Photo: "Parking Meter Politics" by blogTO Flickr pooler Brendan Lynch

Your morning news roundup for Wednesday May 2nd, 2007:

Gas price fluctuations continue to be an anomaly in the GTA, with most stations selling at $1.08/L yesterday. Am I the only one that finds it difficult to top up and round to the dollar at these prices? A microsqueeze of the nozzle, and you're looking for a penny. Check out torontogasprices.com for deals across the city.

The city is planning to bump up metered parking rates by $0.50/hr., an adjustment that should bring in an additional $6million for the city. I find city parking rates to be reasonable, but yesterday I left my car on King St. a little too long and by 4:15pm it was towed and cost me $193.56 :(

More than half of the province's elementary schools with students in need of ESL instruction aren't staffed with required specialist ESL teachers. Funding rates for ESL programs aren'tt matching the pace of immigration, and those kids must feel pretty lost in the sea of standard English instruction.

Imagine this... You sponsor your immigrating cousin Guido, and in doing so sign a federal contract vowing to support him financially for 10 years. Guido hates your cooking, abandons you, cuts off all ties, and (without your knowledge or consent) ends up being a welfare-collecting bum in Sarnia. 5 years pass. You then get a bill for $50,000 from the provincial government insisting you repay the province for Guido's welfare. What's wrong with this picture?!

Crossroad Puzzle's dog ate its homework, but the game will return next week.