Miller's "World Class City" waste

"He took us to the cleaners and other misdemeanors." - after Ian Dury

Former "large imperfect" Mayor Miller has received a lifetime achievement award for waste, due to his record of soaking Toronto taxpayers - see PunchBuggy Passim. It reminds me of some of his other achievements:

* Failure to tell Police Chief Blair to stop running amok at the G20.

* Provoking a five-week garbage strike, and losing.

* Remaining absent after the Sunrise propane explosion.

* Paying $35 million not to build the bridge to the island airport.

* Failing to spot a $47m liability for the Pan-Am games.

* Presiding over a disgraceful regime at Municipal Licensing Services to the detriment of small business.

* Turning a blind eye when Adam Giambrone was caught with his hand in the till.

* Spending much of his time on foreign "jollies" while the city stagnated.

Ex-Mayor Miller:Lifetime Award for Waste

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is celebrating the best of the worst money misuses in government. The ‘Teddies Waste Awards’ were handed out recently and federal director Kevin Gaudet says this year’s lifetime achievement award was given to past Toronto mayor David Miller, and noted all the taxes imposed on Torontonians under his watch. That includes the plastic bag tax, the land transfer tax, billboard tax and garbage tax.
The federal award recognized the $1-billion price-tag for the G8 and G20 summits, including $227,000 in gift bags and promotional items. The top provincial waster, named by the taxpayers, was the PST tax collectors, who were laid off in order to become GST collectors, only to receive a severance package of roughly $45,000 each.

See: Durham Radio News.com

Steelyard blues

These two Studebaker Lark compact cars were lurking in a backlot in Ely, Nevada, when we spotted them there last summer.

Note the Mercedes-style grille on the second car

NASCAR's sputnik moment

NASCAR's pre-season isn't going according to plan. After the Tony Stewart affair down under, about which the homeboys are saying nothing, we moved on to the Presidential State of the Nation Speech by Brian France, live from Charlotte on Speed Channel. The craven hacks applauded as he took to the stage, after all he is their meal ticket. France then portentiously announced some tinkering with the Sprint Cup points system.
The big build up on Speed Channel fell flat when the sound system, which was only suitable for a village fete, glitched and the President sounded like he was speaking from inside a fish tank. He also had to contend with a voice off air. It reminded me of the fall of Ceausescu.
The Speed Channel cheering section said that the new points system was undoubtedly a good thing as the previous system had been incomprehensible. Now that drivers received points from 43 for a win down to one for last place it would be much easier to follow. Jeff Hammond helpfully suggested that if a driver finished twentieth for example it would be easy to work out how many points he would receive, er, 23 presumably. Drivers would also get points for not finishing races? There would also be points for having shiny shoes and not bopping the race promoter.
Driver reaction seemed to be that nobody cared what the points system was and that they were going to win whatever cockamamie scheme was dreamt up by NASCAR market research and their fan clinics. Junior to have a head start please. What they meant to say was that Jimmie Johnson would win it whatever the points system.
Despite the obvious advantages of brand identification the cars would remain identical. Surely the gormless fans could tell it was a Toyota if it had the word
Camry written on the front. We could stand by for Hyundai and Volkswagen clones in what was without question the greatest racing series on the planet. Aside to sound man: "You're fired!"

Happy New Year

Good trip to NYC before Xmas. We missed the blizzard with four nights before the storm. Manhattan is great for walking if you avoid the midtown crowds. Broadway, 42nd Street, Central Park, Wall Street, Brooklyn Bridge, The Battery. Flew on Porter Airlines from Toronto City Centre Airport to Newark, New Jersey - flying as it should be. Pic by RLT.

Kiss me quick and cognac

My September tour took in the Brighton Speed Trials and the Circuit des Remparts at Angoulême.

Here is "The Old Fella" Allard of Jim and Sheila Tiller, winner of the Brighton Speed Trials in 2004 and 2006.

A jolly time was had at the vintage racing in cognac country. A pot of tea in Les Halles at Angoulême was a highlight. We returned via Rouen-Les-Essarts and the splendid bar-brasserie Le Nouveau Monde.

Bonneville reprise

Still buzzing after Bonneville Speed Week - the smart car performed flawlessly through more than eight thousand miles on tour and zoomed across the salt flats with the best of them.

You can see our smart car parked centre right.