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Councillor expensed chipmunk costume... and a Dalmatian and a bear, too.

Giambrone's taxi bill works out to like 3 cab rides a week over the course of a year. Who cares? Sometimes you've got to get across town quickly and a cab is necessary.

It's a bit concerning that so many people have decided the best councillors are the ones that just stay home, never hold public meetings, don't support community events, etc.
 
GraphicMatt said:
Giambrone's taxi bill works out to like 3 cab rides a week over the course of a year. Who cares? Sometimes you've got to get across town quickly and a cab is necessary.
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Um.... the guy is chair of the TTC. You know, the "Better Way". He is the last person on earth who should be taking regular cab rides, however much of a rush he is in.

The chipmunk costume is also a waste of funds, but it is the lesser of sins.
 
Blovertis said:
Um.... the guy is chair of the TTC. You know, the "Better Way". He is the last person on earth who should be taking regular cab rides, however much of a rush he is in.

The chipmunk costume is also a waste of funds, but it is the lesser of sins.
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He doesn't own a car. He uses the TTC to get around every day. But everyone (including the chair of the TTC) admits that the TTC isn't ideal for all trips at all times of days. Again, if his budget showed that he was taking a cab to get to work every day you might have more of a point, but this isn't a huge cab budget by any means.

The animal costumes are a fun thing for kids.
 
Blovertis:

Um.... the guy is chair of the TTC. You know, the "Better Way". He is the last person on earth who should be taking regular cab rides, however much of a rush he is in.
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That's like saying the chair of the TTC should never drive or bike either, and that the the additional time spent on the road instead of doing official business is well worth the per hour rate of the councillor. As long as it's official business and not a trip to see his mistress, it's not THAT big a deal.

Ditto bunny suits...it's spent on the constituents - kids - I think it's probably a better expense than what, voice coaching?

AoD
 
I actually don't like that Rob Ford doesn't expense things to his office budget. He spends his own money because he is rather wealthy. But that means that we don't get to see what his expenses are. I would rather him spend the money and know what he is up to.

This Star story is stupid and way too desperate to create a controversy.
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
That's like saying the chair of the TTC should never drive or bike either, and that the the additional time spent on the road instead of doing official business is well worth the per hour rate of the councillor. As long as it's official business and not a trip to see his mistress, it's not THAT big a deal.
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Someone in his position should be taking pains to set an example.

One of the raisons d'etre of the TTC is to reduce road congestion, so riding a bike lies on the side of the angels. Come to think of it, why wouldn't he ride a bike instead of cabbing it?

Extending your logic, would you be encouraging everyone with who feels their time is valuable to grab a cab? Or is the TTC just for plebes?
 
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One of the raisons d'etre of the TTC is to reduce road congestion, so riding a bike lies on the side of the angels. Come to think of it, why wouldn't he ride a bike instead of cabbing it?
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The same reason I don't when I have a business meeting. Who wants to arrive stinking and sweating from the exercise? So he's the chair of the TTC. Does the head of WestJet only get around by airplane?
 
As I said, there can be no wrong doing by these councillors in the eyes of some people on this board.

It's the NDP way, you buy your votes, then raise taxes.

A councillor can vote for 10% tax raises every year, but as long as they blow their 53k expense account on activities for his ward, sponsoring local baseball tournemantes, etc. he would be continuously elected. Not sure why people see city councillors and their mayors so differently. Councillors are just extentions (or not) of the mayor's office.

I do have to say it's an extremely strategic maneuver. You tap into peoples selfishness and continue to stay in power. Why wouldn't I vote for a councillor that just sponsors every local camp team and has 'free hot dog' days at the park.

I think Miller's eventuall goal was to have 51% of the city working for him. Raise taxes 3%? meh, let's give ourselfs a 6.5% raise. The only problem is that you eventually run out of other peoples money to spend. We're not there yet, but eventually. Greece is a very good example, maybe a few decades away, but that's the direction.

Socialism is like a credit card... it will inevitably catch up to you... in the mean time, let's continue to stick it to the next generation.
 
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Councillors have an expense budget of approximately $50,000 per year. It is within a councillor's mandate to support local goings-on in their ward that better the community. If you want to argue that council should have a lower expense budget, that's cool, but quibbling over cab rides and support for kids' events is just partisan bullshit.

Toronto councillors receive an annual salary of approximately $97,000 per year. They get paid less than most councillors in the 905. Asking that elected representatives take a paycut is a classic right-wing tactic but it has seriously messed up results long-term, as it means only the independently wealthy can afford to serve the people.
 
wow... we're paying pretty good money to blow 53k...

GraphicMatt said:
Councillors have an expense budget of approximately $50,000 per year. It is within a councillor's mandate to support local goings-on in their ward that better the community. If you want to argue that council should have a lower expense budget, that's cool, but quibbling over cab rides and support for kids' events is just partisan bullshit.

Toronto councillors receive an annual salary of approximately $97,000 per year. They get paid less than most councillors in the 905. Asking that elected representatives take a paycut is a classic right-wing tactic but it has seriously messed up results long-term, as it means only the independently wealthy can afford to serve the people.
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See, that's where our ideals are totally off (if it wasn't obvious from before)
If this city was overspilling with surpluses and no debts, I could care less. The issue is that this city is broke, it's found a way to tax people, literally, at every level. Yet, we are losing services.

I don't really think we go through an election process just so we can find someone willing to blow 53k at the same time we pay them 97k a year
We elect them to manage our tax dollars appropriately, and in the face of a massive debt, their not managing our dollars well.
ANYONE can go and spend 53k on a ward. I can do it for free!.

And I'm pretty confident that most city councillors would not make remotely close to 97 in the private sector. Servicing the city should not be about how much they get paid, it's about public service and self-sacrifce. Perhaps that's the problem.... Politics = cushy job and no accountability. Who wouldn't want to get into it?
 
If I was at Bathurst and Queen's Quay and need to get to Bay & King in less than 10 minutes I'd take a cab too. This isn't herecy. Cabs are an important part of transportation in a major urban centre and no one wants them to go away. It's personal automobiles that are wastefu.
 
GraphicMatt said:
If I was at Bathurst and Queen's Quay and need to get to Bay & King in less than 10 minutes I'd take a cab too. This isn't herecy. Cabs are an important part of transportation in a major urban centre and no one wants them to go away. It's personal automobiles that are wastefu.
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And you should! Just don't spend my tax dollars doing it.
 
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