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• Close shave for Kenk [ Toronto Sun ]
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• Accused in bicycle thefts groomed for court [ Globe and Mail ]
• Toronto plans crackdown on blue-box scavengers [ Globe and Mail ]
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• Debt free in a clapped out wreck of a town [ Globe and Mail ]
• Architecture idol [ Eye Weekly ]
• An unhealthy approach [ Eye Weekly ]
• It coulda been T.O Games [ Toronto Sun ]
• Ticket to nowhere [ NOW Magazine ]
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Thursday’s headlines
Read more articles by Monika Warzecha
8 comments
What is John Barber on about? Toronto’s public debt is already rising substantially and projected north of 3 billion by 2011-12 (which will mean 15% of all revenue going to debt service).
http://www.toronto.ca/budget2008/pdf/2008_cap_nr_dec11.pdf
[That document says the debt will drop after 2012 – we’ll see.]
I’m all for debt to enhance infrastructure but there is a limit on how much we can borrow before services are cut or taxes hiked yet again to service it – Barber gives no impression as to where his limit would be and I’m not about to pay $40 for White’s paper based on Barber’s synopsis:
http://www.neptis.org/library/show.cfm?id=55&cat_id=13
God it’s no wonder the Globe doesn’t allow comments on his articles.
‘One way Ontario municipalities avoid debt is by offloading it onto their citizens in the form of development charges, upfront fees designed “to make development pay for itself.” In reality, they flow straight into the principal amount owing on individual mortgages.’
Well who the hell else should pay? We have 100 year old sewer lines and Barber’s complaining that developers pass on their costs to those that buy their condos, as if the city isn’t as entitled to do so as their subcontractors and building merchants?
“Pusateri’s asked for it and they paid for it,” says Councillor Kyle Rae (Ward 27, Toronto Centre-Rosedale). “That’s public use, isn’t it? They’re the public.”
Ummm…OK, Kyle.
From the sidewalk article in the Star:
“Pusateri’s asked for it [the layby cutting into the sidewalk] and they paid for it,” says Councillor Kyle Rae (Ward 27, Toronto Centre-Rosedale). “That’s public use, isn’t it? They’re the public.”
[rapidly shakes head form side to side] What?
Perhaps Spacing readers should take Pusateri’s up on their parking offer and congest it like the sidewalk will be congested post-narrowing.
Is the sky falling or do I actually somewhat agree with the Toronto Sun article RE: Olympics? Naysayers said we should deal with our own problems first before hosting the world and well, 7 years later, the homeless problem hasn’t improved, we’re still talking about an airport rail link, and our waterfront is having a very slow coming out party…
Yeah, I’d so rather live in Beijing than Toronto. Who needs civil rights or pink lungs?
For all the apparent shabbyness of Toronto, we should be overjoyed not to have that Olympic corruption freak show in our town. Look what developers have managed to do to our city and council without all the extra Olympic dollars to buy with. Thinking the Olympics will save your town is 70s thinking, and look how much it did for Montreal in the 80s and 90s. Have they finished paying it off yet?
It’s good some of the implications of the privatizing of public space is making “news”, and Mr. Rae’s quote is pretty telling, but there’s another level to this private paving party’s preventing public priorities – the City’s avoidance of an EA is sanctioned by the MOE staff because it’s a “private” project, though it’s on public space and the City’s borrowing $20M, but can’t do a few simple repairs to bike lanes in the area.
One error in this story is the full cost is at least $25M, as the City is putting in $5M of its “own” money. It’s now Council-approved and some of us have started trying to work on the provincial level. Press release within takethetooker.ca
“One error in this story is the full cost is at least $25M, as the City is putting in $5M of its “own†money.”
Just like Museum Station then… except for bike lanes read “second exit” and “accessibility”