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*UPDATE* Is your money paying for Team Toronto's Chicago trip?

Posted By: Newstalk 1010 · 9/19/2012 3:58:00 PM

Rob Ford is changing his tune about who's footing the bill for a 2-day trade mission to Chicago.

Ever since the trip was announced, the mayor has proclaimed it wouldn't cost taxpayers a thing.

Speaking with reporters in Chicago late Wednesday afternoon, Ford made the distinction that he's paying for his own trip "not costing the taxpayers a dime".

He said deciding whether councillors paying for the trip out of their office budget was a worthwhile expense isn't up to him.

Speaking with Newstalk 1010's Jerry Agar Wednesday morning, Toronto city councillor Michael Thompson said the cost for the trip wasn't coming out of his pocket.

Thompson told Agar, "I'm not paying my own money to go to Chicago on a business trip for Toronto."

He went on to say he thinks he has a budget for stuff like that & staff handed him a ticket & told him to show up at the island airport.

The Mayor's staff in Chicago have told Newstalk 1010 business leaders have paid their own way &  the same goes for the Mayor.  It's up to the individual councillors to decide on how they want to cover the cost of the trip.

That means when the 7 city councillors come home, they could find a bill on their desks for over $2000. Whether or not they use their office budget & taxpayer dollars to pay, will be up to them.

About half of the councillors in Chicago, have paid their own way out of personal accounts or credit cards.

Councillors Mark Grimes, Peter Milczyn & Jaye Robinson have all footed their own bills.

The staff at the offices of councillors Paul Ainslie, Michelle Berardinetti & Michael Del Grande weren't sure how the trip was going to be paid.

The only "no" so far, comes from Councillor Michael Thompson, who said as much on Newstalk 1010 with Jerry Agar.

 VIDEO: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford talks to reporters in Chicago

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  1. Oops! posted on 09/19/2012 11:43 AM
    Looks like Rob's been up to his old tricks making stuff up! Kind of like his comment in Chicago that the city cars his staff use for football business are the cars he paid for...
    1. Huh? posted on 09/19/2012 11:46 AM
      @Oops! I was sure nobody would ask a councilor if he was paying his way! What are the chances of that happening? Doug, Doug, where are you? I need you to go yell at Thompson and threaten to bury him in the next election. And go after 1010. Their not my friends anymore.
  2. GregH_5652 posted on 09/19/2012 12:48 PM
    Oh dear. Another sideshow.
    Really though, if taxpayer money was funding some or all f this trip I think most people would be OK with it. It's not like they're going off to some exotic locale..it's Chicago. It's a trip to benifit Toronto. Nothing against Chi-Town but it ain't Rio!
    1. GS posted on 09/19/2012 01:25 PM
      @GregH_5652 Then why lie about it?
  3. Tony Guy posted on 09/19/2012 01:19 PM
    I think the Mayor may have mispoken, again! I am quite sure the staff expenses are covered by the City and pretty confidant that the councillors expenses are covered out of their office budgets or by the City. Just wish he would think before speaking, again!

    The real story is whether the trip is a good idea, no contest it is! I'd also like to see an analysis to show what previous mayors spent on official travel and flag waving excercises.
  4. GS posted on 09/19/2012 01:23 PM
    The Mayor insists that the trip to Chicago isn't costing taxpayers "a dime" or "a red cent". Whether the corporate partners are paying for councillors expenses or not, the central question that has not been asked by Jerry Agar or anyone else is this:

    "Are these expenses tax write-offs for the businesses concerned?" I don't see why these would not be legitimate expenses. And if they're legitimate, they'll likely be written off, costing the taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.

    It is the Mayor and his supporters who regularly remind us that there is only ONE taxpayer even if taxes are paid to all three levels of government.

    "There’s only one tax—this is, there’s only one taxpayer. Provincial, federal, or municipal, it still comes out of your right pocket or your left pocket. So it doesn’t matter what level of government, it still is only one taxpayer." Mayor Rob Ford - July 20, 2012

    Therefore, if business is writing these expenses off, they should stop saying that it's not costing taxpayers anything.

    (Aside - CFRB might want to ask the Mayor or his brother some time if their company writes off expenses that are covered for their municipal expenses including this trip to Chicago. Isn't the Mayor's new car registered to his company? If so, then in fact, the mayor's expenses are subsidized by the taxpayer. )
    1. proton posted on 09/19/2012 02:16 PM
      @GS @GS obviously ford misspoke again. of course it's a tax write-off and it only seems reasonable the councillors would have their trip paid for by the city, all as it should be

      apart from another ford gaffe what's your problem with this being a tax write-off? It's perfectly reasonable
    2. MouseWithBrick posted on 09/21/2012 10:42 AM
      @GS GS:

      For the businesses, this trip is no more of a tax write-off than a sales trip, or any other business expense. The trip will be paid for from the company revenues, not the taxpayer. If you don't like that the businesses went to Chicago, don't use their services or buy their products, but don't create the false impression that the taxpayer is paying for them to do that, somehow.
    show more replies
  5. SteveB_10 posted on 09/20/2012 12:28 PM
    If the companies write off this trip, it cost the taxpayers a pretty penny.
    If Porter gave free tickets is that ethical?
    And if the city paves your driveway and then bills you is that normal? People in Buffalo have gone to jail for that.
    http://thinkingaboot.blogspot.ca/2012/09/the-ballad-of-rob-ford.html
    1. proton posted on 09/20/2012 04:08 PM
      @SteveB_10 You obviously need a lesson in grade 5 business. any company that spends money trying to develop business can write those costs off, just as they pay tax on the profits when that business materializes.

      Wondering if you're from a communist regime which may explain your complete lack of understanding of our system
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