Ford fact check: apparently, city staffers not as gravy-drenched as once thought
Remember back in 2010 when then–mayoral candidate Rob Ford said the city could balance its books without layoffs? How times have changed. Mayor Ford’s definition of “gravy” is much different than candidate Ford’s, shifting from things like expensive parties on the taxpayers’ dime to things like, um, people with jobs. In the process, he’s stated that the city is an overstaffed, bloated, inefficient bureaucracy that sucks up taxpayer dollars while it lumbers along. Of course, the possibility that city staff would increase rather than decrease in the post-amalgamation era is unthinkable for small-government types, but municipal affairs blogger Matt Elliott argues that this isn’t even exactly true. Despite a net increase in city employees, many areas slashed city staff between 1998 and 2007, and many of the departments that grew are unsurprising (like the TTC). The police grew, too, which actually is surprising, given Ford’s unflagging commitment to reducing their ranks. Read the entire story [Ford For Toronto] »
To call Ford a right wing idealogue is in my view, crediting him with way too much intellect. He was more effective as a loud-mouthed activist where he could boo the judges from the backbenches without any scrutiny on his own competence. Moreover, his arrogance in believing that ‘It’s not that hard’ and ‘I can do better’ are so fitting for the privileged brat of a political dynasty who was handed a senior executive position without having to prove anything to anyone. His performance should surprise precisely no-one. I hope those who gave him the angry vote are proud of themselves.
He’s making the difficult choices many of us in business don’t like to make. I think it’s only fair hat since you are such a ford hater, you and those like should not accept anything from him or his admin……example, funding for event, pride parades,tax breaks (ours will rise a few points, yours rises a few more than ours) and so on….the amount f time you guys spend bashing this man, and sometimes for nothing more than being overweight which means you’re just pricks, should allow Fo any torontonian to sa to you that you are not allowed to accept anything from ford
I work for the City of toronto.Trust me there’s lots of Gravy still to cut.