Eye Weekly's This is what Rob Ford's Toronto would look like

Rob Ford's Toronto - EYE WEEKLY
(click the link for the whole story)
Excerpt:
The city would not be clearing snow and ice from sidewalks, so seniors and the disabled will be on their own. (Ford introduced an unsuccessful motion to cancel snow clearing.)

We’ll either be building affordable rental homes with city tax money or building them with love. (Ford introduced an unsuccessful motion to refuse $43 million in federal/provincial funding.)

Remember the garbage strike? Yeah, that wouldn’t be resolved. (Ford voted against approving the strike-ending contract.)

Streets to Homes would have to get by on less money because, you know, homeless people don’t need that much help. (Ford voted for reducing their budget by 5 per cent.)

Vote with your brain, not your ass - vote for Joe Pantalone.

Toronto ACORN - Mayoral Candidates' Report Card 2010
Toronto ACORN is a grassroots, non-profit, member organization that builds leadership and community organizations in low to moderate income neighbourhoods across the city. We believe that the poverty, discrimination, and community deterioration that exists in low-income communities is largely a result of a lack of civic engagement and community
leadership.
Summary of Ford's Report card:
Food Security: 0/4 - Ford did not have a food security platform.
Housing: 1/4 - Although Ford supports rent subsidies for low-income residents, he does not support building new affordable housing, inclusive zoning, landlord licensing or improved apartment inspections.
Jobs: 0/4 - Ford's platform did not include issues dealing with jobs.
Children and Youth: 0/4 - Ford's platform did not include issues dealing with children and youth.
Transit: 1/4 - Ford supports more costly subway expansion over more economical and more far-reaching light-rail expansion, and streetcars.
Total: 2/20 or 10%
(Note: Joe Pantalone scored highest with 18/20 or 90%)
Read the link for more details.

New Joe Pantalone Radio Ads

Listen to the ads:

• One candidate who will continue to build our city

• One candidate with a history of getting things done for Toronto

• One candidate who won't slash and burn public services

Toronto Police only accountable to themselves

Orwell's Bastard: The day they turned the Charter of Rights into toilet paper
Here is an excellent post on the problems of trying to hold the Toronto Police force accountable to abuses they commit.

Victory for Canadians and Avaaz - No Fox News North!

From Avaaz:

We did it! "Fox News North" has dropped their bid for forced access to our cable fees!

83,000 of us signed the petition, 25,000 sent letters to the CRTC and 4,000 donated over $115,000 - and last week SunTV, seeing they could not win, dropped their request to the government to force cable companies to carry them. A huge congrats to everyone on this amazing victory for Canada!

It wasn't easy -- the Sun media empire threw everything they had at us - smear pieces, legal threats, even insider knowledge of sabotage of our campaigns -- but our united voices proved more powerful than even a Harper-allied corporate giant.

Let's take a moment to celebrate this, and share thoughts for what we do next. Click below to join a nation-wide live-chat:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/crtc_report_back/?vl

Just 3 weeks ago, our campaign caused the resignation in disgrace of SunTV chief and former Harper spin doctor Kory Teneycke (after we pressed for an RCMP investigation into the sabotage of our petition by people linked to Teneycke). While significant, Teneycke was just replaced by another scandal-ridden spin doctor for another conservative Prime Minister.

But the decision to abandon the forced access to our fees is a huge deal. "Fox News North" (SunTV) has admitted that, if given a free choice, Canadians won't watch it enough to make it profitable - that's why they sought a special licence from the CRTC that would force cable companies to carry them, and why the press warned that the CRTC was under pressure from the Harper government to grant this licence. So, the success of our people-powered campaign could mean the end of this attempt to bring a poisonous brand of crony-media to Canada. Hooray!

Harper's radical-right clique has launched a full scale assault on our democracy - forcing out top civil servants for refusing to be politicized, controlling press access to government like never before, even shutting down our Parliament when it suited them. A 24 hour propaganda news channel that backed their every move, no matter how outrageous, could have been a headshot to our country's democratic character. This victory is Canadian democracy's resilient response, and it's beautiful. Thank you!!

With gratitude and excitement for all we can achieve together in the future,
Ricken, Emma, Laryn and the whole Avaaz team

Sun TV gears down licence application, The Globe and Mail:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/sun-tv-gears-down-licence-application/article1743859/

Fox News North - Not: Savour the victory, The Vancouver Sun:
http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/communityofinterest/archive/2010/10/06/fox-news-north-not-savour-the-victory.aspx

Mr. Freeze Fibs - Smitherman pushes for a meaner city

NOW Magazine // Vote TO // Mr. Freeze fibs
Written by Gord Perks, Councillor for Ward 14

Excerpt:

George Smitherman says that a vote for Joe Pantalone is a vote for Rob Ford.

Let’s
leave aside that this is self-serving and ignore how disappointing
Smitherman’s campaign is if he has to rely on not being Rob Ford to get
your vote. 

While Smitherman and a legion of pundits want the
strategic voting argument to be the most important factor in this
campaign, the fact is, it isn’t.

Here’s the truth: a vote for Ford
is a vote for an attack on public services; a vote for Smitherman is
also a vote for an attack on public services; a vote for Pantalone is
the only vote for sustained and improved public services.

The two
most telling election promises Smitherman has made are to freeze taxes
next year and to shed public service jobs by only hiring two new people
for every three who retire.

We all know Ford’s “gravy train”
doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. There simply aren’t enough pennies to
be pinched to support his sweeping tax cuts. 

What gets less
attention is the sleight of hand Smitherman uses to “balance” his budget
plan. His tax freeze principally rests on blowing surpluses generated
by Mayor David Miller ....
Read the rest at the link.

Toronto Mayoral Race: Strategic Stink

NOW Magazine // Vote TO // Strategic stink
Excerpt:

Once we drag out the logarithms, spreadsheets and poll numbers, a
case can be made that a strategic vote for Smitherman is actually more
likely to give us a city we’d be ashamed of than would a vote for Ford.
Despite claims by the mainstream press, if Ford were to win, he’d be
very unlikely to have council support, so getting his slash-and-burn
policies through would be a daily struggle. 

Smitherman’s
huge-tent, “I will be what you want me to be” approach is more likely to
be bought by a new council, meaning his own slash-and-burn approach
might actually become city policy and the recent great strides Toronto
has made would be dismantled and destroyed.

To ignite the
strategic voters’ Bunsen burner for a minute to warm this electoral
petri dish, I suggest that we might be doing more strategic harm
electing Smitherman than Ford. 

As the federal and provincial
governments continue to ignore this city and hoard their 90 per cent
share of tax dollars raised in Toronto, the next term will be tough for
any elected representative. If Ford were to win, the folly of his
policies and crazy promises would be quickly exposed. That means the
shit would hit the fan in plenty of time to pre-empt a new right revolt
led by provincial Conservative Tom “I Like Mike Harris” Hudak when the
Ontario vote happens in about 18 months. 

Voting “strategically”
for Ford might ensure that Ontario wouldn’t elect another Harris-style
Tory government. A vote for Smitherman would be more fuel on the fire to
discredit Liberals and hasten, perhaps guarantee, a horrible provincial
Tory backlash win.

But even thinking this way makes me want to
take a shower. I’m committed to marking my X beside a candidate I
believe in, not one I can merely put up with. And you can be sure that
if Smitherman is elected, he will interpret the result as a mandate, not
as lukewarm support. He will operate as if every vote were
enthusiastically given, not reluctantly, strategically offered. And if
you look at his not-so-different-from-Ford approach, that’s something to
fear.

Of course I want the candidates I vote for to win. But even
if they don’t, I want my vote – and my support – to stand with a
candidate and policies I believe in. 

Ideally we all use our votes
to elect those we believe in. But at the very least, we use our votes
to stand and be counted, and to make sure, even if the wrong candidate
is chosen, the winner knows there’s a significant group out there with a
different vision of the city.

By casting your vote with
confidence and conviction, not compromise and collusion, we might just
get a city government and a Toronto we can be proud of. It’s happened
before. Why not again?

On election day, vote for your principles, and vote for the policies you actually support.

Toronto Mayoral Race: The NOW interview: Joe Pantalone

NOW Magazine // Vote TO // The NOW interview: Joe Pantalone
Joe answers questions from NOW magazine.

Toronto Environmental Alliance grade the top mayoral candidates on the environment

Top Mayoral Candidates graded on the Environment | Toronto Environmental Alliance

Joe Pantalone 20/20 - Strongest on the Environment
George Smitherman 18/20 - Shows clear commitment
Rob Ford and Rocco Rossi - 0/20 - couldn't be bothered.

Toronto Musicians for Mayor Joe at Lula's Lounge Oct. 14

Lula Lounge.ca :: Toronto Musicians for Mayor Joe
Doors at 7pm
1585 Dundas St. W - West of Dufferin

Toronto Musicians for Mayor Joe
Fundraising event with Special Guest Hosts:

Jaymz Bee of JAZZ.FM and singer-songwriter and NOW Columnist, Andrew Cash

Join Michael Occhipinti, Yvett Tollar, Louis Simao, Rich Brown,
Maryem Tollar, Pat Murray, Dan Fortin, Tania Gill, Michelle Willis among
other special guests for an evening of positive songs in support of Joe
Pantalone and his positive vision of Toronto!

More of Harper's Plan

Here we see Harper's plan - Step 3 - in action: cutting payments to provinces to stop funding social programs in Canada.

Ottawa signals slowdown in provincial payouts

Bernier seeks end to $40-billion in social, health transfers to provinces
This is written as if it is only Bernier's plan, but this totally fits in with Harper's Pan.

The destruction of Canada is nigh. Wake up people!

Toronto Mayoral Race: Joe Pantalone: community councils should have more control over local spending decisions

The Daily Plank: Fund community councils, says Pantalone - thestar.com
Excerpt:
Joe Pantalone would give greater control over local spending decisions to the four community councils.
If elected mayor on Oct. 25, Pantalone would free up $85 million for the community councils, which meet monthly to discuss development proposals, traffic issues and other local concerns.

The community councils — for Toronto and East York; North York, Etobicoke-York; and Scarborough — are made upof city councillors from those areas.

The community councils make recommendations to city council but they have no budget themselves, something Pantalone would change.

Of the $85 million Pantalone would make available, $10 million would go to improving commercial streetscapes; $30 million for parks; $40 million for community centres
and $5.5 million for snow clearing.

In a news conference at Yonge and Eglinton — the geographic centre of the city — Pantalone said the newfunding model would be implemented in 2012 after spending 2011 to work out any bugs.

The community councils would be able to advocate for more money by applying to council’s budget committee, he said.

And spending decisions of a community council could only be overturned by a two-thirds majority of the city council.

The move, he said, is designed to “strengthen local decision-making and control.”

Toronto Mayoral Race: Duke Pubs' burger poll puts Joe Pantalone in the lead

IMAGO RESTAURANTS INCORPORATED | Pantalone's Mayor Burger in the Lead!
Joe is in the lead with 197 Joe Pantalone Cricket Chicken Burgers sold.
Rossi is in 2nd with 178, Smitherman in 3rd with 163, and Ford is in a distant 4th with 85.

Toronto Mayoral Race: Rob Ford sued for libel for $6 million

Ford sued for $6 million by Boardwalk Pub owner - thestar.com
Excerpt:

Blunt-talking Rob Ford is being sued for $6 million by the owner of the infamous Boardwalk Pub.

Last month, George Foulidis gave the mayoral front-runner an ultimatum: apologize for suggesting he bribed city officials in exchange for a lucrative vending contract in the Beaches or face a libellawsuit.
Ford’s campaign team told reporters the candidate had no intention of backing away from earlier comments.

The candidate was formally served Tuesday. Ford did not respond to a request for comment.

The 11-page lawsuit accuses the crusading Etobicoke councillor of exploiting the Foulidis family for political gain.

“Mr. Ford knows that there is no evidence of wrongdoing by Mr. Foulidis,” the claim alleges. “He has done (this) solely for political gain and has sacrificed the reputation of Mr. Foulidis in the process.”

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Would you vote for someone who is so careless of money and responsibility as to make libellous statements resulting in a $6 million lawsuit?

Toronto Mayoral Race: Smitherman and Rossi endorse Pantalone

During the CBC Metro Morning debate on Oct. 5, 2010, when asked the question "If not you, then who?" both Smitherman and Rossi endorsed Joe Pantalone:

Smitherman:“Joe Pantalone, because more than anything else I think that an organization, that institutional memory and experience are powerful attributes.” (26:48 in the debate)

Rossi: “I think that Mr. Pantalone brings incredible assets to the table.” (27:25 in the debate)

Toronto Mayoral Race: Joe Still Rising

From the Joe Pantalone campaign team:

A new poll conducted October 7-9th by the Logit Group shows a steady swing in momentum towards Joe Pantalone. For the first time Joe's support has topped 20%, while Rob Ford's support has sunk into the 30s. Between the two is George Smitherman. The sharp rise in Joe's numbers, and the fall in Ford's support, creates a clear three way contest in Toronto's mayoral race.

As the people of Toronto have begun to look closely at Rob Ford's record and policies, his support has fallen sharply. Ford's own poll (published in the Toronto Sun this weekend) had him at 49.5% of decided voters one month ago. Ford's simple answers to complex problems may have had initial appeal, but as voters start to truly pay attention that appeal is beginning to vanish.

Joe has the momentum

Momentum is shifting towards Joe just in time for the final stretch of the campaign. Thanks to the endorsement of Mayor David Miller and the launch of an aggressive media campaign, Joe's numbers have hit the highest level so far this campaign. Over the last year voters have gotten to know Joe, and his numbers have steadily risen. In the winter Joe was at only 6%, over the spring he rose to 10%, this summer Joe reached 15%, and now he is over 20%!

We need to keep Joe's momentum growing. Much of the jump in Joe's support comes from the radio ads that began on Monday. We need to get Joe's message into the media as much as possible. To do that we need to buy ads. Please donate now to help us buy more media. Each time we run a radio spot it costs about $100, and reaches tens of thousands of voters. Thanks to the generous city rebate program, a donation of $500, enough to buy five radio spots, will only cost you $175!

Now a three candidate race

Other candidates have tried to turn this into a two way race, but there are three people who could win this election. Only one of these candidates is presenting a positive, city building program. Joe is the only one standing up for a green and sustainable Toronto, the only one with a realistic plan for transit expansion, and the only one who has a decades long record of working collaboratively with others to get things done.

The poll found 19% of voters are still undecided, and 43% of all respondents indicated that they were very or somewhat likely to change their minds and vote for another candidate before October 25th. The study showed that Joe had the highest amount of second choice support of all of the major candidates. The survey was a telephone poll with sample size of 500. The results are accurate to within + or - 4%, nineteen times out of twenty. The poll was commissioned by an anonymous Toronto business leader and the results were forwarded to the Pantalone campaign.

This poll suggests that the public will also now start to focus on George Smitherman and his promises to cut city services, to privatize the TTC bus routes, to build city jails and his record of financial mismanagement at e-Health while he was the province's Minister of Health.

Joe can win this election, but he needs all of us behind him. Donate or volunteer today to make sure we elect a mayor to be proud of on October 25th.

Have a great day,

John Laschinger

The numbers in this Logit Group poll are in line with the trend from the last Nanos poll and the Ekos poll before that, which showed Ford's support dropping, Smitherman stagnating in the low 20% range, and Pantalone continuing to rise.

David Miller: Proud of what we've accomplished

David Miller ‘proud of what we’ve accomplished’ - The Globe and Mail
Contrary to opinions of Ford, Smitherman, Rossi and most reporting in the mainstream media, David Miller has done a lot of good for Toronto. Read the link for more.

Joe Pantalone is the only mayoral candidate that is planning on building and going forward from this point on what Miller has accomplished. The other candidates want to take us back and tear it all down. Vote for Joe to continue forward.

More links with info on David Miller's legacy:
Toronto Star - Miller's Exit Strategy

OneToronto.ca - Toronto is our home. Don't Trash Talk It.

Toronto Mayoral Race: Continue To Improve or Tear It All Down

Ivor Tossell blog: David Miller's Toronto

NDP table long-gun bill

New Democrats table long-gun bill | NDP
Excerpt:

The
legislation includes a number of concrete solutions for rural and urban
Canadians, as well as Northern and Aboriginal communities. They
include:

• providing a first-time exemption from criminal penalty for not registering a long-gun
• mandating the Auditor General to provide financial oversight of the registry
• protecting the privacy of gun owners’ identifying information
• creating a legal guarantee to uphold Aboriginal treaty rights
• establishing permanently free registration
• allowing military and police to share important information with the Canadian Firearms Program, including mental health concerns

Read more: http://www.ndp.ca/press/new-democrats-table-long-gun-bill#ixzz11o6WBLRS

Toronto Mayoral Race: the truth about Toronto city finances and taxes

OneToronto - the truth about city finances
Watch the video.
Ford, Smitherman and Rossi are lying about the city finances and taxes.

Vote for Joe Panatalone. He is not lying to you to get elected. He speaks the truth.

Toronto Municipal Election: How Bike-Friendly is your City Councillor?

How Bike-Friendly is your City Councillor?
A look at how councillors voted on bicycle issues over the last few years.

Friendliest: De Baeremaeker, Heaps and Perks.
Joe Panatalone is in the middle of the bike friendly group.

Most Anti-bicycle (voted against all pro-bicycle initiatives): Rob Ford and Doug Holyday.

Click on the link for all the details

Toronto Municipal Election: MSM and candidates continue to lie about Toronto finances

Toronto's not broke, group argues - thestar.com

Contrary to what voters are hearing from Toronto's leading mayoral
hopefuls, city spending, taxes and finances are not out of control, says
a citizen’s group concerned about the negative tone of the campaign.

Torontonians pay the lowest property taxes in the GTA. They pay
less than 4 per cent of their income in property tax and receive $3,500
per person in city services such as roads, transit, emergency help and
more, according to economist Jim Stanford, who crunched the numbers
using city finance dept data for the group One Toronto

“We want to get this debate back onto a positive tone,” said Peggy
Nash of the CAW and a board member on Invest Toronto. “Toronto is our
home and you don't trash talk your home.”

The group also pointed out that far from being broke, the city had a
$355 million operating surplus last year and a AA1 credit rating.

Just this week Price Waterhouse Coopers named Toronto the most
liveable city in the world. KPMG says the city has the 5th most
competitive taxes in the world.

Hardcore right wing newspaper readership declining in the GTA

Star strengthens role as top GTA news source, survey shows - thestar.com
Weekday readership for the [National] Post plunged 32.3 per cent, and the Globe and
Mail fell 13 per cent to 354,000 [since last year].

And, with the Grope & Fail's new plan to no longer report news, but to look flashier, they are sure to lose a lot more readers nation-wide.

Toronto Municipal Election: Where the candidates stand on public transit issues

keepttcpublic | Where Do The Candidates Stand?
Click the link above to see how councillor and mayoral candidates fared on the questionnaire from the Public Transit Coalition, and see the list of questions.

Toronto Mayoral Race: Joe Pantalone receives an A+ grade from the Public Transit Coalition

Public Transit Coalition » Pantalone Gets Top Mark on Transit Report Card

Mayoral hopeful Joe Pantalone received the top grade in the Public
Transit Coalition’s  Report Card which rates where the leading mayoral
candidates stand on key issues facing the TTC.  Candidates were sent a
ten-question survey on a range of transit-related issues from keeping
the TTC public to keeping fares in check. The complete list of survey
questions and candidate responses can be found at www.KeepTTCPublic.ca.

The report card makes it clear where the top 4 mayoral candidates
stand on key issues facing the TTC.  Joe Pantalone scores an A+, George
Smitherman gets a B, and Rob Ford and Rocco Rossi got Fs as both failed
to complete the survey.

The Globe and Mail just flushed themselves down the toilet

A coffee table display for the rich: The Globe and Mail | rabble.ca
I used to read the Globe and Mail daily for news and a couple of columns. But recently, they got rid of the last of their progressive columnists and they seem to have got rid of a lot of their news too. Their new look buries the news and shows what I would call non-news items.
When I walked into a variety store this evening, I saw what looked like a Monopoly game box in the newspaper stand. But, it was the Globe and Mail. I looked to see if the paper version also was all look and no substance like the on-line version. Yes, the paper version was also lacking in substance and was more flashy than the on-line version.

From the post (link above):

The new tarted-up, glossy, all-colour Globe and Mail is many things, but it is not a real "news paper."

It has been "dumbed up" and robbed of much of its news content.

The result is a hybrid never before seen in North America. It is some of the old Globe of course. But is also part Maclean's magazine and The Economist. It is part National Geographic, Sporting News, Vanity Fair, and Women's Wear Daily.

The front page of this new Globe looks more like a magazine then a newspaper.
Interesting, but not riveting, features outnumber solid news stories.
Many pieces are very long, and some of the best articles are reprints
from news syndicates. Large and luxurious pictures abound.

Since it has become this, I no longer find it useful or interesting. When they changed the format I read the comments on the new format on their site and the vast majority of comments agreed that the new format (and being minus the progressive columnists) resulted in the paper now being a pile of crap. I don't see how trying to make the paper more useless than the National Post could be a smart choice in any way. Globe, you've lost a lot of readers now, including me.

Toronto Mayoral Race: Miller endorses Pantalone

This morning Mayor David Miller proudly proclaimed his support for Joe Pantalone as the next mayor of Toronto. Miller told an excited audience in Scarborough that "people want this city to evolve. Joe Pantalone is the only candidate prepared to face our challenges and address our need for public transit and community services. He's the one who's going to help people build a 21st century city for themselves and their families."

Yesterday PricewaterhouseCoopers declared that Toronto is now the most livable major city in the world. Toronto is today known as the greenest city in North America.

The progressive Miller-Pantalone administration has seen remarkable achievements. Major new projects are underway: work has finally begun on the Waterfront and the West Donlands, Regent Park is in the process of being rebuilt, BMO Field has opened and proved a great success, and a subway is finally going to reach York University. Still to come is Transit City, a European style network of light rail lines that will revolutionize transportation in our city.

Miller noted that in sharp contrast to the "candidates who want to tear this city down" Joe has spent a career working with people from "every political belief and every neighbourhood" to build consensus and improve our city. Joe is the only candidate that has the vision and skills to build the Toronto we want.

Miller endorses Pantalone in race for mayor, Mihevc endorses Smitherman - 680News
Excerpt:
"I've watched this mayoral race with incredible frustration and distress
because what I've seen is candidates who want to tear this city down,
and that's not what we need in Toronto," Miller told reporters.

He
said Pantalone is the only candidate who stands apart from the others,
who he said are campaigning on the same platform -- negative campaigns
that suggest Toronto is broken and needs to be fixed.

Miller said
Pantalone is the only city-builder among the candidates and the only
one who can lead the city in the right direction.

G20 Inquiry: Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath introduces bill for a full public inquiry

NDP introduces G20 public inquiry bill | rabble.ca

On Tuesday afternoon, NDP leader Andrea Horwath introduced a private
member’s bill that would establish an independent commission to perform a
full public inquiry into the decisions and actions of the McGuinty
government and the police during the G20 Summit.

There were more than 1,100 arrests that weekend,
making it the largest mass arrest in Canadian history; extensive
violations of civil liberties and charter rights; peaceful protesters
silenced; and innocent bystanders detained.

“There are now six separate reviews underway,” said
Horwath. “Yet none of these has the mandate or the jurisdiction to ask
the most fundamental questions or provide Ontarians with the answers
they are seeking.”

Horwath’s bill requires that a commission shall be appointed within 60 days after the G20 Public Inquiry Act
comes into force that will make recommendations to the Ontario
government and police about how to reduce spending, arrests and violence
at similar future events.

The commission will also report on whether the
rights and freedoms of Ontarians were put in jeopardy during the G20
Summit and the exercise of power under the Public Works Protection Act.

Read more at the link

Toronto Mayoral Race: Candidate profile: Joe Pantalone

Candidate profile: Joe Pantalone
Information about Joe.

Other key endorsements not listed in the article: Ed Broadbent, and Stephen Lewis.

Toronto Mayoral Race: Signs

The first signs I've seen were Joe Pantalone signs downtown, and Rob Ford signs in Scarborough. I haven't seen any signs for any other mayoral candidates yet.
Go Joe!

Toronto Mayoral Race: James: What I like about Joe Panatlone

James: What I like about Joe Pantalone - thestar.com
There are many good reasons to elect Joe Pantalone the next mayor of Toronto. ...

Municipal elections: Labour Council endorsements in Toronto, Durham, Brampton, Mississauga

Municipal Elections 2010
Before Labour Council endorses someone for City Council, we sit down with them and go over the key issues for this election. What kind of questions do we ask? We want to know about their participation in the local community, and their priorities for the ward after the election. A real emphasis is on the role of public services in our society, and where they stand on alternative financing, contracting out and privatization of public services. Transit is a big ticket item, from expanding to the suburbs to keeping it affordable and under public control. The Fair Wage policy needs updating.

Of course we want their views on finding the balance between fair taxes and the cost of services. But there is also a role for the City around economic development, protecting or creating good jobs in the diverse sectors such as aerospace, film and green manufacturing.

And finally, we want to know about what work they have done on equity and human rights, and how they would promote the equity agenda as a City councilor. There are no simple answers to running the fifth largest government in the country. When you seen someone being endorsed by Labour Council, we have given a lot of consideration to why they would earn our vote.

Visit the link for the list and map

Toronto Mayoral Race: Joe Pantalone radio ads

From the Joe Pantalone campaign team:

Rob Ford and George Smitherman have spent months promoting a dark vision of Toronto. Today Joe Pantalone has gone on the offence, standing up for the Toronto we believe in.

The ads denounce Smitherman and Ford's plans to cut thousands of staff from valuable community services, and they condemn Ford's record at City Council, where he has cast cavalier votes against everything from public libraries to rape crisis centres.

Starting tomorrow Newstalk 1010, 680 News, Jazz FM, and CP24 1050 will start running hundreds of airings of Joe's new spots:

• We can't take a chainsaw to our city services
  

• We don't want our city to be destroyed

• We must defend our community organizations

The news may be focusing on two loud, blustery candidates, but we know that there is only one person running who has the vision and experience to be mayor of Toronto. We can't let Joe's positive, city building vision go unheard.

Each time we run one of these ads, it will be heard by tens of thousands of voters. But each airing costs about $100. If we are going to run more of them, Joe needs all of our help. Please donate now to buy us more ads, and to challenge those who'd take a chainsaw to the city we care for.

The city has a very generous rebate program, that will refund up to 75% of your donations. A donation of $500 will buy a set of five ads, reaching tens of thousands of undecided voters, and will only cost you $175!

Thanks for your support!

Joe Pantalone campaign

Toronto Mayoral Race: Stephen Lewis endorses Joe Pantalone for mayor

Stephen Lewis Supports Joe’s Campaign for Mayor « MayorJoe.ca
Stephen Lewis is an Officer of the Order of Canada, former leader of the Ontario NDP, former
member of provincial parliament, and former Canadian Ambassador to the
United Nations. Mr. Lewis is also the head of the Stephen Lewis
Foundation, a charitable organization that helps people affected and
infected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Toronto Mayoral Race: Learn to tell lies from promises

Dear Toronto: a warning from your Ottawa cousins - The Globe and Mail
Ottawa just experienced 4 years of a mayor who campaigned on promises like Ford and Smitherman are making. Read the link to see what happened.
Another reason to vote for the one candidate whose plans are based in reality and is not promising fantasy: Joe Pantalone.

Harper: we want Canada back!

we move to canada: canada for the people, not the conservative party
A great post by L-girl on We Move To Canada.

Toronto Mayoral Race: Pantalone: Ford "never does his homework"

Axing transfer tax could cost taxpayers $12M | Toronto Votes 2010 | News | Toronto Sun
Rob Ford's plan to abolish the land transfer tax will not only mean that services will have to be cut (as a result of the lost revenue for the city), but that taxpayers would be on the hook for a $12 million penalty as well.

Joe Pantalone:
there’s no excuse for the Etobicoke councillor
not to have known, or told voters, about the cost of his promise.
“Everybody there (at the debate) came to the conclusion, based on their
faces, that Coun. Ford was not aware of this contract,” Pantalone said.
“Everybody at City Hall, including conservative members of council, are
aware that Coun. Ford talks a good line but he never does his homework."
Cutting the tax would not only mean “huge service cuts” from the foregone
revenue, Pantalone said, but an added penalty on top of that.

Toronto Mayoral Race: Pantalone scores points at TCN debate

Inside Toronto Votes » Blog Archive » Mayoral candidates square off at TCN debate
Excerpt:

Pantalone, a supporter of the light rail Transit City plan, scoffed
at Ford’s transit plan, which includes two subway lines in Scarborough –
along Sheppard Avenue East and extending the Bloor-Danforth line, both
to the Scarborough Town Centre.

“My solution is Transit City,” Pantalone said. “Mr. Ford wants to
build 12 kilometres of subway. Transit City is 120 kilometres. He wants
to build the Sheppard and the SRT (Scarborough RT line), but he forgets
about Eglinton, he forgets about Finch. Mr. Ford’s plan is incomplete
and more expensive. The subway costs three times as much. All these
other plans are approved – and he wants to do more talking. As far as I
know, more talking doesn’t get us there from here.”

Toronto Mayoral Race: Smitherman's albatross - the eHealth Scandal

George Smitherman Avoids Further Backlash for eHealth Scandal by Running for Toronto Mayor | Political News and blogs on Stephen Harper, Canadian Politics and Voting on Informed Vote | InformedVote.ca
The eHealth Scandal ended up costing the Ontario taxpayers about $1 billion. George Smitherman, who was the Health Minister at the time, did nothing to put matters right, and refuses to take responsibility for this. Do we really want someone so irresponsible as mayor of Toronto? I won't be voting for Smitherman on election day.

Little to show
Mr. Smitherman was health minister when the government first tried to
digitize provincial health records with an organization called Smart
Systems for Health. After the agency failed to get the job done, it was
folded into eHealth. That organization was ultimately accused of
spending $1 billion with little to show for it.

Toronto Mayoral Race: Ford and Smitherman promise to cut services

CBC News - Toronto - Toronto job cuts would hurt service: union chief
Both Rob Ford and George Smitherman have promised to reduce the amount of service employees over time. In an ever-growing city, this means that the amount and quality of services will be reduced. This can also mean facility closures (due to lack of staff).

The only mayoral candidate who won't be cutting services, and isn't making any unrealistic expenditure promises either, is Joe Pantalone.

Note from Joe's campaign:
This week Smitherman and Ford both released their financial platforms. They were remarkable in their similarity. Smitherman tries to call himself the anti-Ford - but his 1300 staff cuts in the first year would only be 200 less than Ford's 1500. Both plans jeopardize front line services, and neither add up.

Both Ford and Smitherman have talked about the privatization of our garbage system and Smitherman has even suggested selling off our TTC bus routes (in an echo of the London, England transit fiasco). Both candidates have also spoken about bringing the environmentally irresponsible practice of garbage incineration back to our city.

It's clearer than ever that there is only one candidate in this race who wants to build up the city, rather than demolish what we've achieved.

Vote for Joe Pantalone for mayor.

Toronto Mayoral Race: Cuts that don't add up

Goar: The curious case of the 21,000 free Metropasses - thestar.com
Ford, Smitherman and Rossi think that the city can find a lot of money by making all sorts of cuts. But some of these cuts won't really amount to much in savings.  Here are some examples (click the link).

Toronto Mayoral Race: Jaymz Bee endorses Joe Pantalone

YouTube - Joe Pantalone for Mayor
Watch the video!

Toronto Mayoral Race: Ed Broadbent endorses Joe Pantalone

Ed Broadbent Endorses Joe Pantalone for Mayor « MayorJoe.ca


Excerpt:

Only one candidate – Joe Pantalone – has a concrete plan for building
a vibrant Toronto. Opposing candidates’ plans will diminish the amazing
potential of the largest and most multicultural city in Canada.

The choice presented by this campaign’s positions are clear: either Toronto grows in an equitable way, or it goes backwards.

Joe Pantalone has a proven twenty-nine year track record of
progressive politics. He brings people together – rather than pitting
one against another.

I strongly endorse Joe Pantalone, a man I have known for many years,
as the only candidate for Mayor with the vision and the ability to make
Toronto a liveable, inclusive, and progressive city.

Ontario court strikes down provisions which make prostitution "illegal" in Canada

'Emancipation day' for sex-trade workers -  News - MSN CA
TORONTO - A court decision striking down key provisions of Canada's prostitution law is being hailed as an emancipation for sex-trade workers.

The Ontario Superior Court ruled today the laws are unconstitutional because they're contributing to the danger faced by sex-trade workers.

The judge found that laws against keeping a common bawdy house, communicating for the purposes of prostitution and living on the avails of the trade "are not in accord with the principles of fundamental justice."

The lawyer for the sex-trade workers says the judgment, however, is subject to a 30-day stay during which the law remains in place, adding the federal government can seek an extension of that stay period.

Dominatrix Terri-Jean Bedford says it's like emancipation day for sex-trade workers.

Bedford, one of the women behind the challenge, says the ball is now in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's court.

In her ruling, Justice Susan Himel said it now falls to Parliament to "fashion corrective action."...

Toronto Mayoral Race: Rob Ford Does Not Compute

Rob Ford Has Sort Of A Financial Plan, Kinda - Torontoist
Read the post for a detailed analysis.
...

And of course we're assuming that Ford wants to do absolutely
everything that the Board of Trade demands, which of course he doesn't;
his transit plan alone has the potential to completely break the bank,
even before we realize that he doesn't appear to be on board with the
Board (ahem) on certain types of spending cuts, because like most fiscal
conservatives, Ford doesn't have a problem with spending the city's
money on things of which he personally approves, like more cops or
subways or high school football.

In short, Rob Ford's entire plan comes down to how competent he
personally can be at the job of mayoring. His savings plan essentially
demands that he be absolutely perfect at it, because his revenue cuts
have left him precisely zero room for error or possibly even less, no
matter how many times he insists he's found $2.8 billion in spending
cuts (not even close). Now take a look at that YouTube again. Remember
that a major part of mayoring is public speaking. How confident are you
in Rob Ford's ability to be mayor right now?

Federal court determined Galloway was no security risk

Federal Court slams government interference in Galloway ban | rabble.ca
The Federal court determined that former British MP George Galloway was no national security risk
According to Justice Mosley, "the main reason why the respondents [the
Federal government] sought to prevent Mr. Galloway from entering Canada
was that they disagreed with his political views."
...
"This ruling confirms what we have been saying from the beginning: Jason
Kenney attempted to ban Galloway because he disagreed with his views,"
says James Clark, a member of the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War and
an applicant in the case. "This kind of behaviour is completely
unacceptable in a democratic society, and represents a serious attack on
Canadians' free speech rights. We are pleased that the Court agrees
with us."

Galloway is going to be coming back to Canada soon on another speaking tour.

Harper government supports privatizing and selling off our water

[20-Sep-10] Council of Canadians condemns Harper's sponsorship of water privatization conference
Excerpts:
Montreal - The Council of Canadians is condemning the Harper government
for its sponsorship of an international conference of water
corporations that are seeking to privatize the resource.

...
"It is shameful that Environment Canada is co-sponsoring the World
Water Congress," says Council of Canadians Director of Campaigns and
Communications Brent Patterson. “The World Water Congress is a
conference of large, unaccountable water corporations like Suez
Environnement and Veolia Water, as well as the Oil Sands Developers
Group. The focus of their meeting in Montreal this week is on how to
profit from water scarcity and private water services."

...

"The federal government also currently compels municipalities to
explore P3s under the Building Canada Fund," notes Council of Canadians
Ontario/Quebec Regional Organizer Mark Calzavara. "Harper should stop
trying to force communities to 'partner' with corporations. Instead,
the federal government should create a national water infrastructure
fund and ensure clean water is delivered as a public service."

"The Prime Minister and the privateers at the World Water
Congress would like to be able to sell water for profit to the highest
bidder, but public water is a human right," adds Karunananthan. "The
Harper government still seems oblivious to the realities of increasing
water scarcity and climate change. It's clear most Canadians and
Quebeckers support the right to water, so the question is why doesn't
Harper?"

Toronto Mayoral Race: Ford lies about tax hikes to stir up voter support

Smell Test: How much was the Toronto property tax hike in 2010? - thestar.com
During the recent TVO mayoral debate, Rob Ford claimed that Toronto residents saw property tax increases of 5% each year. Joe Pantalone countered that it was 2.9% overall.

Fact: The last time the city saw a 5% property tax increase was while Mel Lastman was mayor. This past year, the property tax hike was only 2.9%. In previous Miller years, it was between 3 and 4 percent.

Tax hikes are needed to keep up with increasing costs, and to offset the costs downloaded by the Harris government (and we are still paying for things that the province should be funding).

Toronto Mayoral Race: Pantalone the greenest candidate

Inside Toronto Votes » Blog Archive » Pantalone says he’s the greenest candidate
Joe Pantalone answers questions on his environmental platform.

Toronto Mayoral Race: Here's looking at Joe

NOW Magazine // News // Here’s looking at Joe

Excerpts from the link above:

We’re certainly no strangers to dramatic election turnarounds. In the
2003 mayor’s race, Barbara Hall fell from first to worst, and a lefty
with a vision stole the vote despite starting September with
single-digit polling numbers. 

That would be David Miller, and
mainstream media portrayals to the contrary, Miller has helmed one of
the greatest periods of municipal change in this city’s history, a
legacy that only one candidate, Pantalone, seeks to protect and expand.

As
Smitherman, Rocco Rossi and Sarah Thomson all shamelessly try to sound
more and more like Ford with irrational anti-tax, slash-and-burn
promises, only Pantalone consistently puts forward progressive and
proven positions.

It’s too early to hand this race to any
politician. Make them earn it. Pantalone has run a quiet race, too
quiet, but he’s turning up the volume, and if you’re proud of much of
what’s been done in Toronto in the last seven years, you’ll like what
you hear. Pantalone is a veteran, but his ideas remain new and
inventive, and he has the experience to actually get them accomplished.

Can
we really take candidates who demand tax cuts and freezes seriously at
the same time as they trade in pie-in-the-sky subway fantasies? The last
time a subway was attempted in Toronto – the Eglinton West Line –
Ford’s cousins, the Harris Tories, actually spent millions of dollars to
fill in the tunnel. Ford worries about waste at the same time
justifying the hundreds of millions of dollars it would take to rip up
Transit City. Smitherman, too, would mess with the well-honed plan by
adding pricey subways and unproven private financing.  

While
other candidates trade in insults and accusations, Toronto’s at-risk
neighbourhoods remain cut off from the core and the jobs that live
there. The ready-to-roll Transit City light rail solution is the
quickest and cheapest way to correct this volatile and unjust situation.

It’s
time to take a good look at Pantalone’s positions and not stuff our
hopes down into some dark memory hole. This city has been well served by
dreamers, from David Crombie to Miller, so let’s honour that legacy by
not reining in our aspirations, certainly not at this still early stage
of the race.

And in a city that prides itself on its
multiculturalism, are we really ready to dismiss a smart man whose
thoughtful words are spoken in a voice that announces that, yes, like so
many of Toronto’s citizens, he comes from somewhere else? 

It’s
incredible that rich kid Ford can be depicted as an Everyman when
Pantalone and his parents arrived in this city in poverty to emerge as
yet another in the millions of success stories Toronto is so proud to
tell.

So don’t be bullied because of fears of a possible Ford nightmare. Consider voting for someone you can be proud of. 

This
is a city of miracles, a progressive, inclusive town that the rest of
the world is in awe of. It will take less than a miracle to keep us on
this ascendant path; it just requires that we as voters do not narrow
the race too soon.

You still have plenty of choices before
election day October 25, so take a look at the little man with big ideas
before rushing to judgment.

Toronto Mayoral Race: Continue to improve or tear it all down?

NOW Magazine // News // David Miller’s living legacy
Contrary to what the mainstream media, Rob Ford or his wannabes want you to think, things improved in Toronto with David Miller as mayor.
This article in NOW reviews some of those improvements.

So, come election day ask yourself this: Do you want to undo these improvements and make things worse in Toronto? - then vote for Rob Ford or one of his wannabes (Smitherman, Rossi or Thomson). Or, do you want to keep these improvements and build on them, continuing to make improvements? - then vote for Joe Pantalone.

UPDATE
The Conference Board of Canada released a report reinforcing the fact that Toronto is doing well and rebounding quickly from the Recession:
Following a 2.3 per cent decline in real gross domestic product (GDP) last year, Toronto’s economy will bounce back with growth of 4.7 per cent in 2010. Manufacturing output, which had been declining since 2005, is expected to post double-digit growth in 2010. At the same time, the city’s construction sector has benefited from government stimulus spending and strong housing starts. Retail sales, which posted a rare decline last year, are on track for solid growth this year.
David Miller is quoted in the Toronto Sun, responding to the report:

“This is very positive news for Toronto,” Mayor David Miller said Wednesday.

“Through business-friendly city policies like our official plan, low development charges and cuts to commercial taxes, Toronto is undergoing an unprecedented building boom.”

Toronto Mayoral Race: How Commuters Get Downtown

Tunnels and Transportation — how commuters get downtown « Spacing Toronto
Contrary to the belief of some mayoral candidates, most commuters travelling to downtown Toronto don't take cars to get there.
Excerpt:

The fact is, however, that despite the presence of both the Gardiner
and the DVP feeding cars into the downtown core, only a minority of
people who work downtown drive there. The vast majority -- 71% -- of
people who travel into work downtown don't have to fight their way
through car traffic -- they take GO Trains, the TTC, or they walk or
cycle.

Here's the breakdown for people commuting to Ward 28 (which includes most of the downtown business district) from outside the ward (all figures are from the Transportation Tomorrow Survey, 2006 (PDF)).

Local transit (TTC): 38%

GO Train: 26%

Walk/Cycle: 7%

Car driver/passenger: 28%

Other: 1%

The numbers are similar (more TTC, less GO Train) in Wards 27 and 20, which border the business district.