Toronto gay pride and mayoral candidates

How mayoral hopefuls are attracting attention during pride weekend
Joe Pantalone handing out condoms
Kris Scheuer

Mayoral candidate Joe Pantalone is handing out these condoms during Toronto's pride parade.

This  weekend marks the 30th annual Pride Parade in Toronto.
Mayoral candidates will be out in full force wooing voters and getting press.
Mayoral candidate Joe Pantalone sent out a press release today that he’ll be handing out condoms July 4. Sure, why not? Safe sex and all.
But the text was a little funny that accompanied his reasoning. Read it for yourself and tell me what you think.
“When you know you’re safe, you’re free to enjoy yourself,” Pantalone’s presser stated. “That’s the attitude of a responsible lover. And as a responsible Mayor, it will be Joe’s attitude to Toronto. It’s why he and his campaign will distribute ‘Not Your Average Joe’ condoms at this year’s Pride Parade – to remind celebrants that it’s when we take care of each other that we can most enjoy each other’s company.”
“A condom provides protection against infection; a Pantalone mayoralty will be an effective prophylactic against diseases like rampant privatization, service cuts, transit delays, and divisive politics,” he wrote.  “You already take care of your body; on election day, be sure to take care of your city, by voting Joe.”
What do you think? Brilliant, silly or outrageous?

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Robert Meynell ward 27 candidate

Meynell running in crowded Toronto Centre-Rosedale race
Author, lecturer, volunteer running for council seat
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier April 28.)

Toronto-Centre Rosedale candidate Robert Meynell. Photo courtesy of Robert Meynell.

North Rosedale resident Robert Meynell thinks Ward 27 is a great place to live and is running for council to ensure it stays that way.
“I love the ward. I grew up here. I have a house here and am raising a family here. With (Councillor) Kyle Rae stepping down, this was a good
opportunity,” said father of three boys.
“It’s an extraordinary place to live,” said Meynell, who works as the government relations associate for the Ontario March of Dimes.
He’s a cyclist and when he was living in Ottawa he served as a director of Citizens for Safe Cycling. But he questions the decision to put bike lanes on Jarvis Street as part of that revitalization.
Bike lanes on Jarvis are not part of the city’s 1999 Bike Plan that’s only 40 percent completed, he said.
“According to that plan … a bike path on Bay is a far greater priority than one on Jarvis in the interests of having a successful bike network,” he said. “Was there an honest need for bike lanes on Jarvis? I don’t think there was because there’s bike lanes on Sherbourne. Or are they using bike lanes as a way to quiet streets?”

Politics, campaigns, election and rumours

Rumour mill includes falsehood I’m working for candidate
Someone spreads lie I’m on communication team for Dhanani
By Kris Scheuer

As a journalist for a dozen years including nine focused on politics, I am accustomed to interviewing politicians about rumours.
But I am not used to political rumours about me.
Yesterday, I got an email from  Satinder Sahota who’s working on Jon Burnside‘s election campaign in local race in Don Valley West Ward 26.
She’d heard I was a communications person for Ward 26 candidate Mohamed Dhanani’s campaign and wanted to know if this was true.
Of course it’s 100 percent false and I emailed and called her right away to say so.
I have never worked or volunteered on anyone’s political campaign, ever. And certainly would not do so at the same time as being employed as a political reporter who is interviewing candidates during the current 2010 election race.

Run in Toronto election 2010

Register as a candidate here’s how
My advice on why and how to run for for public office

(Opinion written for Town Crier Jan. 7)

I have a confession.
I don’t have the stomach to run for politics. Not that anyone, other than casual observers, has asked me.
People ask if I’d run as I have a passion for politics. I love writing about how issues impact people’s lives, the drama, the personalities and the elections. This is way better than reality TV.
Okay, so maybe you don’t share my news junkie mentality when it comes to politics. Or maybe you are more political than you realize …
Maybe, like my father, decades removed from his protest rally days, your city hall beef is you don’t want parking rules changed on your street or want to slow down vehicles from bombing down the road?

Toronto a day in the life 10

Politics, drunks sums up big city life
What I learned about Toronto this week
By Kris Scheuer

First let’s start with POLITICS.
The city’s election campaign begin Jan. 4 and in the first week where candidates can register so far: 14 have signed up for the mayoralty race, 43 candidates for councillor in 44 wards, eight people registered for public school board.
DRUNKS
On an unrelated matter, I was riding the 506 Carlton streetcar last night around 9 pm when a Brit came aboard and started up a conversation. He asked about the book I was reading, The Bishop’s Man by Linden MacIntyre. He was reading Raising Kanye by Dr. Donda West about singer Kanye West. This stranger on the streetcar went on to ask me to go for a beer, wine or tea on three separate occasions.
I was not interested, but as he asked if I had a PhD, Masters and seemed interested in intelligent conversation, I did not mind chatting with this him on the TTC as I passed the time.

Toronto mayor and council candidates

Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone has expressed interest in running for the top job in 2010.

By Kris Scheuer
(For update, click here.)

For political junkies, like me, elections are a fun time to be a journalist.
There’s change, drama, personality clashes, issues debated, suspense, scandals, disappointment, joy, surprise upsets, unpredictability…
Okay maybe it’s just me, but I know I am not the only one who gets excited by politics and electi
Someone back me up here and write to tell what you think.

So last night, I was at a party with a bunch of left-leaning strategists, politicians, journalists and lobbyists. I am not a card carrying member of any political party and never have been. But it so happened this evening’s party was packed with NDPers.
As I was not working this past weekend,yesterday was my first chance to officially confirm what’s been reported on Friday that Councillor Kyle Rae is out of the game. He won’t run in Toronto Centre-Rosedale in the 2010 municipal race.
I interviewed him today, so click here for a teaser of the full interview I am writing for the Town Crier and will post on my site this Thursday.
But that’s not the only story.
Today Liberal fundraiser and strategist Rocco Rossi made it official that he, along with MPP George Smitherman and councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, is running to be Toronto’s next mayor.
But that’s not all. On a range of rumour all the way to sure bet – others are set to announce their mayoralty hopes too including current city councillors: former journalist Adam Vaughan, Budget Chief Shelley Carroll, Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone and TTC chair Adam Giambrone.

Yes to worker pay cut, no council cut

Non-union employees get pay freeze, councillors keep their own wage hike
Mayor Miller and some councillors give back their pay increase to city
By Kris Scheuer
(Originally published April 27/09 for Town Crier.)

Members of the city’s Executive Committee froze inflationary pay hikes for non-union employees but voted not to do the same for themselves.
By rejecting a motion put forward by councillors Case Ootes and Karen Stintz to freeze all city politicians salaries for 2009, the issue won’t go on to city council for a vote. 
“We asked for a salary freeze and Executive Committee did not take that position,” said Stintz after committee’s vote on April 7. “The issue is dead.” 
Nonetheless, council members can still voluntarily donate their 2.42-percent cost of living increase to the city. 
As of April 8, Mayor David Miller and 16 councillors have agreed to do just that, said Celine Chiovitti, acting director of pensions, payroll and employee benefits at city hall.

Crowded Toronto school to expand again

But Maurice Cody must wait until 2010
By Kris Scheuer
(Published in Town Crier July 2/09)

Maurice Cody students will soon have more space at their overcrowded public school.
A $500,000 pre-fabricated addition will be attached to the Leaside-area elementary school by September 2010.
St. Paul’s school trustee Josh Matlow is happy the option.
“I think the pre-fab is a solution that’s very workable,” he told about 60 people at a June 16 meeting.
The school is currently closed to students living outside the catchment area. However anyone inside is guaranteed a spot. The existing building’s capacity is 397, but enrollment has grown significantly in the past decade and by this September the head count is anticipated to be 565 students. 

Politics and homosexuality

Public, family acceptance for gay & lesbian politicians 
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Feb 2/2004)

Kathleen Wynne is a politician who happens to be a lesbian.
However during the last provincial election campaign, “I was told, ‘You can’t win because you are a lesbian. You can’t run uptown because your lifestyle is too alternative,’ ” says the Liberal MPP for Don Valley West . “But I don’t live downtown. I grew up in the suburbs. I am an uptown person. Why transplant myself, then the only thing about me becomes that I’m a lesbian!