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living largesse
Much was written last week about disgraced former tourism minister Cam Jackson’s free-spending ways. But we just can’t help taking a shot.
Number of times he billed for meals from January 2000 to December 2001: 280
Average price of meals: about $200
Largest meal tab: $927.14
What his expense account reveals about Jackson: a fondness for steaks, a late-night penchant for fast food, a tendency to take long cab rides and an inclination to bill for parking, no matter how small the amount, even while hes living high off the hog.
scandal gets stinkier
A vote by council last week to expand an inquiry into the MFP computer leasing scandal had politicos scurrying for cover. Ten councillors — John Filion, Joanne Flint, Suzan Hall, Irene Jones, Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, George Mammoliti, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Frances Nunziata, David Soknacki and Paul Sutherland — and our lovable Mayor Mel abstained from the vote. Seven more — Betty Disero, Norm Kelly, Doug Holyday, Ron Moeser, Mike Feldman, David Shiner and Peter Li Preti — voted against looking further into the suspicious deal. We won’t read too much into that, but at least they had the courage to stay and vote, if that’s any consolation.
gap goes mickey mouse
The Gap has hired former Disney CEO Paul Pressler to help the giant retailer get out of a two-year sales slump. We shudder to think what a guy who’s been managing theme parks that resemble a bad acid trip will mean for the spring Gap fashion line. Or for those always-smiling greeters who accost partons at the door. Mickey ears, maybe? But if Disney’s bad rap in the Third World is any indication, the Gap’s record when it comes to selling sweatshop-free clothes won’t be improving much.
food dive
We’re not sure whether to smile or cry. Daily Bread and the Ontario Association of Food Banks have kicked off their first-ever province-wide food drive from their shared warehouse in Etobicoke. Daily Bread’s Sue Cox says, This is a new and exciting thing for us. We think we can get up to 10 times more food donations than in previous years. That’s the good news, we suppose. The tragic thing is that we now have to go province-wide to feed T.O.’s hungry.
lie of the week
Government lawyers won’t be questioning Brent Zettl, the guy contracted by the feds to grow medical pot, when the case of the eight patients suing the government for access to the weed resumes next Friday, October 18. Seems Zettl has sworn an affidavit putting the big lie to Health Minister Ann McLellan’s claim that his weed isn’t fit for consumption and therefore can’t be released. It’s a wonder Zettl was able to grow any pot with all the unforeseen logistical issues put in his path by the feds.
