The Toronto Star:A loose-knit coalition of councillors of all political stripes will start this week’s big budget battle trying to halt many of Mayor Rob Ford’s most contentious cuts.
Left, centre and some right-wing councillors worked together furiously in recent days in cut-specific groups — those trying to head off the imminent closing of homeless shelters, for example — through shared online documents, BlackBerry messages and meetings in and out of City Hall.
Kristyn Wong-Tam (Ward 27, Toronto Centre Rosedale) said the “left and centre came together and decided council should lead the city, not the mayor ... Even right-wing councillors are rethinking some of the extreme cuts they know in their hearts are not best for the city.”
Wong-Tam was cautiously optimistic most of the motions would garner the necessary 23 votes to pass, even as Ford’s staff stalked councillors’ offices on the second floor of City Hall, trying desperately to ensure they don’t.
The proposed operating budget passed by Ford’s executive last week would, for the first time since amalgamation, cut Toronto’s gross spending through a mix of belt-tightening, almost 1,200 layoffs and cuts to pools, homeless shelters, TTC routes, daycares, zoos and more.
Continue reading here.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.