Premier Doug Ford's Ontario

[MetroMan]

Ford will consolidate the outer city's power over old Toronto. This is the end game of Amalgamation. In a year, Toronto will be a very very different city.

 

[Northern Light]

Ford will consolidate the outer city's power over old Toronto. This is the end game of Amalgamation. In a year, Toronto will be a very very different city.

I don't see this being the case.

Even if this goes through (and I have my doubts), the new provincial/federal ridings did increase the relative representation of downtown.

Further, based on the anticipated match ups, I'd expect council to shift slightly to the left in this move as well.

Now, I don't favour this move, or the hasty nature of the timing; the whole things appears to be impulsive and poorly thought out.

But I don't think the sky will fall on downtown.

I do think it will reduce accessibility of Councillors though, and I don't like that.

 

[animatronic]

I don’t think reducing council to 25 is necessarily the
wrong answer, but you can’t half-ass the process.

Everything else about the legislative function changes when you reduce the size - committee structure, role of excomm (it’ll be half the new council?), community councils, role of the mayor etc...

Also the representative function. I’m ok with less councillors so long as their office budgets double and more capabilities are built into 311. But we know that’s not what will happen.

What I don’t get is this is so transparently vindictive that either Ford pushed this through against the concerns of his experienced staff, or this is exactly the result they wanted. In either case, fuck that useless bloviating twat.

 

[narduch]

What I don’t get is this is so transparently vindictive that either Ford pushed this through against the concerns of his experienced staff, or this is exactly the result they wanted. In either case, fuck that useless bloviating twat.

All the conservatives in the media are salivating over this.

 

[Thinker]

Remember FOLKS not a single person would lose their job....

 

[PinkLucy]

The media is obviously evil and simply the purveyor of fake news.

 

[old boy]

At least it takes the mind off Trump, sorta...

 

[jje1000]

I don't see this being the case.

Even if this goes through (and I have my doubts), the new provincial/federal ridings did increase the relative representation of downtown.

Further, based on the anticipated match ups, I'd expect council to shift slightly to the left in this move as well.

Now, I don't favour this move, or the hasty nature of the timing; the whole things appears to be impulsive and poorly thought out.

But I don't think the sky will fall on downtown.

I do think it will reduce accessibility of Councillors though, and I don't like that.

I think this provides an opportunity for the implementation of community boards like in New York City- which might be a better fit for accessibility and representation over a catch-all councillor.

 

[animatronic]

The press release on cutting council makes it clear Ford’s (still highly questionable) $25.5 million in savings claim is actually spread over the next four years. This government is good at leaving out the “over X years” part when they tout supposed budget savings.

So that clearly assumes that office budgets won’t increase to shoulder the new load.

 

[steveintoronto]

All the conservatives in the media are salivating over this.

And they're swamping the Globe reader comments. I'm all for informed Conservative ideology. But that's not what the Fordites are. They're more of the Mussolini persuasion.

 

[steveintoronto]

Even if this goes through (and I have my doubts),

Indeed. Look for an injunction based on the existing legal rulings. A full case couldn't happen in time for the civic election, but an injunction will prevent legislation taking effect before then, and until after a proper hearing is convened.

I checked earlier, there's quite a few injunctions in case law against legislation even better prepared and legally tested than this.

Quick Googled example:
Judge grants injunction against Alberta labour law that imposes

DEAN BENNETT
EDMONTON
THE CANADIAN PRESS
PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 14, 2014UPDATED MAY 11, 2018
An Alberta judge excoriated Premier Alison Redford's government Friday for what he described as deceptive, high-handed, unfair bargaining tactics designed to "emasculate" its largest public-sector union.

Court of Queen's Bench Justice Denny Thomas ordered a freeze on a controversial law that was set to impose an austere four-year wage deal on the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees while revoking its right to binding arbitration.

The AUPE has argued the Public Service Salary Restraint Act strikes a mortal blow to its ability to bargain and Thomas agreed to hold the law in abeyance until the issue is resolved.


Thomas said in a written decision Friday that the act "guts the bargaining process by removing an effective leverage on the part of the workers, who as a result of other provincial laws (that ban their right to strike) cannot withdraw their labour.

"The effect of the legislation is to emasculate the AUPE ... Alberta did not meet its obligation to negotiate in good faith."
[...]

 

[Avenue]

You all should have gotten off Patrick Brown's back and let him become the become the premier.

 

[narduch]

You all should have gotten off Patrick Brown's back and let him become the become the premier.

People were too busy dancing on the Conservatives 'grave' at that point.

I'm still predicting Ford to win a 2nd majority in 4 years.

 

[syn]

I don't see this being the case.

Even if this goes through (and I have my doubts), the new provincial/federal ridings did increase the relative representation of downtown.

Further, based on the anticipated match ups, I'd expect council to shift slightly to the left in this move as well.

Now, I don't favour this move, or the hasty nature of the timing; the whole things appears to be impulsive and poorly thought out.

But I don't think the sky will fall on downtown.

I do think it will reduce accessibility of Councillors though, and I don't like that.

This is one of the ways in which Ford increases the provincial hold over the city. Local issues that are the responsibility of councilors are far more likely to go unaddressed, thus reducing their impact.

Depending on how the new wards are divided, what @MetroMan has suggested could very well come true.

 

[steveintoronto]

People were too busy dancing on the Conservatives 'grave' at that point.

I'm still predicting Ford to win a 2nd majority in 4 years.

Doug Ford won't survive a palace coup, which is looking inevitable. I do believe the Tories can win again, but you misjudge on how they won this time. It was vote against the status-quo, not a vote for Ford. If the Cons run a grown-up, they could win again, but at this rate, Ford had better watch his back. Palace coups are very real in politics. Some might be waiting for him to hang himself on his petard. (almost wrote 'retard')

That move would give the OntCons a respectable face, and make them electable next time, not winning by default, but by winning by reason.