It seems a bunch of TTC Commissioners have missed the news about Canada’s recent economic downturn. Or if they do know about it, no one seems to care.
TTC Chair Adam “Stop Messing In My Ward or else” Giambrone and others are jetting off to Vienna for an International Association of Public Transport Confernece in early June.
Vienna? They have to go half way around the world to learn what? About public transit systems?
The money for the trip comes from the TTC budget. Yes, that same budget the TTC keeps going to the trough to fill up every year to pay for higher salaries for demanding TTC drivers and other infrastructure.
It just doesnt make sense. And to top it off, there is another junket set for June apparently for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in Whistler BC. Its unknown as to whether or not there will be any Milton councillors attending. 12 of the City of Toronto Councillors will be.
Dont get me wrong…I’m not against the association. The problem with this is perception. And one of the biggest rules is “politics is perception.” Our municipal leaders need a forum to exchange ideas. My problem is that not everyone needs to go. Municipal, provincial and federal governments need to be “seen” tightening of their belts while asking tax payers to tighten theirs.
The story goes like this…
Every year municipal governments turn to the taxpayers for more money. Oh, we need this and we need that. Oh, you dont get that service anymore. Oh, the union is demanding more money again. Oh, its just a small increase in the grand scheme of things. Oh, we need that pay increase.
I think givent the situation we are in, and even though there are signs things are imporving, the City of Toronto needs to worry about other more important items on their agenda. CUPE locals are threatening to go on strike claiming the governments are using the recession as an excuse for their demans for concessions.
Using the recession as an excuse. Its not really a fair comment to make mind you but considering City of Toronto councillors just gave themselves a pay increase of 2.4 per cent back in January and they are now demanding cut backs at other levels. Again, politics IS perception.
Im sure you can go back in history to see the same story played out over and over again. Sad really when you think of it as no one seems to have learned from history and are doomed to repeat it.