LARRY IN THE NEWS AND CITY HALL
Summary:
Over the last three years, my name was referenced in the media numerous times. Unfortunately, most stories recently connect me with the incumbent which sells papers rather than reports the real news.
I feel it is important for Toronto Councillors to connect positively with the media and be active at City Hall, as it is one of many effective means of communicating with their constituents and Torontonians as a whole. The biggest obstacle, of course, is that media attention towards City Hall has been overwhelmingly negative far too long. If elected, I will endeavour to keep finding the positives and return things to a balance once again.
Please note: I do not have permission to provide full copies of the stories below and would prefer to respect media copyright laws. Therefore, I have provided a summary to each reference, including the history behind (and my interpretation of) each article. I would encourage anyone to read the article summaries below, hyperlink to the article if available, and contact me and/or the writers for clarification.
- http://www.insidetorontovotes.ca/2010/10/north-york-mirror-makes-its-picks/. North York Mirror - October 22nd, 2010 -- "Ward races: North York Mirror makes its picks". The North York Mirror endorsed me for Councillor in Ward 7, citing my platform and desire to promote and celebrate the many unique communities that make up the Ward.
- http://www.nowtoronto.com/guides/voteto/2010/story.cfm?content=177389. NOW Magazine - October 21-28, 2010 -- "Ward Pick -- Ward 7". Although another candidate was endorsed by NOW Magazine (not the incumbent by the way), I was considered one of the "main contenders" and cited for my opposition to the Emery Village BIAs' close ties to the incumbent.
- http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/876714--star-choices-fresher-faces-for-city-council. Toronto Star - October 18th, 2010 -- "Star Choices: Fresher faces for city council". The Toronto Star endorsed me for Councillor in Ward 7, citing my community involvement and knowledge of finances.
- http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/elections/article/887077--police-called-to-lively-ward-7-debate. North York Mirror - October 13th, 2010 -- "Police called to lively ward 7 debate". This article, written again by Lisa Queen, tried to sensationalize a relatively calm question-and-answer session by the seven (of nine) Ward 7 Councillor candidates present on October 12th. Yes, the incumbent was late; yes, two bored Police officers were present half-way through the debate and yes, the incumbent deliberately padded the audience with loud supporters (who were quickly and sternly told to remain quiet by the moderator). Each candidate presented a summary of their platforms and answered questions in a respectful manner, while audience disdain for the incumbent was evident throughout the event. The article mentioned my promise to break up the Emery Village BIA, as well as my platform to encourage the community to come together with the Police to eradicate illegal massage parlour activity in the Ward. I passed out my vision statement for the community during the event as well, available here.
- http://www.insidetorontovotes.ca/2010/10/leadership-style-is-major-concern-in-ward-7/. North York Mirror - October 8th, 2010, p.10 -- "Ward 7: Leadership style is major concern". Lisa Queen wrote another article on the Ward 7 Councillor campaign, this time emphasizing the major candidate platforms and the controversy surrounding the incumbent. When discussing me, the writer emphasized my joint pledge (with 14 other Councillor candidates throughout Toronto) for a budget freeze in 2011, along with my promises of a two-term limit and breaking up the Emery Village BIA. It was also nice to see that Victor Lucero, running against me in the election, endorsed my ideas of establishing community committees throughout the Ward and community festivals, integral parts of my platform for the last two elections. Thanks Victor!
- http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/elections/article/864444--and-now-for-something-completely-different. Toronto Star - September 22nd, 2010 -- "And Now For Something Completely Different". This quirky article by reporter Katie Daubs lists a number of interesting ideas suggested by select election candidates. My promise, giving back 20% of my Councillor salary to the Ward, appeared to be the most gracious.
- http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/07/21/doug-holyday-to-seek-repayment-from-two-councillors/, National Post - July 21st, 2010 -- "Doug Holyday To Seek Repayment From Two Councillors". As the person who took the incumbent to the Compliance Audit Committee in 2007, it was disappointing to find that City Hall decided to reimburse his legal fees, despite the courts' decision that the reimbursement was illegal. I do not feel the reimbursement was appropriate (and is indicative of the cynicism prevalent at City Hall) and I will continue to fight for the return of those funds. The writer of this story, Natalie Alcoba, was well-informed about the compliance audit process which was a pleasant surprise during the interview.
- http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/elections/article/844657--i-told-you-so-york-west-candidates-on-mammoliti-decision. North York Mirror, July 7th, 2010 -- "I Told You So, York West Candidates On Mammoliti Decision". This article asked Ward 7 candidates their reaction to the incumbent withdrawing from the Mayor's race. I was certain he would eventually withdraw from the campaign and wrote about it on various Toronto blogs, calling it the "Mammoliti Ruse". The writer of this article, Tim Foran, put this article together rather quickly and unfairly emphasized the opinions of certain candidates more than others, lacking balance.
- http://www.thestar.com/yourcitymycity/article/799660--councillors-spending-rules-favour-councillors Toronto Star, April 23rd, 2010 -- "Councillors Spending Rules Favours...Councillors". I was interviewed by Paul Moloney on the topic of incumbents utilizing newsletters, paid from office expense accounts, during an election campaign as a free promotional device. The cut-off date for using these newsletters was Labour Day (7 weeks prior to the election). My suggestion was 6 months, a more realistic time frame.
- National Post, March 6th, 2010, "Races Worth Watching". The Post provided its readers with a list of the most newsworthy Ward races at the time and mentioned Ward 7. Calling me "A frequent critic of Mammoliti", I have used that quote many times. Of course, the article did not have to mention my third-place showing in the 2006 election, but that's politics.
- http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local/article/624486--additional-info-about-career. North York Mirror, February 26th, 2010 -- "Will Mammoliti Stick With Mayoral Bid". Lisa Queen, the writer of this article, did a pretty good job emphasizing the relevant points to the incumbent's (ultimate) failure of a Mayoral bid. She even quoted me calling it the "Mammoliti Ruse", a term I used since October 2009.
- National Post, January 23rd, 2010 -- "York Region's Avenue 7 Idea...". The newspaper asked readers to suggest an alternate name for Avenue 7, the proposed name for Highway 7 in York Region. My suggestion was "Palladini Avenue", in honour of the famous Ontario Minister and his successful car dealership and landmark at Hwy7 and Weston. I am in favour of naming streets after deserving individuals, unlike the incumbent (see articles 12 and 15 below for a good example).
- http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2009/10/17/and-now-a-trip-to-mammolltiville.aspx. National Post, October 17th, 2009 -- "And Now, A Trip To Mammolitiville". While only scratching the surface of the problems in Ward 7 and the Emery Village BIA, this article, written by Allison Hanes, provides an adequate balance. She asked me for a number of people to interview and some were quoted in the article.
- National Post, October 5th, 2009 -- Letter to the Editor, "Vanity street names are embarrassing". In September, after I opposed the naming of certain streets after individuals connected to the incumbent at Etobicoke York Community Council, Vanessa Lu at the Toronto Star wrote an article about the controversy. Allison Hanes at the National Post wrote a follow-up piece soon afterward, indicating that certain names were eventually taken off the list. My letter to the editor in the National Post indicated how embarrassing this whole incident was to the people of Ward 7.
- http://www.insidetoronto.com/opinion/letters/article/155262--expanding-bia-will-only-hurt-community-reader. North York Mirror, October 9th, 2009 -- Letter to the editor "Expanding BIA will only hurt community". It is my letter to the editor, reacting to the article 11 below.
- http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local/article/151009--plan-to-expand-bia-boundaries-splits-community. North York Mirror, September 18th, 2009 -- "Plan to expand BIA boundaries splits community". Lisa Queen wrote this article about the community meeting, organized by the Toronto BIA Office, to seek input and support for the Emery Village BIA expansion into the Humber Summit community. Suffice it to say, I was against the expansion.
- http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/696349. Toronto Star, September 16th, 2009 -- "Name game over streets gets nasty". At Etobicoke York Community Council I opposed the naming of streets after individuals connected with the incumbent. Vanessa Lu at the Toronto Star interviewed me and others, reporting on the controversy.
- http://www.insidetoronto.com/article/37121--real-solutions-needed-to-tackle-problems-at-rowntree-mills-park. North York Mirror, June 6th, 2009 -- Letter to the editor "Real Solutions Needed To Tackle Problems At Rowntree Mills Park". My letter opposed the closing of this beautiful park to cars. Except for a few events by permit, this park is virtually empty (as the gates stay closed, even today).
- http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/645879. Toronto Star, June 5th, 2009 -- Letter to the editor "Legal funding sets bad precedent". I was fundamentally against the idea of members of Council being able to get the City to fund defamation suits, feeling that it goes against fundamental democratic principles. Fortunately, City Council did not pass the motion.
- http://www.adrianheaps.com/2009/05/25/bike-lanes-may-not-turn-their-crank-but-councillors-join-mayors-city-hall-ride/. Globe and Mail, May 25th, 2009 -- "Making Noise At The Zoo". My deputation to the Toronto Zoo Board caught the eye of Jennifer Lewington, the Globe reporter. I was there to advocate for a Citizen's Advisory Committee for the Toronto Zoo.
- http://www.insidetoronto.com/InsideToronto/Article/73229. Letter to the Editor, North York Mirror, April 22nd, 2009 -- "Councillor's fear tactics source of community angst". My letter was highly critical of the incumbent's offer of peace to Humber Summit business owners after their parking spaces were taken away, given the serious consequences of his actions. I also highlighted serious inconsistencies in the incumbent's statements.
- http://www.insidetoronto.com/InsideToronto/Article/71910. North York Mirror, March 18th, 2009 -- Letter to the editor "Councillor's legacy not an impressive one". I wrote a stinging letter criticizing the newspaper's puff piece on the incumbent in February 2009. The letter had such an impact in the Ward it was translated into Italian and passed it out in community meetings.
- http://www.insidetoronto.com/InsideToronto/Article/68375. North York Mirror, December 9th, 2008 -- Letter to the editor "Community enticed to rise up against councillor". One of my personal favourites, this letter was a rallying cry for the people of Ward 7 to fight back against the incumbent's antics. In my opinion, many people stopped being afraid of the incumbent after reading it.
- http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/450135. Toronto Star, June 27th, 2008 -- "Councillor seeks refund following legal battle". Paul Moloney at the Toronto Star interview me extensively for this article about the reimbursement of the incumbent's legal expenses following my request for a compliance audit of his election finances.
- http://www.insidetoronto.com/InsideToronto/Article/59452. York Guardian, June 19th, 2008 -- "Residents reject strong mayor". My quick speech to a group of Councillors challenging the Mayor's over-reaching powers was quoted in this community newspaper. My argument was for a party system and an ethics committee to provide checks and balances. The writer, Tamara Shephard, wrongly stated that I was a York resident.
- Toronto Star, June 19th, 2008 -- "Voices: Drive-through pollution". The Toronto Star published my idea for eliminating line-ups at drive-thrus, specifically charging a $1 service fee or $5 minimum charge.
- http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/443403. Toronto Star, June 14th 2008 -- Letter to the editor "Other ways to promote zoo". I was enraged when the Toronto Star exposed the thousands of free zoo passes given to certain Councillors in 2007. I provided suggestions (such as PWYC days and using the MAP program) to stop the current use of giveaways disguised as political gifts.
- http://www.now.uz/news/story.cfm?content=162691&archive=27,33,2008. Now Magazine, April 17-23, 2008 -- Letter to the editor "Skid mark on your lid". One of my pet peeves in the community are children riding bicycles without helmets. I criticized Now Magazine for their Bike Issue, as most of the photographed bicyclists were helmet-less.
- Toronto Star, April 19th, 2008 -- Letter to the editor "A lose-lose situation". As the City lost $293,000 from a vending machine operator that went bankrupt, I criticized the need to have vending machines at recreation centres AT ALL, as it does not promote good health.
- http://unhyphenatedcanadian.blogspot.com/2008/04/kingdom-of-toronto.html. Toronto Star, April 7th, 2008 -- Letter to the editor "Our own absolute monarch". I received a great deal of attention from this letter criticizing David Miller's attempts at getting greater powers as Mayor, a move I considered Machiavellian.
- http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/310555. Toronto Star, March 8, 2008 -- "Readers' TTC Complaints: Garbage". My suggestion at the time to put back garbage receptacles at subway stations was implemented shortly afterward. The power of the press was effective in this case.
- http://www.economist.com/node/20014911. Economist Magazine, August 6th, 2007 -- Letter to the editor "Nice, but broke". By far my favourite letter to the editor, this commentary on Toronto's financial and political woes received a great deal of attention. My best line: "With luck, Toronto's political leadership will wake up and develop greater expertise in economic and public-sector management before its too late and the great "sucking-sound" of investment dollars moves westward." It is true, even today.
- www.sonali.ca/media/torstareditorialpicks.pdf. Toronto Star, November 8th, 2006 -- "Star's Selection For City Council". The Toronto Star endorsed me for Ward 7 Councillor in the 2006 election, mentioning my service in charity and community work.
- http://clients.andrewmallis.com/decisiontoronto2006/decisiontoronto2006/?q=node/528. North York Mirror, November 8th, 2006 -- "Toronto Community News Election Endorsements". The North York Mirror endorsed me for Councillor in Ward 7 as well, citing my potential as a community advocate and the national attention brought to the dangers of pocket bikes.
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