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Wednesday February 15, 2023

February 15, 2023 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday February 15, 2023

John Tory, amid scandal, will lead Toronto’s budget debate

2007

Toronto is about to have one tense budget meeting Wednesday.

John Tory, who announced last Friday night he’s stepping down as mayor following an extramarital affair with a staffer who used to work in his office, will preside over the meeting.

Tory’s presence in the chamber will be controversial. If he does, in fact, tender his resignation after passing the city’s $16-billion operating budget, he creates a situation where he will set the city on a specific course but won’t be there to deal with any potential fallout.

August 17, 2022

One can also argue Tory should be present for the debate because, thanks to the “strong mayor” powers he asked Ontario’s government to grant him, he is responsible for designing this budget. He is its champion.

Nobody really knows how this debate will go. This will be the first budget passed with the new strong mayor powers in place, which changes the dynamic because Tory can now veto any amendments, something that would then trigger a whole new chain of events.

There’s growing speculation about a political push for Tory to stay or run again in the very byelection his resignation could trigger. On Monday night, many Torontonians reported getting a robocall that included the question: “Would you support John Tory running in a mayoral byelection in 2023?”

Tory’s office said it is not connected with that polling.

Tory is proposing a property tax hike higher than Torontonians have been used to under his term (a 5.5 per cent increase) and will use that money, in part, to spend $48 million more on police. “The budget makes key investments in housing, transit, and community safety,” his office said.

October 26, 2022

Critics have focused on what’s not in it, including funding for 24/7 warming shelters, enough cash to keep transit fares from rising while the TTC struggles to get riders back on the system.

There may even be questions about police spending, after CBC Toronto published this story about the service’s $337,000 podcast.

With his “strong mayor” powers he only needs the support of one-third of council. At this point, he almost certainly still enjoys the support of eight councillors. 

Practically, Toronto’s budget is all about livability.

The decisions council makes affect everything from the state of the roads (pretty rough at the moment) to public library hours to whether or not there’s a bathroom open at the park during winter months — and yes, the latter did spark a major debate at city hall.

Hair: Toronto Mayor John Tory

There’s also the huge question of whether or not the city will do enough and spend enough to start tackling the housing affordability crisis.

This budget also features what Tory’s been calling a “COVID hangover” that’s created a financial crunch that the city needs the provincial and federal governments to help deal with. Tory and city council have recently launched yet another review of potential “revenue tools” — aka taxes, aka levies — that might bring in most cash in future years. (CBC) 

 

Posted in: Ontario Tagged: 2023-03, Budget, John Tory, marriage, mayor, Ontario, resignation, scandal, Toronto, valentines day

Wednesday October 19, 2022

October 19, 2022 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday October 19, 2022

Hamilton’s mayoral candidates

2014 Mayoral Race

There are a lot of differences among the nine people running for mayor of Hamilton. But many of them have things in common — an interest in changing housing, infrastructure, and the culture at city hall. And while some of these ideas may sound familiar to voters, others aren’t even within the mayor’s power to enact, falling under provincial or federal jurisdiction. (CBC)

https://mackaycartoons.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022-1019-LOC.mp4

 

Posted in: Hamilton Tagged: 2022, 2022-34, Andrea Horwath, Bob Bratina, Ejaz Butt, election, Hamilton, Hermiz Ishaya, Keanin Loomis, mayor, mayoral, Michael Pattison, race, Solomon Ikhuiwu

Wednesday July 27, 2022

July 27, 2022 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday July 27, 2022

‘I love this city’: Former Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath enters Hamilton mayoral race

March 30, 2022

After weeks of speculation, Andrea Horwath is making it official.

Ontario’s former NDP leader is running for mayor of Hamilton.

“I’ve decided to jump in the race because I love this city. I always have,” she said.

“It’s the place where I get my passion from, and I’ve spent my whole life fighting for and working for Hamiltonians.”

Horwath, 59, makes it a three-way contest between main mayoral contenders Bob Bratina and Keanin Loomis.

Posted in: Hamilton Tagged: 2022-24, Andrea Horwath, Bob Bratina, council, Hamilton, John-Paul Danko, Maureen Wilson, mayor, NDP, Nrinder Nann, Old Guard, Ontario, Ted McMeekin, Tom Jackson

Friday July 22, 2022

July 22, 2022 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday July 22, 2022

Ontario planning to bring in ‘strong mayor’ system for Toronto and Ottawa

Toronto Mayor John Tory welcomed the prospect of gaining more authority as the province considers introducing a strong-mayor system, while critics warned that the city has recent evidence of the risk of empowering its top politician.

July 28, 2018

Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday the policy shift was being planned for Toronto and Ottawa and it could eventually be expanded to other large cities.

Although specifics about the new powers were still being sorted out, Mr. Ford said the mayors would have veto authority on certain issues that come before council. This could then be overruled by a two-thirds majority of council members.

Under the current system, Toronto’s mayor has only one vote on council but has considerable power to manage issues and lean on councillors for support. Mr. Tory has been able to enact his agenda through two terms without losing any substantive council votes.

Posted in: Ontario Tagged: 2022-23, city hall, Doug Ford, Frankenstein, mayor, municipal, Ontario, parody, Strong mayor

Wednesday June 22, 2022

June 22, 2022 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday June 22, 2022

Change will be key in this fall’s municipal election

Hamilton’s municipal election this fall will now include a race for an open seat in the mayor’s office. On Monday, three-term mayor Fred Eisenberger announced he will not be seeking a fourth term.

This is not intended to be report card on Eisenberger’s time in the city’s top political job. But some things need to be said. Serving Hamilton citizens for 12 years, and more if you count Eisenberger’s time as a city councillor, is no mean accomplishment. He deserves credit and accolades for that public service, and is receiving them, at least from many people.

Yes, he has his share of detractors. Much, but not all, of the criticism directed at him has merit, and we have authored some of it ourselves. But there is a time for everything, and this, we would argue, would be a good time to say thanks, and offer best wishes in whatever comes next for Eisenberger.

Those 12 years add up to three terms. While Eisenberger hasn’t said so himself, it is fair to argue three terms is enough. In this election, on this city council, change should be a key part of the campaign.

We have already heard from some incumbents — Sam Merulla, Brenda Johnson and Judi Partridge come to mind — who are enacting their own self-imposed term limits. Other long-sitting councillors should be having similar reflections. It’s not about failure, it’s about new ideas, new faces, new personalities and new energy. Hamilton’s government needs that.

Posted in: Hamilton Tagged: 2022-20, dash, farewell, Fred Eisenberger, Hamilton, mayor, politics, retirement, squash
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This website contains satirical commentaries of current events going back several decades. Some readers may not share this sense of humour nor the opinions expressed by the artist. To understand editorial cartoons it is important to understand their effectiveness as a counterweight to power. It is presumed readers approach satire with a broad minded foundation and healthy knowledge of objective facts of the subjects depicted.

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