Ford calls funding changes “punishment”

TORONTO, Ont. – It appeared to be a tale of two meetings – two men attending the same meeting, but afterward, each having a very different interpretation of the proceedings.

Mayor Rob Ford expressed his anger after an hour-long private meeting with Finance Minister Charles Sousa, Monday, to discuss contentious funding changes to the city’s social programs.

The province is ending a special “pooling” arrangement for Toronto to pay for welfare and disability support programs.

Ford says as a result, it will cost Toronto $150-million over three years, and it will mean cuts to vital social programs because he refuses to raise taxes.

“Unfortunately it’s going to hurt the most vulnerable people, the people that I go and see almost every week in Toronto Community Housing and they’re suffering enough already. This is just adding insult to injury, adding salt to the wound,” he told reporters, Monday.

Sousa, on the other hand, says Toronto is coming out ahead because of the changes being made and increases in other areas.

Ford, saying he was “shocked” by the funding withdrawal when it was announced last week, was already unhappy when he arrived for the meeting, asking reporters to move out of the way.

After the meeting, the Mayor was visibly more upset.

“I’m furious. This is just not right. Last-minute blindsiding,” he said. “This is a complete waste of everyone’s time today. I’m very disappointed. I tried to give an olive branch – let’s, you know, discuss it [and] think about it for a few days.”

“I’m very, very frustrated right now,” he added. “I’m getting punished for running an efficient government. That’s exactly what’s happening here.”

“They found out that Mayor Ford can turn the city around. Obviously these people can’t and I’m getting punished for it. It’s disgusting, absolutely disgusting.”

The city claims it would get $150 million less under the changes, but Sousa says Toronto will get $364 million this year to pay for social programs, growing to $500 million by 2016.

Sousa, meanwhile, called the meeting with the Mayor “a very constructive and frank discussion,” which gave him a chance to explain and clarify the intent of the letter he wrote earlier this month.

In 2008, the province told the city it would be cutting the funding in 2018 but last week, the timing was moved up by two years.

Last week, Sousa said that other municipalities have complained that the arrangement is unfair. However, following his meeting with Ford, he said it doesn’t have to be this way in Toronto.

“The city has choices. They have tremendous amounts of surpluses year over year, they know what they can do, and the most vulnerable should be continued to be supported, and there’s no need for them to be held hostage,” he told reporters, Monday.

“We’re increasing funding to Toronto, that’s the point. We are going to have a net increase, and that’s ultimately what we’re doing, and I wish the Mayor would see it that way, too.”