, the penny-pinching mayor must preside over the destruction of the city so many built to become one of the most livable places in the world.

Those heady days are gone — as we’ll discover years hence, when the ranking agencies discover a deteriorating city.

Urban observers already know this: Small grants to community groups are the seeds of peace, social harmony, economic development, and a sense of belonging.

K’naan, he of “Wavin’ Flag” fame, is now a world-scale ambassador. But it was a small city grant that helped him put down roots in Rexdale, germinate, and find his place in the music universe.

Kill those grants and no one knows the dreams that are rendered stillborn in our priority neighbourhoods.

City council is the only buffer against such a future. Many councillors delude themselves into thinking the current ruinous exercise is a careful examination of the city’s fiscal condition. It is not. It is a deceitful exercise devised by a mayor who cares nothing about the collateral damage of his rampage against city services and programs he never needed and never took the time to understand.

Pennachetti has served in all the regions around Toronto. He believes that one way to relieve Toronto’s cash crunch is to reduce service to the levels of its neighbours in York, Durham and Peel.

Another way is to increase Toronto property taxes to the level of its neighbours. Ahh, that, of course, is not on the table in this exhaustive fiscal review.

Instead, we have a mayor who killed a vehicle tax source that delivered $64 million a year and plans to kill a land transfer tax that nets up to $250 million annually.

And to pay for these Rob Ford sinks the city into a divisive debate that, even if every recommendation were approved, gets us just $100 million this year.

Which means Rob Ford will still have to raise taxes by at least 3% by December 2011 just to make ends meet.

Its no wonder Rob Ford is getting death threats. He's axing jobs and raising taxes at the same time.

Graffiti Artists fight back against Rob Ford

A new Toronto Rocket subway train was temporarily out of commission Tuesday after a graffiti-loving vandal spray painted “Fuck Rob Ford” in the interior.

The vandal noticed the security camera and spray painted the lens as well, says TTC spokesman Brad Ross.

The train — one of two new Toronto Rocket subway trains — was taken out of service briefly while TTC staff removed the graffiti.

“We don’t know if there are any witnesses,” said Ross, noting that images from the camera have been retrieved as part of an ongoing investigation.

Since his campaign, Mayor Rob Ford has pledged to completely eliminate graffiti around the city, including legitimate artwork and murals. Graffiti artists have shot back with various works including stencils depicting a caricature of Ford devouring a TTC vehicle or a bicycle.

If anything graffiti artists have never been bolder. Protesting Rob Ford using graffiti is now in vogue and the artists have become smarter, using stencils and mass production.

.

How to Contact People in City Hall

Annoyed at people in Toronto city hall???

Easy way to contact them all... CC or BCC all of them at once. Including their staff.

mayor_ford@toronto.ca, councillor_ainslie@toronto.ca, adinovo@toronto.ca, cradfor2@toronto.ca, aamelin@toronto.ca, councillor_fletcher@toronto.ca, sserran@toronto.ca, mdsouza3@toronto.ca, amammon@toronto.ca, vmarsha@toronto.ca, councillor_minnan-wong@toronto.ca, mwilson5@toronto.ca, astefan4@toronto.ca, amoncri@toronto.ca, councillor_moeser@toronto.ca, shenders@toronto.ca, cmacmil@toronto.ca, pvander2@toronto.ca, councillor_dford@toronto.ca, amassou@toronto.ca, avescio@toronto.ca, sdaniel3@toronto.ca, councillor_augimeri@toronto.ca, randrea2@toronto.ca, atroini@toronto.ca, lmartel@toronto.ca, councillor_bailao@toronto.ca, brootmc@toronto.ca, mvieira2@toronto.ca, dmaria@toronto.ca, councillor_fragedakis@toronto.ca, dfinlay@toronto.ca, msfitz@toronto.ca, padams2@toronto.ca, aweinbe@toronto.ca, councillor_nunziata@toronto.ca, jcicche@toronto.ca, kousovi@toronto.ca, councillor_berardinetti@toronto.ca, dcavaco2@toronto.ca, jfusill@toronto.ca, achang@toronto.ca, cbrooks@toronto.ca, councillor_grimes@toronto.ca, spaxton@toronto.ca, kedgar@toronto.ca, cjohnst@toronto.ca, councillor_palacio@toronto.ca, mmakrig@toronto.ca, adipros@toronto.ca, sford2@toronto.ca, aferrar@toronto.ca, alupo@toronto.ca, councillor_carroll@toronto.ca, steper2@toronto.ca, jdaws@toronto.ca, emanata@toronto.ca, mohonsi@toronto.ca, councillor_holyday@toronto.ca, shender3@toronto.ca, dlachap@toronto.ca, mkells@toronto.ca, councillor_parker@toronto.ca, ivelshi@toronto.ca, jballin@toronto.ca, jhenry3@toronto.ca, councillor_pasternak@toronto.ca, lmarang@toronto.ca, nzaslav@toronto.ca, ifyfe@toronto.ca, councillor_kelly@toronto.ca, lbowerm@toronto.ca, tborovi@toronto.ca, pgoncal@toronto.ca, jnasr@toronto.ca, councillor_cho@toronto.ca, gfernan3@toronto.ca, councillor_colle@toronto.ca, smolloy@toronto.ca, aconte2@toronto.ca, atornam2@toronto.ca, atornam2@toronto.ca, mhay@toronto.ca, mbianch@toronto.ca, tliu2@toronto.ca, asurdi2@toronto.ca, councillor_perks@toronto.ca, duffyk@toronto.ca, mnewton@toronto.ca, mninalo@toronto.ca, councillor_crawford@toronto.ca, councillor_lee@toronto.ca, gchambe@toronto.ca, pyeung@toronto.ca, calfred@toronto.ca, councillor_perruzza@toronto.ca, mbeato@toronto.ca, trakoce@toronto.ca, mdedovi@toronto.ca, councillor_crisanti@toronto.ca, jhane@toronto.ca, lhunt2@toronto.ca, councillor_lindsay_luby@toronto.ca, ppearce@toronto.ca, jburnet1@toronto.ca, rsgro@toronto.ca, councillor_robinson@toronto.ca, lburlie@toronto.ca, cbuda@toronto.ca, jczajka@toronto.ca, councillor_davis@toronto.ca, councillor_mammoliti@toronto.ca, tmacgre@toronto.ca, mpallad@toronto.ca, larnone@toronto.ca, councillor_shiner@toronto.ca, kwood@toronto.ca, jbrown4@toronto.ca, rhebert@toronto.ca, councillor_debaeremaeker@toronto.ca, councillor_matlow@toronto.ca, aathana@toronto.ca, bwebb@toronto.ca, khancoc@toronto.ca, councillor_stintz@toronto.ca, apettin@toronto.ca, mcsardy@toronto.ca, abodrug@toronto.ca, ageorge@toronto.ca, jboutro@toronto.ca, jboutro@toronto.ca, jcoutin@toronto.ca, cmcdonald@toronto.ca, fng2@toronto.ca, ltao@toronto.ca, councillor_mcconnell@toronto.ca, ggustaf@toronto.ca, slotz@toronto.ca, smcinty@toronto.ca, tdavids2@toronto.ca, councillor_thompson@toronto.ca, iwons@toronto.ca, jzinder@toronto.ca, dgedz@toronto.ca, jso3@toronto.ca, councillor_digiorgio@toronto.ca, JMele@toronto.ca, mcatalano@toronto.ca, vgallo2@toronto.ca, councillor_mcmahon@toronto.ca, bnagy@toronto.ca, cbehan@toronto.ca, lsmithc@toronto.ca, councillor_vaughan@toronto.ca, akinnear@toronto.ca, mscotla@toronto.ca, jchan@toronto.ca, rhewitt@toronto.ca, councillor_doucette@toronto.ca, councillor_mihevc@toronto.ca, lhanson@toronto.ca, ldeluca@toronto.ca, bgosnel@toronto.ca, gwright6@toronto.ca, councillor_wongtam@toronto.ca, kbeauli2@toronto.ca, dgavank@toronto.ca, jnellig@toronto.ca, mwongb@toronto.ca, councillor_filion@toronto.ca, vdeacuti@toronto.ca, adrenna@toronto.ca, mbuhagi@toronto.ca, awerner@toronto.ca, councillor_milczyn@toronto.ca, soconno@toronto.ca, kmicucc@toronto.ca, ksurma@toronto.ca

Note: Some of them may be on vacation. If you notice any email addresses that no longer exist, please find their new email address and post it in the comment section below.

Real communists consider complaint against Mammoliti

The Communist Party of Canada is thinking about filing a human rights complaint against Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, the party’s Ontario leader said Sunday.

Mammoliti, a prominent ally of Mayor Rob Ford with a long history of provocative remarks, has gleefully escalated his red-baiting rhetoric over the last week. On Tuesday, he said he would ban “communists,” whom he creatively defined as citizens who spoke against budget cuts at City Hall, from his new Facebook group. By Friday, he had progressed to alleging, without any evidence, that six or seven sitting councillors are communists who want the municipal government to seize all private property and control the minds of Toronto residents.

“We are considering putting in a complaint about your behaviour and your attacks,” Elizabeth Rowley said on the NewsTalk 1010 radio show hosted by Councillor Josh Matlow.

It is not clear what provision of the Ontario Human Rights Code Rowley believes Mammoliti has violated. Political affiliation is not one of the grounds on which the code prohibits discrimination. Further, the code covers discrimination in employment, housing, union membership, and the provision of goods and services; Mammoliti discriminated, or attempted to, only on his Facebook group.

“If anyone should complain, it's me,” he responded. “Because it's them who attacked my Facebook, with their comments and with their logos and with their ‘comrade’ suggestions.”

Rowley compared Mammoliti's statements to those of former U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, who alleged in the 1940s and 1950s that communists had infiltrated the American government. “McCarthyism is not appropriate,” she said, “and pretty ugly.”

Mammoliti was unrepentant. In language mirroring that of the McCarthy-era House Un-American Activities Committee, which infamously asked Hollywood screenwriters and directors whether they were or had ever been members of the Communist Party, he asked Matlow: “How many of those councillors at City Hall does she have a relationship with — a speaking relationship, an email relationship, a relationship of communication in one form or another?”

When Rowley said the last email she had sent to councillors was to oppose the closure of libraries, he said: “So you have no ongoing relationship, you don't write to any particular councillor, you haven't ever spoken, had dinner with, had lunches with, any of those councillors that I'm suggesting that you have?”

Rowley said, “You're asking me if I ‘am or ever have had lunch with’ — no, I haven't.”

Councillor Paula Fletcher led the Communist Party in Manitoba in the 1980s before becoming a supporter of the NDP. Mammoliti has not demonstrated that any other councillor has ties to the party.

Said Rowley: “What is really egregious here is that anybody who objects apparently to the proposals that are coming from the Ford administration is being attacked as a communist by prominent members of that administration.”

Rowley said “some” of the 166 people who spoke against cuts at a marathon executive committee meeting in July were party members. But she also said, “We certainly don't have as many members as would be implied by Councillor Mammoliti.”

Rob Ford locks out theatre workers at St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts

Toronto makes money off its theatre industry. It creates jobs, brings in extra tourists and they spend their money in Toronto.

But according to Rob Ford local support for theatre is "gravy" even though Toronto makes money off of it. Specifically rental money because the city owns the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, a city-owned facility where stage workers were locked out a minute after midnight, Saturday.

The not-for-profit theatre and entertainment facility is home to six major arts organizations and also features independent groups that stage affordable performances for the public. Saturday afternoon, the entire building behind its large windows along Front St., just east of Yonge St. was dark and its front door was padlocked. The ticket counter, normally open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., was closed.

Unionized stage workers, who handle everything from lighting to set design and construction, have been without a contract since the end of 2010. After negotiations failed they were legally locked out by the city Saturday.

A letter taped to the front door, addressed to the union president, stated: “St. Lawrence Centre regrets having to take this step and is open to resuming bargaining as soon as possible. It is our sincere belief that operating efficiencies can be negotiated in order to meet the budget requirements . . .”

Only hours before the lockout, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford went on a TV talk show Friday and stated he would like to sell one or more of the three city-owned theatres, even though they are profitable for the city.

Highly-publicized KPMG reports addressed by the city this summer suggested as part of Toronto’s possible cost-cutting measures, three city-run theatres could be either sold or consolidated — the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, the Sony Centre and the Toronto Centre for the Arts.

Arts groups have feared Ford would demand deep cuts to arts funding as part of his commitment to lowering costs.

Shows at the popular St. Lawrence Centre may be in jeopardy. But the centre’s general manager, Jim Roe, who wrote the letter, told the Star that a deal would hopefully be reached before the next scheduled show, a private performance in early September. According to the facility’s website, the next public show, Mamaloshen, starring iconic Broadway performer Mandy Patinkin, is scheduled for Sept. 17.

“We’re going to look at ways to put it on (if staff are still locked out) — hiring staff, using management in certain roles.”

Toronto city councillor Gary Crawford, who sits on the centre’s board, said the lockout is largely due to high costs and the city’s recent commitment to finding efficiencies.

“I am a practising artist,” Crawford told the Star after the lockout. “I am a painter, a visual artist by profession and a musician. I support the arts. But as a city councillor and a board member I am very much in support of management on this decision. It’s crucial for the long-term viability.”

Crawford says the key issue is the size of the union, IATSE local 58 (International Alliance Theatrical Stage Employees), which he believes ties the facility to too many crew members. Crawford says because the St. Lawrence Centre is often rented out to independent theatre groups, many cannot afford to book it because of the excessive number of stage staff the union attaches to each booking.

“You have some shows that only need two or three stage crew, instead of the number the union hires.”

The theatre is booked for an average of 35 weeks a year even though the previous contract guaranteed unionized staff would be paid for 42 to 47 weeks of work, with up to five weeks vacation.

Another area the St. Lawrence Centre wants to revisit is a clause in the contracts that requires staff receive an extra 50 per cent increase in pay when events are videotaped.

IATSE 58 officials did not return repeated calls requesting comment. It is unclear how many workers are affected.

The St. Lawrence Centre is home to Canadian Stage, Opera in Concert, Toronto Operetta Theatre, Music Toronto, the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company and the Hannaford Street Silver Band. It has two auditoriums, the 868-seat Bluma Appel Theatre and the 497-seat Jane Mallett Theatre.

The St. Lawrence Centre has featured almost every type of stage show produced since it was opened in 1970.

Theatre fans in the city are now wondering if their corner of the arts is the first focus of possible Ford cuts targeting the city’s culture scene.

But while Crawford admits the incentive to cut costs at the St. Lawrence Centre is part of the overall climate at city hall, he insisted that where the theatre is concerned, cuts might actually improve service.

“If we kept costs down more theatre groups could afford the facility,” he said.

Crawford says the much needed cost-cutting dovetails with the city’s goals across the board. “We’re looking at everything. All the boards and agencies have been asked to look at their costs and how they’re running things.”

“Of course there is an element to what is happening across the city and what’s happening with the theatre,” he said. “We do not want to cut this out.”

Rob Ford says schools should have advertising in gyms and walls

A comment by Toronto Mayor Rob Ford suggesting advertising be allowed inside school buildings is causing some controversy. Speaking on a local radio station last week, Ford suggested companies could pay to advertise on gym floors and walls inside schools. (Totally besides the point that Ford has no authority over the Toronto School Board because that is provincial jurisdiction.)

In the Thursday interview on the Fan 590, Ford said it's ridiculous that school gymnasiums sit empty when they could be generating revenue.

Parent Leslie Middaugh said schools aren’t the right place for advertising. (But maybe we should post advertising inside City Hall? They have lots of walls that are good for advertising.)

“Even if you carefully choose who you allow to advertise in schools you are endorsing that company, you are endorsing that product,” she says.

Middaugh said she could never support advertising in school hallways or gyms.

A 'slippery slope,' trustee says

Trustee Chris Glover agreed, and said Toronto public schools are no place for ads. “Advertising is not a donation, it’s a business deal,” said Glover. “And what the corporations want is access to our students in exchange for money. The danger is that it’s a real slippery slope. Once you become dependent on private advertising revenue then you have no way of backing out.”

School Board trustee Howard Kaplan said Toronto school gyms are used regularly by community groups outside of school hours for minimal fees.

Rob Ford doesn't just hate cyclists, he hates everybody who gets in his way

Rob Ford doesn't just hate cyclists, he hates everybody who gets in his way.

This includes:

#1. School children crossing the street at street lights.

#2. Garbage trucks, fire trucks and ambulances. (He wants to cut garbage collection, firefighters and EMS staff.)

#3. Getting pulled over by traffic cops. (He wants to cut 750 police officers.)

#4. Mothers who point out he is talking on his cellphone while driving.

#5. And of course cyclists. He hates cyclists most of all, hence his constant ranting about cyclists. (I am guessing the feeling is mutual Mr Ford.)

And basically anyone who slows him down on his daily commute in his car. He hasn't clued in yet that Toronto's congestion problems are only getting worse and that cycling downtown is the answer to Toronto's congestion problems downtown. (Seriously, you have to be some kind of moron to drive a car downtown in the traffic...)

Commie Pinko Witchhunt at City Hall

Go get your pitchfork, its time to round up some Commie Pinkos and burn 'em at the stake!

People who want to join Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti’s new Facebook group may want to avoid wearing a Che Guevara shirt in your profile picture. Also don't mention any communist or hippie things, like Das Kapital as one of your Favourite Books.

Giorgio Mammoliti (a big time Ford supporter) has gone down the road of Joseph McCarthy and is endorsing a witchhunt of 'Commie Pinkos' at City Hall.

He isn't alone either. Don Cherry went after “pinkos” at Rob Ford’s mayoral inauguration. Now Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, the conservative and controversial right hand man of Rob Ford, is going after people he sees as reds. His new Facebook group “Save the City..Support the Ford Administration” has a rule. No one who looks like a communist is allowed in.

“I’m really sick and tired of hearing from the communists in this city,” Mammoliti said in an interview. “I don’t want anything to do with them. I don’t want to listen to them. I don’t want to listen to their griping and their whining. I want to listen to people who are clearly working for a living, and wanting their tax dollars to be used in a particular way. I’m clearly trying to wean out the typical communist thinker who will be doing nothing but whining.”

In other words he only wants sheep to join.

What is ironic is that Mammoliti was a union leader in the 1980s before making a sharp turn to the right in the late 1990s. He has frequently referred to citizens who have spoken against budget cuts at committee meetings as “socialists.” “Communists” appears to be new word of choice.

The group had 347 members as of noon on Tuesday.

“But I will be monitoring their comments,” says Mammoliti, “and if I get a smell of communism, they’re off the page.”

According to Mammoliti only 3 of the 169 citizens who spoke to Ford’s executive committee at an all-night meeting two weeks ago are not communists. The other 166 people opposed any kind of cuts to city programs and services. But Mammoliti and Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, another member of Ford’s executive, have dismissed the 166 out of 169 people as unrepresentative of the broader population of Toronto.

At this point most of the people in Mammoliti's group seems to be personal friends of Mammoliti or Rob Ford. Preaching to their own choir.

Other group members, however, have criticized Ford and Mammoliti. One complained that “an entire discussion thread” which included criticism had been deleted. He wrote, “It's distressing that a member of city council. . . would elect to delete the voice of the people — any people — when they express their opinions after being invited to do so. It's called discourse.”

But Mammoliti doesn't like discourse. He just wants sheep who do and say what he allows them to say. Its called propaganda and censorship, two of the cornerstones of a dictatorship.

Thankfully Rob Ford and Mammoliti are minorities in City Hall. Calling the other city councillors "communists" on a regular basis has only jaded city councillors into refusing to cooperate with these bigots.