I regret to inform you that Rob Ford is no Chris Christie.
I know Chris Christie. Chris Christie is a Youtube favourite of mine.
Ford may still be “better than the alternative”, and admittedly, the moderation and format of the debate (a cross between Canadian Idol and the Jerry Springer Show) was ridiculous, but setting that side… I think it’s safe to declare the city of Toronto to be utterly doomed. How quickly the Moment Of Doom arrives is now in the hands of the voters.
(Heh. This comes as the Canadian Tamil Broadcasting Corporation published ads on its radio station and website that called for Tamil residents to vote for Rob Ford because he married a woman.)
Kate:
Check out some of Christies speeches before he was elected gov. He was very much a moderate in rhetoric until after he was elected and frankly the economy and the electorate were in a very different frame of mind even just two years ago.
As a Toronto voter, I am painfully aware of the choices I face.
It’s a no brainer to choose the no brainer.
Ford for mayor!
Because Slitherman is Liberal enough, and connected enough, and slimy enough to get his way and destroy Toronto further.
In contrast, if Ford turns out to be totally incompetent, council will shut him down, and we will have a do-nothing council for 4 years. Better than what was done in the last 4 years.
What is needed in Toronto right now is exactly what Ford can provide – a smash-and-confront phase.
Miller, the current mayor, has essentially handed the city over to the unions. The unions run the city as a massive bank – for themselves and their benefits alone. This includes excessive wages (public transit ticket collectors earning over 100,000 a year); their wage increases (double that of the private sector); their benefits and pensions which are out-of-line with the private sector.
Services have, as a result, fallen apart. The tax money goes to this elite class of ‘workers’ – whose numbers have increased as their salaries and benefits have increased. There is no money for services, for repairs to infrastructure, for new infrastructure.
To deal with this – the City has set up ‘special taxes’ imposed only on city residents, such as 100% land transfer taxes (100% of the provincial tax); 80% car registration taxes (again, an additional 80% of the provincial tax). They’ve engaged in double billing of waste collection, taxing individuals in condos for waste collection AND also billing the condominium for waste collection. Traffic tickets on parking are a major source of income – and everything is ticketed, whether it be a Canada Post truck stopping to deliver mail, a UPS van, a taxi.
The City needs someone to confront and frankly, smash the unions. Then – the post-revolutionary rebuilding phase can begin.
I don’t believe in ballot spoiling or any other similar foolishness, so I will vote for Ford for the simple reason that he’s better than Smitherman.
I just saw an interview where the same question was put to the two of them, regarding youth employment. Smitherman was smoothly talking about starting an expensive government program, while Ford paused from scratching himself to mutter something about improving the business climate in Toronto.
Ford’s answer is the correct one despite his lack of slickness in the interview.
Chris Christie is unique, even for the US. It’s too much to hope for one of his kind over here.
As a Toronto voter i can completely forgo the eloquence if Ford can cut the socialist off from the pass and the trough. If it causes uphevel/chaos/union demonstrations/stikes – let it come full blast.
No he’s no Chris Christie but he’s the closest thing we’ve got in TO. He has been called a racist, a bigot, wife beater, criminal, homophobe, nazi, a drunk, knuckle dragger etc. etc. in the main stream press in Toronto and he just shrugs it off.
Check out the Twitter feed #voteTO and see all the nice things the progressives are saying about him. Rob Ford is just regular folks. No he’s not the most articulate person but so what? Regular Joe’s & Jill’s can relate and that crosses over to all the multi x multi x cultural communities in TO.
He’s a fiscal conservative but he cares about people and he does what he can to help them out i.e. returning phone calls (thousands of them).
The ruling Liberal elite despise him for this and are doing everything in their power to trip him up but it’s not working. This may not seem like a big deal to most but for people in the center or right of center in Ontario it’s a huge sea-shift in attitude.
You know Chris Christie, Kate? You met him?
I’d have to say you’re pretty lucky. Just like with Rob Ford, most of us only know him from media footage.
No decent choices in Ottawa either. And it looks like were going to get former mayor turned MPP (in Dalton’s cabinet no less) and now back to mayor. Wonder how long until a federal riding peaks his interest and he leaves the mayor’s office once again?
Must find that Caribbean island, my pocketbook is not deep enough for these guys.
Ford is hammering on accountability.
Toronto has not had any since almagamation.
why is this a bad thing?
gerry
How quickly the Moment Of Doom arrives is now in the hands of the voters.
For some time now there’s been some self-aggrandizing nattering that the city should be a province in its own right, with your tax dollars heading its way to pay for everything that a World! Class! City! deserves.
I will be voting for Rob Ford, even though as a non-resident I’m not eligible, because as the Lefties say, no one is illegal.
I don’t know how accurate, but I’ve read in the rightosphere that Christie is pro-amnesty, pro-cap & trade, and anti-2nd Amendment unless those were his pre-election views.
Fiscal conservatism is a step up if you’re in a liberal area, but there’s more to it than that.
My household will be voting for Ford tomorrow.
I don’t know if it’s changed, Mississauga Matt, but they seem to have stricter identification standards this year than in the past two elections I recall best.
Still, I don’t know if they’ve gotten rid of the hobo vote loophole where you didn’t have to prove you were from the city or the ward, but you just took a brief oath that you were, and they let you vote. (Can’t discriminate against the homeless, after all, and deny all those cigarette-bought votes for the NDP types, can we?)
So you might be able to do it, after all.
;^)
Trawna and Smitherman. Ottawa and Watson.
Matches made in Heaven. Bring it on.
Andy, I’m going in full burka!
I’m of the opinion that Toronto will only start to improve after it goes -completely- bankrupt and defaults on all these union deals. Like GM, but without the Feds to bail them out.
That’s what will be required. I expect it will fall through all the same phases of destruction as New York City or Detroit, and frankly I don’t give a f-. Self inflicted wounds, no sympathy.
I used to live there, I’ve had up to my teeth, and now its just a slow spot in the trip up north as far as I’m concerned.
I for one would REJOICE if Toronto became its own province. My provincial taxes would stop going to pay TTC employees, and GTA would no longer be the giant bulge in the demographics that screws over the whole rest of Ontario.
“He has been called a racist, a bigot, wife beater, criminal, homophobe, nazi, a drunk, knuckle dragger etc. etc.”
I wish I still lived in Toronto so I could vote for him. The press hasn’t figured out yet that they are actually popularizing their enemies by attacking them like this. The best thing that happened to Sarah Palin is that the media staged way over the top attacks on her. They just outed themselves and raised peoples awareness of her.
he really isn’t. he will still get my vote tomorrow.
What I saw of the debate performance was cringe inducing. It helped no one, but it really didn’t inspire confidence that he’s the best you could get.
We’ll trade you a Gregor Robertson for a Ford, or for that matter, Smitherman even. This guy is trying to turn Vancouver into Amsterdam.
Anne:
Correct about Ottawa. Jim Watson was very much part of McGuinty’s Green Energy policies. The same policies which are rsponsible for exponentially increased electricity rates. He was never seriously asked about the Liberal record. Tomorrow he will be annointed Mayor of Ottawa.
That he and Smitherman are even contenders,shows how entrenched the Liberal brand is in urban Ont.
Voters deserve the government they elect.
Have to agree with you about Ford. But then, look at the other guy. Smitherman has an astonishing record of incompetence and highly probable corruption – the wind farms, the solar boondoggles, the billion dollars that disappeared into E-Health consultants, and more. He’s literally cost taxpayers billions of dollars and he’s still only 46 years old. Like Svend Robinson, he needs a long vacation from politics. This election reminds me of the Svend vs. Hedy race.
Perhaps I’m still starry-eyed and naive in my sixth decade, but I would see a Ford victory as a major blow to political correctness and the snobbish elites, otherwise known as our “betters” in the big cities, king of which is Toronto. If PC falls in Toronto, there aren’t too many other places (save Ottawa) where it’s power is enough to hold down the fort. Every once in a while, there’s a sudden change of direction, like the fall of the Berlin Wall. Could this be Canada’s?
gord at 10:42 PM “He has been called a racist, a bigot, wife beater, criminal, homophobe, nazi, a drunk, knuckle dragger etc. etc.”
I wish I still lived in Toronto so I could vote for him. The press hasn’t figured out yet that they are actually popularizing their enemies by attacking them like this. The best thing that happened to Sarah Palin is that the media staged way over the top attacks on her. They just outed themselves and raised peoples awareness of her.”
=============
That’s exactly what I think is happening here. This is a phenomena that is happening in more than just the Toronto City Council elections. The public is pushing back political correctness and those whose lucrative careers have depended on the power of PC to intimidate people.
I credit the Internet and blogs for that. Many times throughout history a new technology has brought about a sweeping change which changed the course of history – the invention of the printing press, for example. Blogs, especially, have allowed those to the right of the political spectrum to finally have a voice.
The left and the MSM that hey have relied upon to be their propaganda arm, are running scared, and it doesn’t matter how much they smear folks like Rob Ford, it’s the smear campaigns that no longer work, cause we’re on to them and they can no longer shut us out.
Go Rob Ford!! And I’d never thought I’d say it, but Go Toronto!! Hope I’m not disappointed tomorrow night. Nine days left til the mid-terms in the US, too. Can’t wait to see the outcome of that.
“… homophobic posters of Smitherman popped up overnight along Danforth Avenue near Victoria Park. The posters included a photo of mayoral candidate George Smitherman and his husband Christopher Peloso with the words: ‘Should Muslim vote for him who married a man?'”
“… the Canadian Tamil Broadcasting Corporation published ads on its radio station and website that called for Tamil residents to vote for Rob Ford because he married a woman”
Isn’t multiculturalism wonderful?
How could any right thinking person live in Toronto?
Move, it’s a big country, let Toronto sink to Detroits level of decay by itself. Bolster a conservative city out west and never forget the stench of liberalism from which you fled.
Mississauga Matt at 10:35 PM: “Andy, I’m going in full burka.”
BWHAHAHAHA! Let us know how that worked out, Matt.
ET;
There are so many things to critisize unions for without engaging in the breathless hyperbole you do.
Example; “There is no money for services, for repairs to infrastructure, for new infrastructure.”
1/ There is a 3 billion dollar capital budget for new infrastructure that union benefits and salaries doesn’t touch.
2/ The operating budget for the city is 9.5 billion. Salaries and benefits to unionized staff represents about 25% of that total. That leaves about 7 billion to pay for maintainance and repairs of existing infrastructure.
Seriously ET. This stuff is all publicly available information. Why you spout off without educating yourself is beyond my understanding.
Ottawa should be so lucky to have a Ford running for the Mayoralty instead they’re about to elect one of McGuinty’s Cab Mins. I don’t think anyone who has been part of the McGuinty train wreck of Ontario deserves to be elected.
Opportunists are easy to spot and we can blame the voters for allowing people to become career politicians. It’s just not healthy at any level.Ottawa voters haven’t caught on.
Wonder what would happen if any of our Conservatives were to do a bit of Christie’s straight talking? IMO, it’s exactly what is needed to sort out the media and the Opposition, knock them on their asses.
Ford may not be no Christie but he’s a start and the best we’ve seen to this point. The fact he’s been leading in the polling throughout the campaign for the Mayoralty is proof people are sick of politics as usual and in the most unlikely of places, Toronto!
“Wonder what would happen if any of our Conservatives were to do a bit of Christie’s straight talking? IMO, it’s exactly what is needed to sort out the media and the Opposition, knock them on their asses.”
Wait until SUN tv hits the airwaves…If it becomes popular (And it will) you will see PC take a nose dive along with the CBC and CTV cable news which are both already pretty much in the dumbster as it is.
Once this happens, the right will have a true voice which will give the Conservatives a majority next fall, with or without Qc.
BTW, Ezra Levant will have a daily news events talk show on SUN tv…Can’t wait!
Bob C.
Salaries Wages and Benefits,2009 Budget
4,485,325 (45.2%)
Contracted Services
1,356,914 (13.7%)
Most of the cities employess are unionized, Police, Fire, TTC, Garbage, cleaning staff, Hydro, Toronto Works etc.
Miller has increased the cities employess from 42,000 to 52,000 in 7 years. Just think of the wages and long term pension unfunded liability from that.
ET is bang on with her comments.
wow.
american style election mudslinging right here in Canuckistan.
SDA regulars are ecstatic.
Dave in addition to your comments, when “funds” are set aside for infrastructure, most of that money goes to labour, e.g. for paving. That labour, whether it is City unions or contracted out is on the basis of “fair wages”. That’s code for union wages. That de facto means there is no real bidding process because all the bidders have to offer Dipper wages so that Miller could live up to the poster of Tommy Douglas he has in his office.
The creation of the mega-city in 1997, was supposed to result in a downsizing of the municipal bureaucracy but it grew enormously; Dave mentions in terms of unionized employees but also the Toronto budget almost doubled, increasing from $5 billion in 1997 to more than $9 billion.
The budget only gets balanced now and then by using Enron accounting and selling assets to pretend it is balanced. We have a population of 7 billion in the seamless Greater Toronto Hamilton area, going to 9 billion in 20 years, bigger than Quebec. We send money to Quebec, they are shrinking. We have 40 miles of subway, 3rd world Delhi has a brand new subway of 400 miles (we don’t have cows on our streets …yet). Half of Toronto is made of new Canadians. That takes money to fund; e.g. when you call 911, they can answer in 144 languages/dialects. Ford says we can’t handle more influx of new Canadians and he gets called a bigot. He says the “Chinese work like dogs” and means it as a compliment, the political class call him a bigot. The Chinese will vote for him … hopefully.
In a nutshell this election is about the middle class mad as hell at the establishment. Importantly, the new establishment includes the elite of government unions sitting in the cart that the real economy has to pull, soon there will be more in the cart than pulling it. Ford understands that, the professional progressive political class do too but they want to perpetuate it.
Thanks, Dave.
The thing is, public services shouldn’t have unions. First, we no longer need unions anywhere; government regulations have effectively set up decent working conditions. But they are an outrage in the public service sector. Why?
Because the services are a monopoly; the consumer has no choice but to use them. Therefore, the union can demand whatever it wants – and it has done so. This has meant that the public service employment has shifted from SERVICE to the consumers (who are also the employers)…to a focus solely on the employee.
Wage increases twice that of the private sector, benefits and pensions unavailable to the private sector, early retirement packages unavailable to the private sector, effective tenure – it’s effectively impossible to fire anyone for incompetence or not doing the job.
The proportion of money spent on these salaries, benefits, pensions – means that there is proportionally not enough for maintenance, repairs to the infrastructure – never mind developing new infrastructure. So, Toronto has a road system in shambles, a public transit system in equal shambles…and ever more inventive tactics to ‘get money’ from the taxpayer for these salaries, benefits, pensions..of those elite and privileged public sector employees.
Get rid of the unions. Period. Employees have to earn their salaries and these salaries have to competitive with the private sector. Oh – and no strikes…because they are a monopoly.
*Whoops, sorry … should be population going from 7 million to 9 million (NOT billion)
Dave;
While it’s true that roughly 45% of the operating budget goes to salaries, that is the total for everyone, not just for unionized staff. It also includes management and exempt staff. Of the 52,000 staff you mention, only about 36,000 of them are unionized. That’s about 70% of the workforce.
That of course would work out to about 30% of the operating budget going to unionized staff, ASSUMING that unionized staff make the same as management does. We all know that that isn’t true, so you can reduce the 30% share paid to unionized staff accordingly. I thumbnailed it at about 25%. Have a go at it yourself. Perhaps you’ll come up with a number a few percentage points different either way.
The point is that ET was absolutely wrong when she said that “There is no money for services, for repairs to infrastructure, for new infrastructure.” There is a portion of the 55% of the operating budget not paid to salaries PLUS 3 billion in the capital budget which isn’t even part of the equation. You, or she, can argue whether this is sufficient to perform the necessary maintainance or not, but you can’t pretend it doesn’t exist.
What I can’t help but wonder, and perhaps you can help explain, is why does the city need 16,000 management and exempt staff to look after what 36,000 unionized staff members are doing?
If you think about that one for just a little while, I think you’ll see what is wrong with the city budget. There has been a lot of nest feathering done by management over the years, something which most people don’t even think about.
Are unionized staff paid too much? Sure. Are they part of the problem? You bet. Are they the entire source of it? Not by a long shot.
nomdeblog, ET and Dave;
Perhaps one or all of you would like to have a go at the question I asked in my 11:15am post. “why does the city need 16,000 management and exempt staff to look after what 36,000 unionized staff members are doing?” That’s a ratio of less than 3 to 1. Can you name any other industry in which this ratio exists?
Beagle, you’re an idiot.
I really wish you lefty trolls would try reading about things instead of jumping to conclusions because you saw it on MSNBC. I know, I know, you might learn something and that’s anathema to a Dipper.
We’ve had more than our share of Canadian style mud-slinging for generations. Whiskey for votes right on up to television auctions outside the polls last go-round.
I’d argue that pork and visceral in politics and especially during elections is more of a Canadian institution (read: British) than an American tradition. The Yanks are relatively new to it and do it with much less flair.
bob c, we’re probably on the same page. Yes there is lots of revenue if it is not mis-spent, if we eliminate things like the 3 to 1 ratio you mention and instead garbage is contracted out in real bidding wars not just the sham of bids that have to come in at “fair wage”, i.e. excessive union wages.
But I doubt even with that, there is enough money to catch up on decades of neglect on infrastructure to get us up to speed on things like subways (i.e. move people underground so that trucks can deliver on top to businesses). We need to catch up to emerging cities like Delhi, Hong Kong, Singapore …my god even St Petersburg has a far superior subway system , maybe our commies should visit those commies to see how it’s done.
Miller was correct, too much taxpayer funding leaves Toronto and goes to Queens Park and to Ottawa and then sent under “equalization” to shrinking demographics in the East. Miller was correct; we are indeed short of money to catch up with the incredible growth. But we could not give Miller the money because he would just feed his union base with it. As would McGuinty who is giving 500 workers the afternoon off to “get out the vote” for Slitherman and keep the big Toronto/ Ontario progressive (Red Tory and Liberal ) machine from imploding.
bob c – are the unions the ‘entire fault’? That’s a fallacious question, that simply suggests that if they are not ALL the fault, then their fault is trivial.
No, unions are massively the problem in city budgets. It’s unions that demand wage increases at double and triple that of the private sector..or they will strike. It’s unions that demand benefits and pensions out of the reach of the private sector. It’s unions that set up the ridiculous overtime rules and requirements for more employees.
Unions, after all, are parasitic on the workers. They produce nothing. Nothing. Their income comes solely from the wages (dues) of the workers and their agenda is to increase these dues by increasing the number of workers and the wages. This money supports the union executive. Unions, in this sense, are a massive corporation – all by themselves. But, parasitic.
In the 19th c, unions were necessary to change working conditions. They are not only unnecessary now but are actually harming production, employment and the economy. Their demands are so outrageous that business cannot afford to have companies in the US/Canada. They move to India and China etc.
Unions prevent small companies from competing, for they bleed employees away, or, even worse, they try to prevent non-unionized companies from existing in the area.
They are parasitic – and the best thing for an economy would be to outlaw them – not only in the private sector but above all, in the public sector.
Andy, I’m going in full burka!
Posted by: Mississauga Matt at October 24, 2010 10:35 PM
Mississauga Matt, I insist upon a full recap of your experience tomorrow. 🙂
Oh, and pictures of you in your burqua, too, please.
ET;
Given that pay to unionized staff represents about 25%-30% of the city’s operating budget, and about 20%-25% of the operating plus capital budget, it’s beyond dispute that it isn’t the largest problem we have. Not trivial to be sure, but small in relation to the problems we have with politicians and city management.
If you could ever get over your almost pathalogical dislike of unions to look at the facts, you’d see it for yourself. I’m not holding my breath.
bob c – you are avoiding the issue – which is that unions are dysfunctional in our modern world – and that they have absolutely no legitimate role in a public service.
Again, a public service is a monopoly; the threat by a union to strike and withhold these public services is outrageous.
Second, as a monopoly, this threat, which enables public unions to increase wages by twice that of wage increases in the private sector – is unacceptable.
Third, you are ignoring the massive costs of benefits and pensions which are in addition to these annual “25% salaries”. And you ignoring the loss of a work ethic within a unionized shop.
Fourth, you provide no argument for unions; you only assert that I am against them – which is not an argument in favour of them.
Again, unions have no role in our modern economy. I repeat that they have driven up costs to the extent that industries have had to move to third world countries; that they have harmed small businesses with their competitive harassment of them; that they are parastic on the workers.
Now, how about telling us the benefits of unions?
Kate: ” … [the debate] really didn’t inspire confidence that [Ford’s] the best you could get.”
You’re absolutely right, Kate, but Rob Ford beats the alternatives. Our choices here tell you why Toronto’s in deep trouble.
,i> But , Rob Ford returns phone calls. Rob Ford consistently under spends his permitted yearly budget ($400,000). Rob Ford has a plan to move traffic in the downtown core. Rob Ford doesn’t want any more streetcars in the downtown core: bravo! Rob Ford wants fiscal accountability. Rob Ford wants to reduce the number of Toronto City councillors from 44 to 22: bravo! Rob Ford is married to a woman!!!!! Rob Ford is the only alternative to the money-guzzling, unionist, leftist, pigs at the trough here in Hogtown. Rob Ford is definitely a step in the right direction.
I tried to post a comment this morning, just after 7:00, and got the Attack Page warning.
Like so many others, I figure it’s a frontal attack on SDA because of the political views held by our host and many commenters.
Ah. The tolerant, open, diverse Left.
ET;
When I suggested that union salaries represent about 25% of the city’s operating budget, it wasn’t offered as some kind of support for unions, but merely as a noting of a mathmatical fact. I’m kind of anal that way. I follow the numbers to where ever they happen to lead regardless of my politics.
I offered that merely to try to get people to understand that regardless of what one may think of unions and their obvious excesses, the big dollars are controlled by politicians and management. I don’t know why that’s so hard to understand.
Let me give an example that might clarify things. I assume you’d be all in favour of privatizing garbage collection. According to an article in the Post last week we’d save 50 million a year by doing so.
What I’d rather do as a first step is see city management staff reduced to somewhere in the range of industry. That would entail getting rid of two thirds of the ones were paying now as well as the cost of the office space and a reduction in the support staff each uses.
While you’re out saving the city 50 million, about one half of one percent of the city’s budget, I’m cutting costs by about 1.5 billion or about 16% of the budget.
Put another way, your efforts would help reduce the 500 million dollar structural deficit the city is facing by about 10%. My plan would eliminate it entirely with about a billion left over to help pay for the maintainance you feel we so desparately need.
A question for you. What are the “massive costs of benefits and pensions” you refer to for the city’s unionized staff? I know what it is. Bet you don’t.
bob c – I repeat my question to you; how about defending the unions.
As you know, the pension fund liability is 2.59 billion.
http://www.bot.com/AM/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm?ContentFileID=595&FusePreview=Yes
Benefits are totally unreachable by workers in the private sector. You know what they are –
“The City’s health benefits plan is managed by Manulife Financial. As part of the health plan, the employer pays 100% of the premiums. The waiting period for new employees is 180 days. Employees receive full family coverage on the health benefits plan. The health plan also includes retiree coverage up to 65 years of age. The basic plan includes routine dental; restorative dental; orthodontics; eyecare ($475 every 2 years); traditional medicine coverage; alternative medicine coverage; massage therapy; medical equipment and supplies; homecare; employee assistance (EAP) plan; travel insurance. The City’s family-friendly benefits include; fertility treatments; maternity top-up payments (to 75% of salary for 50 weeks); parental leave top-up for new fathers (to 75% of salary for 35 weeks); parental leave top-up for adoptive parents (to 75% of salary for 35 weeks); health benefits during maternity and parental leave; extended unpaid parental leave option (beyond the first year); subsidized onsite daycare; onsite daycare centre; with 67 spaces; 12 childcare workers. Employees also receive up to six paid days off per year to care for ill dependents. Additional family-friendly benefits include; flexible working hours; telecommuting; 35-hour work week (with full pay); shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay); reduced summer hours program; compressed work week; earned days off (EDO) program; phased-in retirement.”
Whew; that’s what the taxpayers pay for.
I fully agree that management numbers must be reduced. Drastically reduced. And equally, the number of unionized employees must be reduced. Drastically.
As for waste collection – well, the City of Toronto charges condos (with a false rebate) about $95.00 per three cubic yd bin. WASTECO, a private company charges $42.00. Hmmm.
Oh – and the City, in addition to this bin charge, also gets tax money from condo owners, which is supposed to be for waste collection. So, the City is double-dipping; it’s charging the condo and charging each owner. Hmmm.
So, no, the big dollars are not defined simply by management. Management has to deal with the unions, and it’s the unions that are focused on big dollars – those wage increases that are double that of the private sector, those pensions and benefits that are unreachable within the private sector.
I’d also privatize some areas of the TTC – and it would be an essential service. No strikes allowed.
bob c- at least 50% of the city’s budget is for personnel.
Pensions – the city is on the hook for 2.59 billion.
Here is an outline of the benefits:
“The City’s health benefits plan is managed by Manulife Financial. As part of the health plan, the employer pays 100% of the premiums. The waiting period for new employees is 180 days. Employees receive full family coverage on the health benefits plan. The health plan also includes retiree coverage up to 65 years of age. The basic plan includes routine dental; restorative dental; orthodontics; eyecare ($475 every 2 years); traditional medicine coverage; alternative medicine coverage; massage therapy; medical equipment and supplies; homecare; employee assistance (EAP) plan; travel insurance. The City’s family-friendly benefits include; fertility treatments; maternity top-up payments (to 75% of salary for 50 weeks); parental leave top-up for new fathers (to 75% of salary for 35 weeks); parental leave top-up for adoptive parents (to 75% of salary for 35 weeks); health benefits during maternity and parental leave; extended unpaid parental leave option (beyond the first year); subsidized onsite daycare; onsite daycare centre; with 67 spaces; 12 childcare workers. Employees also receive up to six paid days off per year to care for ill dependents. Additional family-friendly benefits include; flexible working hours; telecommuting; 35-hour work week (with full pay); shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay); reduced summer hours program; compressed work week; earned days off (EDO) program; phased-in retirement.”
Waste collection ought to be privatized. The City charges over twice what a private company charges. Got that? Over twice. And the City is double-dipping; it’s charging condos for waste AND taxing individual condo owners for waste. hmmm.
The TTC ought to have parts of it run by private companies – and it ought to be essential; no strikes.
I fully agree that management and support staff ought to be drastically reduced. But you, who are obviously a union member, focus only on this level. I’d add that union workers ought to also be drastically reduced.
Again, what is the benefit of a union?
Sun TV declaring Rob Ford elected within 1/2 of polls closing in TO, with 49% of vote over Smutterman’s 33%…
“Again, what is the benefit of a union?”
They are great places for untalented, lazy goofs to hide out in.