you Don't Say... March 23, 2012

I'm not saying that Mayor Ford needs a pacifier, but he sure is acting like a crybaby about this whole LRT vs. Subway thing. First, he threw together some 11th-hour parking fee proposal to try to generate revenue to build and sustain more subway stops. Then he postponed the vote on the Transit City LRT plan in council by a day and stormed out without talking to the media. Then after the vote to build above-ground trains and streets cars on Eglinton, Finch and Sheppard, killing Ford's subway wet dream, the mayor was angrily brooding and suggesting he was going to ask Premier Daulton McGuinty not to fund the public transit project that the majority of GTA residents and City Council support. Time to grow up and suck it up, Mr. Mayor. You didn't get what you wanted and one of your key election promises was just broken, but the decision was made after a thorough investigation of all options, consultations with experts and democratic votes and debates in the council chambers. The reality is that the Sheppard subway extension would cost over $3 billion to finish and a huge chunk of cash to sustain, while LRT trains and tracks will serve 3 neighbourhoods and cost less to maintain in the long run. The right choice was made. Now Rob Ford must live with it or risk alienating his allies even more and making himself completely irrelevant.

Here's a couple clips to see the mild mannered mayor in action:

Before the LRT vote


A CBC Report on the Council Vote and Aftermath



I'm not saying it's going to revive their playoff chances, but it will be fun to see Ryan Hamilton and Nazim Kadri in the lineup for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the New Jersey Devils tonight. Hamilton has battled through injuries for hundreds of minor league games and deserves a chance to make a name for himself in the NHL. Kadri, on the other hand, has a chance to show that he has a better all-around game and that his defence is good enough to keep him in the NHL now. These callups only have upside, as the Leafs are going nowhere this year and they may discover 2 NHL-ready forwards who can make a difference for the team in 2012-2013.

Ryan Hamilton scores a goal from his back