Do you ever wonder why policing budgets rise in Ontario when the crime rate falls? At Illuminated By Street Lamps, I argue Ontario has been, and remains, among the jurisdictions at the forefront of a business-friendly neoliberal agenda in Canada, despite rising structural unemployment, major challenges in the core manufacturing sector
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Illuminated By Street Lamps: Ontario: A leading jurisdiction for intense, coercive neoliberalism
By Joe Fantauzzi@jjfantauzzi Global capitalism has liberalized incrementally since the end of the Second World War. As the Keynesian welfare state fell out of favour in the late 1970s amid a stagnating economy and rising government spending, a new business-friendly approach dubbed neoliberalism (literally, “new liberalism”), emerged and ushered in
Continue readingMelissa Fong: Electronic music, raves & Toronto’s moral panic on drugs
…they do the work because they want to re-produce the type of city they want to live- the type of city that is worth living in. … …not all entertainment is built the same- some of these very worth while performers and promotors can’t jump through your hoops, or will
Continue readingThings Are Good: Toronto: Bring Back the War on Cars
This year Toronto is witnessing a mayoral race between the worst mayor the city has ever seen and a few people who want his job. Not one candidate has come out to support bicycle based transportation (instead they debate how to better get cars through the city and not people).
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: 10 Things to Know About the At Home/Chez Soi Study
On Tuesday, April 8, results of the Mental Health Commission of Canada‘s At Home/Chez Soi homelessness study will be released at an Ottawa press conference. The study followed more than 2,000 participants in five Canadian cities. All were homeless when the study began. Half of them received the Housing First intervention,
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Rising Homelessness
In 2010, I wrote a blog post in which I suggested that: a) the recession of 2008-2009 would bring on increased homelessness; and b) there would be a lag effect of roughly three to five years. Indeed, I suggested that it would not be until 2014 until the full effect
Continue readingJoe Fantauzzi: Toronto’s G20 Summit As A State of Exception
At Illuminated By Streets Lamps, I have posted a paper I have written on the security apparatus put in place for the 2010 Toronto G20 Summit. I argue that the Province of Ontario employed a coercive, secretive state of exception in order to facilitate the flow of international capital during the Toronto
Continue readingJoe Fantauzzi: Toronto’s G20 Summit As A State of Exception
At Illuminated By Streets Lamps, I have posted a paper I have written on the security apparatus put in place for the 2010 Toronto G20 Summit. I argue that the Province of Ontario employed a coercive, secretive state of exception in order to facilitate the flow of international capital during the Toronto
Continue readingIlluminated By Street Lamps: The Toronto G20 Summit: A State of Exception
By Joe Fantauzzi@jjfantauzziBetween June 26 and 27, 2010, thousands of demonstrators[1] descended on Toronto, Ontario to protest while the leaders of the world’s 20 largest economies[2] met behind a protective fence built of steel and secretive legislative authority. When the tear gas cleared and the G20 Summit ended, 1,105 people had been
Continue readingJoe Fantauzzi: Locating Canada’s State Multiculturalism As A Racist Doctrine
I, like many Canadians, am a product of Canada’s state multiculturalism. My family was permitted to enter and remain in Canada, achieve legal, civil, social and economic rights and ultimately, through a gradual whitening of the Italian people in Canada, privilege. I recognize this, take it seriously and frankly, wish
Continue readingJoe Fantauzzi: Locating Canada’s State Multiculturalism As A Racist Doctrine
I, like many Canadians, am a product of Canada’s state multiculturalism. My family was permitted to enter and remain in Canada, achieve legal, civil, social and economic rights and ultimately, through a gradual whitening of the Italian people in Canada, privilege. I recognize this, take it seriously and frankly, wish
Continue readingIlluminated By Street Lamps: Locating Canada’s State Multiculturalism As A Racist Doctrine
By Joe Fantauzzi@jjfantauzziCanada is a multicultural nation. More than four decades of policy, legislation and celebration have engraved this country’s pluralism into its national character. The ethnic diversity of this country is presented globally as a fundamental strength of the Canadian nation. But massive structural inequalities which have not been
Continue readingThings Are Good: TradeCity: A Game That Shows You Your Own City
TradeCity: Toronto is a new expeirmental art game made by Golboo Amani that begins April 1st (no fooling’) and runs to the 12th. The game is set in Toronto and you need to physically traverse the city to play the game. TradeCity will expose players to really cool organizations in
Continue readingJoe Fantauzzi: A Few Questions About Toronto’s Relationship With The Province
Since we’re in the midst of an election, I think it’s a good time to ask some ex istential questions about Toronto and its relationship with the province. [View the story “A few questions about Toronto’s relationship with the province” on Storify]
Continue readingJoe Fantauzzi: A Few Questions About Toronto’s Relationship With The Province
Since we’re in the midst of an election, I think it’s a good time to ask some ex istential questions about Toronto and its relationship with the province. [View the story “A few questions about Toronto’s relationship with the province” on Storify]
Continue readingTrashy's World: As O-Town doesn’t really have a Mayoral race to speak of…
… this political junkie has to find another one to follow and enjoy. And Toronto, the land of the crack-smoking, loud, obnoxious, and the tacky champion of all Torontonians with a sub 75 IQ, is the place to watch. Especially now that Olivia Chow is resigning her seat in the
Continue readingAutonomy For All: Toronto Needs Progressive Property Taxation
In November, the TTC board decided to raise fares for 2014 by approximately $60/year for people who buy metropasses every month. Many have already noted that this amount is the same as the $60 VRT that Mayor Ford and Council repealed early in thi…
Continue readingAutonomy For All: Toronto Needs Progressive Property Taxation
In November, the TTC board decided to raise fares for 2014 by approximately $60/year for people who buy metropasses every month. Many have already noted that this amount is the same as the $60 VRT that Mayor Ford and Council repealed early in this term. Quite plausibly, this is a
Continue readingAutonomy For All: Toronto Needs Progressive Property Taxation
In November, the TTC board decided to raise fares for 2014 by approximately $60/year for people who buy metropasses every month. Many have already noted that this amount is the same as the $60 VRT that Mayor Ford and Council repealed early in this term. Quite plausibly, this is a
Continue readingAutonomy For All: Yes, Rob Ford is Currently Losing
There’s still some confusion about this. Ford is the incumbent. He has as close to 100% name recognition and voter awareness as any politician can possibly attain. Short of people who have particular mental illnesses or who purposely avoid all news, it’s difficult to imagine any potential voters in the
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