Morning Brew: Giambrone Doesn't Like $126 Metropasses, Hospital Execs Get H1N1 Vaccination Early, Toronto Bid for 2015 Pan Am Games, Rogers Family Butler Wanted, 450kg of Weed
Photo: "Graffiti Artists At Work" by marty_pinker, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.
What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):
In addition to pro athletes getting vaccinated ahead of high risk groups, we're now learning that members of the board of directors at Mount Sinai Hospital also got the H1N1 shot in advance. While they claim that they made the decision before they knew that there would be a shortage of vaccine, it doesn't look good that hospital executives have little regard for what are supposed to be strict deployment guidelines. Is it fair to call this vaccination process a fiasco yet?
TTC Chair Adam Giambrone appeared on CP24's new "On the Rocket" show last night, and was interviewed by the Star before taking to the air. He hinted that the insane $126 price tag for the Metropass (proposed for January 2010 implementation) may not have his endorsement (and hopefully won't get approval!) - probably because it makes no sense and they can't spin it to make any sense. Rob Ford would rather see the 22,000 free passes for TTC employee and retiree revoked.
Will Toronto score the 2015 Pan Am Games? We'll learn later today. In the final push to convince the deciding committee members that Toronto is their best choice, we waxed them with showers of Toronto's finest poutine, smoked salmon, and chardonnay.
Need a job? One of the folks in the Rogers family is seeking a live-in butler, and took out an ad in the Toronto Star. The job looks pretty attractive in terms of duties but at a low $72k salary, but they won't be finding anyone this good:
Municipal Affairs Minister Jim Watson quickly shot down the idea of a Toronto Sales Tax. Getting city spending under control should come first, right?
And a Toronto man is facing major criminal charge trouble. We're talking 450 kilos of weed trouble.
Comments (22)
"Rob Ford would rather see the 22,000 free passes for TTC employee and retiree revoked."
Yeah - that'll generate huge revenues because the current TTC employees won't just wave their buddies through the turnstiles/let them hop on the streetcar w/out paying...
Why do people keep re-electing this guy?
True, but Ford is off the mark to start with.
TTC yards seem to be jammed with private cars, so I doubt many of them ride the filthy system anyway.
Retirees? How many well-pensioned, leisure-lovin' TTC retirees do you think still ride the rocket? I sure as hell wouldn't.
Nobody can replace Ricky, as he was one of the practical human beings in the house. Ed and Martha would forget the recipe for Unbuttered Toast, whereas Lisa doesn't really give a flying. Judging from the demands, it's Ed, who needs someone to order tanker trucks of ketchup, or his wacko wife. If they're as successful as getting him a personal assistant, the house will be burned to the ground within a week. Either that, or peddling drugs out of the place within a couple days and driving drunk into the pool.
re: h1n1 shots
Whooooooo gives a shit.
You can call your gp and get the shot tomorrow.
The high risk/low risk crao is just an attempt to avoid crushing lineups. It's like boarding the back rows of a plane first. Do you really care that much about the lone clown who sneaks through to seat 9B? This is hardly a scandal or a fiasco. Such typical Canadian bullshit.
I agree, all this nonsense about who's getting vaccines when is inconsequential. The news just needs something to keep the hystaria up.
Re: Metropass
I wonder if the TTC threw the $126 number out there so when they actually set it to $115 people would be relieved instead of pissed.
That's rather cynical of you Ryan, but please bear in mind this is a council that has never acted with foresight
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Ryan L. on November 6, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Re: Metropass
I wonder if the TTC threw the $126 number out there so when they actually set it to $115 people would be relieved instead of pissed.
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This is an "idea" which requires "thinking", two concepts completely foreign to the TTC, so no, this is not the plan.
"The job looks pretty attractive in terms of duties but at a low $72k salary"
Is a $72,000 a year salary now considered low in Toronto?
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jimmy on November 6, 2009 at 11:03 AM
"The job looks pretty attractive in terms of duties but at a low $72k salary"
Is a $72,000 a year salary now considered low in Toronto?
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Low considering you have to spend every day with the Rogers family of nutbars.
Basically $10/hr when you figure that this person will probably have to be on-call 20 hours day, 7 days a week.
People you miss the point of Ford's comment. He demonstrates the frustrating problem with this mayor, council,TTC, union, etc. they never give up anything themselves even if they don't use it.
The shame of it all is that you seem to poo poo even small savings that add up such as no free passes, which I'm certain other family members and friends make use of if not the actual recipient.
There should be no passes for staff or politicians. Enough of the free ride at our expense.
You have a budget chief proclaiming she and council 'don't have the tools'! To control their own spending, it's true. Staffing should be reduced, salaries including the unions should be cut all before service cuts. That is the reality of management and sadly a reality that escapes all these over paid pretenders.
They are NOT entitled any more than you or I.
TTC:
"Lets raise the rates to pay for the contract we just negotiated with the union"
Union:
"The TTC just raised the rates so they can afford to pay us more in our next contract"
TTC User:
"I'll just take the car"
Can someone explain to me how QC gets away with charging a BSc student from Quebec 3,484.84 but a student from Ontario 7,017.64 while that province obtains billions from equalisation, mostly originating from ON and AB?
We need a "Canada Education Act", forbidding discrimination in fees against other Canadians, right now.
You: Here, have $100.
TTC: Freeloader.
Any increase in what Steve Munro calls the Metropass's "fare multiple," the number of tokens that you can buy for the price of a Metropass, will drive some marginal Metropass purchasers toward tokens. Once they have to pay every time they board a vehicle, they'll start nickel-and-diming themselves, avoiding trips and turning taking the TTC from a habit into a decision. Thus, instead of getting the $120 that they think they're entitled to, the TTC accounting department will get less -- possibly even less than they would have gotten if they'd just kept the Metropass the same price, depending on how good those former Metropass-holders are at avoiding spending tokens.
What then? A grumpy report claiming that tokens are bleeding the system of more lucrative cash fares?
You: How much for a token?
TTC: A trillion dollars.
You: That's ridiculous!
TTC: But if we could just sell one...
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