So Mayor Rob Ford's got a budget surplus. And it's a big pile of cash: $292 million in gross terms. That's enough coin to fill a whole bunch of swimming pools. But this isn't particularly good or surprising news for Ford. A closer look at the city's budget history reveals that the mayor's surplus numbers look much the same as the surpluses delivered by Mayor David...
Friday Wrap: Subways Subways Subways & Tolls Tolls Tolls
To end the week, a look at the major stories that have been swirling around Toronto City Hall. Now that Transit City is a confirmed piece of Toronto's transit future, it's time for council to turn their attention back to subway construction. Or, in Rob Ford parlance, it's time to talk subways subways subways. Two heavy rail projects are in the news this week. First, there's...
Welcome back, Transit City – let's not screw this up again
After a months-long transit debate – kicked off way back when Mayor Rob Ford declared the war on the car over and on-street rail dead – Toronto finds itself right back back where it started. It's hard not to feel like this was a big waste of time. After all, nothing's different. The light rail plan approved by the Metrolinx board yesterday is identical to the light rail plan...
Enough with the Rob Ford gravy slogans, it's time to really fix Toronto's fiscal foundation
Reports say that the mayor and several councillors are holding a series of meetings this week in an attempt to figure out what should be next on the agenda at City Hall. Here's an idea: let's admit that Mayor Rob Ford's gravy hunt was a failure and move on to the business of finding a sustainable budget that can help Toronto grow into the city residents want. It's time for an...
Friday Wrap: Ford's popularity picks up, casino talk won't stop, pools and zoos threatened
To end the week, a look at the major stories that have been swirling around Toronto City Hall. From Forum Research this morning comes the somewhat surprising news that the mayor's popularity has slowly started to recover. The pollster puts him at a 47% approval rating, up significantly from the 40% range he's been mired in since last summer. The uptick proves that Ford is at his most...
Making the same mistake twice: will Rob Ford skip Pride again?
As we once again plunge into the waters of speculation about whether the elected leader of Canada's most diverse city will skip one of its foremost cultural festivals, let's make things really simple: the Mayor of Toronto should absolutely attend Pride Week. That Rob Ford is the guy wearing the chain of office doesn't change that. When he said his oath last year, Ford accepted...
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