Our civic "leaders" have once again demonstrated their marginal grip on the reality those of us in the trenches face by voting in a budget that, mathematically speaking, sacrifices some services for Toronto Residents to goodies like free TTC passes for councillors who can well afford them, on the premise, according to our own Councillor McConnell (who voted to continue feeding at the public trough) "...I think that what we were trying to do and what the TTC is trying to do is to get councillors who wouldn't normally use the TTC to get onto the TTC."  Has anyone bothered to see if this strategy is working?

Here are some other examples, based on Councillor Ford's motions and reported by CityTV:

• Free golf passes for council and staff: $15,000
• Councillors' food and beverage budget: $55,000
• Councillors' hospitality budget: $25,000
• Magazines/newspaper subscriptions: $14,712
• Free tickets to plays, concerts, etc.: $18,273
• Free TTC Metropasses: $5,622
• Free taxi chits: $18,115
• Gas and mileage expenses: $45,171
• Plant watering in city buildings: $100,000
• Newspaper clipping service: $40,000
• Reduce one councillor staff position: $2.8 million

Other perks:

• Free passes to the Metro Zoo
• Free passes to Casa Loma
• Free parking at Green P lot
• Free admission and parking at Exhibition Place

Other expenses

• Free cigarettes and wine for shelter services: $43,400
• Annual report card on Homes for the Aged: $4,500
• Fire services newsletter: $10,000
• Waste watch newsletter: $231,890
• City Routes newsletter: $233,892
• Inside Toronto employee newsletter: $20,000
• Public Library newsletter: $100,000
• TTC newsletter: $175,000

While we don't necessarily agree with all of Ford's recommendations, they're certainly indicative of a troubling attitude on the part of our councillors, who seem to forget that our tax dollars should benefit the community, not pad the pockets of well-paid politicos who should be setting an example of frugality.

In our experience, when money is short the frills disappear. Apparently this isn't the case with out snorking City Councillors, who clearly feel they're "entitled to their entitlement."

We leave the last word to Ms McConnell, who stated in a Star article "I think that he's chosen frivolous things, and I think that he makes a mockery of the whole budget process," We think that by spending money on frivolous personal perks, it's McConnell and her cronies who are doing the mocking here.