It is a well-known fact that many politicians, especially of the left persuasion, love to spend money as long as the bucks come from other people. The following is a perfect example of the mentality of spending money that does absolutely no good but achieves the stated objectives of making the politico feel good. And if by raising taxes to do it, making people who are less well-off struggle more, so be it.
The city of Toronto has just passed its 2014 budget. Rob Ford, the most famous mayor in the history of civilization, submitted 18 proposals to reduce the city’s spending. Of these 18 motions, only four passed the largely leftist group of city mothers.
One proposal was to slash the budget by $1.58 million by eliminating security guards at city libraries. The mayor noted it is unlikely two six-year-olds are going to fight it out over a dinosaur book.
The very idea of getting rid of security guards in Toronto libraries drew the wrath of two city councillors; Mary-Margaret McMahon and Adam Vaughan. Their reasoning for keeping the security guards serves as great examples of the mentality of McMahon, Vaughan, and their fellow travellers.
McMahon informed the mayor that security guards are needed in libraries because there was a murder at a library once. Surely security guards could prevent such a tragedy. The fact it costs over one and a half million dollars to prevent a tragedy is worth it, regardless of how difficult tax increases are to lower income people and seniors.
Yes MM, there was in fact a murder at a library that is in your ward. On Dec. 2, 2010, Zhou “Peter” Fang took a crossbow into the Main Street branch and shot his abusive 52-year-old father. Fang was subsequently convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole for 10 years.
The killing of course had nothing whatsoever to do with the library. Fang went to the library because he knew his father would be there and he wanted to kill him. If McMahon truly believes security guards are needed to protect “the children”, she should propose a motion that the city protect children by placing security guards in McDonalds, parks, and all places where kids can be found. But of course, even she will never do that; security guards in libraries are enough to make her feel good about herself.
What an unarmed security guard would do to stop someone with a weapon from killing someone is, and will remain, how Cadbury puts the caramel into its Caramilk bars. One of life’s little secrets.
If McMahon was angry, Councillor Vaughan absolutely lost it. The most ardent Ford-hater on council, it’s almost worth a few extra property tax dollars to watch him in action. The man certainly suffers from RFDS (Rob Ford Derangement Syndrome).
After accusing the mayor with the obligatory leftist mantra of conducting a “war on children,” Vaughan said security guards are necessary in libraries to enable parents to “feel” their children are safe. Vaughan doesn’t even try to argue security guards will be able to prevent future acts of violence from occurring—it’s all about “feelings.” It sure makes Adam feel good about himself, damn the taxpayers.
Another argument for retaining guards is that librarians should not have to be the ones to have to toss out undesirables from their libraries. True, but neither should workers, many of them young women, have to throw patrons out of their donut shops and fast food restaurants. Librarians can do what lower life forms do when confronted with a volatile or potentially volaltile situation. They can call 911.
Vaughan really started to descend into ridiculousness when he mocked Ford for having security guards to escort him around City Hall. Well, ever since allegations of the crack video surfaced, the mayor is constantly swarmed by reporters, led by Shrill Katie of City News, needing security guards not to protect him but to allow him to get in and out of his office unimpeded. City News is of course where, prior to his election to council, Vaughan posed as an unbiased and impartial journalist.
The city of Toronto’s operating budget for 2014 is $9.6 billion. The cost of library security guards is a drop in the bucket. But retaining these guards is symptomatic of why most council members have no regard for the amount of money they take from taxpayers.
Mayor Rob Ford is a freak. Not because he smoked crack or gets drunk or not even because he litters and goes to Vancouver to jaywalk. He’s a freak because he actually does care about the ever increasing amount of money that is confiscated from Toronto taxpayers.
