City Council — December 2013

At Toronto City Council for the afternoon. 105 items left on the agenda. 14 of 'em are being held by Rob Ford.

Planning presentation up now. Here's a map of office locations. Dig that employment density on the Spadina line. http://t.co/SxVDhXwdzw

The Fords appear to be really working the floor in an effort to preserve their boilerplate on city news releases. An issue for our time.

Ford should try for even more Ford-like boilerplate, e.g. Toronto is home to a billion folks. 99% of them support small government.

Doug Ford really wants council to allow a new church to locate on employment lands in his ward, something planners oppose.

Councillor De Baeremaeker puts up the office map I posted earlier, cites an "absence of employment" in TO's suburbs...

...De Baeremaeker goes on to say that the absence of offices in the suburbs is why the suburbs need subways.

Odd stuff here. Stintz can't take credit for nextbus/new streetcars. But unfair to say she was against hiring Byford. http://t.co/xTlx6wuSK9

"It is unfortunate that the word I did not say has been ascribed to me by the media." This is not really an apology. https://torontolife.com/informer/toronto-politics/2013/12/17/rob-fords-day-apologies-continues-im-sorry-stars-daniel-dale/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rob-fords-day-apologies-continues-im-sorry-stars-daniel-dale

It's possible Doug Ford believes the whole city is the mayor's backyard and so we are all standing in it.

is it hard to get a law degree? I thought it was hard to get a law degree.

Can't stop laughing.

Too bad Ford's lawyer says the libel suit is over. He had a foolproof strategy: surprise witnesses, each more surprising than the last.

Trial culminates with lawyer introducing eighteen thousand letters, all addressed to Rob Ford. Then he cross-examines the bobblehead.

Anyway. I move for a bad court thingy.

Council now debating news release boilerplate. Ford wants to add "Toronto residents, businesses and visitors" to new version. Dunno why.

David Shiner now concerned revised news release boilerplate is too long. Shorter version: "Toronto. You saw us on Comedy Central."

New boilerplate is 96 words. Ford-instituted boilerplate was 71 words. Last Miller-era boilerplate was 90 words. I will not graph this.

And Nunziata opts to delay the vote on the news release boilerplate. Hope they decide things before newspapers finalize their A1s.

Now looking at old city news releases. Did you know TO's first millennium baby got $1,000 and a fridge magnet? http://bit.ly/1dP48br

(The city apparently took the millennium very seriously. We had a Millennium Task Force! http://bit.ly/1dP4kaM)

Here's an archived version of Toronto's official millennium website. That mascot. https://web.archive.org/web/20000511105152/http://www.torontomillennium.com/

Back to the boilerplate. Matlow believes he has a new version that everyone can be happy with.

Ford raises to express concern that dialling 311 only works for people who are currently in Toronto.

And new boilerplate passes 32-2. Grimes and Perruzza vote against it. Suggested Toronto Sun front: BOILER ROOM.

Rob Ford and James Pasternak vote against going forward with the 519's proposed LGBTQ rec centre.

(To be clear, the rec centre would be open to everybody, of course.)

New Ipsos poll. "I would considering voting for Mayor Rob Ford." Old City: 25%; Etobicoke: 36%; NY: 40%; York/EY: 50%; Scarborough: 51%

Debate on selling street signs up now at #tocouncil. I am going to buy so many street signs.

Evolution of my feelings on the OMB. 1. I know very little about the OMB. 2. Abolish the OMB! 3. Eh. It's complicated.

Redundant but not because he already has a chainsaw. (Also, "chainsaw" is one word, isn't it, @TorontoCouncil?) http://t.co/qrRRHueYQB

Councillor Raymond Cho once made an expense claim for a chainsaw. It cost $91.80. Which is good value, I think. https://secure.toronto.ca/tcer2?action=4&invoiceId=200971

Ford is asking for a report on contracting out garbage collection east of Yonge Street.

Ford actually says "if people disagree, this will be a great election issue, just like it was last time." A rare bit of honesty.

There's going to be, what, at least three candidates next year advocating for further contracting out of garbage? Ford can't own the issue.

Council votes 8-26 to not refer Ford's contracting out motion to committee. Then passes Ford's motion 20-15. http://t.co/uybmL2Y905

And here's Forum Research's latest numbers.. City-wide, 33% say they would vote for Rob Ford in 2014. http://t.co/YA7Jq9T9BO

Rob Ford is railing against installing traffic lights on Scarlett Rd. But Doug Ford moved the recommendation at community council.