sweet victories! ford budget defeated, tarsands pipeline dead for now

If Rob Ford and Stephen Harper are both unhappy, this must be a good day!

Yesterday the voices of reason on the Toronto City Council united to defeat Rob Ford's most dangerous budget cuts. There will still be cutbacks, and layoffs, and there is still a fight. But note this:
Public sentiment was key to moving some councillors behind Colle’s motion. Thousands of emails clogged their inboxes, almost 13,000 Torontonians filled out surveys on which services they cherish and hundreds of people made deputations to various committee meanings, including two that went all night.

And today President Obama has denied the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, effectively killing the pipeline for now. Keystone can reapply for another permit, but it will be an uphill battle. Stephen Harper has already expressed his "profound disappointment," so we know it's good news!

Obama covered his tracks by blaming Republicans for an arbitrary deadline, but the real credit goes to massive numbers of people speaking out and protesting during an election year.

Keep on making noise!

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