Worth Reading - March 21, 2013

Alice Funke, aka the author behind Pundits’ Guide, criticizes the Liberal leadership race. She says that even the candidates who focus on policy did not truly focus on the issues. It was a leadership race about nothing, and a bad way to revitalize a party that has been adrift for ten years.

Related to Alice Funke’s piece above, Jonathan Kay points out something that makes my blood run cold – Canadians don’t want smart candidates with good ideas. Marc Garneau (LPC - Westmont-Ville-Marie, QC) dropped out of the Liberal leadership race. He was largely considered the second-place candidate and consistently called for more policy discussion.

I’m a fan of mixed-use neighbourhoods and I wish that contemporary urban planning would encourage it more. That being said, a piece from The Atlantic Cities suggests that these types of neighbourhoods are safer. 

A local planning decision here in Brampton is stirring up a lot of controversy. In the neighbourhood of Springdale there are plans for the construction of a few hundred townhouses. Members of the community object to the townhouses and would rather larger homes that fit the community’s family structure. Then things got heated...

I’ve shared a lot of links about Generation Y and Millenials struggling in the new economy. From the Huffington Post is a piece about why younger Canadians spend so little time at a place of employment and spend more time between jobs. In a time when corporate hierarchies are a tad static it is easier to leave and climb the rungs on other ladders.

Chantal Hébert in the Toronto Star discusses the relationship between the Quebec and federal Liberals after the election of a new leader. Hébert suggests that the Quebec Liberal Party may prefer working with Tom Mulcair’s NDP than a Justin Trudeau Liberal Party.

Here is a piece from the Toronto Sun talking about the accountability of our local politicians. Municipal councils can meet behind closed doors and make important decisions without citizen oversight. This does not apply to the provincial or federal legislature (though their committees can). It is an interesting issue.

A Conservative strategist looks at 8 ideas that the Liberals and NDP should borrow if they want to win. 

The Toronto Star asks an important question, “Is Toronto ready for its LA moment?” Los Angeles is infamous for its car-centric culture and congestion. The reality is that Toronto’s congestion is now worse than LA’s. In 2006 LA made a major policy shift with a massive infusion into transit funding from a dedicated tax.

Speaking of a dedicated tax, Adam Giambrone has a piece in NOW discussing funding options.