A person just can't be held accountable for the content of their dreams, right?

I've been having some wacked out dreams lately, here are two of the more amusing examples:
1) The night before last I dreamed that there was a huge punch bowl of water in the room with me and it was full of huge hairy tarantulas. This isn't so weird, I'm studying arachnids in my zoology class right now. I'm not sure if it really bothered me or not that there was a bowl of acquatic spiders, or that they were all trying to climb up the sides to get out. But the wierd part was when I looked at the side of the bowl up close and realized that all the spiders had monkey faces.
2) I don't remember a single other part of this dream other than the part where David Miller arrives. Now, as I'm sure you all know, I've been crushing on our mayor for years now. But, as far as I can recall this is the first time I've actually dreamed about him. Anyway, David Miller comes running up the beach wearing all white, you know like you'd wear in an ad for Nautica or something. Everyone kept their clothes on, it wasn't even remotely dirty, just kind of weird to wake up after having the mayor do a cameo in your dream.
So my little amateur psychoanalysts and dream analysts, what does it all mean?

Would William Lyon Mackenzie put up with this shit?!

Poor David Miller, I bet William Lyon Mackenzie never had to deal with this sort of diva-ish bullshit, it's called childish in the article, but I've never seen children behave so badly on class photo day. I can't believe those supposedly fiscally responsible right wing councillors cost us all 1000+ dollars.

Squabbling scuttles council photo
Feb 06, 2007 11:44 AM
John Spears
CITY HALL BUREAU
Toronto's new city council isn't yet picture perfect.
Plans to take a formal portrait of the new council were cancelled this morning after the councillors squabbled over who should sit where.

Left-wing councillors blamed several right wingers -- including Mike Del Grande, Case Ootes and Denzil Minnan-Wong -- for refusing to take the photographer's direction and sit where they were asked.

Councillor Kyle Rae described the incident as the "lowest depth of childishness."

"It was like watching a 3-year-old have a temper tantrum," he said.

For their part, the right-wing councillors accused Mayor David Miller of having a "hissy fit" over the disagreement and abruptly cancelling the 9 a.m. photo shoot.

In past years, seating for the council's photo has been organized on the spot, with the mayor and deputies front and centre, and other councillors arranged roughly in order of height.

This year, the plan was to have the new executive committee in the front row flanking the mayor, with a few other key councillors -- such as Speaker Sandra Bussin and budget chief Shelley Carroll -- in the second row, right behind the mayor.

The city's communications and protocol staff had worked out a detailed plan for the photo on that basis, with each councillor assigned a specific slot.

But some councillors sat or stood where they wanted, and refused to move when shown the photo plan, according to other councillors.

When they refused to move, Miller cancelled the session. A city photographer had been booked but additional equipment rentals ran to "at least $1,000" for the aborted shoot, city spokesperson Brad Ross said.

Councillor David Shiner blamed Miller for the fiasco.

"It was very childish and no way to provide leadership to this council, to storm off because you can't have the people sit where you think they should sit in the picture," Shiner said.

But Councillor Howard Moscoe said the recalcitrant councillors, who form the main opposition to Miller, were to blame. A former elementary school teacher, he called their conduct "worthy of a Grade 6 class."

"They have the right to oppose, but it ought to be on issues, and it ought to be intelligent, thoughtful opposition," Moscoe said.

Minnan-Wong said he was never told there was a pre-arranged seating plan.

"No one asked me to move," he added.

However, Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker said Minnan-Wong and Ootes both refused when the photographer asked if one of them could move .

De Baeremaeker said he moved from one side of the group to the other when asked.

The Very Good, Not Bad, Fabulous Day

Well, when I got out of bed yesterday, I dragged my ass a bit. I'd promised to go and knock on doors to get people out to vote in the municipal election. You just can't underestimate how much people hate having someone knock on their door. I hate it too, I understand, but if you don't want me at our door, then vote at the advance polls or right when you get up in the morning on election day.

So, I didn't feel like heading out, I took a bath, wondered if I'd get a call back about the job interview I had the day after I got back from Africa. Sat around with wet hair for a few minutes. And then the phone rang. I got that job.

Then I headed out to knock on doors. It wasn't great, but it was way better than last time.

Then I went to Canadian Tire to try to buy pads for skating practice tonight, griping about how they wouldn't have them because they are out of season. They actually had a set for 30 bucks.
Then I got word that practice was going to be a meeting instead, and it turned into beer and dinner and a very pleasant evening. On the way home, I found a valid TTC day pass lying on the ground.
I headed home, ordered some celebratory takeout with the dude, and watched the election results. My favourite mayor in the world won, and so did the councillor I was doing election day work for.

A very satisfying day.

New York City

Alright my readers, after much anticipation, here is my account of my trip to the big apple....
Last week my friend P called me up to announce that she was going to New York City for the weekend. She said her parents were driving down to visit friends and she was tagging along. Now I've been on vacation with P's family in the past and they drive her mental, and for some reason they think I'm the bee's knees. So, I asked if there was any room for me in the car. I wasn't doing anything better in Toronto, that's for sure. I called my mom to tell her I was leaving town only to have to listen to the inevitable fretting about me getting my body cavities searched at the border, loosing my passport, getting mugged, beaten and god-knows what else. I'm not saying my mother's fears are unfounded, I'm just saying that if my mother had nothing worthwhile to worry about, then she'd worry about something that wasn't worthwhile.

P's family lives down near the American border (an hour an a half drive out of the city) so the night before the trip we take the bus down to her parents place. Now I don't know if any of you have ever tried to take a bus out of town on Holy Thursday night, but it's insane at the terminal. And huge line-ups and being packed in the bus like sardines doesn't bother me nearly as much as the inevitable run-in with people you don't want to run into at the bus terminal. I'm particularly sensitive to this because I hate running into anybody, ever. And running into someone you don't want to see at the bus terminal is much worse than running into them on the street, because there is always the chance that you're going to the same place and you'll have to sit next to them on the bus. So I walk into the terminal, gritting my teeth, trying to look for P without making eye contact with anyone I might have to make awkward conversation with - this is a difficult balancing act. Anyway, I did run into someone, my pal Core who wasn't going anywhere at all, just happened to be in the neighbourhood to pick up some tickets for another time. The first time ever I ran into someone I like at the bus terminal. A good omen for the beginning of a trip.

We get down to P's hometown, her mom picks us up, Miss Ash joins us, P's mom serves us an amazing dinner, then announces that we're leaving at 5 am the next morning. So we headed out for a drink anyway. Now, I don't know if 19 (the drinking age in Ontario) is younger now than it was when I was 19, or if I behaved this way too and was oblivious to it's effects on others, but, my god, some of the people at the bar we went to were obnoxious!

4:30 am, dear God that's early! The bridge over Niagara Falls isn't nearly as fun at that hour either, did you know that they turn the lights off on the falls at some point of the night? It make sense I suppose.

Half way there, we stop at a McDonald's and in the line next to us were a huge Pennsylvania Dutch family, dressed in traditional clothes, so cool. I thought eating at McDonald's would be verboten for them.

We get into NYC, miss an exit, get lost, get directions from a woman named Lakeesha and know we've arrived.

Now the friend we are staying with, the Hegelian, has recently become religious and was planning on attending Good Friday mass. I thought, a nice old church in New York, the holiest day of the year... why not go to mass with her. We get there, meet up with her, and head into mass, P's Muslim, at least culturally - I've seen her eat a whole lot of pork lately, so we know she's not devout. Anyway, the service is nice enough, until they get to the point where they venerate the cross. The venerated that darn cross for like 3 hours. P fell asleep. Then they had communion and everyone started to get up and go to the front row by row again - P looked at me like a deer caught in headlights. Thankfully, the communion went much faster and we headed to a nearby sushi restaurant to eat some fish.

The next morning we had canolis and egg and sausage rolls and headed into the city and straight down to battery park to catch the Staten Island ferry. I've done this before a couple of times, but P had never done it, we got some cute pictures. Then we went shopping. Oh how we shopped. Steve Madden shoes, they are sooo lovely, you can get them in Toronto, but in NYC they have a whole store devoted to the man. Then we went for dinner at a Cuban restaurant in Soho, the Habana Cafe. I can't talk enough about how good their roasted corn was. It was so good, I'm salivating while I write this. It was roasted, then rubbed with lime, then sprinkled with cheese then sprinkled with spices and finished off with a dab of mayo. The rest of the food was good, but that corn, that corn! I need more of that corn. After that we went to a bar called Max Fish. Cute decor, friendly patrons, I met a guy named Stan, he started hitting on me, then realized too late that he'd played his cards wrong and made his commitment too early - I was the only one in my posse who wasn't single, but once you hit on one girl in a group, it's too late to back pedal and try to hit on another one in the same group. Stan, tried anyway. It didn't work.
The next morning we headed straight for White Castle for breakfast. Sooo tasty. P thought it would be terrible, but really liked the clam strips. Then we went shopping for ghetto fabulous clothes for P. Then we headed into the city again and were late meeting the Hegelian after Easter mass on the upper east side. Here's my question about the upper east side, are blue double breasted blazers with gold buttons back in fashion and I don't know it? Or is this the only pocket of the world where they are still in fashion, or are they in an 80s time warp? What's the deal. It wasn't just old guys who were dressed that way either. Blue double breasted blazer with gold buttons, khaki pants, and loafers? I don't get it. Someone please explain...
Anyway, we headed into Central Park with our papers. P got the Sunday New York Times. I got the Vanity Fair with my boyfriend David Miller in it. I'd never normally buy Vanity Fair, so I had to flip through to make sure that it was the David Miller issue, horrible picture of him though, he's looked much better. Vanity Fair had better articles than I was expecting.
We grabbed some Pizza and headed for Serendipity - the cafe made famous by the John Cusack movie of the same name. We had an hour and a half wait, so we headed for a nearby bar, better than sitting on the sidewalk with our Let's Go New York guidebooks and our windbreakers looking like tourists - shudder! Every time I go to NYC I always worry about looking like a tourist asking for directions, pulling out the guide book or a map, but then I get there and I realize that there are so many tourists there, that it doesn't even matter.
Serendipity was cool, the frozen hot chocolate was tasty. P couldn't stop eating it, even though it made her so cold she started shivering. She could barely get her spoon in her mouth but she wouldn't stop eating it. Then she asked me for my sweater so she could warm up and keep eating - I said no way Katherine Hepburn! She tried to protest but then she dropped a spoonful of her chocolate on her self the very next moment. This may seem harsh, but thanks to my bum knee and all the stairs we had go up and down in New York, P called me 'Gimpy' the whole trip - as in, "Come on, hurry up on those stairs Gimpy!"
After Serendipity we headed back to the Bronx and played NY themed Monopoly. It was me, P, the Hegelian, and a male friend of the Hegelian from school, I can't remember his name, let's call him Andrew. I love Monopoly, especially when I'm winning. I love to trash talk, and make deals, and I've been described, when playing Monopoly, as insufferable. The girls tried to explain this trait of my personality to Andrew, seeing as we'd only just met and I seem like a lovely person when I'm not playing Monopoly. They even tried to do an impression of my Muwahahaha winning Monopoly laugh and the way I fan my money. Anyway, it was obviously not descriptive enough for Andrew because while the girls where trying to freeze me out and get everyone to gang up against me, Andrew continued to deal with me. Needles to say I won and everyone was, as usual, disgusted with me by the end of the game. I love Monopoly.

We drove back bright and early the next morning and P's parents dropped us at the bus station. Now if you thought the bus was busy on the way out of Toronto, we had to stand in the aisle of the bus the whole way back.

Transit money finally comes through

Click on the title and go see the picture on The Star's website, it's excellent.

After posing for a picture on the Union Station subway platform, Mayor David Miller makes his way back to city hall with the city’s first gas tax instalment, which he received from federal ministers John Godfrey, Joe Volpe and Tony Ianno yesterday as a giant novelty cheque for $24,450,000. The city will get $407 million over five years. Story, B1.

Finally, mayor gets transit bucks

Huge cheque turns heads

Soon, it may turn around transit
JOHN SPEARSCITY HALL BUREAU

Nothing grabs attention quite like the sight of a tall, blond mayor stalking the city's streets and subway system carrying a giant cheque for $24.45 million.
Wearing a grin and toting the cheque, Miller hopped the subway to carry the symbolic payment from the federal government back to his office at Toronto City Hall after a news conference at Union Station.
"Tremendous. Long overdue," a beaming Cindy Winwood said after waving to the mayor with his cheque as they both boarded the subway at Union.
Winwood, a TTC regular for 20 years, says she's "never had a complaint" about the service, but figures it could use some money for improvements.
"A lot of the buses are outdated; they don't have the handicapped facilities that they should have," she said.
A cab driver did a double-take at the mayor as he strolled with his cheque along Queen St.
"Isn't that John Tory?" he asked his passenger. (Miller defeated Tory in the last election; Tory now leads the Ontario Conservatives.)
The $24.45 million presented to Miller yesterday is the first instalment of federal gas-tax money that Ottawa has agreed to turn over to Toronto and other cities for environmentally sustainable projects. Toronto will spend it on public transit.
The city is slated to get $48 million this year. The sum will rise each year for five years until the flow is maintained at an annual level of $162 million, said federal Infrastructure Minister John Godfrey.
Toronto's total over the first five years will be $407.3 million, plus $197 million expected to be doled out over two years as a result of an NDP-Liberal amendment to the federal budget.
The Toronto Transit Commission plans to buy hundreds of buses, subway cars and streetcars with the help of provincial and federal funds. Miller said keeping the current system in good repair and expanding surface service are priorities.
"The TTC has an ambitious plan to expand using buses and streetcar right-of-ways," he said after receiving the cheque.
Extending the subway to York University is desirable, but the $1.5 billion price tag is an obstacle, he said.
"We would like to do that; it's important, but we have to take care of the system we have first," he said. "Then we have to expand where we can using buses and streetcars, and then subways. Those are the priorities."
Ontario Finance Minister Greg Sorbara, whose government would share the cost of extending the line, said earlier this week that he wants to start building the York subway "earlier rather than later."
Miller praised the timing of the new federal funding.
"With gasoline prices going through the roof, funding for public transit has never been more important. The best way to keep people from being held hostage at the gas pump is to give them a real alternative to driving."
Godfrey echoed Miller's sentiments when asked whether Ottawa, which has a comfortable surplus, would consider cutting the gas tax to ease the cost of gasoline. Godfrey said the tax isn't one of the principal factors driving up gasoline prices.
"It is appropriate that we're taking gas-tax money and putting it into public transit. This is absolutely the time to be doing that," he said.
Miller said he hopes to see more co-operation — and more money — from Ottawa.
"What I see is the partnership that has happened between the City of Toronto and the federal government only growing," he said.
Toronto "is the only city in this country that has a direct agreement with the federal government for transit funding."
Marilyn Churley, New Democrat MPP for Toronto-Danforth, said the federal government should put the windfall revenue it's receiving from the spike in gasoline prices into public transit.
"They didn't take that opportunity," she said. "The money they announced today is welcome, but that money was spent yesterday."

Now Slams David Miller Totally Unnecessarily

News Feature

Mayor Miller keen on long-term greening, but will he be quick enough on haze?

Photo By Debra Friedman

Miller clears the air

Mayor David Miller has responded to the smog emergency plan we ran in last week's issue. Here's what he said – and what we think he might have meant.

ON ROAD TOLLS FOR THE DVP AND GARDINER

What Miller says: "I'm not going to impose tolls, because I said I wouldn't [during the election]. In my view, you run to do certain things in an election. You tell people what you're going to do and then you do it. That one I was clear about. One of the reasons we need the City Of Toronto Act from the province is that we have very limited powers on this stuff. One of the things the act will allow us to do is be a bit more creative."

In other words: If the pressure gets really big on this one I might consider it when I run again.

ON CLOSING DOWNTOWN TO CARS DURING SMOG ADVISORIES

What Miller says: "I'm more for building our network of designated streetcar and bus lanes."

In other words: I haven't yet accepted that smog is an emergency, so I feel I have time to work at some of the longer-term transit issues.

ON MAKING TRANSIT FREE ON SMOG DAYS

What Miller says: "We've done a few things with Metropasses. Once you get a pass in people's hands, they tend to take transit much more. That's why I've focused my efforts on creating the weekly pass and making the Metropass transferable, because that makes people much more regular transit users."

In other words: I can't really get the energy up to confront the financial implications of waiving fares.

ON INTRODUCING A SURCHARGE ON PARKING TICKETS TO PAY FOR FREE TRANSIT ON SMOG DAYS

What Miller says: "First time I've heard of that idea. I don't even know if it's legally possible, but it's an interesting, creative idea that's worth considering."

In other words: It's an interesting, creative idea that's worth considering.

ON BANNING ALL TRUCKS AND LARGE DIESEL-POWERED VEHICLES IN THE CORE ON SMOG DAYS

What Miller says: "I don't know how we'd do it, but I think we really do have to look at the amount of large, diesel-powered vehicles in the core on smog days. The idea of finding a policy that addresses that makes sense to me."

In other words: Business will howl, but I'm feeling a bit behind the curve here - think I'll do some boning up.

ON BANNING THE USE OF GAS-POWERED LAWN AND GARDEN EQUIPMENT AND ALL CITY FUEL-FIRED STREET WORK ON SMOG DAYS

What Miller says: "We're already trying to do that within the city. A number of the things you're suggesting are in effect. If you're saying the city's smog plan should be made into bylaws to require everybody to behave, I think the situation is serious enough that we should have a very strong look at that."

In other words: I don't have an argument here. It sounds too reasonable.

ON MAKING IDENTIFIABLE NEIGHBOURHOOD PEDESTRIAN-ONLY ZONES

What Miller says: "The city has not abandoned its policy to set up pedestrian zones. We're trying to create more opportunities to have car-free areas in the city more often. I think what happened with Kensington Sundays is that Kensington Market changed its mind at the last minute and therefore ran afoul of the political process. They originally didn't want to renew the request (for pedestrian-only Sundays), then changed their minds. It's an evolutionary plan. People like it. Businesses in some neighbourhoods are concerned. Quebec City made a whole area a pedestrian mall and it was a complete disaster. It became a very unfriendly place to go."

In other words: There are a lot of interests to balance here. What a headache. I'm going to take my time, thank you very much.

ON EXPANDING THE BIKE NETWORK

What Miller says: "We've virtually doubled funding for the bike network."

In other words: I suspect NOW doesn't think that's good enough.

ON SEPARATED BIKE LANES TO ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO DON'T RIDE BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID OF TRAFFIC

What Miller says: "I think that would only be possible where we're reconstructing roads, but even then it would be very difficult financially. We already have a $1.1 billion deficit."

In other words: Dream on.

ON EXCLUSIVE BIKE RIGHT-OF-WAYS ON MAJOR NORTH-SOUTH AND EAST-WEST ROUTES ON SMOG DAYS

What Miller says: "It's an interesting idea."

In other words: I can only imagine the mess negotiating with shopkeepers on this one.

ON INCREASING THE NUMBER OF BYLAW OFFICERS TO TICKET MOTORISTS WHO IDLE

What Miller says: "We'll keep doing blitzes. That'll be the approach. I haven't read the bylaw recently, but I don't think we're giving a pass on very hot days, because every time I take a cab on a hot day [the drivers are] complaining about the idling bylaw."

In other words: This is just too sticky an issue to tackle head on.

ON ASKING BUSINESSES TO ADOPT A CASUAL DRESS POLICY

What Miller says: "Businesses need to have smog plans as well. Casual dress may be part of it. Encouraging and facilitating carpooling may be another."

In other words: It's the least employers can do.

ON THE CITY BREAKING ITS PROMISE TO BUY 25 PER CENT OF ITS ELECTRICITY FROM GREEN POWER SOURCES LAST YEAR

What Miller says: "I've made some inquiries. Obviously, we need to be doing better. It's just not good enough."

In other words: Hell, yeah. I'm embarrassed, too.

Updates

So I'm sure you all recall that a while ago I posted an article about David Miller talking a suicidal man off the railing at city hall and I said several candid things about him and how I think he's awesome. Well, Bill, who is not only my godfather but an information nexus decided that David Miller must know about this and emailed my comments to his EA who showed them to him. Apparently he blushed. And then, when I found out about it I blushed. Do you ever remember being in middle school and having a secret or not-so-secret crush on someone and then some other kid tells the person you have a crush on and you feel incredibly silly. That's how silly I feel. I can't help it though, remember the bad old days when Mel was the mayor and his crazy antics and the time he was afraid to go to Africa lest he be "boiled in a pot"? Remember that, it was bad. I can't even imagine what Mel would have done if there was a suicidal guy outside his office wanting to talk to him. He probably would have sent out the cardboard cutout he had of himself in his office and tried to get a police officer stand behind it and pretend to be the mayor. Or maybe he would have gotten so frazzled he would have given himself another black eye with a phone receiver. Sheesh!
On another update topic, I mentioned that my house guest had gotten food poisoning at a hot dogs cart and rashly mentioned which one it was, on further reflection, we decided that that wasn't the only place he had eaten that day and that it might have also been possible that he'd gotten sick from draught beer from dirty beer taps. I've now taken that post down and I apologize for any business that the hot dog vendor lost as a result of my post (I doubt that he lost much business from you folks though - all you tofu eating, PC, vegetarian SOBs!)

David Miller - Man of the Hour

Oh man, I love that David Miller! I mean it. He's so awesome, and he has great politics and he's so attractive. I can't think of a single thing I don't like about him. I wonder if he has a fan club or if I could start one. And on top of all that he's brave.

Man armed with knife calmed down by mayor

By OLIVER MOORE AND JEFF GRAY
Friday, June 24, 2005 Updated at 5:29 AM EDT
From Friday's Globe and Mail

A suicidal man armed with a knife was coaxed to safety by Troonto Mayor David Miller yesterday in a frightening incident that called into question security procedures at City Hall.
Carrying a small knife, the man was able to make it to just outside the mayor's office without being searched. The building is open to the public, although there are security officers "watching the front door."
"There's a clear security presence at City Hall, but you don't go through a metal detector," said Patchen Barss, the mayor's spokesman.
Even when council is in session, he added, visitors to the chamber are monitored by security but are not scanned for weapons.
The man appeared at Mr. Miller's second-floor office and asked to speak to someone on his staff.
A spokesman for the mayor said that the incident escalated until the man was straddling the railing of the balcony of City Hall's massive rotunda, holding the knife blade to his own throat.
His yells attracted the attention of people nearby.
"It was quite loud. There was a lot of shouting," Mr. Barss said.
Staff came out to see what was the matter, but backed off when they saw what was going on. The commotion also attracted the attention of the mayor, who came out of his office and began speaking with the man.
Mr. Miller was able to persuade him to get off the railing and surrender the knife. The mayor was giving no interviews about the incident.
"Quite frankly, he doesn't want to talk about it," Mr. Barss said.
In a statement, Mr. Miller said that yesterday's experience gave him an idea of what rescue crews and mental-health workers deal with on a daily basis. "I would like to thank the Toronto Police Service for their speed, professionalism and compassion," he said.
Police with 52 Division, which includes City Hall, said that they had responded to a call about a man threatening suicide.
Under the terms of the Mental Health Act, they can apprehend someone who is believed likely to harm themselves.
Mr. Barss said he saw the tail end of the incident, arriving before police took the man away.
He said the man, who appeared to be in his 40s, did not directly threaten the mayor or anyone else in the area.
Regular police officers and Emergency Task Force members took the man into custody, bound for a mental-health assessment in hospital.
Witnesses in Mr. Miller's office "were a little shaken up" but work, and the mayor's scheduled meetings, resumed.
"I am overwhelmingly relieved that this man is safe and that he is now being cared for," Mr. Miller said in his statement.

Another week dawns in the working world

So I'm back at it again after a not-particularly-restfull weekend. I'm coming to the conclusion that those studies which link even minor alcohol consumption to significant lapses in memory and cognitive skills are quite correct, I don't feel very smart today. On the other hand, I had an awesome time at the wedding I attended and it was so good to see Benita Carlock and Mr. Balloon on Sunday.

By the way, I don't know if any of the rest of you noticed this, but there's now an organic ice cream parlour in Kensington market. They have a picture on one of their fridges of David Miller chowing down on some Chai ice cream - man, I still love that guy, the honeymoon isn't over for me. I had the Vanilla Cardamom flavour, it was delicious.

I think I'll spend the rest of the day googling the unwitting saps around me and of course reading about radiation sickness in Nagasaki.

Ding Dong Fantino's Gone! Ding Dong The Wicked Witch Is Dead!

I was on the subway the other day contemplating this exact same subject as I listened to two TTC employees discussing their driving commutes back to Barrie. If you work for the TTC or the Toronto Police, wouldn't you be more likely to do a good job if you or your family were likely to be affected by the level of service and policies of the organization? I'd much rather see the people who work there, living in Toronto too. And don't give me any BS about it being expensive to live downtown, because I do and I'm not rolling in dough, I just prefer to live within my means in a home that is small enough that I'm not wasting fossil fuels on heating a monstrosity of a house or wasting gas on driving everywhere I go - shouldn't TTC employees be on board with that?

P.S. I love David Miller. Seriously, I'm not kidding, I love the man.

Jan. 25, 2005. 08:22 AM
"I think it's very important symbolically (that the chief live in Toronto)." Mayor David Miller:

Mayor seeks live-in chief Top cop should live in Toronto but can't be asked to do so Miller seeking to participate in key candidate interviews

BRUCE DEMARA

CITY HALL BUREAU

Toronto's next chief of police should live in the city, though that's a requirement that can't be enforced, says Mayor David Miller.
Following a closed-door session with the Star's editorial board, Miller also said he would like to participate in the interview process for the new chief.
"One of my criteria for police chief is that the chief have an intimate understanding of the city and I think it's very important symbolically (that the chief live in Toronto)," Miller said.
Miller said U.S. cities like Chicago can require municipal employees to live within civic boundaries, but the idea is a non-starter in Canada.
"My understanding is the City of Toronto and its agencies because the Charter (of Rights and Freedoms) allows freedom of mobility can't make that (residency) request," he added.

Police Chief Julian Fantino, who leaves Feb. 28, lives in Vaughan, just north of Toronto.
The police services board yesterday named retired deputy chief Mike Boyd as acting chief, effective March 1, until Fantino's replacement is named. Boyd retired from the force last April 1.
The issue of Toronto's high cost of housing has simmered among local police officers for years.
In 2002, when the force began recruiting retired officers to bolster its ranks after nearly 500 staff had left the previous year, numerous rank and file officers cited the cost of housing as their reason for leaving.
That year, Fantino and retired Toronto Police Association president Craig Bromell said city police needed to be the highest paid in the country as a financial incentive to stay put.
In 1996, former police services board chair Susan Eng urged the force to consider a residency requirement as part of its campaign to hire 300 officers.
The strife-torn police services board only agreed in October to begin the lengthy process of replacing Fantino, and interviews aren't expected to begin until next month.
Deputy Chief Steve Reesor, an obvious choice to serve as acting chief, announced earlier this month his own retirement from the force.
Miller, who will join the police services board in June after delegating his spot for the first 18 months of his three-year term, said he will send a letter to board members shortly asking to be present at the main interviews.