Off Off Topic: Cool Toronto People's Thread

[Zach6668 513]

Serge, a DRL, as proposed by experts, would be much better integrated to the GO lines, takin pressure off Bloor-Yonge and Union. It SHOULD come with some sort of fare integration. Having this network is great, but if you can't move between modes cost effectively, it's useless. A $7 GO ticket or whatever it costs, should include a free transfer to an adjacent subway or bus or whatever.

 

People continuously just ignore how much benefit a DRL will have for commuters everywhere. Ford and co built it up as if it helps downtowners only. It barely helps them.

[serge 904]

Yeah, they're somewhere.

 

I'm all for subways, build them everywhere, but we don't have unlimited money.

 

A subway to the zoo. Lmao.

 

Why is that funny..There is a lot of people that live out this way..It wouldnt be going to the zoo particularly, but thats the border of Scarborough.

[serge 904]

Serge, a DRL, as proposed by experts, would be much better integrated to the GO lines, takin pressure off Bloor-Yonge and Union. It SHOULD come with some sort of fare integration. Having this network is great, but if you can't move between modes cost effectively, it's useless. A $7 GO ticket or whatever it costs, should include a free transfer to an adjacent subway or bus or whatever.

 

People continuously just ignore how much benefit a DRL will have for commuters everywhere. Ford and co built it up as if it helps downtowners only. It barely helps them.

 

From what I am reading on it..I dont see how a DRL would help me and my Scarberia buds more than a Sheppard expansion to Mccowan, Markham or Meadowvale.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Relief_Line

 

This is the DRL for dummies for those that are interested.

[serge 904]

I am really enjoying the Zach posts on this subject, as he is very well versed on the logistics and the planning side.

 

I am looking at it from the practical side and how it will affect me personally.

 

The concepts are amazing, but the implementation and the real world applications I am not sure are optimal.

 

Zach, what do you think of the $100 million Gardiner Expressway facelift, that will clog the traffic for many years to come?

 

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/10/23/gardiner_expressway_repairs_will_slow_traffic_for_years.html

[MapleLeafpoker 1,462]

Smitherman lost because he had a horrible track record as a provincial cabinet minister and he has a reputation as a difficult *******.

 

Ya, because all those people that voted actually knew what Smithermans cabinet minister record was and had read up on it.

People aren't homophobic or racist anymore? Glad to hear thats over!

 

And all the people who back Ford could actually talk about the things he has done well, without just saying the party line of "lower taxes".

 

Your giving way too much credit to average voter.

[FCP Bob 1,312]

 

Zach, what do you think of the $100 million Gardiner Expressway facelift, that will clog the traffic for many years to come?

 

http://www.thestar.c..._for_years.html

 

It's an example of the long terms costs of infrastructure and what the real costs of transportation are.

 

Infrastructure has a shelf life and when it gets old it has to be patched and replaced and it's really expensive. Our water bills have been going up 9% every year to help to replace the aging sewer system. It isn't well known how much work and money has been spent and will have to be spent in the future on it.

[FCP Bob 1,312]

Ya, because all those people that voted actually knew what Smithermans cabinet minister record was and had read up on it.

People aren't homophobic or racist anymore? Glad to hear thats over!

 

And all the people who back Ford could actually talk about the things he has done well, without just saying the party line of "lower taxes".

 

Your giving way too much credit to average voter.

 

Smitherman's record was a much easier target than you are remembering. He was the Health Minister during most of the E-Health mess and he was easy to tar with the wasteful spender brush.

 

Of course there is still bigotry out there, don't be putting words in my mouth but in this case Smitherman lost because he was seen first as the downtown candidate and second as the guy who wasted a few Billion while he was the Health Minister. I have no doubt there are a significant percentage of the electorate who won't vote for anybody who is Gay but that number is shrinking all the time.

[FCP Bob 1,312]

 

And all the people who back Ford could actually talk about the things he has done well, without just saying the party line of "lower taxes".

 

 

We have to remember that we have a very weak Mayor system in Toronto as opposed to American Mayors. Here they are just one vote on council. Where they have power is their ability to influence the direction of the council as a whole and to hand out some appointments to councillors on certain committees etc.

 

Most councillors are very weak and not very talented but like most people have a lot of ambition. My local councillor Norm Kelly who is now the Deputy Mayor is a perfect example of that. I've spoken to him a few times and he isn't very bright and his politics basically will go in whatever direction the wind is blowing. Ford being elected and being able to influence the weak such as Kelly helped lead to probably the biggest success of Ford's term and that was the contract with the Unions.

 

The electorate sent a message and the Unions read correctly that they no longer would be able to get their way like when somebody like Miller was Mayor. The result was a reasonable contract and the ability of the city to contract out more services like garbage collection.

 

The idea of somebody like Ford was stronger than the reality and he has lost all ability to influence things now. Ford supporting something is going to be a negative at council in the future.

 

I've posted this before but hopefully an adult fiscal conservative with a brain like John Tory will run and win.

[MapleLeafpoker 1,462]

IMO......he lost because he was seen as the downtown, gay, tree hugging, bike lane pumping, commie candidate.

The opposition always knows how to paint a candidate in such a way as to say what they want to say, without actually saying it. Fords camp did an excellent job of portraying Smitherman as the "downtown" candidate, and all that comes with it. Lets be real, we all know what they mean when they say things like that.

Sure they smeared him with his E-Health mess, and that played perfectly to the "he will be another Miller" portrayal. But I still think at the end of the day, people have an issue not just with him being gay, but with him being part of that "culture". Of him pandering to the needs of "those" people. Politics is all about divisions, and Smitherman vs Ford was a perfect divide.

 

Just the same way Smithermans camp tried to portray Ford as a bigot+racist with no regard for most people. What Ford's opposition has done an awful job of doing so far is finding the ways he has cheated taxpayers. Some will say its because it doesn't exist. I think its cause they just haven't found it yet or brought it out into the public enough. Too busy chasing the juicy story.

 

And before anyone thinks I'm playing a side here, I don't see many redeeming qualities in either candidate, just like with most elections at any level.

 

I'm of the belief that this municipal crap is peanuts compared to the robbery that is going on with the Senate. How Canadians don't have a bigger issue with this bullsh*t system is beyond me. When I first read about it in school 25years ago I was appalled, and I was a little active in my youth in politics, and it was like the issue you didnt touch/talk about.

(I was involved in some liberal party work)

I still to this day think of it as the worst thing in Canadian politics, but people just don't seem to care, or feel like there is nothing they can do about it, I dont know which. The only party willing to do anything about it might be the NDP, but you cant vote for them, they are commies!

[FCP Bob 1,312]

The Senate to most people is very minor because in the big picture the money is small. The budget for the entire Senate is only $90 Million per year.

 

In political terms it's been mostly meaningless for decades because it doesn't do anything that matters and as long as that is true it isn't going to be a top of the mind issue. I'm glad all this has happened because it shows how useless and meaningless the Senate is for modern Canada.

 

The NDP would like to abolish it and that would be my preferred option. A lot of Conservatives want it to become elected and to serve the function that it was originally designed for as a chamber of sober second thought that more reflects the regions of Canada and not just the raw population. I think this would be a mistake.

[serge 904]

One of my fathers closest friends was a member of parliament. The first big name Armenian politician. I know him pretty well too and speak to him on occasion.

 

I like the guy a lot but he was basically a janitor and now he is set for life because of his run in the house of commons.

 

Good guy, but i m sure I could to what he did as well..

[FCP Bob 1,312]

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2013/02/21/brown-john-is-it-worth-saving-the-senate/

 

 

Conceptually, Canada’s Senate was to be a dominant player in our political system. To be a senator in 1867, you needed to be of age 31 or better and a landed property owner with property of some value. The Senate, as conceived in 1864-67, was designed to protect property rights and privilege from any radical rabble which might find their way into the House of Commons.

 

Unelected, non-representative and unaccountable to almost nobody, the Senate was an anachronism from its very inception. It rarely shines although it sometimes glimmers on the political action field.

 

Nonetheless, Canada is a federal country consisting of one national and 10 provincial jurisdictions. Each jurisdiction has very clearly defined constitutional competencies in the Constitution (the Sections in the 90 series).

 

While our current federal government has submitted a “reference” to the Supreme Court on the Senate’s future, my theory is that the government clearly realizes it cannot seriously alter the role of the Senate without provincial participation and essential constitutional amendment.

 

The purpose of the reference is as much an exercise in defining federal government limits as it is a warning to those who want a quick and easy disposal of the Senate to the rubbish heap of history. This could be a constitutional snakepit.

[FCP Bob 1,312]

One of my fathers closest friends was a member of parliament. The first big name Armenian politician. I know him pretty well too and speak to him on occasion.

 

I like the guy a lot but he was basically a janitor and now he is set for life because of his run in the house of commons.

 

Good guy, but i m sure I could to what he did as well..

 

A lot of MP's kind of fall into it without actually having a lot of experience or talent. Last election a lot of the NDP candidates in Quebec had zero experience or even connection to their ridings and nobody thought they had any hope of winning but because of the weirdness that happened they ended up as MPs.

 

A high school buddy of mine ran as the Conservative candidate in my riding in Scarborough. He's not the brightest bulb and the best memory we have of him from those days was his driving his car into the fence at a cemetery and the time he drove his car into the front of a restaurant. At that time the Conservatives had zero chance of winning the riding but last election my riding did go Conservative so my not too bright buddy was just a little too early being the candidate.

[serge 904]

A lot of MP's kind of fall into it without actually having a lot of experience or talent. Last election a lot of the NDP candidates in Quebec had zero experience or even connection to their ridings and nobody thought they had any hope of winning but because of the weirdness that happened they ended up as MPs.

 

A high school buddy of mine ran as the Conservative candidate in my riding in Scarborough. He's not the brightest bulb and the best memory we have of him from those days was his driving his car into the fence at a cemetery and the time he drove his car into the front of a restaurant. At that time the Conservatives had zero chance of winning the riding but last election my riding did go Conservative so my not too bright buddy was just a little too early being the candidate.

 

Very true..I always wanted to run for some sort of office..One of the reasons I have a degree in Political Science.

 

I probably will someday.

[MapleLeafpoker 1,462]

One of my fathers closest friends was a member of parliament. The first big name Armenian politician. I know him pretty well too and speak to him on occasion.

I like the guy a lot but he was basically a janitor and now he is set for life because of his run in the house of commons.

Good guy, but i m sure I could to what he did as well..

 

My experience is exactly the same as yours with this gentleman.

 

He was a nice guy, but I was amazed and frankly, it just added to my cynical look at politics.

[MapleLeafpoker 1,462]

The Senate to most people is very minor because in the big picture the money is small. The budget for the entire Senate is only $90 Million per year.

 

Thats just the annual budget that your quoting. That doesnt include the retirement packages and other benefits those who leave still receive.

 

Its not just about the money. And if it is, that is still 90 million dollars a year!

When did 90million a year become not much? Do these people you speak of know how many programs could use that money?

You cant just compare everything to the entire federal budget and decide to leave the things that don't hurt your own pocketbook.

 

The senate hasn't done anything of worth in the 25 years I have been following politics in this country. Lets say that 2 billion dollars over that time.

Do we want to get rid of it now, or just spend another 2 billion dollars in the next 25years?

[FCP Bob 1,312]

Thats just the annual budget that your quoting. That doesnt include the retirement packages and other benefits those who leave still receive.

 

Its not just about the money. And if it is, that is still 90 million dollars a year!

When did 90million a year become not much? Do these people you speak of know how many programs could use that money?

You cant just compare everything to the entire federal budget and decide to leave the things that don't hurt your own pocketbook.

 

The senate hasn't done anything of worth in the 25 years I have been following politics in this country. Lets say that 2 billion dollars over that time.

Do we want to get rid of it now, or just spend another 2 billion dollars in the next 25years?

 

Oh I agree that the Senate is worthless. I'm just pointing out why it's mostly ignored.

 

Like the article I quoted pointed out to abolish the Senate will require a change to the Constitution that is agreed to by the Provinces and that is not going to be easy.

[serge 904]

Reading a lot of the comments on the Ford situation out there, I believe he has a good chance to get reelected..

 

Since the election isnt till Oct 2014 , he has a very good chance.

 

Needs to hire a better PR person, spin this whole thing into a personal problem with alcohol and drugs...Maybe go into some sort of therapy, and come back stronger than ever.

 

Politics is all about perception, spin....

 

If Marion Barry can get arrested , go to jail, and come back and become mayor again, I think Rob Ford is a shoo in...

[Dubey 1,035]

It's not like he has to worry about any kind of smear campaign from his opponents.

[FCP Bob 1,312]

Nation Not About To Start Giving A Shit About Canadian Politics

 

WASHINGTON—Despite Toronto mayor Rob Ford’s recent controversial admission to having smoked crack cocaine, Americans across the country confirmed Wednesday that, Rob Ford or no Rob Ford, there’s just no way they’re about to start giving a shit about Canadian politics—no way in hell.

 

“Yeah, sorry, not happening,” said 37-year-old Harrisburg, PA resident Daniel Cooke, echoing the thoughts of millions of Americans who told reporters they will continue happily ignoring any and all stories about the Canadian government, the politics of Canada, or scandals involving Canadian politicians. “Frankly, that guy could have been having sex with an underage boy in the middle of a parliament meeting or whatever the hell they have over there and I still wouldn’t give a shit. I don’t know or care to know who he is, where he’s from, or what he did. What I do know is that if you think I’m going to start paying attention to what’s going on with politics in Toronto or Nova Scotia or Ontario City or wherever the **** then you’re going to be very disappointed.”

 

The U.S. populace went on to confirm that, unless Martin Short were to somehow be elected prime minister, their interest level in Canadian politics would remain at this level indefinitely.

[gruven 530]

It's amusing how you guys can carry on a civil and intelligent conversation about politics, but when it comes to hockey it takes all of three posts to degenerate to name calling.... lol

[digitalmonkey 929]

It's amusing how you guys can carry on a civil and intelligent conversation about politics, but when it comes to hockey it takes all of three posts to degenerate to name calling.... lol

 

Politics is a joke, hockey is serious ****ing stuff.

[LadyGrey 6]

Hello Canadian men, just dropping in to say thanks again for all your advice and help about my trip. I had a really wonderful time in Canada. Your people were super nice to me and I did all the things I wanted to. I cheered the Habs on to victory, and the Bluejays too. I got a cute Bluejays jersey and I took this picture of the Habs game for y'all:

 

 

In Toronto I did a ton of stuff. My favourite things were probably going out at night in Kensington Market, cycling around the Islands on a sunny day, and eating unlimited hot dogs and nachos at the Bluejays game.

 

Thanks again to everyone who pitched in with suggestions, I thought I'd report back so you'd know I appreciated it and enjoyed your great city.

[serge 904]

Hello Canadian men, just dropping in to say thanks again for all your advice and help about my trip. I had a really wonderful time in Canada. Your people were super nice to me and I did all the things I wanted to. I cheered the Habs on to victory, and the Bluejays too. I got a cute Bluejays jersey and I took this picture of the Habs game for y'all:

 

 

In Toronto I did a ton of stuff. My favourite things were probably going out at night in Kensington Market, cycling around the Islands on a sunny day, and eating unlimited hot dogs and nachos at the Bluejays game.

 

Thanks again to everyone who pitched in with suggestions, I thought I'd report back so you'd know I appreciated it and enjoyed your great city.

 

Awesome. Glad you had a great time

[FCP Bob 1,312]