Earlier in the Mayoral campaign, with the unsurprising exception of Ford, the other four (then) “major” candidates (Chow, Stintz, Tory, Soknacki) solidified their positions on property taxes around a general consensus that such taxes should match infla…
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Autonomy For All: Sadly, Tying Property Taxes To Inflation Is Progress
Earlier in the Mayoral campaign, with the unsurprising exception of Ford, the other four (then) “major” candidates (Chow, Stintz, Tory, Soknacki) solidified their positions on property taxes around a general consensus that such taxes should match inflation. A number of people whose views I respect have written some thoughtful pieces
Continue readingAutonomy For All: Sadly, Tying Property Taxes To Inflation Is Progress
Earlier in the Mayoral campaign, with the unsurprising exception of Ford, the other four (then) “major” candidates (Chow, Stintz, Tory, Soknacki) solidified their positions on property taxes around a general consensus that such taxes should match inflation. A number of people whose views I respect have written some thoughtful pieces
Continue readingJoe Fantauzzi: Rob Ford’s Political Body
Toronto’s Rob Ford lives a political life. Both his bare existence and his public personae have taken on a politicization since he entered municipal governance. Plainly said, his weight and other biological issues have become just as political as his public life as “mayor” of the City of Toronto. The Ancient
Continue readingEh Types: Progressively Worse
Toronto seemed gripped in a mix of terror and disbelief yesterday. Rumours Wednesday night were a new poll would show Ford in the lead. Yesterday the poll while having Tory in front, had a significant bump for Ford. Panic ensued as though a raccoon army had arrived carrying signs that
Continue readingAutonomy For All: The "SmartTrack" Political Context
SmartTrack: Politician designed transit works surprisingly well…for politicians To recap: John Tory has centred his Mayoral campaign on a promise to build a heavy surface rail (he calls “surface subway”) electrified line 53KM long that mostly uses 2 …
Continue readingAutonomy For All: The "SmartTrack" Political Context
SmartTrack: Politician designed transit works surprisingly well…for politicians To recap: John Tory has centred his Mayoral campaign on a promise to build a heavy surface rail (he calls “surface subway”) electrified line 53KM long that mostly uses 2 existing GO-Transit non-electrified lines and builds 12KM of new track along Eglinton
Continue readingAutonomy For All: The "SmartTrack" Political Context
SmartTrack: Politician designed transit works surprisingly well…for politicians To recap: John Tory has centred his Mayoral campaign on a promise to build a heavy surface rail (he calls “surface subway”) electrified line 53KM long that mostly uses 2 existing GO-Transit non-electrified lines and builds 12KM of new track along Eglinton
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Gazonto: Imagining Toronto Being Bombed Like Gaza (Video)
With short film, Gazonto, Canadian filmmaker and activist John Greyson reimagines Toronto as Gaza being bombed by Israel during the ongoing Gaza conflict. The post Gazonto: Imagining Toronto Being Bombed Like Gaza (Video) appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingJoe Fantauzzi: The Militarization of Police: But Why?
Since the beginning of the year, several stories in high-profile mainstream media publications have examined what some find to be the increasing militarization of police forces in North America. In March, The Economist wrote a feature on the phenomenon noting that the use of tactical units, which are often armed with
Continue readingEh Types: No Surrender
Anyone who plays chess, as I like to pretend I do, knows there comes a time when surrender is the only strategy left to you. Having matched wits with your opponent and found yours lacking, knowing defeat is inevitable you lay down your King and concede. That happens at the
Continue readingMy journey with AIDS...and more!: I’m Thinking, “This is Going to Hurt!”: On ‘How Not to Deal with Grief’
From my friend Betty Ann on her Facebook page: “This article deeply moved me…as I suspect it will for any of you who have been impacted by the kind of grief associated with multiple loss, deaths due to overdose and or HIV/AIDS. Rather than just clicking on “like”, can you
Continue readingEh Types: Running to Lead
A small number are willing to re-elect Rob Ford. They are going down with his ship as surely as the Titanic’s band. It is encouraging that these people are in the minority, and most recognize Toronto is desperately in need of a new Mayor. However, while people clearly want a
Continue readingJoe Fantauzzi: Needed: A Real Deal For Cities
Over at NinetyTwoPointEight, I have written a post about the need for substantive discussion during the ongoing Toronto municipal election about freeing up the city from the paternalism of its relationship with and dependance on the province of Ontario. Here is the link: Election 2014: A Lost Opportunity To Push For
Continue readingJoe Fantauzzi: Why I Stopped Calling Myself A Progressive
Progress can mean a lot of things. The achievement by marginalized people of social citizenship. Collective movement toward big goals that make life better on a societal scale. State intervention with the aim of lessening the burden caused by the market. Smoke from an oil field and tailing ponds as the economy chugs
Continue readingJoe Fantauzzi: Ontario’s Early Economic Development: A Political Economic Analysis
When writing about her adopted home of Ontario in Roughing it in the Bush, settler Susanna Moodie recalls penning a letter to Lieutenant-Governor Sir George Arthur requesting that he continue her husband’s service in the militia in the aftermath of the Upper Canada Rebellion, so that the family could pay
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Canada’s Car Culture Criticized
Glad to see some Danes standing up for Canada. A Canadian stands up for the Danes. The Danes stand up for themselves. A few points have arisen as a result of this discussion, largely in defence of “car culture.” I’d like to address them if I may: We love our
Continue readingEh Types: How To Beat Ford
There can be no one left in their right mind who supports re-electing Rob Ford. I’m all for differences of political opinion. We can hold different ideas on transit, the environment, what sort of development is best for the city. However, if you want to re-elect a corrupt substance abusing
Continue readingEh Types: Running Scared
Aside from enough profanity to make the navy blush, there are several words to describe Rob Ford. A few that often come to my mind are incompetent, liar, corrupt, racist, misogynist, homophobe, and criminal associate. I think after profanity, those would top most people’s list. Since his return I’d add
Continue readingEh Types: Send in the Clown
It was nice while it lasted. The last two months in Toronto’s municipal election featured policy announcements, reasonable debate, and even a few bold ideas. However, these two months have also been notable for what they haven’t featured, or should I say who. Rob Ford will be returning to work
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