CITY HALL
• Going rogue? City councillors form their own committees, task forces — without Rob Ford [The Star]
• Budget chief has a new friend [The Sun]
• Ford faces tough challenges [The Sun]
• Rob Ford’s a man of action [The Sun]
• Hey Toronto: How would you come up with $774 million? [The Star]
• Take a second look at road closures: Councillor [The Sun]
ARCHITECTURE & INFRASTRUCTURE
• OMB to decide fate of Dunlap Observatory land [The Star]
• Fiorito: Attack on bridge to Fort York an attack on city by suburbs [The Star]
• Small steps toward more walkable suburbs [Globe & Mail]
TTC
• The end of the line for the Sheppard subway? [National Post]
• James: Ford’s subways will require tolls and grants [The Star]
OTHER NEWS
• Bicycle blessing brings riders ‘closer to God’s abundance’ [The Star]
• Hume: Why are our leaders so angry, and why do we vote for them? [The Star]
• Results announced in vote for TCHC tenant directors [The Star]
• Beyond geography: Mapping Toronto’s personal stories and cultural histories [Globe & Mail]
• Graffiti removal business is booming [Globe & Mail]
• Trouble in the skies [National Post]
One comment
Tenant Defence Fund Budget Cut
On February 24th, 2011 City Council passed the new budget for the City, including a cut to the Tenant Defense Fund of $100,000 a fund that provides essential services to poor tenants. $25,000 was cut from the grant money that tenants can access in order to challenge above guideline rent increases, demolitions, and conversions, and $75 000 was cut from the tenant education and support services offered by the FMTA. The cuts will result in a reduction in services provided by each branch of the FMTA, that is, the Tenant Hotline, the Outreach and Organizing Team, and the Tenant Education Project.
Of the 45 city councilors, 23 supported the heartless cuts while 22 voted to keep the funding for providing these necessary city services.
Voting against the cuts and defending tenants rights:
Maria Augimeri, Ana Bailão, Shelley Carroll, Raymond Cho, Janet Davis, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Sarah Doucette, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Mary Fragedakis, Mike Layton, Chin Lee, Josh Matlow, Pam McConnell, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Joe Mihevc, John Parker, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, Adam Vaughan, Kristyn Wong-Tam
Voting to cut essential services to the poor and tenants:
Paul Ainslie, Michelle Berardinetti, Josh Colle, Gary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Mike Del Grande, Frank Di Giorgio, Doug Ford, Rob Ford, Mark Grimes, Doug Holyday, Norman Kelly, Gloria Lindsay Luby, Giorgio Mammoliti, Peter Milczyn, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Ron Moeser, Frances Nunziata (Chair), Cesar Palacio, James Pasternak, David Shiner, Karen Stintz, Michael Thompson
Make sure if your councillor was part of this attack on tenants than your neighbors know about this.
Contact the enemies of tenants and get your friends to do the same to let them and their people know we won’t put up with this attack on the poor. You can find the contact info on these slimy politicians here http://app.toronto.ca/im/council/councillors.jsp