School board joins the fight against Rob Ford’s so-called “war on children”
A new front has opened in the resistance against Rob Ford’s new budget—the TDSB is planning to publicize the impact of the proposed cuts to school pools, parks and recreation and nutrition programs on children. The school board reserved three spots at this week’s budget hearings to state their case, while trustees are being encouraged (okay, “urged”) to put pressure on councillors who could serve as swing votes. In other words, yet another case of the optics around Ford’s proposed budget looking decidedly un-rosy.
The Star has the story:
Under a proposed budget, the city is looking at eliminating programming at seven of the 33 school pools it operates, as well as after-school programming at 12 sites and support for school nutrition programs.
Bolton said the board has requested three spots at this week’s city budget hearings so it may address each issue.
Several trustees at Monday’s committee meeting said more must be done to urge the city to reconsider. Trustees were urged to reach out to local councillors—especially seven councillors whom they didn’t name whose votes they feel can be swayed.
Of course, it’s pretty much impossible for a politician to reduce children’s programming without looking like a jerk—but Ford’s in a particularly tough spot here. On the one hand, he can follow through with his proposed cuts and axe programming. On the other, he can bow to the public and political pressure, avoid cuts and look like just another civic leader without a backbone.
• Toronto board to fight budgetary ‘assault’ on pools, sports and nutrition [Toronto Star]
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A new front has opened in the resistance against Rob Ford’s new budget—the TDSB is planning to publicize the impact of the proposed cuts to school pools, parks and recreation and nutrition programs on children. The school board reserved three spots at this week’s budget hearings to state their case, while trustees are being encouraged (okay, “urged”) to put pressure on councillors who could serve as swing votes. In other words, yet another case of the optics around Ford’s proposed budget looking decidedly un-rosy.
The Star has the story:
Under a proposed budget, the city is looking at eliminating programming at seven of the 33 school pools it operates, as well as after-school programming at 12 sites and support for school nutrition programs.
Bolton said the board has requested three spots at this week’s city budget hearings so it may address each issue.
Several trustees at Monday’s committee meeting said more must be done to urge the city to reconsider. Trustees were urged to reach out to local councillors—especially seven councillors whom they didn’t name whose votes they feel can be swayed.
Of course, it’s pretty much impossible for a politician to reduce children’s programming without looking like a jerk—but Ford’s in a particularly tough spot here. On the one hand, he can follow through with his proposed cuts and axe programming. On the other, he can bow to the public and political pressure, avoid cuts and look like just another civic leader without a backbone.
• Toronto board to fight budgetary ‘assault’ on pools, sports and nutrition [Toronto Star]){kind=link}
As a proud conservative and serious Ayn Rand fan, I can safely say that children don’t deserve anything until they can prove their economic worth. We should look at Newt Gingrich’s plan to use poor children as janitors and groundskeepers in private schools in exchange for a chance to go get an education they might not otherwise be able to afford. That way the janitor unions would take a hit, and poor kids would be able to earn a living, and the government doesn’t have to give handouts to anyone.
I think Rob Ford is brave to take on the next generation. People compare him to a bull in a chinashop, but he’s more like a bull in a kindergarten. Those kids won’t know what they’re missing … well maybe the hungry ones would, lol. Ah well – like Mike Del Grande said (and I’m paraphrasing), if the poor and vulnerable can’t be made to pay for tax cuts for the upper class, then we can’t do anything, EVER.
Simple – give your money to the 1%, and we’ll trickle it down. Right in your faces. Open your mouth. Yeah, that’s it.
woa nelly, the tdsb is on weak ground – carving someone else for using the policies they spearhead. if anyone out there is anti children / childhood it is the tdsb. why cant they just shut up and look after students for a change?
I sincerely hope that was all sarcasm, because if it wasn’t, you are a disgusting human being.
No sarcasm, Nat. There’s an economic crisis as well as a budget crisis. We need tax cuts to spur on economic growth by keeping Job Creators (rich people) happy, and then we need new sources of government revenue to pay for those tax cuts. Rich people can spend a lot of money protecting their interests, so it’s come down to asking the poor and vulnerable to give up a share of their pathetic, little pie.
Sometimes you have to push the buggy in front of the gravy train to save yourself from getting hit by a dumptruck full of debt.
Affected kids won’t know why they’re angry, and as long as we keep the police happy and build fences around the wealthier enclaves, we should be alright.
I agree with peachy. The school boards are so anti-children they can’t see the wisdom of shutting down school lunch programs.
I believe Jonathan Swift had the solution to these issues with his modest proposal.