Money and transportation

From Rob Ford's first day:

1) Kill Transit City (net financial effect: land Toronto with heavy expenses for broken contracts and save little money, since the capital costs are largely borne by the province.  Throw in a much-more-expensive subway system and it's still more money)

2) Make the TTC an essential service (net financial effect: wage and benefit settlements from compulsory arbitration are typically higher than from an unconstrained bargaining process).

3) Freeze property taxes.

Plus, of course, getting rid of the Vehicle Registration Tax.

This does not add up, especially with the overarching promise to save money and be more efficient.

In the news

From a CBC report on Ottawa police mistreatment of prisoners:

Russomanno said the video shows no evidence of the alleged assault on Morris and said the case and the Bonds case raise questions about the reliability of police testimony.

Given the current rash of incidents casting doubt on the reliability of police testimony regarding each other, I am beginning to think that there should be a reverse onus on police to prove innocence or perhaps a reduction in the burden of proof to the balance of probabilities in criminal cases against police for violence against civilians. In addition, disciplinary measures against the group when police witnesses to police violence refuse to come forward.