# The CanaDoper Café, 2013 edition. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 1, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736 "2013-01-01T03:29:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 63
**Author:** ![bashere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bashere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bashere)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1241 "2013-05-26T19:27:37Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Privitization of garbage collection has worked out very well. The city’s handling of labour contracts has, rather surprisingly, gone better. I thought I mentioned the garbage collection. Yes, it has gone well, but the savings are smaller than has been advertised; it’s somewhere around 8 million a year. To be fair, there seem to fewer complaints with the GFL service than with the City owned service. > [@](#): > > I don’t understand what I said that this disproves. Okay, I literally said Ford’s policy was exactly the same as “beg for money” and should have phrased that better, but it’s really the same thing; both Ford and Miller are attempting to sell Torontonians on the notion that they will accomplish transit wonders **by getting someone else to pony up the money.** It is, either way, “we’ll get better transit because, magic.” Miller spent eight years attempting to prove Toronto was owed free money because he was some sort of moral authority, going so far as to screw up Toronto’s application for infrastructure funding; Ford just sort of pretends that things will work out in the future by dint of whatever crosses his mind at the moment (unlike Miller I don’t think he’s smart enough to at least hold together a coherent strategy for four years.) Neither had the guts to actually commit Toronto to a strategy with an ounce of courage or foresight, like saying “you know, maybe we should toll the DVP and the Gardiner.” Well, actually, Miller did mention it, but wouldn’t stick to the idea once people disagreed. To me, it shows that Miller could get money (yes, some from the province) for infrastructure. I do not believe Ford has. > [@](#): > > I find it absolutely hilarious that you read my post and came to the conclusion I think Ford is a great policy maker. You must be joking. “As good or better than David Miller” doesn’t mean “great.” Miller was an extremely mediocre mayor, policy-wise, whose term in office is noteworthy for its total lack of substantive achievements aside from making sure people have to take a stupid, horribly pollution-spewing ferry to the island airport. (Ford managed to partially privatize garbage collection, which alone is more than Miller and still not enough to make him a a halfway decent mayor. No, I didn’t. You’re right; it was a jab. I don’t think you think Ford is a great policy make; I think it’s a stretch to say he’s better than (or as good as) than Miller. My point stands, though; Ford isn’t as bad a policy maker as he could be because the limited policy he has is blocked by council. Miller’s policies also include Ridership Growth Strategy (which improved transit for the non-subway lines); getting the City of Toronto act amended to allow diversification of taxes away from property tax (property tax is fine for a smaller city, but larger cities need a more robust, scalable tax base); tackling a very serious problem with banking of sick days by the union (which is what the strike was about); lowering commercial property taxes (strange that this would be a thing for some radical left mayor, isn’t it?); general improvement in the cost of services delivered (Miller was quietly performing reviews that generally got a 5% reduction in costs per year, unlike the trumpeted and unfound 10% that Ford has repeatedly claimed - the difference is that Miller increased services). Miller’s “Everyone gets to p(l)ay” strategy for community centres and sports fields was derided, and again seems strange that he’s some far left mayor, but it was much better handled than the massive increases in sports field fees that Ford’s budget created. Was Miller great? If you want to argue he wasn’t, I won’t bother arguing with you. Was he better than Ford? Yes, he was. > [@](#): > > But Miller did get rid of Julian Fantino, I’d forgotten that… Hmm, okay, that’s a pretty good one. That may tip the scales back to him. Well, to be fair, I’ll spot you a Jen Keesmat and Andy Byford, then, which might tip the scales back. Especially Jen. > [@](#): > > Honestly, I get the distinct sense you read my post and didn’t get a single thing out of it except “RickJay does not think Ford is worse than cholera, therefore he is a Rob Ford supporter.” No, I pretty much had you down as a Miller detractor rather than a Ford supporter, which is fine. There are lots of reasons to dislike Miller; he really ought to have done something about the Gardner (the expressway that is the downfall of Toronto mayors). His strange, now-reversed aversion to Arctics, particularly on Eglinton. While I agree with the outcome on the strike, the garbage strike. He did a bad job on selling the VRT. But there is, to me, a big difference between “He espouses policies I think are wrong, or disagree with” and “He doesn’t have any actual policies that anyone can point to”. You may feel differently. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1242 "2013-05-26T19:31:22Z")
> [@bashere](#): > > My point stands, though; Ford isn’t as bad a policy maker as he could be because the limited policy he has is blocked by council. I should have thought of that. Oh wait, that was the entire point of my post. Ford is not an awful mayor because of policy. He is an awful mayor because he fails at the non-policy aspects of the job, which in Toronto, is most of the job. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1243 "2013-05-26T20:23:42Z")
Looks like Cracked is joining in on the Rob Ford discussion: [How Toronto’s Totally Deranged Mayor Stayed in Office](http://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/how-torontos-totally-deranged-mayor-stayed-in-office/) ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1244 "2013-05-26T20:36:40Z")
He should use this as a springboard to provincial or federal leadership. ---
**Author:** ![bashere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bashere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bashere)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1245 "2013-05-26T22:20:24Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I should have thought of that. > > Oh wait, that was the entire point of my post. Ford is not an awful mayor because of policy. He is an awful mayor because he fails at the non-policy aspects of the job, which in Toronto, is most of the job. No, he is an awful mayor due to policy. He has proposed policy which is not supported by other councillors, so it doesn’t get implemented. He loses more votes than he wins. You know he lost the last budget vote, right? Miller was a decent mayor because of policy. He did not do as much as he should have, but he generally inacted his agenda, which largely people agreed with. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1246 "2013-05-27T00:40:00Z")
> [@bashere](#): > > No, he is an awful mayor due to policy. He has proposed policy which is not supported by other councillors, so it doesn’t get implemented. He loses more votes than he wins. You know he lost the last budget vote, right? > > Miller was a decent mayor because of policy. He did not do as much as he should have, but he generally inacted his agenda, which largely people agreed with. But he did very little, so in effect accomplished next to nothing. Ford, conversely, has… done very little. Different men, totally different approaches or lack thereof, but same results, more or less. The fact that Ford has failed to do more because he fails to win votes is, again, precisely what I was saying; a Toronto mayor’s skill at doing his job cannot be measured by his use of his power, because s/he doesn’t have much legal power. It’s a weak-mayor system. Ford fails at what he does not because of his policies, but because he does not adequately represent the city to the public. In a very tangible sense, Ford losing a budget vote is a much smaller failure than, say, not showing up for Pride Day. Toronto still has a budget; Ford voting “no” instead of “yes” doesn’t change that. But only Ford can be the Mayor of Toronto, representing its highest office on Pride Day, and he failed to do that. And that matters, a lot. Ford cannot really have a lot of impact on the way the city runs in a practical sense, but he can certainly embarrass it. The Mayor’s job is, frankly, about 75% Governor-General and 25% Prime Minister. (Not a perfect comparison, but you see the point.) David Miller, for all that he spent his term blaming other people for Toronto’s budget, at least could represent the city to outside parties and, while he alienated constituents outside the downtown core, for most of his term he did not actively piss off the people of his own city. He wasn’t a distraction and a burden on the city, which Ford is. The good news in this is Ford can’t ruin the city. When he was elected, I knew downtowners who were screaming that Toronto was doomed and they were going to move to London or New York. “Don’t worry,” I said, “He can’t ruin Toronto. He’s not eh King of Toronto. The mayor doesn’t have the power to do anything seriously bad. If he goes off the rails, council just runs the city.” I didn’t imagine it would happen that fast, but it was so. And, incredibly, Ford might well be re-elected. Hardly in the bag, but it’s possible. The mind boggles. ETA: Sort of connected to Ford’s idiocy, one area I fail to give Miller due credit is that he was CLEAN. In an area of politics infamous for graft, slime and corruption, you cannot deny David Miller was about as honest as municipal politicians come. Ford isn’t dirty that I know of, but then I’m not sure that’s because he doesn’t want to be or he’s just too dumb to leverage his office for money, but credit Miller with being clean, something Toronto City Hall needed at the time. ---
**Author:** ![bashere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bashere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bashere)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1247 "2013-05-27T01:09:50Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > But he did very little, so in effect accomplished next to nothing. He did quite a lot. Most of it, really, was overwhelmingly boring stuff. RGS, Tower renewal, dropping taxes on businesses, the huge LRT purchase for (I think) 501, provincial money for transit in the form of 3 LRT lines, including the much needed Eglinton Crosstown. Not much, really, I suppose. Delayed the Airport Island bridge, which is still worth hearing people complain about. Forced CUPE to negotiate on the massive unfunded liabilities of the banked sick day. Not much, now that I actually type it out. > [@](#): > > Ford, conversely, has… done very little. Different men, totally different approaches or lack thereof, but same results, more or less. > > The fact that Ford has failed to do more because he fails to win votes is, again, precisely what I was saying; a Toronto mayor’s skill at doing his job cannot be measured by his use of his power, because s/he doesn’t have much legal power. It’s a weak-mayor system. Ford fails at what he does not because of his policies, but because he does not adequately represent the city to the public. Yes, the damage he can cause, the tangible damage, is less than it would be in a strong mayor system. So? He tied up council for a year arguing about a casino when we have, you know, actual problems to solve. Sure, he was prevented from selling off properties cheaply because someone else stopped him. The fact that others stop him from implementing bad policy does not make his policy any less bad. > [@](#): > > In a very tangible sense, Ford losing a budget vote is a much smaller failure than, say, not showing up for Pride Day. Toronto still has a budget; Ford voting “no” instead of “yes” doesn’t change that. But only Ford can be the Mayor of Toronto, representing its highest office on Pride Day, and he failed to do that. And that matters, a lot. Ford cannot really have a lot of impact on the way the city runs in a practical sense, but he can certainly embarrass it. The Mayor’s job is, frankly, about 75% Governor-General and 25% Prime Minister. (Not a perfect comparison, but you see the point.) Sure. He has a bully-pulpit, and his “you can have subways for FREE and anything less is just you getting screwed by those downtowners” is more detrimental than his budget vote. The bully pulpit, the changing of the opinions of people who vote based on mistruths and, frankly, lies, is, I agree more dangerous than the one vote he has on council. Is that your point? > [@](#): > > David Miller, for all that he spent his term blaming other people for Toronto’s budget, at least could represent the city to outside parties and, while he alienated constituents outside the downtown core, for most of his term he did not actively piss off the people of his own city. He wasn’t a distraction and a burden on the city, which Ford is. Tower Renewal, which you know, improves the lot of less-than-wealthy people by making the rental housing stock in Toronto more desirable, actually did good things that improved people’s lives; in fact, I would argue that it improved the lives more than it cost to do so. Same with Transit City (you know, the one with the LRT lines? That improve the transit in areas where transit is overwhelmed? Where Miller got provincial funds? Billions worth? For his constituents?), St. Clair Disaster, more flexible taxation for the city, etc. All the policy stuff that you keep hand waving away and comparing to, uh, outsourcing garbage collection. On the other hand, Ford’s ripping up transit city (which was reinstated by council) cost a couple of years of delay in those LRTs, making life worse for the people who are hoping for them. But you’re correct; the checks on his power prevent him from doing things (I thought I was responding to the statement that Ford was no worse on policy than Miller) that would seriously injure the city. > [@](#): > > The good news in this is Ford can’t ruin the city. When he was elected, I knew downtowners who were screaming that Toronto was doomed and they were going to move to London or New York. “Don’t worry,” I said, “He can’t ruin Toronto. He’s not eh King of Toronto. The mayor doesn’t have the power to do anything seriously bad. If he goes off the rails, council just runs the city.” I didn’t imagine it would happen that fast, but it was so. Strange, I work in the downtown core (and live just outside it), and have never heard that. I’ve heard he’d screw up the transit file, and be an embarrassment, but not that everything was doomed. > [@](#): > > And, incredibly, Ford might well be re-elected. Hardly in the bag, but it’s possible. The mind boggles. It think it more than likely that he will be re-elected, depending as always on who runs against him. His policies are non-existent, there isn’t a lot of “gravy” to find, and he is slowing down progress, but, and this is, to me, important, the alienation and anger he taps into is very real, and, I believe, motivated by real and legitimate grievances. I don’t know what they are. I don’t understand them, and I clearly don’t value the things that give rise to them (in the sense that those are not the things that are important to me), but they should be understood and addressed. I don’t think Ford can address them, really, although honestly he probably wants to. > [@](#): > > ETA: Sort of connected to Ford’s idiocy, one area I fail to give Miller due credit is that he was CLEAN. In an area of politics infamous for graft, slime and corruption, you cannot deny David Miller was about as honest as municipal politicians come. Ford isn’t dirty that I know of, but then I’m not sure that’s because he doesn’t want to be or he’s just too dumb to leverage his office for money, but credit Miller with being clean, something Toronto City Hall needed at the time. Ironically, in the meaningful way (ignoring his alleged drug usage) I strongly suspect Ford is clean. In fact, in a perverse sort of way, Ford is honest; he almost certainly believes everything he is saying. Ford is unlikely to take money in exchange for favours intentionally (he has done so unintentionally, but I honestly don’t believe he really understood what he was doing). ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1248 "2013-05-27T02:14:22Z")
> [@bashere](#): > > Sure. He has a bully-pulpit, and his “you can have subways for FREE and anything less is just you getting screwed by those downtowners” is more detrimental than his budget vote. The bully pulpit, the changing of the opinions of people who vote based on mistruths and, frankly, lies, is, I agree more dangerous than the one vote he has on council. Is that your point? You’re just now picking this up? > [@](#): > > Strange, I work in the downtown core (and live just outside it), and have never heard that. I’ve heard he’d screw up the transit file, and be an embarrassment, but not that everything was doomed. Boy, my Facebook was flooded with it. But I sometimes run with a very artsy crowd. > [@](#): > > It think it more than likely that he will be re-elected, depending as always on who runs against him. Well, there’s the million dollar question. We have no idea, really, who will run, despite the Toronto Star’s weird attempt to draft Olivia Chow. What’s Sarah Thomson doing these days? ---
**Author:** ![bashere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bashere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bashere)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1249 "2013-05-27T02:24:17Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > You’re just now picking this up? Actually, I mention it in my first response to you. > [@](#): > > Boy, my Facebook was flooded with it. But I sometimes run with a very artsy crowd. Apparently, the one I run with has a better idea of how city politics work. I was talking with a CBC reporter (who had the city hall beat) at the Spacing party a few days before the election, and his bet was that Ford would alienate council and be unable to do anything. Ford actually lasted longer than anyone expected. > [@](#): > > Well, there’s the million dollar question. We have no idea, really, who will run, despite the Toronto Star’s weird attempt to draft Olivia Chow. What’s Sarah Thomson doing these days? Being annoying, same thing she did during the last election. Stintz would take it. Mysteriously, John Tory would take it (I have no idea what, if anything, he has accomplished). Perks would do well, downtown, but I don’t think he’d try for it, and I don’t thin he’d do well in Scarborough or Etobicoke. Chow wins in every match up I’ve seen, but I don’t know if the current scandal will lift Ford’s approval numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1250 "2013-05-28T01:16:22Z")
Hello again, guinea pigs! I have some new pics for you - [Raindrops hanging off of a tree (I think it was a maple of some kind).](http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s142/featherlou/Miscellaneous/DSCN3639_zpsd0d427e1.jpg) [My rhubarb is blooming!](http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s142/featherlou/Miscellaneous/DSCN3654_zpsd2548a39.jpg) And it kind of looks like alien brains! 😃 [The Queen of All She Surveys in Her Back Yard.](http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s142/featherlou/Family/DSCN3662_zps72471ef3.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1251 "2013-05-28T04:05:20Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Hello again, guinea pigs! I have some new pics for you - > > [Raindrops hanging off of a tree (I think it was a maple of some kind).](http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s142/featherlou/Miscellaneous/DSCN3639_zpsd0d427e1.jpg) > > [My rhubarb is blooming!](http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s142/featherlou/Miscellaneous/DSCN3654_zpsd2548a39.jpg) And it kind of looks like alien brains! 😃 > > [The Queen of All She Surveys in Her Back Yard.](http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s142/featherlou/Family/DSCN3662_zps72471ef3.jpg) Nice pics. And a very pretty TQoASSiHRBY! ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1252 "2013-05-28T04:36:50Z")
**Cat Whisperer** , great photo of the Queen of All She Surveys! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1253 "2013-05-28T17:12:47Z")
> [@Bookkeeper](#): > > Nice pics. And a very pretty TQoASSiHRBY! So _that’s_ what kind of cat she is! A TQoASSiHRBY! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1254 "2013-05-28T19:00:29Z")
> [@bashere](#): > > Apparently, the one I run with has a better idea of how city politics work. No doubt, but have you seriously never heard people with the “(Name of politician they do not like) will DESTROY things if elected!” thing before? > [@](#): > > Being annoying, same thing she did during the last election. Stintz would take it. Mysteriously, John Tory would take it (I have no idea what, if anything, he has accomplished). I will believe Stintz or Tory would win when they win. Ford himself was considered a joke candidate at one point, and now look. Polls run in theory over a year before an election mean\*\* absolutely nothing.\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1255 "2013-05-28T21:20:19Z")
Mayors in Ontario are nearly powerless (about all they can do that the other councillors cannot do is name people to committees). Consequently they can neither do much harm nor do much good of their own accord. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2013, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1256 "2013-05-29T02:01:59Z")
And now it looks like our loveable Senator Mike Duffy is going to be investigated by the RCMP for fraudulently claiming expenses from the senate while in actual fact he was campaigning for the CPC during the last election. Of course, Prime Minister Harper knew nothing of this, because he does not really have a whole lot to do with how the election strategy unfolds. He’s more of a “hands-off” kind of a guy. These senators sort of took advantage of his easy going nature. Sort of like how his own chief of staff didn’t tell Mr. Harper about the $90K he gifted to Duffy to pay off his other fraudulent housing claim. I mean, Mr. Harper cannot be expected to know what his going on in his office, right? Nigel was just trying to save the taxpayers money right? Or was that the talking point last week - I forget and it’s hard to keep track. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2013, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1257 "2013-05-29T02:27:13Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > And now it looks like our loveable Senator Mike Duffy is going to be investigated by the RCMP for fraudulently claiming expenses from the senate while in actual fact he was campaigning for the CPC during the last election. Old news that came out weeks ago. > [@](#): > > Of course, Prime Minister Harper knew nothing of this, because he does not really have a whole lot to do with how the election strategy unfolds. He’s more of a “hands-off” kind of a guy. These senators sort of took advantage of his easy going nature. You expect the Prime Minister to personally review every expense clam from every senator? > [@](#): > > Sort of like how his own chief of staff didn’t tell Mr. Harper about the $90K he gifted to Duffy to pay off his other fraudulent housing claim. I mean, Mr. Harper cannot be expected to know what his going on in his office, right? Nigel was just trying to save the taxpayers money right? Or was that the talking point last week - I forget and it’s hard to keep track. You expect the Prime Minister to keep tabs on personal banking information of all his staff? Sorry, but you’re sadly mistaken here. Not only is it plausible that the the Prime Minister didn’t know about any of this, but it’s also completely ridiculous to assume that he did know yet stood by and did nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2013, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1258 "2013-05-29T02:33:43Z")
How bad is Canada Post? My mum put a card in the mail for me a week ago Sunday. Yes, the following Monday was a holiday in Ontario (and everywhere but Quebec) but Tuesday came and went, and then Wednesday, and then Thursday, and then Friday, and now Monday, and Tuesday, and I haven’t received the damned card from 700 Kms away in the same province. What do the rest of you think of Canada Post’s service? Is it time to sell it off and privatize it? I’m all for it. ETA: And the LCBO next. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2013, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1259 "2013-05-29T02:57:49Z")
Why on earth sell off an agency that is actually _making_ money for the Ontario government? Aren’t we supposed to be about reliable revenue streams and paying for what we buy? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736/1260 "2013-05-29T03:08:32Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Why on earth sell off an agency that is actually _making_ money for the Ontario government? Aren’t we supposed to be about reliable revenue streams and paying for what we buy? 'Cause I don’t think it’s the Government of Ontario’s business to sell booze. And even if booze was sold privately the government could still levy the same taxes for profit, like cigarettes, for example. And we wouldn’t be stuck with pension plans for retired cashiers. And maybe the hours would be better. The selection would be different depending on whose store you went to. There would be competition and price wars. Apart from that, I got nothin’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736.md?page=62) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2013-edition/645736.md?page=64)