City
Morning Brew: Leaf Trade Commentary, Cellphone Ban Gets Teeth, Giambrone Set to Announce Mayoral Bid, College Negotiations at a Stalemate, TTC Buses Being Idled Overnight
Photo: "Polson Pier" by ronnie.yip, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.
What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):
After a major shake-up yesterday, the commentary is coming in on the two major trades the Toronto Maple Leafs completed with Calgary and Anaheim. The general consensus is that Brian Burke was the big winner in both deals, having acquired a former Norris trophy finalist and Conn Smythe winner in Phaneuf and Giguere respectively. Whatever your opinion is on the deals, it's tough to argue with the notion that these multi-player moves are exciting.
Although the legislation has been in effect for three months now, starting today, police will actually be handing out fines for those using hand-held devices while driving. The set fine is $155 and considering that pedestrians continue to be hit on Toronto streets, there's plenty of incentive to go hands or phone free in the car.
Don't forget, YouTube sensation Adam Giambrone is set to announce his entry into Toronto's mayoral race later today. After he files the official papers, a celebration is planned at Revival on College. Not to be a spoilsport, but I've heard a number of people speculate that tonight's celebration will be the only one affiliated with his bid.
Despite time spent at the bargaining table after Ontario college instructors voted in favour of a possible strike just over two weeks ago, talks have once again broken down between colleges and The Ontario Public Service Employees' Union (OPSEU). The union is being urged to vote on the new deal, but has thus far refused because it would be "highly unusual" to do so on an offer that it believes doesn't represent change in key areas.
The bad press just keeps coming for the TTC. The Sun is reporting that along with sleeping fare collectors and streetcar drivers doing their banking mid-route, the recent cold-snap has forced the TTC to idle hundreds of buses due to problems with a system designed to keep them warm leading up to the morning rush. Known as the UWE, the anti-freeze system has been plagued with problems since its inception in 2003.
Discussion
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As for Giambrone, he's a fool if he thinks his 'performance' at the TTC makes him a contender for mayor. At least when he loses he'll be gone, prolly back to academics, another place when he won't have to worry about actually DOING anything.
It's clearly not a few bad apples. The ATU has allowed an arrogant culture of entitlement to form amongst their memebers and it is growing and spreading. The TTC and City's attempts to downplay it have been transparently false for so long that TTC user's must now resort to any tactics necessary to call them out.
And of course the way that bus bay is designed it prevented other buses from getting through, usually resulting in delays and eventually forcing passengers to walk out onto the tarmac to switch to another bus bay to bypass the stalled bus.
1)ATU union members and their families
2) those who've never lived outside Toronto and think our 50's era attitudes and technology are perfectly acceptable
3)people into S&M but are more into the M if you know what I mean
The system has been broken for awhile and everybody knows it. It isn't just the extremes who are angry; it's the general population of Toronto. And if things get that bad you can't ignore it, wish it away or blame the riders (as Kinnear likes to do).
Did you hear his latest comments to the press (in regards to his failures in the TTC)...
"You've got to be careful ... Take a look at the structure of the commission and see what the chair of the TTC does," he cautions. "The chair of the TTC is chair of the board of commissioners ... The commission is ultimately responsible for the policy; it hires the chief general manager and the chief general manager and staff are responsible for operations."
Can you believe that he's pushing the blame for all of the TTCs problems onto his subordinates?? I wonder how the TTC Employees will feel about that?
This guy can't have 1 interview without screwing up royally...
I shudder at the thought of him being our next Mayor (as I'm sure every Torontonian does).
http://jackandcokewithalime.blogspot.com/
(http://money.cnn.com/2010/01/29/autos/cell_phone_law_results/index.htm?hpt=Sbin)
Apparently, after Cell phone driving bans were implemented in New York, Washington, D.C., Connecticut and California, it was found that, "Monthly fluctuations in crash rates didn't change".
Just some food for thought...
http://jackandcokewithalime.blogspot.com/
Can you believe you're pushing the blame for all of the TTCs problems onto ONE GUY???"
I fail to see how outlining the scope of ones job in a print interview is "screwing up royally" but then again, I'm not a guy pimping my blog in the comments section of another blog.
Ha ha ha, the guy is the Chair of the TTC!!! Wake up!!
"He's just outlining the scope of his job"... Don't make me laugh. The guy is the Chair of the board in the TTC, and yet he says he has no control over the company he's chairing??!! This is what he tells the press??!!!!
To me, that's called screwing up royally!! Especially for a guy who is trying to run for Mayor...
If by some horrible tragedy he becomes Mayor, I can just see him blaming everyone else for his failures.. From the Council all the way down to the Citizens.. Maybe that's the kind of leader you're looking for Erica..
Any leader who passes-the-buck of responsibility to his subordinates should not be a leader! If he's truly in control, then he should take control (and stop pretending he has nothing to do with the failures of the TTC).
Wow, it must be a nightmare 'Being Erica'! You, like Giambrone, need to wake up from the "magic fairy land" where you're currently residing.
As for my blog, come check it out. You'll definitely learn something (believe me, you have a lot to learn!).
http://jackandcokewithalime.blogspot.com/
We live in a democracy not a totalitarian regime. Public commissions such as the TTC are run like this.
"As for my blog, come check it out. You'll definitely learn something (believe me, you have a lot to learn!)."
What? Crap that's not true, like the above? You can't even Google properly and you want to lend credibility to your spam links?
You keep thinking that the Chairman of a company (or commission or whatever you want to call it) has no power or control over his own people!
..Telling me that Giambrone isn't to blame for the failures of the TTC... What a bunch of brainwashed cattle you are..
Keven, you need to get off of your Unicorn, dismiss the fairies and get with reality. Visiting my blog would be a good start!
http://jackandcokewithalime.blogspot.com/
http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=8847399
Good copy/paste job there bud! I assume your primary news source is today's copy of the Toronto Sun?
I think I'll follow suit with everyone else that's left comments on your blog... and not comment.
Hey at least you took the first step back to reality and visited my blog. Good for you! There may be hope for you after all! ;)
http://jackandcokewithalime.blogspot.com/
It's not like you had one. lol @ Erica. Exactly.
I know you're all excited and not thinking about what you're typing...
It's ok. I understand...
Do you need a pasifier Erica?? Huh, does the baby need to go boo-boo?? Wah wah wah...
http://jackandcokewithalime.blogspot.com/
It's not whatever I want to call it. It's what it's called :P
delusional much?
http://jackandcokewithalime.blogspot.com/
Regarding hands free phones... there'll be much confusion while people adjust... they'll still be driving zoned out, in the end.
For some, driving and talking on the phone <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-6090342-7.html";>Cell phones as dangerous as drunk driving</a>.
Read <a href="http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/hfes/hf/2009/00000051/00000003/art00001";>the Abstract</a>...
<i>"The level of impairment is very similar."</i>
<i>"either handheld or hands-free, are more likely to crash because they are distracted by conversation."</i>
~"Interpretaion: The TTC is...a <b>city board</b> of the City of Toronto in accordance with section 394 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 11, Sched. A., as amended"
~"3.17 No person shall operate any camera, video recording device, movie camera or any similar device for <b>commercial<b/> purposes upon the transit system without authorization."
~"3.19 No person shall:
(a) place his or her foot or feet on a vehicle seat or lay thereon any object or substance that may soil it." LOL - just seeing if you're still paying attention ;)
Yes, Adam Giambrone (and the rest of City Council) are 110% responsible for the TTC today.