Today readers are discussing a wide range of stories, from licenses for cyclists to Doug Ford’s continued push to reduce Toronto city council to Liberal fundraising violations. Today’s comments were selected because they approach the issues at hand with insightful and compelling arguments.
Cyclists using the Bloor Street bike lane still maneuver through commercial and personal auto traffic in the Annex neighbourhood in Toronto on August 11, 2016. (Christopher Katsarov for The Globe and Mail)Christopher Katsarov
From Should cyclists be licensed like people who drive cars? A contributed column by Jason Tchir
I was in Amsterdam last month and couldn't get over the number of cyclists there. Separate streams of bikers come together like birds in the sky. If you waited for the other stream to pass, you'd be run over from behind by dozens of bikers. I was told there are lots of rules, but everyone ignores them. They look like they're doing just fine.
I have recently joined the unpolitically correct and I suggest we all (car drivers, bikers and pedestrians) follow these principles and get on with life (without more rules):
1. If you are walking, driving, riding while engrossed with your cell phone, it's on you if you get hurt or hurt someone else.
2. If you think there's a set of rules (now or in future) that will be more effective than using common sense and courtesy for others, stay home.
3. Before you start yapping about what someone's done to you, make sure you're track record is perfect. - PeterK2262
I think it would be refreshing just to implement all the rules of the road that already exist. We don’t need another layer of bureaucracy to tell cyclists that they have to stop at red lights too; that car drivers have to check their mirror before turning right, etc.
I was in Copenhagen recently, which some of you may know is a “cycling city,” and it was startling (shocking, really) how the cyclists obeyed the rules of the road, just like cars; and car drivers were cautious around cyclists. I was on the bicycle and felt very safe. The rules already exist for us to have that culture in Toronto; right here; right now. - Pause Button
Anything without a motor should not be licensed. - Adrian Jenko
This will turn into a bureaucratic nightmare. what? You’ll need a license or permit to buy a $100 bike at Canadian Tire for your 10 year old? Will we need a licensing bureau to manage bike ownership changes to ensure whenever a used bike is sold it is sold to someone with a license? Laughable. - paulsavage
What else readers are talking about:
Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks as the Ontario Legislature hold an all night session to debate a bill that would cut the size of Toronto city council from 47 representatives to 25, in Toronto on Monday, September 17, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris YoungChris Young/The Canadian Press
‘We will never, ever back down,’ Ontario’s Ford declares at midnight session to slash Toronto city council by Victoria Gibson
I'm a Toronto PC voter in the last election. Zero loyalty to the party. I don't regret voting PC but I do regret the party’s choice of Ford as leader. Ford should be clear that my vote was not a vote for Ford Nation and I completely oppose his position on this subject. Civility and respect for process are fundamental aspects of our society. Peace, Order, and Good government are fundamental guiding principles of our nation regardless of what policy position the government wishes to take. If they are not guiding principles of Ford Nation then that nation is at fundamental odds with Canadian culture. - Tricky.
What a bizarre, and pretty much inconsequential issue to go bonkers over. Ford has no sense of perspective and his caucus is complicit in this madness. What has happened to the Attorney General? - Robert Drouin
It is difficult to recall any Canadian Premier with a narrower view of the society he is supposed to be leading and managing.
Three months into his mandate, Doug Ford’s significant limitations are abundantly obvious. We suspected as much before he was elected, but it was difficult to anticipate the pettiness of his behaviour. While not totally surprised by the reality, I am saddened by PC MLAs’ willingness to support Doug Ford’s somewhat inconsequential, but consistently mean-spirited initiatives.
We cannot afford to be complacent. Through its initial actions this Government has demonstrated its intent to remake our society into something far uglier and much less civil than we deserve.
A lifelong Conservative, I am committed to spending the next 45 months to ensure there is an end to the end Doug Ford era. We deserve better. - Herb1012
“We will never, ever back down" might be inspiring words had they been spoken by Winston Churchill in 1940, but they ring hollow coming from a premier whose objective is to change the ward boundaries in Toronto in the middle of a municipal election campaign. It didn't take long for Doug to demonstrate that he has no perspective or judgment. - Conservative For Life
Federal Liberals violated own fundraising rules by Bill Curry and Tom Cardoso
Interesting that lobbyists mentioned in the article are former Liberal Party candidates or Liberal insiders. It's a privileged club or oligarchy. - William Lyon MacKenzie1
When the Liberals came into power they promised many things, among these promises were a strong commitment to openness and accountability and a government that we could trust.
When this type of thing happens, you wonder a number of things. Why would a government set up rules that apparently they had no intention of following ? You wonder as well why there seems to be an assumption that no one will ever find out, which is simply not the case these days. At the core of this however is the underlying fact that even though they have been found out, and even though they set up rules so it wasn't supposed to happen, nothing of consequence will come as a result of this .
When governments don't play by the rules that they themselves set, after much self -congratulations for what they were doing,it indicates just how little regard the self-declared accountability means to them. - JeffSpooner
It is a mistake to believe the Liberals know or appreciate the difference between honoring their promises on fundraising and breaking these same commitments.. From the details in the article it is clear they don’t think it matters to the public because there have never been any negative consequences resulting from this behavior including breaking the Conflict of Interest rules. Their entitlement and arrogance is breathtaking from the Prime Minister on down. And Canadians give the Liberal Party of Canada a free get-out-of jail-pass every time. Is it any wonder Liberals never have time for anyone other than those on their own gravy train? - Craftsman18
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