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“Certain of these recommendations have the potential to do more harm than good.”
Supposedly progressive police Chief Bill Blair, trotting out the same old arguments in response to city plans for a drug harm reduction strategy. Since when do police make the rules about public health?
Kyle, condo-style
Downtown councillor Kyle Rae cut a curious figure at the Heritage Toronto Awards at the Carlu Monday, October 17. His shtick to the assembled pushing preservation had a few in the audience murmuring, coming as it did two days after his appearance in a puff piece in the Star’s real estate section extolling the virtues of condo development here, there and everywhere. Of course, we all remember developer-friendly Rae’s efforts to save Maple Leafs Gardens, virtually falling over himself to move approval for a Loblaws superstore on the sacred site.
Grits’ housing hoax
Restoration of rent controls may still be a priority for the provincial government. Sadly, there was no mention in the recent Liberal Throne Speech. And if the Liberal housing record is any indication, renters won’t be getting protection from greedy landlords any time soon. The Grits have only delivered on 63 of the 46,332 affordable housing units promised since 2002, and 40 of the 400 rent supplements promised last year. What an embarassment.
Sick Kids sells sleaze
Difficult to make sense of Sick Kids’ philanthropy philosophy. Last month the hospital refused to accept proceeds from the sale of a porn tape featuring slain adult actor Taylor Sumers, a former volunteer fundraiser. But last week the hospital had no qualms about accepting as a gift and putting up for auction a 1939 Lancia that was once the private vehicle of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, who, if memory serves, has more than a little blood on his hands. We can’t figure out which is sleazier.
Another nuclear disaster
While the power-hungry McGuinty government throws more money at refurbishing nuclear reactors idle since the mid-90s at the massive Bruce facility, we can’t help worrying just how many more billions taxpayers will be on the hook for. Cameco, one of the partners that control the facility, announced this week that it’s pulling out of the planned upgrade because it doesn’t meet the company’s investment criteria. In other words, folks, this scheme is looking like a colossal waste of money. Two words, Dalton: wind, solar.
