The Left Strikes Back in Toronto

It didn't take long for the left to start striking back in Toronto against the popularly elected right wing mayor, Rob Ford.

First, the Toronto Public Library stated in a widely publicized press release that they'd have to close the city hall branch of the library if Ford forced them to accept a budget cut of 2%.  This is a typical bureaucratic response to cut backs.  Don't cut back on waste, unnecessary overtime or excess staff.  Cut back on something very public, the meaner the better, and blame the government.

The TTC struck next, hiring over forty new managers for everything from new customer service managers (yeah, like that's going to help) to "track walkers" for the subway to hunt out things to repair.  Yet, the TTC wanted a fare increase and wanted to cut back on bus schedules.  The Toronto Star was livid.  Mean old Ford.  And when Ford said no to the TTC, the Star slyly suggested it was all a plot by Ford, who must've tricked TTC officials into their fare hike and cut back announcement so that Ford could look good when he reversed it.  Funny, the Star spent most of the election portraying Ford as barely able to add.

The truth of course is that these bureaucrats and the Toronto Star are ruthlessly doing everything they can to sabotage Ford's agenda.  The bureaucrats are all Millerites who hate Ford and will need to be replaced if anything is to work.

Here's what I would do if I were Rob Ford: I'd say to the TTC fair enough.  If you feel it's not worth it to run a bus up and down Davenport Road after10 pm or on Sundays and holidays because there are rarely more than two passengers on the bus, then lets contract the route to a private company--the smaller the better.  In fact, why not just run a 15 passenger van up and down the street late at night?

Of course the unions will have a fit at the thought that even one TTC route goes out to competition, especially lean competition, maybe even run by just a guy with a van and a garage.

Ford won't even have to follow through on this threat.  TTC management and the Amalgamated Transit Workers Union will suddenly find all kinds of savings that will allow for a lower budget and maintenance of under-used routes--anything to prevent even the slightest crack in the TTC monopoly on public transit in Toronto.

As for the library: Aren't e-books all the rage these days?  Maybe it's time for the library to improve its pathetic and technically flawed attempts at e-book loans.  I'm not suggesting that we close branches and replace them with e-books.  I just want the unions to be uncomfortable, to worry about new technology, to feel like maybe it's better to make concessions than face major changes.

The public service unions proved to be intractable under Bob Rae's Ontario NDP, and Miller's Toronto, but those two men owed the unions and everybody on both sides knew it.  Ford owes the unions nothing and knows he will get zero support from them in the next election no matter what he does.  That's why they fear him.  That's why they'll deal.

Mike Downtown

Comments

[fernstalbert]

Libraries are passe and almost obsolete. Only a computer can keep up to the information that is new and available every 24 hour time cycle. Cheaper to give the residents of Toronto free computers and wi-fi. Save money, get rid of buildings, personnal and the expensive maintenance of physical books. Just kidding. Maybe not!!!

[Harebell.wordpress.com]

You do realise that a lot of people only have access to computers through the public library don't you?
The local libraries in my neighbourhood are full of members of the community researching and producing projects using publicly available laptops and multimedia machines.
The fact that there is a central meeting place means that libraries also act as community commons areas and encourage joint ventures. Not only can they access the web but they can engage with others from the community too.
Librarians also offer more than directions to a book, they assist in work of all sorts in libraries. Replacing these services or ignoring them altogether would rob a community of an important resource.
And nope I'm not a librarian, just someone who would hate to see my library go.
Also Track walkers on the railways are really important folk if you value public safety, so I don't know why you have the scare quotes there.

[brad]

i hope that ford can make these changes. what a great start to rebuilding this nation if other municipalities can see the benefit of leaving all of us the hell alone.

[Cincinnatus]

Dear Herebell:

I think if you read Mike's post more carefully, you will see that Mike is not advocating the closing of libraries. His point that the unions are holding highly visible public services like libraries hostage to protect useless layers of flab from being permanently cut. To counter this move, Mike proposes to call their bluff.

[Redmond]

The "library" that is being closed is purely for reference and book pickup.

No-one was sitting at computers there.

Of course what no-one has bothered to point out was that under miller, services were cut and taxes were raised.

And of course debt was also raised.

But hey, would you rather have him over at your dinner party? And he did care about "good union jobs"...