Morning Brew: Meet Rob Ford's assistants, Toronto police have a social media officer, Minnan-Wong disapproves of TTC's Rocket ads, Snoop Dog promotes local radio station and Lawrie helps Jays beat Orioles
Want to call the mayor about library cuts or a possible alien invasion? Well, you're going to have to get through his four "special assistants" first. Despite Rob Ford's promise of being available to his constituents, they're the ones who field your calls and decide whether you'll talk to the man behind the curtain. One assistant answers about 80-120 phone calls a day. But you'll have to take his word for it - they don't keep any formal records of the phone calls.
Toronto police are getting in touch with the city's Internet generation by having its very own social media officer. Yep, that's an actual position. Constable Scott Mills has the distinction of having that job description, one of the first of its kind in Canada. While other cops walk their beat, Mills tweets his; or sometimes Facebooks, other times he's on YouTube. It's still murky territory for the force, but Mills hopes the social contact will result in more crimes being solved.
City councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong has a big problem with the TTC spending $27,000 on recent ads promoting its new subway train, the Rocket. Minnan-Wong says it's a waste of taxpayers' money; the TTC says it's money well spent since the Rocket is the most exciting thing to happen to the transit commission in years. And with only one new train in service right now, how else are people going to know about it? It's not like there wasn't publicity for it.
Snoop Dogg probably had his mind on his money and money on his mind when he signed up to film these ads for local radio station KiSS 92.5. Nevertheless, it's always a treat to hear from the Doggfather.
IN BRIEF:
- Suspect Video celebrates 20 years
- Toronto francophones seek French Quarter
- The Neighbourhood Basketball Association
- Nunziata wants apology from women's group
- Lawrie helps Jays beat Orioles
- $1000 reward offered on info on dead cat
Photo by Michael Tutton in the blogTO Flickr pool
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