City
The Mark McKay Show, Episode 5
The city of Toronto has decided to buy Fez Batik and convert it into a homeless shelter. The initiative is going to cost $5 million but will only offer 40 beds. Hear what I have to say about it on this week's show.
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And, I'd like to add that its about time someone made an homage to Rick Moranis.
You're dead on about the location though. Will hundreds (thousands?) of slightly to very drunk people be a good thing for the homeless? Why the antagonism towards clubs/club-goers?
And after saying his little story the guy advertised his show at the drake hotel...
I did not expected from this blog to post such a video.
Wayne - your right homelessness is not glamorous and the path towards it is terrible.
Stefanos - as far as my arguments being ridiculous, the only thing I can say to that is your being ridiculous. Do you really think that putting a homeless shelter in the club district is a good idea? Do you think that it is going to help the neighborhood grow? Do you think that the Fez Batik is a good investment for $5 million when it will only have 40 beds and the city is short $73 million in its budget and has to close down pools and programs for kids? Do you honestly think that the Center for Addiction and Mental Health is not a better place to put these people then the middle of the club district? If you think that all of these arguments are ridiculous, then you must be a citycouncillor.
As far as me advertising my show this weekend at the Drake what of it? Are you trying to make a point or state the obvious? The video is like 3 minutes long and the part where I talk about the Drake is like 15 seconds. Its not like the whole show is a vehicle to promote the event this weekend. If I wanted to do that I would have posted this show instead:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6u7XasApR1E
I want to thank blogTO for giving me this forum and allowing to make these shows. They sure have made me unpopular and boy have some people said some nasty things about me and my shows (got to loveanonymity of the internet). But you know what? I don't mind it at all. I think that its important to look at these issues from different angles. And sure I say some terrible things and they might not always be right or PC, but they get people talking - as you can see from the large number of comments on most of my shows. I'm just trying to get the conversation started and hopefully challenge people to come up with new ideas and motivate them into action. Have a sense of humor people and lets not fight. Can't we all just get a long?
Has anyone asked a homeless person what they think about putting the shelter there? It would seem like a good idea as the most frequently spoken argument against this is that "It will be bad for them!"
Already looking forward to next week's show. =)
This has got to be the scummiest, shadiest, most fucked up inside deal ever. Somebody responsible for this "deal" obviously is on the receiving end of the money train.
At $125k per bed, the price is completely retarded you can buy an apartment complex and give it away to those who are willing to take care of it. At least this won't cost the city any further past that point.
This move will used against the clubs in a big way. You won't find a homeless with a flashlight in that area during prime time hours. They will have to increase the police presence around it, drunks will be beating up homeless and city council will cry that clubs are promoting violence.
This fucks everybody, except those who are getting that sweet duffel bag full of blow and money.
The need for this facility has come from the fact that they are converting the previous "downtown shelter" into 300 units of affordable housing--which is really just a drop in the bucket considering there is a waiting list of 71,000 households.
Finally (and I could go on all day!!) it is VERY HARD to get community approval to put a shelter in a neighbourhood (remember the beaches?) and there won't be as much opposition to a shelter in this neighbourhood since generally the residents are sparse and fairly cool with the issues that arise from urban living.
There will be issues, but there are always issues, and it's better to put the services where the need is.
BTW: CAMH is already full to the gills, has very few residential programs and has had it budget cut dramatically by the province. This is another one of those "down loading" issues the Mayor keeps talking about.
Phew, I think I got everything off my chest! Being concise was never my strong point!
Don't forget <a href="http://blogto.com/about/"; "target=_blank">about your fellow blogTOers</a> when doing these sTOries. <a href="http://www.blogto.com/city/2007/03/fez_for_sale/"; "target=_blank">We covered the sale of FEZ Batik too</a>.
much love
Sookie
Sameer - glad you like the show.
Alex - you are totally right dude. An apartment complex is way more logical and won't continue to cost the city money. Makes more sense to me too. The violence that will be perpetrated against the homeless is a given and will mess everything up for everyone. The city is just asking for trouble. I wonder how big Adam Vaughn's duffel bag is...
Suzanne - I think that you are missing the point though, the building itself is going to cost $5 million + the cost of maintaining a shelter and services. So Alex is right its like $124K per bed, just the bed! I'm sure no one wants it in the neighborhood, thats a given, but putting it in the middle of a business district is no better. It is bad for everybody - business, tourism and the city. As far as CAMH being filled to the gills - there is a lot of open space on the property to build a shelter. I might be wrong, but I think they are building on it now. Why not use some of that land to build a shelter. I think a few more beds would be better suited there then the tennis court.
Sookie - I saw that you wrote an article on Fez the day of the meetings. My show mostly deals with what came out of the meetings as well as ties in a couple of other things that happened last week. Thats what I am trying to do, make a weekly video wrap up, so if I cover something that someone else already has, I apologize, but I'm sure I will put my own spin on it. As well these shows take me at least three days to make and I work full time and try to have a little bit of a life on the side, so I can't always get these shows out the day a story breaks. I just can't compete with the written word, there is more work involved. So blogTOer's don't be mad if my show incorporates something you have already touched upon. What I will try to do is link to the other article(s) on the site in my post so people watching the video can read your posts as well.
What I said: "the video is offensive"
What you said: -
What I said: "your arguments are ridiculous"
What you said: "you are ridiculous"
What I said:"you used the video to advertise your show"
What you said: "i did, but blah blah"
Overall, your answers to my comments are as irresponsible and vague as your pretentious video.
Finally, as for the anonimity joke:
Stefanos Karterakis
Dept. Civil Engineering
UofT
stefanos.karterakis@utoronto.ca
And I said: "Do you really think that putting a homeless shelter in the club district is a good idea? Do you think that it is going to help the neighborhood grow? Do you think that the Fez Batik is a good investment for $5 million when it will only have 40 beds and the city is short $73 million in its budget and has to close down pools and programs for kids? Do you honestly think that the Center for Addiction and Mental Health is not a better place to put these people then the middle of the club district?"
I guess you can't please everyone and not everyone shares my sense of humor.
I suppose I won't see you out on Saturday.
Oh well.
"there s going to be new dressing code + ample parking for shopping carts"
"the homeless will have their own patio!"
"at least the street will be clean of cigarette butts"
How you define arguments:
"are the homeless more important than the kids??"
"give them a one way ticket out of town"
"people will be harassed by the homeless"
How you define music:
...sorry man, I wont make it on Saturday.
Maybe you will find something you like in a future show that will change your opinion about me.
At least I can take comfort in knowing that the majority of the people here at blogTO like what I am doing and appreciate my sense of humor and arguments.
And hey, what I'm doing can't be all that bad, it was number 2 yesterday on Youtube's News & Politics page!!!
As a club district 'goer' whether for shopping, entertainment, or to actually visit a club (RIP SYSTEM) I can't see how this is a good thing for anyone.
business owners, club district user, weekday workers, cops, homeless people. Adam Vaughan has with one fell swoop of idiocy made things harder on everyone.
As a husband whose wife has been harassed (check.. physically assaulted) by loitering homeless persons on many (3) occasions (queen and Bathurst, evergreen community center on yonge).. having these high capacity (LAUGH 40 BEDS) "centres" is not ideal in highly trafficked public areas.
Maybe Adam is advocating improved lifestyle for homeless through job training - and lets see what the available jobs are in that area? drug dealing? a perfect match.
5 million dollars. 5 million! That blows my mind. A Complete waste of money on what will be the Hallmark of failed initiatives for the homeless. Were they even consulted? I think there needs to be a survey - of homeless in that area. The jedi in front of Scotiabank or the skids who hang in front of much music? where do they want their beds? Does mixing with drunken 905'ers who aren't used to street people scenery really make sense?