Wounna shounna, Taronna.

There's a standard "world class, Toronto?" article in today's Toronto Star, via their GridTO.com website.
Toronto definitely isn't what it used to look forward to. But I don't put all of this city's woes unto the previous mayor. His predecessor, a conservative, mayor Lastman made critical mistakes, and so on.
We should have built the Eglinton West subway line from Yonge Street then directly curled to the airport. instead we pondered a shunt extension to Sherway Gardens and partially built the Sheppard line, east of Yonge yet short of reaching the DVP highway. And then the St. Clair streetcar revision and narrowing of other downtown arterial roads with fancy sidewalks and specialty trees.
A limited stop rail line route from the shoreline hugging Union Train station up to the distantly ugly 3-in-1 horse racing track, then back south again to the Airport is being built. And we cannot settle upon diesel or electric.
We should have protected our waterfront development. Instead the city looks like a tacky sardine can. Even Rogers Communications uses a 21-year old barren land photo of its then-unbranded Rogers Centre - for a mispelt 2011 postcard. Because otherwise it's immediate vicinity would look like an eyesore? Probably.
Our malls used to be nice. Now we have outdoor mega centres, grungy half abandoned mini-malls or malls given ill-fitting extensions, or worse - refurbished major malls in harsh lighting, off white decor, and blaring meaningless noisy music.
We should be connected to our immediate neighbouring suburbs. I have written here about the simple lack of an Etobicoke Creek footbridge between the QEW and Lakeshore, and how the Islington Station connection remains a dismal failure*.
I suggested that a diagonal TTC surface rail corridor line from Malvern (and the 401/DVP) into both sides of the University Spadina subway line - at Summerhill and Dupont. I asked why the VIA trains through lower Mississauga have no station stop until Oakville. Now we have a metropolis where Fortune 500 companies prefer to set-up shop - upon its outside. And all future public transit plans only flow straight into the deepest and most congested hub at Lake Ontario's shoreline - with its awkward bus / train alignment.
We have expanded the PATH concourse system. Yet it has grown more disjointed and ineffective with each new development. Purpose One is for workers to walk indoors betweeen transit hub and office place, not to meander aimlessly about. And we failed to use clear and internationally recognized direction symbols in connection with Union Station, for int'l visitors.
Housing? We are erecting permanent townhouses and condos as though the "Golden Horseshoe" and S. Ontario region is a tiny island and not a connected part of the world's second largest land mass country.

I posted a series of fond Toronto images (1972-2002) over the Rembrance Day through New Year's period. Does anyone really think - forget the this mayor /council or that mayor /council talk - that we are a better city right now, in 2012? Seriously?
* looking for this reference, to be updated.