The Toronto Star has obtained a four-page letter dated January 25 that was sent by Rob Ford to Finance Minister Dwight Duncan that asks for an injection of $150 million to Toronto in the provincial budget. Ford says he needs the funds for road construction and repair, public transit projects, a Fort York visitor centre and the renewal of programs to fund subsidized child care, housing and services for immigrants. I thought asking the province for money was David Miller's bag? Oh well. Apparently an email sent Sunday evening to Ford's spokeswoman Adrienne Batra requesting comment on the funding request went unanswered.

The Post's politcal panel discusses Councillor Gord Perks' last-ditch attempt to avoid service cuts in the 2011. Last week, Perks proposed hiking property taxes sufficient to raise $3.5-million, an amount that could have avoided cutting bus routes, closing the Municipal Affairs branch of the library and other service cuts. The idea was ultimately rejected.

Everyone at city hall is waiting for the much-hyped report that outlines wasteful spending by the Toronto Community Housing Corporation, which is set for release today, according to Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday. "I haven't seen the report, but I understand there has been some inappropriate expenditures made there and ... I guess we'll see for ourselves," Holyday said Sunday. "We have to stop it; we can't let it go on and we have to deal with those who are responsible." Rumour has it the "waste" includes a lavish staff Christmas party, expensive chocolates, and mani-pedis all-around.

Speaking of reports, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and National Union of Public and General Employees is releasing a 59-page one today, recommending a full-scale public inquiry for the widespread and violent trampling of civil rights by police at last summer's $1-billion G20 summit in Toronto. "The many violations of civil liberties that occurred during the summit, such as illegal detentions and searches and excessive uses of force, cannot have simply been the actions of a few bad apples," the report states. "Rather, given the scope and severity of the violations of rights that occurred during the G20, it is difficult to view this situation as anything other than a failure of policy and training."

IN BRIEF:

• "The King's Speech" wins at Oscar Snoozefest
• Leafs lose in OT
• Canada ranks third with integrating newcomers

Photo by PJ Mixer in the blogTO Flickr pool.