Reality to Ford: There is no "Gravy Train"

City budget: Ford keeps gravy train rolling along - thestar.com
Ford is increasing the budget and staff (both of which he promised to reduce), despite his cuts to services (that he promised not to cut). He is finding out that due to inflation and an ever increasing population, the budget needs to keep increasing.

CRTC set to water down the truth even more

Truth, lies and broadcasting in Canada - thestar.com
Excerpt:

Earlier this month, the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), without fanfare, posted on its
website a potential game-changer in the world of broadcast journalism.
The CRTC is seeking to relax restrictions concerning the broadcasting of
specious information on radio and television.

Currently, the law stipulates that broadcasters “shall not broadcast any false or misleading news.”

Sounds reasonable enough — and straightforward — as it should, since it concerns the integrity of news reporting.

But not apparently to the CRTC. It is proposing to soften the
regulation, banning “any news that the licensee knows is false or
misleading and that endangers or is likely to endanger the lives, health
or safety of the public.”

In short, with the new wording, broadcasters could air false or
misleading news with impunity, provided that it does not endanger the
lives, health or safety of the public.

Unfortunately, the CRTC does not specify who will judge whether or not such disinformation poses a danger.

This is not set in stone yet. It is a proposed change. To submit comments on this to the CRTC:
visit http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-14.htm.

The most disrespectful government in Canadian history - Harper's last 5 years

Harper's five years as prime minister | rabble.ca
Excerpt:
It's worth pausing for a moment to marvel at how Harper has managed for five years to get away with this sort of ludicrous, misleading, deceptive statement. Rather than showing disrespect for parents, a government child-care program -- like the ones common in Europe and Quebec -- is the only way to provide millions of Canadian parents access to decent child care.

By setting up a public program paid for through taxes, we can bring down costs and ensure high quality, thereby providing a vital service for people unable to afford it privately. In cancelling the child-care program upon taking office and replacing it with a $100-a-month payment to parents of young children, Harper was throwing a tasty bone to conservatives who believe a woman's place is in the home.

But he risked alienating the vast majority of Canadians who no longer live in the Father Knows Best patriarchal world of the 1950s. Today, 73 per cent of Canadian mothers of young children work outside the home and need child care, but $100 a month won't cover it.

The fact that early childhood education programs have also been shown to benefit children enormously -- and that Canada ranks last in spending in this area among developed nations -- created a powerful case that would have allowed opposition leaders to seize the high ground and push Harper onto the defensive.

Instead, they largely abandoned the issue and allowed Harper to proceed as if he had a mandate to push rightward, even though post-election polling showed the Conservative victory was due to voter anger over Liberal corruption.

With a meek and often cooperative opposition, Harper went on to introduce policies out of sync with values held by most Canadians. He's favoured war-making (over peacekeeping), investing $16 billion in fighter jets (rather than social programs), locking people up (despite reduced crime), clamping down on dissent, weakening gun control, abandoning even-handedness in the Middle East.

He's also turned a blind eye to torture and the rights of a Canadian in Guantanamo, shut down Parliament (rather than risk defeat), refused to tackle climate change, irresponsibly cut taxes (especially for corporations), while recklessly squandering $1 billion on G20 "security."

Make anti-vaccine parents pay higher premiums

Make anti-vaccine parents pay higher premiums - CNN.com
People wilfully putting their children, who they are responsible for, and the community at risk should be forced to pay, or, at least held accountable to the community.

Under Occupation: Toronto G20 Operation

Under Occupation: Toronto G20 Operation | Watch Free Documentary Online
Originally titled G20 Exposed, this is the final finished version.

Under Occupation: Toronto G20 Operation is an educational documentary
that shows, in chronological order, the events that transpired over the
G20 weekend in Toronto, Canada. While the mainstream media repeatedly
broadcast images of burning police cars and broken windows, the cameras
on the ground captured a far more terrifying story. Eyewitness video
footage and firsthand accounts featured in this film tell a horrific
tale of police brutality, mass arrests, secret laws and outrageous
violations of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

"Ford claims that he listens to people but he doesn't"

Riders dismayed at bus route cuts - thestar.com
One of the main planks of Rob Ford's mayoral platform was that of service. He also promised that he would not cut service in his pursuit of penny-pinching. He said "I assure you services will not be cut. I will guarantee it."
Well, his first budget aims to cut service. 53% of Torontonians who voted know that he was lying and didn't vote for him. 47% of Torontonians who voted, fell for his obvious lies and voted for him.

One service that will be greatly felt will be reduced TTC services - mainly on a number of bus routes - service will be either totally cut after a certain time, or reduced. One area that will receive less service will be his old ward in Etobicoke.

More details at the links.

Here is a map that one blogger created showing the specific routes that will have reduced service:
http://299bloorcallcontrol.com/
Click on the small map to view the larger map.

One of the service cuts planned would be the total elimination of the 101 Downsview bus from May to September. This puts the Toronto Roller Derby League in jeopardy.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/01/10/eliminated-bus-route-may-cripple-toronto-roller-derby-league/

http://www.thestar.com/news/transportation/article/919082--ttc-fare-hike-riders-lose-what-motorists-gained?bn=1

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/919044--ford-reveals-minor-cuts-puts-agencies-asking-for-more-on-notice?bn=1

http://blunt-objects.blogspot.com/2011/01/rob-ford-already-hitting-that-brick.html

http://torontoist.com/2011/01/library_board_votes_to_keep_the_urban_affairs_library.php

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/916820--chief-bill-blair-says-proposed-5-cut-to-force-impossible?bn=1

http://torontoist.com/2011/01/but_what_does_status_quo_mean.php

Rob Ford's Subway Plan vs Transit City - as we've been saying - Do The Math, Rob

Subways would cost more and serve fewer, group says - thestar.com
Excerpts:

Penny-pinching Mayor Rob Ford’s subway plan would cost three times as
much as the proposed Transit City light rail lines and attract only
half as many riders, according to a study released Wednesday by a
sustainable energy think tank.

Although Ford hasn’t officially endorsed a transit expansion plan,
the study suggests the mayor would be spending about $344 million per
kilometre on subways that would attract about 65 million rides annually.

The light rail plan Ford has disparaged would accommodate 126
million rides annually at a cost of $111 million per kilometre, says the
report, Making Tracks to Torontonians, by the Pembina Institute.

...

While both plans would serve Downsview, Agincourt and the Scarborough
Town Centre, the light rail scheme would serve an additional 22
communities stretching across the city.

...

The four light rail lines would bring transit within a six-minute walk of 290,000 people, compared to only 60,000 on subways.

...

The Pembina Institute suggests that subway would take only half as many
cars off the road and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than
200,000 tonnes by 2031, versus a 75,000 tonnes reduction for the subway
plan.