Our Mayor John Tory likes to constantly harp our played out wish to be "World Class". Unfortunately it takes more than repeating a wish to make it so. Right now the only thing we are world class in is building condos (without the infrastructure to support it) and child poverty.
I point this disgraceful circumstance to unprincipled leadership and mismanagement of city priorities on things that would ACTUALLY make us world class.
Like transit, ending child poverty and reducing crime.
For instance, our Mayor who thinks it's "fair" and good management to give Scarborough a subway that will cost the city $3.2 BILLION just to get up and running (not including all the money it's going to lose year after year due to low ridership), while also forcing a uniform 2.6% cut to every department the city runs, except for the Police (they get a BILLION dollars), while we have record low crime.
Someone should explain the difference between equality and equity. If anyone reading this knows him, feel free to send him this incredibly detailed explanation worthy of someone of his intellect.
It may seem "fair" to propose an equal cut across the board to all departments, but when one is faced with low crime and starving children, I think I know where I'm cutting first.
Speaking as one of those kids that grew up in poverty in this city and who only by the grace of God avoided the trap of gangs, guns and drugs (three things they can turn to that will put food in their bellies), I think we would be truly world class if we:
1) Scrapped the sinkhole subway to nowhwere
2) Used some of those wasted billions to feed kids, invest in transit
3) Cut the police budget if you absolutely have to to pay for it.
I dunno. I think NOT having children living in poverty (which also reduces crime, but doesn't play as well to the "tough on crime" crowd that he needs to win re-election) and improving transit is the hallmark of a city that's truly world class and leadership thats reflective of that.
Or maybe sticking to a campaign promise which will lead to shitty transit, increased crime and kids going hungry is his idea of world class?
Maybe...THIRD WORLD CLASS?!
KB