Thursday, January 20, 2011

Night 2 of Public Consultations

Budget Tweet-fest #2 YorkCC and ScarbCC

* Now coming to you live from the York Civic Centre. It's Night Two of Michael Del Grande's Douche-a-thon '11. (a tweet from goldsbie)
* Thirty-eight people on the list to speak. Who will be berated? Who will be merely ignored? Let's find out!
* Sonny Yeung reminds Mayor Ford, that he didn't run on a tax freeze, "half the rate of inflation would address ur cuts." ScarbCC 150 Borough Drive, Toronto
* Jordan Froese:Sooner or later we need to pay taxes for services ScarbCC
* Arts Eto.:"When you give kids a paint brush, they can't hold a gun. When you give kids a dance beat, they're not doing the gangsta shuffle."
*  Scarb. budget mtg. NYAD childcare prez says we need to take care of each other. Can't freeze taxes and have   (Janet Davis tweet)
* Barbara Hurd of Housing Action Now is speaking ScarbCC
* (Looks like a LOT of Councillors at ScarbCC mtg): Debaeremaker, Crawford, Parker, Mylczyn, Moeser, Carroll, Kelly, Cho, Mayor Ford, Fletcher, Ainslie, diGiorgio, Vaughan ... This room is about to explode, so many people.
* Neethan Shan speaks to shelter Motel alternative. No support ScarbCC
*  Wow. 76,000 folks on waiting list for affordable housing: Neethan Shan
* Back in YorkCC? - The ED of the Terry Tan Child Centre explains that kids often get on the wait list as infants and then "time out" before they obtain a spot.
* TOBI recommends for 2012: "Residents' opportunity to question staff on Budgets (Toronto Open Budget Initiative, Karen Sun) I totally agree! (at ScarbCC) CCNC ED and Food Forward advisor @ recommends more open & engaging budget process, before budget release
* New Chair, Doug Ford, "Boss is gone. Let's have fun." ScarbCC
* Elderly woman explains how rising property values are driving up her taxes. Perks gets her to agree the LTT helps relieve property taxes. (at YorkCC I think).
* Deputant asks, "Finally, what is going on with the Kodak lands?" I wonder if he would accept Extermination Music Night as an answer? (Yorkcc)
* Colle explains that he learned from Perks that he can make statements by phrasing questions in a "Would you not agree...?" form. YorkCC
* Asked if the demise of Transit City disappoints him, a deputant says, "I've been disappointed in the past. I've been married for 20 years."
* AGO youth council want $25 per capita for the arts. This youth lives in Scarborough.
* Del Grande scolds a deputant for possibly libeling staff: "I don't want to go to court, & I'm sure you don't want to go to court, either."
* Amazing deputation Tyler! (PT Youth Coordinator)
* Susan Gapka Now @ York Civic Centre #TOBudget Consultation. I'm only one here in Pink Suit
* Effie: FMTA has increased caseload. Can't absorb tenant advocacy demand (Federation of Metro Tenants)
* O'Reilly says the library with the crossbow murder had its children's librarian cut; there was no one to evacuate children from 2nd floor. YorkCC
* Now it's the guy who got into the fight w/ Fletcher. I want to shout at him, too. His attitude is "Why didn't you think of THIS, fuckheads?" YorkCC
* Del Grande asks him, "Are you still the councillor's baby?" It takes everyone a moment to get the joke.
* Former TDSB trustee Scott Harrison deputing at Scarborough hearings re: protecting hockey rinks
* Before informing deputants that their time is up, Del Grande lets the alarm clock keep beeping in the hope that the speaker gets the point.
* I like this deputant. He opens by chewing out the mayor for drinking bottled water. Then goes on to advocate for property tax increase.
* Holyday tries to out him as a member of a City union. Except he's not. Deputant then asks Holyday if he was ever a union member.
* Ford Supporter asking if we ever have any kind of Audit.
* Adam Vaughn responds to #TOBudget deputant's contention that less waste needed "like e-health." Problem was outside consultants, no?: Vaughn
* Deputant draws gasps - and insults about half the room - at Scarborough #TOBudget hearings when complains about services for "homosexuals." Asian lady went way over time
* Deputant: "Cut funding to the pride parade because we don't want to encourage those homosexuals
* Economic conspiracy theorist: "Miller said he would forward my letter on to his councillors. I DON'T THINK HE DID."
* Winnie Ng reminds #TOBudget hearings equity must be more important than a balanced budget or else cuts hit vulnerable disproportionately.
* York duputant rants about Bank of Canada & Goldman Sacs. Clearly Out of Order yet Chair let's continue till time expires
* Sharon Younger told us 3 yrs ago to spend money on BedBugs. True! God help me, I was there.TOBudget Shelley Carroll
* Applause from audience at deputant calls for Bed Bug strategy and added funds. Asked same 3 years ago (and) Lady just said that bedbugs may lead to suicide
* Councillor Michael Thompson is here (YorkCC)
* Vaughan and Davis are using their questions only to jab the budget. That's sorta gross
* Oh god, the smelly looking guy who shows up to all the meetings is here handing stuff out
* Procedure Question: Should #TOBudget Chair listen to Out of Order deputations (Not #TOBudget related) or direct deputant to stay on topic?
* Doug Holyday is lost in his examination of the old city council portraits lining the walls. I am reminded of the final shot of The Shining. (it is 9:12pm right now)
* Unlike Ford and Del Grande, Berardinetti and Lee seem genuinely interested in this lumber dealer's deputuation on Transit City.
* 1st question for ACORN deputant from Cnllor Ford: "Are you affiliated with the Amer. ACORN?" Davis follows w/ ? on defence fund
* Councillor Ford concludes with suggestion to ACORN to change their name. "You guys are doing a great job."
* John Kiru of TABIA thinks BIAs should get a chunk of the Billboard Tax, because, he believes, most billboards are located within BIAs.
* There are always a few deputants who earnestly believe councillors will react, "My GOD! That idea is genius! Why did we never think of it??"
* Gripping deputation from woman recently thrust into poverty by a layoff. Libraries, community centres, and community groups have saved her.
* Woodgreen Comm Services Vice Chair adds to Bedbug plea
* Retiree Jack says you can see the effects of the cut of the Vehicle Tax in all these deputations from people pleading for their services.
* Man asks Budget Committee members: "Will you keep the promise not to cut services over the next four years? .... Your silence is deafening."
* WoodGreen, my WoodGreen, taking a turn at the #TOBudget bat: Bed bugs, Community grants, User fees. Swing! Lots of good questions. Hit!
* Silvena Toronto Community Housing Tenant Representative @ York
* List of community grants per ward was prepared & circulated to Councillors: @shelleycarroll to #TOBudget. Response: Wards vary. Acct'y there (Now about 10pm)
* Meanwhile Mike Layton just posted his ward19 budget consultation for Jan27 at Ossington-Dundas
* You could hear a pin drop as a man explains how his librarian wife assisted an abused woman and her child find a shelter.(YorkCC) In addition to everything else, the library is "a place where people know they can go to get help."
* Cllr Ford "there are no outdoor rinks in Scarborough? I'm shocked!" Meanwhile outside..People are skating.
* Our Board member was asked if she was a union head by one Councillor. Umm, no, she's not "Are you a member or have you ever been a member..." Sound familiar?
- This from the Globe: "Mayor Rob Ford’s campaign debt after the election was a whopping $800,000 and he's rasied conly $400,000 so far"  News Story
* Pre-pubescent roller derby Jr League member gets turn at #TOBudget, explains she's a little groggy. It's late. Bus cuts "big, big trouble" She's 12!
* Great cross section of Scarborough area deputing on proposed City of Toronto budget (Cnclr Ainslie)
* There is a maybe 12 or 13 deputing for the toronto junior roller derby league. This is the cutest thing ever
* Cutest accidental threat from the 12 yo derby girl: there will be "big big trouble" & girls doing "upsetting things"
* Now about 10:30pm ...
* "We don't need less transit; we need more," @ has talked to commuters. Warns people will be furious if cuts happen
* People who can will take the car if buses cuts. Transit standard is 500 metres. Few on bus ok if loop into 'hood. Hits 3000/night
* Vaughn: "It's impossible to tax & spend like Buffalo without ending up looking like Buffalo."
* Peter Milczyn - Interesting dep recommending driverless trains on Scarb RT and eliminating subway ticket booth collectors for savings rather than bus cuts
* Scarborough #TOBudget deputations wrapping up. First procedural motions to receive & report.
* Sarah Doucette - It took four hours for 49 residents to address the Budget Sub-Committee at York Civic Centre this evening.
* Topics included No user fees at priority community centres, need more funds for welcome package, put more money..
* The deps became stronger as the evening progressed. The cumulative effect was stirring. And Del Grande turned in a satisfactory performance
* .Oh if @cllrainslie would of offered me a ride back home, I am on my 63 min ride home using 38/116 and walking. I take #ttc unlike him.
* Josh Colle - Passionate group of deputants at the York Civic Centre tonight. Toronto's most vulnerable citizens top of mind
* forgot to mention the last deputant claimed to be TOs bodybuilding champion of champions, went on about being evicted

Scarborough CC Meeting (Shelley Carroll's photo, Jordan Froese speaks)