Two articles of note...

[Uncle Bobby]

Sorry for all the articles and links. I do actually drink and savour quality beer on occasion. In the meantime...

An uplifting article from the G&M today about our friends at Steamwhistle. The linked article in the Business section highlights the company's policy of hiring individuals who do not necessarily have "Canadian experience" or "Canadian credentials". Good on 'em. I'll hoist a green bottle to anyone undermining that bastion of nationalistic bigotry. (I could not entirely leave out a reference to the Molson campaign.)

Also yet another non-beer-related article on the Competition Bureau and its threats to dismantle parts of realtors' monopoly of the MLS system.

I had questioned the Competition Bureau's handling of Labatt's takeover of Lakeport at one time, suggesting that the Bureau was not doing its job. According to this article, the Bureau's Commissioner, Melanie Aitken, acknowledged when she was appointed commissioner last summer, that she needed "...to improve the bureau's lacklustre record of challenging companies and organizations accused of anti-competitive conduct."

Not certain if this would have made a blind bit of difference in the case of Lakeport. But let's see. There's always the Beer Store. That's uncompetitive. That's a monopoly which disadvantages the products of its owners' competitors. That said, any independent commissioner who acts independently under the Harper Tories has generally found themselves out of a job. Particularly if they actually try to carry out their mandate, or if they impinge on the laissez-faire atmosphere preferred by Canada's business leaders.

And if you won't raise a glass to these two, raise one to Adam Giambrone. I'll never look at a model train geek the same again, especially now that I know so much about his personal life.

[Belgian]

I'm glad all our money from excessive taxes ultimately support whatever big business wants to do.

It's really the best of control-freak socialism AND greedy-pig capitalism! Why not have it both ways?

[Uncle Bobby]

Another sidebar to deal with the Adam Giambrone thing...

I've heard about the seductive nature of power, but what kind of teenage girl goes all gooey at the knees over the Commissioner of the TTC?! What beer-goggles was this girl wearing? I want a pair!

Clang, clang!

[Belgian]

Unbelievable TTC worker attitudes:

"Stop watching what we do!"

"If the Commission criticise us at all, we will work-to-rule!"

"Never mind OUR service or job habits - look at how messy and stupid are the paying customers!"

If the TTC were so great none of this defensive posturing would be necessary, and they could stop whining in their beer.

[Tapsucker]

Another sidebar to deal with the Adam Giambrone thing...

I've heard about the seductive nature of power, but what kind of teenage girl goes all gooey at the knees over the Commissioner of the TTC?! What beer-goggles was this girl wearing? I want a pair!

Clang, clang!

It's really quite refreshing that in the 21st century there still are stupid girls with so little self esteem around. She has done us all a favour by going public. Not only does and old guy like me feel like there is hope, but any future social or professional prospects she has can avoid her!

[Uncle Bobby]

Unbelievable TTC worker attitudes:

"Stop watching what we do!"

"If the Commission criticise us at all, we will work-to-rule!"

"Never mind OUR service or job habits - look at how messy and stupid are the paying customers!"

If the TTC were so great none of this defensive posturing would be necessary, and they could stop whining in their beer.

Ummm...yea.

[Sotto voce] I-ay ink-thay e-way ave-hay a-ay ight-ray-ing-way eak-fray.[/sotto voce]

Slow day at the G&M website, Mr. Belgian?

[Belgian]

SLAP oh no not a label, "right-wing!"

I think some countries have a way of making accountability work in such organizations, without getting all scary and threatening about it. Happier ridership and happier employees would be a great goal, one maybe needing investment and committment in service, but worth it. Public transit's a huge piece of the puzzle for Toronto because so many people use it - it's almost a major social influence, all these people coming into contact with the TTC every day, it's really part of people's lives so it does matter & we should care.

[icemachine]

A fellow employee and I were talking today at work, he said he would send anyone who complains about the TTC to ride Belgrade's public transit, see how grateful they are for the TTC when they come back.

[Bobbyok]

Particularly if they actually try to carry out their mandate, or if they impinge on the laissez-faire atmosphere preferred by Canada's business leaders.

Slightly off-topic, but the preference of Canada's business leaders is so far from laissez-faire it's laughable. They don't want deregualtion, they want regulation that favours their businesses specifically. That's not laissez-faire. Market based regulation involves the consumer and industry, not simply the industry buying its way into preferential rules.

[kwjd]

A fellow employee and I were talking today at work, he said he would send anyone who complains about the TTC to ride Belgrade's public transit, see how grateful they are for the TTC when they come back.

I'd prefer to set our goals a little bit higher than a country that had left communism less than 20 years ago and just got rid of the ethnic cleansing Milosevic less than 10 years ago. They had bigger fish to fry than trying to establish a proper public transit system. Toronto has no such excuse. We should be comparing ourselves to New York, London or Paris to see how much better we could be doing.

[SteelbackGuy]

A fellow employee and I were talking today at work, he said he would send anyone who complains about the TTC to ride Belgrade's public transit, see how grateful they are for the TTC when they come back.

I'd prefer to set our goals a little bit higher than a country that had left communism less than 20 years ago and just got rid of the ethnic cleansing Milosevic less than 10 years ago. They had bigger fish to fry than trying to establish a proper public transit system. Toronto has no such excuse. We should be comparing ourselves to New York, London or Paris to see how much better we could be doing.

Uhhh........have you ever ridden London (ON) Transit? You guys in the T.Dot have it fucking MADE!

[JerCraigs]

Toronto has no such excuse. We should be comparing ourselves to New York, London or Paris to see how much better we could be doing.

How much provincial/state/country funding do those systems get? A lot of the problems of the TTC could be solved by a combination of more funding and more efficient spending.

[Bobbyok]

Toronto has no such excuse. We should be comparing ourselves to New York, London or Paris to see how much better we could be doing.

How much provincial/state/country funding do those systems get? A lot of the problems of the TTC could be solved by a combination of more funding and more efficient spending.

While I agree on your point about the comparison, much of the issue with transit funding in any city is the lack of city council's resolve to pay for it themselves. We want transit but we want someone else to pay for it because I cant' get re-elected if taxes go up isn't going to bring about better transit.

[JerCraigs]

Toronto has no such excuse. We should be comparing ourselves to New York, London or Paris to see how much better we could be doing.

How much provincial/state/country funding do those systems get? A lot of the problems of the TTC could be solved by a combination of more funding and more efficient spending.

While I agree on your point about the comparison, much of the issue with transit funding in any city is the lack of city council's resolve to pay for it themselves. We want transit but we want someone else to pay for it because I cant' get re-elected if taxes go up isn't going to bring about better transit.

That's not necessarily a fair point re: taxes. A significant percentage of TTC riders (esp. during rush hour) and GO Transit riders are NOT paying any taxes to the City of Toronto because they are 905 residents. The user base is not exactly the same as the tax base.

Granted those people are probably working for and using the services of companies that *are* paying taxes to Toronto but I don't think it is as simple as just raising taxes.

[Bobbyok]

How much provincial/state/country funding do those systems get? A lot of the problems of the TTC could be solved by a combination of more funding and more efficient spending.

While I agree on your point about the comparison, much of the issue with transit funding in any city is the lack of city council's resolve to pay for it themselves. We want transit but we want someone else to pay for it because I cant' get re-elected if taxes go up isn't going to bring about better transit.

That's not necessarily a fair point re: taxes. A significant percentage of TTC riders (esp. during rush hour) and GO Transit riders are NOT paying any taxes to the City of Toronto because they are 905 residents. The user base is not exactly the same as the tax base.

Granted those people are probably working for and using the services of companies that *are* paying taxes to Toronto but I don't think it is as simple as just raising taxes.

That just shifts the issue to other councils though - are 905 municipalities not paying into TTC and GO systems?