Can Rob Ford tell the difference between wasteful and regular-government-has-to-run-a-city spending?

The Globe and Mail has the details:

The proposed change, which will go before the city’s executive committee later this month, got the approval of the budget committee on Thursday, after members listened to the objections voiced by environmentalists.

The same committee also voted to slash the number of community environment days held each year to 11 from 44 for a cost savings of $122,000.

Emily Alfred with the Toronto Environmental Alliance predicted the new limits will result in more recyclable materials entering landfills as residents with extra bottles or boxes opt to put them in their garbage bin rather than storing them for the next recycling day two weeks later.

Many of the cuts proposed during Mayor Rob Ford’s tenure have been of the bean-counting variety, and this is certainly no exception. Sure, Ford ran his mayoral campaign based on the promise of curtailing spending, but we’re pretty sure his mantra revolved around cutting wasteful spending, not just spending in general. As a small-government ideologue, Ford likely identifies most government spending as wasteful, and KPMG’s core services review did target things like recycling and environment days. Still, these sorts of government programs are a serious stretch from the fancy retirement parties, swollen expense budgets and taxpayer-purchased perks for councillors that Ford railed against en route to the mayor’s office.

• Cuts to blue box program urged over environmentalists’ objections [Globe and Mail]