Late night nonsense

Blame the late night news on CTV Toronto for this posting.

1 – There was a double homicide in northwest Toronto in the early hours of yesterday.  This occurred in a townhouse complex, known as Jamestown, that has been known to be a frequent arena for gang activity.  During this past summer, Toronto Police did some community outreach work in this area, which seemed to help.  Residents reported they felt safer and they allowed their children to play outside without worrying too much.

As part of the news coverage, the news crew interviewed some area residents.  One of these residents must be living in Neverland, not Jamestown.  Keep in mind, this area is part of a gang’s turf.  Yet this lady said she couldn’t understand how these murders happened because “nobody here has guns”.  Lady, what you mean is nobody here will admit to having a gun. According to an item on one of the news websites I follow, the local gang is called “The Jamestown Crips”.  Of course there are guns.  It’s just that they aren’t telling anyone who doesn’t need to know, and those who do know, won’t talk.

2 – In a second item, Premier Dalton McGuinty of Ontario is talking about helping Ontario farmers by helping them get their produce into local stores.  As part of an interview, he suggested that if people just spend ten dollars more on their groceries, it would help create thousands of jobs in the province.   Like the lady in item 1, Dalton is so far removed from reality it has passed the point of being ridiculous.

Dalton, I’ll try to use small words here so you might understand me.  People can’t spend ten dollars more on their groceries because they can’t afford to spend ten dollars more on their groceries.  Grocery costs keep going up (I’d have used “increasing”, but I said I’d use small words) and people are having a hard time putting food on the table now.  Rather than encourage people to spend more on Ontario produce, why don’t you try to do something about the already exorbitant cost of food.  Is there any valid reason why a loaf of bread at the discount stores still costs $1.99?   I live alone and don’t buy name brands, except for dish detergent, or unnecessary things, like cookies, yet every month my grocery bill goes up.  If you want to really help people, do something about that.  Yes, it’s great that you’re trying to help Ontario farmers.  After all, you do have a minority government which could be bought down any day, so it’s nice to try to gather votes early.

Okay, I’ve let off some steam over these idiotic statements and think I can probably sleep now.

Enjoy the rest of your week and remember to hug an artist – we need love too.

Cat.

Bring him to justice – media questions

I’m upset.  No, upset doesn’t cover it – I’m pissed.  With the Toronto media.

This past weekend a service station attendant was killed.  Someone pumped over $100 worth of gas into his vehicle, then attempted to flee without paying.  The attendant was struck by this vehicle and dragged some distance.  He later died in hospital.  The police know who they’re looking for and have issued a Public Safety Alert for this man on a charge of second degree murder.  And the media are reporting this search and publicizing the man’s name and picture.

Yes, this was a tragedy and this man deserves to be off the streets.  According to news reports, this wasn’t the first time he’d pulled a “gas and dash”.  His name was also mentioned in reference to some prowling incidents in the west end of Toronto.  Granted this was a very public event and a provincial politician, who frequently used that station, has  said he’ll try to change the law so drivers have to pay before they fill up and there is of course public outrage over the callous behaviour of that driver.

But is this really any different than the search for George Flowers?  George Flowers, aka “Mr Flowas”, according to the Public Safety Alert – and here’s the link: http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/newsreleases/pdfs/24254.pdf has been HIV positive since 1996 and never bothered telling his partners.  How many women has he sentenced to death with his silence?   The police alert was issued August 13.  To my knowledge, a local television news station, CP24, mentioned it once.  The Toronto news radio stations have the bulletin on their websites, as do some stations in western Canada – Winnipeg Manitoba, Edmonton Alberta and New Westminster BC come to mind – but it has not received the general coverage this hit and run has seen.  Why not?  I’ve since been told one of the Toronto papers had a two inch long item buried on an inside page as well.

Is it, as I wrote above, that the hit and run was such a public incident, or that a politician is involved in finding a solution to prevent the problem in the future?  Or is it that the search for a serial killer who used sex as a weapon, for that is what George Flowers is, or will be, less “glamourous” than a hit and run?  Let’s face it.  With this “gas and dash” fatality, the news crews can get footage of the station and the area and speak with people from the neighbourhood.    Other than a news anchor reporting on the search for Flowers, news footage is scarce.  His victims won’t want to appear on camera.  They have spent years in some cases trying to rebuild their lives after getting a diagnosis of HIV positive and being on television would destroy those lives and violate their privacy.  But surely the print media and radio could be doing a better job of publicizing the search for George Flowers.  I’ve been told I’m the only person who has written anything about this matter.  While I have a good number of regular readers as well as many others according to the site statistics, I don’t have the coverage commercial media has. George Flowers is as much a hazard as is Max Edwin Tutiven, the apparent driver of the SUV.  So why isn’t the media doing more?

Cat.

Ford Follies

The brothers Ford seem to have the same attitude: rules are for others.  I wrote in “The mantra is wearing thin” that Mayor Robbie is once again in trouble.  This time it stems from his football coaching.  Not only did he miss 5.5 hours of a 9 hour executive council meeting, of which he is the chair, to coach his high school football team, but it seems he has been using some of his office staffers as assistants – during business hours.  And yes, late yesterday a citizen did file a conflict of interest complaint with the city’s ethics commissioner.  But considering Robbie ignored the commissioner’s last ruling against him and that ended up in court, I doubt the complaint will really accomplish much.

According to an article in today’s online edition of The Toronto Sun, an unnamed source (they have to be protected because they aren’t authorized to speak for the mayor, but want the information known) Robbie’s staff mentioned his use of city personnel and equipment, in addition to his sloughing off his duties in favour of coaching, to him very early in his term.  Robbie’s attitude is, as I wrote above “rules, even rules he brought in as mayor, are for others” and ignored their concerns.  Rob Ford was elected on a slogan of “stop the gravy train”, meaning cut the waste at city hall.  However, when it comes to him personally and his football teams, it would appear that slogan should be “pass the gravy”, for his personal use of city property and people is the very thing he railed against during his campaign and called “gravy”.

Brother City Councillor Doug is another loose cannon.  Since the story on the football team broke earlier this week, Dougie has been popping up on various radio stations around Toronto defending his brother and making promises such as “the staff members will be brought forward so the media can speak with them.”  The main problem with his statements is that the only person who may speak for the mayor officially is his press secretary, and that ain’t Doug Ford.  City Hall says “no, the staffers will not be made available for the press”.  So, although Doug is introduced on these shows as “City Councillor Doug Ford”, in reality he’s just a guy trying to defend his brother’s idiot actions.

And of course, this entire folly is accompanied by Robbie’s mantra “it’s for the kids”.

I’m glad I don’t live in Toronto – the mayor here manages to do his job without all the nonsense Robbie seems to create – but at the same time I’m happy Robbie is the mayor because he provides so much fodder for these postings.

Enjoy the rest of your week and remember to hug an artist – we need love too.

Cat.

The mantra is wearing thin

Rob Ford, the mayor of Toronto who is currently awaiting a judge’s decision on a conflict of interest case brought by a citizen, seems to have done it again.   And once again Robbie is repeating his mantra “it’s for the kids”.

This past Tuesday, Robbie skipped the last five hours and thirty minutes (approximately) of a Council meeting.  “Why?” you ask, “What could be so important that the mayor of Canada’s largest city would miss the bulk of a Council meeting?”  What was so important was that the Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School Eagles, the high school football team he coaches, had an away game.  As he put it, as quoted in The Toronto Star of today, “If I’m not there, the kids don’t play,” Gee Robbie, perhaps it’s just as well City Council seems to have usurped your authority in Council since you seem to be absent from City Hall more than you’re present because things are still getting done in your absence.

This time though, and another potential conflict of interest should a citizen or councillor choose to file a complaint, is that some members of his staff are involved.  According to the article, Robbie started two summer teams, the Rexdale Raiders.  The article also states that  on the Raiders Facebook page, one of the staffers is shown as a contact with a personal email account given, but the telephone number is that of a city-owned and issued cell phone.  Those phones are to be used for city business only, which as far as I’m aware doesn’t include working for a football club started by the mayor.  The article, relying on an unnamed source, also said that while “one staffer did some constituency work, the staffer usually spent most of his day assisting Ford with his three teams. Using a city car, the staffer regularly picked players up and dropped them off, sometimes at school; took equipment for cleaning; and attended games and practices” according to this source.  The source also said this frequently took place during working hours.

And of course, Robbie being Robbie, he seems to think that what has become a mantra for him – “it’s for the kids” – is reason or excuse enough to once again abuse his office for personal reasons. He seems to use that mantra as some kind of magic shield that will deflect all criticism.  Doesn’t work Robbie. The mantra is wearing thin. I don’t fault the staff members – after all their boss is The Mayor and should be aware of when he’s using city personnel or equipment for personal business.  But  Robbie says “it’s for the kids” so that makes it okay. At least in his mind it’s okay.  Robbie  said during the 2010 campaign that he would quit coaching his high school team if he were elected, but he changed his mind after he took office.  That should have been a warning sign right there – that he placed a higher priority on coaching high school football than he did on being Mayor of Toronto.  One can only hope the judge in the current conflict of interest case finds him guilty and determines he be removed from office.  That should give him plenty of time “for the kids”.

To my followers and readers, enjoy the rest of your week and remember to hug an artist  we need love too.

Cat.

Bring him to justice – silence

Approximately a month ago, the Toronto Police Service issued a Public Safety Alert regarding a man named George Flowers, aka Mr Flowas, wanted for aggravated sexual assault.  According to the alert, this man was diagnosed HIV positive in 1996 but never told his sexual partners.  Here’s the link to the police alert:  http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/newsreleases/pdfs/24254.pdf

As I wrote in my original posting, “Bring him to justice”, I know two people who dated this man and therefore have an emotional interest in seeing this man off the streets.  According to what people have told me, I’m the only person who has been writing about this, trying to keep his name before the public.  I find this surprising.  Surely I can’t be the only person who knows someone whose life has been affected by this man and is willing to do their part to see him brought to justice.  Someone has suggested nobody else is writing about this from fear; that they are afraid of possible repercussions from supporters of this man.  I beg your pardon.  So if I understand this, you’re more concerned about your own well-being than you are about publicly supporting your friends?  Is that correct – you’re not willing to stand up for your friends since there may be some risk involved?  Are you sure you’re a friend?

It has been suggested that it’s the media’s job to publicize this sort of thing.  Yes, they should be doing their part, but consider just how many releases of all kinds the papers, radio and television stations receive during the course of a day.  They have to go through this flood of information and decide which of the various releases will attract the attention of their audience.  I understand CP24 did publicize this once.  A check on Google did show that many radio stations did make reference to the bulletin on their news sites, including stations as far afield as Winnipeg, Edmonton and New Westminster, B C.

I was told two weeks ago that I seem to be the only person trying to do something on this matter and that others may be afraid to speak up. I hadn’t planned on writing another “Bring him to justice” piece until either I had more concrete information, or he was in custody, but those comments have been eating at me.  And if you’re a long-time reader, you know that if something bothers me, I’m going to write about it.  Those comments have been bugging me, so this piece is the result.

To my followers and readers, enjoy your week.  Thank you for your interest in my writings and remember to hug an artist – we need love too.

Cat.

*I define “artist” as anyone who engages in a creative pursuit – art, poetry, writing, photography or anything else creative*

C.

Dear Toronto Transit Commission

If you’re planning a visit to Toronto and thinking of using transit to get around, please read this first.

Early in this coming week I need to make a trip to a Toronto Police station with regards to the investigation they are conducting into one George Flowers.  As the station is located  in a part of Toronto I don’t know well (I haven’t lived in Toronto in 40 years) I thought I’d make use of the “trip planner” on your website.  To Commissioner Karen Stintz, after my experience, my advice is“fix it or scrap it”.

From the Metro Police website I had the street address of the station.  I also knew where I planned on boarding a TTC vehicle, and when I expected to be travelling.  So, given this information, it should be a simple matter for this planner to give me a route. Not so.  When I put in the street address for the destination, it told me it couldn’t find a match.  Changed that to the Division number and street – still couldn’t match it.  From my street maps – six years out of date (from my taxi years) – I found the nearest intersection and put in that as the destination.  Finally some success!  Upon closer study, I see there is an “upper” and a “lower” street.  Now from my maps, I knew they’re only block apart, so I just picked one, knowing the station is somewhere in that block and the weather forecast for  most of the week is good.   Went on to the next step.  Waited a short while and up came three options for me.  Option 1 involved a nine minute run on a streetcar (Toronto still uses them) and no transfers.  Option two was a twenty minute trip involving one transfer from the subway to a bus.  Option three was shown as 23 minutes and involved two transfers – from a westbound subway train to a southbound bus, then to an eastbound streetcar which  would bring me back to my destination.  Each option involves a walk from the stop to the intersection of about 100 yards, which isn’t too bad.  But, there’s more.  I just looked at this “trip planner” thingy again to try a different time of day.  I typed in the destination that was successful my first attempt and was told, once again, it can’t find a match.

Ms Stintz, this is not the first time I’ve had an issue with the trip planner.  Oh no.  Last year I used it to find a route from the main train station to a shop on McCaul Street, in Queen Street West and University Avenue area.  Oh, this time it did give me the routing without too much difficulty, but the suggested walking part of the route, well … I ignored that part of it. Granted, once again I was given three options, only one of which was truly worth considering, at least the transit part of it was. But why on earth would the TTC trip planner send me along a side street, then through an alley to reach my destination?  I looked down this alley from the far end and it certainly  dissuaded me from walking it even at the 10:30 in the morning I was there.  This alley was lined with dumpsters, garbage trucks and delivery vans.  Queen Street West, at least the section I wanted, is a vibrant tourist area.  Why would I want to avoid a tourist area, with plenty of photo opportunities, and use a grungy back alley?

The TTC bills itself as “the better way”, but routing people through back alleys certainly doesn’t live up to that billing.  If this trip planner is provided for tourists to help them plan their trips around Toronto, routings like this and the difficulty in finding the exact wording for either destination or origin points isn’t going to do the TTC much good.  It will however be of tremendous benefit to the Toronto taxi industry.  As I said back in the first paragraph, when it comes to the trip planner, either fix it or scrap it.

To my followers and readers, enjoy the rest of your Sunday and remember to hug an artist – we need love (not to mention proper directions) too.

Cat.

And why is this news?

Despite what I may write on occasion, I’m not really descended from the Grinch and Ebenezer Scrooge. And no, I’m not related to Oscar the Grouch either, despite what my sons may claim.

The Toronto International Film Festival (henceforth to be typed as “TIFF”) is currently under way in Toronto (obviously) until the 16th of September.  This is good for it brings international attention to the city other than for the antics of Mayor Rob Ford.  And of course it also brings much-needed tourist dollars as well. Granted, it does bring the “A” list stars to the city to promote their latest films and where the stars are, so are their fans and those fans spend money. This is an annual event, so it isn’t like the Olympics, that only occur every four years and usually result in viewers being saturated with coverage.

But, can anyone explain to me why the activities of the people attending TIFF – the stars; the directors; the producers  and their brief sound bites from the red carpet –  warrant being the lead item on the local news?  Toronto is Canada’s largest city and portrays itself as being a cosmopolitan metropolis, so why should people who tune in to watch the news be subjected to what amounts to hero worship?  I’m not saying the media should ignore TIFF, after all it is a major entertainment event in the city, but does it truly deserve to be the lead item on the news?

There are other items that can or may have an impact on the city that will last much longer than the ten days of the festival. Toronto is still having its problems with gun violence – another man was killed last night by gunfire – but this item and other stories related to regular life in the city are relegated to second place, after the TIFF coverage.  I can see TIFF coverage as part of the regular entertainment segment of the newscast, but I can’t understand why those who programme the news seem to feel TIFF needs to lead. I’m sure I speak for others when I say I tune into the news to be informed on local happenings and events, not what film some actor I’ve never heard of is promoting.

Okay, I’ve grumbled and I feel better.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend and remember to hug an artist – we need love (and recognition) too.

Cat.

Hizzoner does it again

I don’t recall which character it was, but someone in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (if not the book, in the movie) said something like “words mean exactly what I want them to mean, nothing more, nothing less.”  Rob Ford, the mayor of Canada’s largest city, Toronto, seems to have taken that to heart, except he’s changed “words” for “laws”.

I’ve written before of his disregard for the law prohibiting talking on a cell phone while driving (and giving the finger to someone who took his photo doing so) and his reading a document while driving on an expressway at 45 miles an hour during morning rush hour.  Until now, I don’t think I’ve mentioned that he also drove past, or attempted to drive past, the open doors of a streetcar, which is also prohibited in the Highway Traffic Act.

For the past two days, Robbie has been in court fighting a conflict of interest charge brought by a citizen.  This goes back to when Robbie was “City Councillor Robbie”, not “Mayor Robbie”.  Bit of background here: When he was a member of City Council, he was noted for not using any of his annual budget, but would pay for everything from his own pocket.  He could afford it.  As I’ve written before, the Fords are part of the 2% if not the 1%.  So, Councillor Robbie paid to have his city hall stationery printed.  He used some of that stationery – city hall stationery, not personal “Rob Ford” stationery – to solicit funds for a football club for youth he is involved with.  Apparently some of the people to whom he sent these letters are also lobbyists at city hall.

The city’s ethics commissioner found this was a violation of some bylaw and ordered him to repay the money, totalling approximately $3,150.  Well, even as councillor, Robbie would do only what he felt was right, not what the law said he should do.  He never repaid it.  Finally, after several warnings, the matter was referred to city council for resolution.  When it came up in council, now Mayor Robbie made a speech to the effect that he personally never benefited from the money, that it was “for the kids”.    That’s fine, he’s allowed to defend himself.  But where he came into conflict of interest was when he voted in favour of the motion that rescinded the order to repay the funds. In other words, he voted in favour of a motion which, if passed, would mean a financial benefit to him.  That benefit is not having to pay three grand from his own pocket.

This man has been in municipal politics for at least ten years.  After each election, he swore an oath to uphold the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act – an act which he admitted in court, under oath, he’d never read.  Although he admitted he’d never read the Act, city records show that on previous occasions he has declared a conflict and refrained from voting on an issue.  Not this time.  While on the stand yesterday, court records show our  Robbie saying ““I believe that (in) a conflict of interest you have to have two parties involved and the city has to benefit and a member of council has to benefit and this case that we’re talking about here today is only my issue”.  This is not the definition contained in the Act.  But, as I wrote above, this is Robbie’s definition therefore it’s the only one that matters.  Robbie has been repeating, almost mechanically, that this is “all about the kids”.  No Robbie, the money may have been “all about the kids”, but this case is about the fact you broke the law – the actual law – not your interpretation of it.

This court case isn’t simply a matter of whether or not Robbie should repay the money.  If Rob Ford is found guilty of the conflict of interest, the law requires the judge to remove him from office.  The judge could also prevent him from running for municipal office again for up to seven years, so this isn’t just a small “nuisance” case as Robbie and his brother, Councillor Doug, are trying to portray it.

The case has apparently wound up and the judge is expected to deliver a decision sometime with the next four months according to legal experts.  Maybe Robbie can use the time to actually read the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and when he finishes that, he can start on the Highway Traffic Act.

To my followers and readers, enjoy the rest of your week and remember to hug an artist – we need love too.

Cat.

Hmm … “words mean exactly what I want them to mean, nothing more, nothing less” I wonder if people would buy that if I used it as a reason for using an incorrect word.  Probably not.

C.

I guess the answer is “yes”

A couple of days ago I posted a piece called “Are they doing any good?” about the postings I put up to warn readers of online or smart phone scams I’ve encountered and wondering if these warnings are helping others avoid being caught in these scams.  I’ve had no feedback on that, but based on the contents of two emails I received yesterday, both referring to my “Bring him to justice” series, at least that series is doing some good.  If you’ve missed it, that series deals with a man named George Flowers, wanted by the Toronto Police Service for aggravated sexual assault.  This man neglected to tell his partners he was HIV positive.  The first email was from one of the detectives investigating this case.  She told me she appreciated my efforts to inform people of this man.  The second email was from a lady who had read my postings.  She thanked me and said that reading my postings kept her going.   So, while I still don’t know if the scam postings are doing any good, I know “Bring him to justice” has been effective and helpful.

I recently had one of my postings “Turn where??” Freshly Pressed, which was an honour,  but to be honest, knowing my writing has given at least one person hope is much more rewarding.  And I think that all of us who post here, upon learning our words have had a positive influence, would probably feel the same.

To my followers and readers, enjoy your week and remember to hug an artist – we need love too.

Cat.

Bring him to justice – update

Obviously I’ve been doing something right.  I received an email this morning from the Toronto Police Service, which reads as follows:

Nancy Johnston Nancy.Johnston@torontopolice.on.ca
08:20 (2 hours ago)
to me

Hello Cat,

I am the officer investigating the aggrevated sexual assault allegations against George Flowers.

I have stumbled upon your blog and have read what has been going on.

I appreciate you making more people aware of this investigation as we deem this situation as a major public safety risk.

My goal is to find and speak with anyone who has had sexual contact with Mr. Flowers.  They need to know that there is an active investigation and given the option of whether they would proceed with police involvement.  His non-disclosure actions are criminal whether or not a sexual encounter resulted in HIV infection. A lot of people are under the impression that if they DIDN’T contract HIV, that they have no criminal claim and that is false. The charge is for the “threat” of contracting the virus at the time of sexual contact if they were NOT advised of someone’s HIV status PRIOR to any sexual encounter.

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call me.

Thanks in advance for your time.

 
Regards,

Nancy Johnston

Detective Constable #8734
Family Violence Unit
Toronto Police Service
Phone: (416)-808-5505
Email: Nancy.Johnston@torontopolice.on.ca

I have removed two short paragraphs that were directed to me personally.  Please take notice of the section I have put in bold.  This section is important because it says that even if a person is not infected, that he didn’t say anything is still considered a threat under the law.

And, once again, here is the link to the original Public Safety Alert if you wish to contact Crimestoppers:  http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/newsreleases/pdfs/24254.pdf

Help get this man off the streets before more people are put at risk.

Cat.