Friday’s headlines

11 comments

1. A bag and tag system would be so much easier and cheaper. It is already a proven method all over Ontario. Why needlessly pay for bins?

2. What I don’t get is how the bins provide an ongoing incentive to reduce waste. Once you’ve paid upfront, there’s no financial penalty for filling the whole bin for every collection. With bag tags it costs you a bit every time — perfect.

   I also wonder whether bin theft will be a problem. They’re awfully expensive to leave unattended on the sidewalk all day.

3. If they raise the fee can I opt out of the garbage bin?

4. If you don’t like the message get rid of the messenger!
   So much for transparency and councillor expenses

   The bin program is a mess why didn’t city hall make it clear to citizens before they chose the size of bin what the cost really is.It just seems this is just another charge to hide that huge tax increase that wasn’t supposed to happen.Too bad this wasn’t brought up in the last election.

5. “City staffer gets the axe”

   If this guy has spent years wrongly approving expenses….how does he have an exemplary record? Sounds like a long corrupt record

6. Man, does Chris Hume need a new schtick. He’ll recycle this same story line for the next month. I’ve beginning to wonder out loud if he has any understanding of public space design at all. His critique of Cormier’s design is clearly from the point of view that he chose Rosenberg’s. If the judges don’t agree with him, he sulks in his column. Starting to feel like Al Davis. Maybe Hume should submit his ideas for the next competition…

7. “I also wonder whether bin theft will be a problem. They’re awfully expensive to leave unattended on the sidewalk all day.”

   That’s actually a really good point. Anyone wanna start a pool on how long it’ll take for black market bins to show up? Somehow I don’t think the method of spray-painting your house number on it will do a whole lot.

8. I kind of agree with BARAY (only “kind of” because I don’t follow Hume as closely as I used to). Mostly, I think Hume is a real downer. I understand he’s supposed to provide a critique to the designs of the city, and I get it, the city often screws up, but other than moan a lot, I don’t see how his criticisms are that useful. Someone correct me if I’m wrong but he seems like he has little to no influence when it comes to city decisions on what’s being done with our public spaces. No clout in rousing an audience and no power among the elites. He definitely needs a new schtick.

9. Hume’s criticism is particularly annoying considering how flattering he was of the proposal when it first came out.

   “Chosen through an invitational design competition, the three schemes are so good, each one should be built.”

   (…)

   “This is what makes the second entry, by Montreal landscape architect, Claude Cormier, so interesting and edgy. His proposal, Sugar Beach, calls for half of the one-acre space to be covered in sand and planted with coloured umbrellas.

   Some might find the notion of sunbathing across the slip from a refinery somewhat incongruous, maybe unnerving or appropriately postmodern. On the other hand, there’s something mesmerizing about ships and harbours. Where better to watch them?”

   (…)

   “In this case, all three finalists have done projects on the waterfront; it might be that this familiarity allowed them to produce such excellent schemes.”

   This isn’t the first time I’ve noticed Hume doing an about-face on something, but it’s definitely the shortest length of time he’s ever let pass between using words like “edgy” and “excellent” to words like “fiasco” and “rotten” for the same project.

   http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/295532

10. The City is absolutely right to be trying to encourage more recycling. But the new oversized recycling bins (and still later to come trash bins) really do send the wrong message…they are costly, wasteful, and they are going to prove hard to use on tight City streets. Kind of like using a shotgun to get rid of a mosquito. Can you imagine putting these things out in weather like we’ve had this winter? Where exactly would they go? City staff have said the new recycling bins will ultimately mean less costly pick-up because they will be emptied into the truck by an “automated” arm rather than a worker. They say they’ve tested this but my guess is that they probably haven’t tested under real street conditions — tight streets, cars parked overnight providing only limited access to sidewalks, and little space to properly align the bin for pick-up by the mechanical arm. When I pointed out to a City staffer that automated mechanical-arm pick-up would only be more cost-effective than workers lifting when lifting volumes that far exceed what a household is likely to put out, the person agreed — but also said, “That’s what Council has decided.”

11. Maaaaan>

    sorry maaaaaaan, but those expenses in question were denied but the councillors used their veto power to allow them.Remember the politician still has the last say on any expense.There is no controls.This gentleman is being punished because he complied with “freedom of information” requests that by law he must provide.The new person in charge may try to not comply.I already had an incident in trying to get a working copy of the budget.Reply as usual “for staff eyes only”.So the real underground expenditures are coming up one at a time.NO TRANSPARENCY!

    PS to adam no rebate for me even though by law it must be paid!So much for your democratic government Adam!