MB Toronto
Morning Brew: G20 narratives continue to unfold, why we need road tolls now, remembering the mayoral race, Leaf signings, Annex fire, Casa Loma feud and the importance of Pride
The G20 remains entrenched in our collective consciousness, with more and more stories coming to light of wrongful detentions and pointless vandalism. To date, however, this has not swayed the powers that be to initiate a public inquiry. It's impossible to resist thinking that this resistance is indicative of the degree to which the parties involved are worried that they'll come out looking bad.
In other news -- believe it or not, there is other news -- the Toronto City Summit Alliance is set to release a report that argues strongly for the need to implement tolls on GTA highways. As the title of the report indicates, this is some serious stuff. With a toll of 10 to 20 cents per kilometre on 400-series highways, drivers could be forking out 15 bucks every 100 kilometers. Ouch. That seems high, but it doesn't end there. The report includes 11 other funding schemes, including a regional gas tax and special fees for driving in certain areas (like, say, downtown Toronto).
Wondering what the mayoral candidates have been up to? Here's a nice roundup of what they're currently spinning / working on. What's somewhat surprising to me is how mum this group has been on the G20 and its toll on Toronto. It strikes me that though it might make future management of the police force a bit tricky, one of these candidates could demonstrate their putative leadership skills by asking some tough questions about what went on here last weekend rather than following Mayor Miller's instructions to stay quiet.
In brief:
The Maple Leafs have re-signed Nikolai Kulemin and John Mitchell. That's good news regarding the former and not so good news regarding the latter.
A women is dead after a fire broke out in an Annex rooming house yesterday. In what's sure to be a developing story, witnesses on the scene report that her throat was slashed. Homicide police are investigating.
There's a battle brewing at Casa Loma over who will manage it in the years to come. Run by the Kiwanis Club since 1937, the relationship between the charitable organization and the City has been marred by numerous disputes over how to maintain the property.
And, finally, it's great to see that Pride can now be conceived as an antidote to violence and civil unrest. Let's not trivialize the event, however, by forgetting that the parade is as much a protest for equal rights as it is a celebration of the LGBT community.
Photo: "R.O.M" by jonathancastellino, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.
Discussion
21 Comments
Sort By Oldest First / Newest First
Subscribe
And what exactly is a real riot? See below.
The 1992 Los Angeles Riots were sparked on April 29, 1992.
Thousands of people in the Los Angeles area rioted over the six days following the verdict. Widespread looting, assault, arson and murder occurred, and property damages topped roughly US$1 billion.
In all, 53 people died during the riots and thousands more were injured.
This is what a real riot is about.
An angry mob of CBC listeners, NDP voters and misguided French 20 year olds does not a riot make.
Of greatest concern to me is the affect on working class groups. Toronto has continued a steady push of getting manufacturing businesses away from the core (see for example the closing of Canada Bread in Liberty Village). These types of businesses have been pushed to the limits of the city or along the 401/427/407 corridor, where transit is extremely poor. For example - try doing a reverse commute on the TTC (or worse, GO transit and one of the suburb transits), from downtown to the outer corners of the city or GTA, you'll quickly realize how bad the situation is.
Now I realize the point of all this is to improve transit, but there have to be viable alternatives in place before any taxes are rolled in. As is, it seems that people want to do this the other way around.
Then there is the issue of people to be trying to solve a problem that isn't well defined. Now I hate the idea of things being studied to death, but there seems to be relatively little work done on developing a consensus of what the problem is and really looking at good solutions and alternatives to the problem. Road tolls seems to be the solution-du-jour. See this link for an extreme example of a good study, where the goal and solution is defined in economic terms:
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/05/ff_komanoff_traffic/all/1
Rush hour would get the full toll, but off-peak hours would get a substantially lesser toll. That may potentially spread traffic out over time instead of having everyone zoom in at the same time.
You better care. They sliced into a building constructed in 1912. Architecture destroyed for what? They would never do that tho architecture in Europe!
The rainbow flag in the picture makes me want to puke. At least put the Ontario flag on it.
How are we even listening to these out of touch douchebags?!
http://www.torontotourismboard.com/
Remember, they're human, too. They've got to have a little fun and let off steam sometime, ya know!
Give them a break! They showed they didn't really mean it when they let almost everyone go at the end. It was just kinda like a big police party, and they wanted everyone to join in and enjoy themselves, too!
Me, I'm reassured to see they can still beat the H*** out of people at a moment's notice if they need to, to maintain the peace. It kinda restores my confidence in them.
And they even threw in free cheese buns and Tang! What on earth is everyone complaining about? That they didn't offer chocolate mints, too?
If we can all lure more tourists to Toronto this summer, perhaps the police will be distracted into beating and arresting *them*, and leave the rest of us alone!
It's always nice to have fresh fodder, so I'm sure the police would like your idea too!
Long live the glorious struggle of the international proletariat! Victory to the glorious Toronto Police force in its vigilant and never-ending battle with opponents of the international socialism of the rich! Victory!
The money would be used for improvements for transit and finish building the Allan Expressway and the Highway 400 extension as a start.