Can Rob Ford tell the difference between wasteful and regular-government-has-to-run-a-city spending?
The budget committee continued the city’s march toward reducing wasteful spending last week, approving a motion that will eliminate overflow-recycling pickup and dramatically reduce the number of Community Environment Days. (The proposed changes would mean residents could no longer leave their overflow for pickup in a bag alongside their bin.) The total savings involved? A whopping $622,000—or roughly enough money to finance three feet of the Sheppard subway.
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]
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The budget committee continued the city’s march toward reducing wasteful spending last week, approving a motion that will eliminate overflow-recycling pickup and dramatically reduce the number of Community Environment Days. (The proposed changes would mean residents could no longer leave their overflow for pickup in a bag alongside their bin.) The total savings involved? A whopping $622,000—or roughly enough money to finance three feet of the Sheppard subway.
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]){kind=link}
Yawn. More Rob Ford bashing. Toronto Life is getting to be as bad as those whiners at BlogTO and Now.
Its a common mistake for new executives to take the results of a Consulting Group review as gospel. Doesn’t make this bashing, it makes this an accurate criticism of his leadership.
Cutting spending meant that he made promises that can’t be kept. Like not cutting services. He doesn’t know what he is talking about.
Yawn. More Rob Ford cheerleading from wingnuts like Zachary Swan. He is as blind to Rob Ford’s broken promise that “I will assure you that services will not be cut… guaranteed” as the Mayor’s brother Doug. His lie is indefensible.
Rob ford for president. This photo says it all:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtonic/6329559236/in/photostream
Very true. I believe RF’s election was a such stunning surprise to people like Karen Stintz, David Shiner, Georgio Mammoliti that we still feeling the aftershocks.
44 Environment Days is the norm with one per Councillor, and the standard practice is the Mayor would share one of those 44 days with the local Councillor (different ward each years). This year Mayor Gravy Train had his OWN event…at a location that had already had an event earlier in the season…and he didn’t advertise it…and no one showed up…including the mayor. Hypocrisy at it’s finest. The gravy is still flowing… right from the Mayor’s office.
Ford is certainly, as Peter Lorre said of Sydney Greenstreet, a bloated idiot. I was sad when he was elected. Doug is worse: well, dumber, but not meaner. But now I am happy and also sometimes dancing, because watching how gets under the skin various irritating Toronto media outlets (Eye on you, Torontoist!) is truly pleasurable. I’m pleasuring myself about it right now! Jury’s till out on whether letting him ruin the city will turn out to be worth the annoyance to Toronto chattering classes (almost said literati, larf!), but either way I sputter and hoot. Hey, weren’t that a U2 alabum?
I’ll watch with interest the destruction of Toronto as this Conservative Ford continues the Harris legacy of pitting Torontonians against each other and slashing service / jobs / raising taxes until the end of his term , another three years.
All I can say for the people who elected this wind bag and so many like minded Councillors is good luck your such idiots and your going to pay the price for your voting in of all these cretins, lol