Photo:The Sky's Tears, by Danielle Scott, member of theblogTO Flickr pool.

What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):

With yesterday'sannouncement that David Miller will not seek mayoral re-election, the speculation regarding those who will replace him has elevated considerably. And although no one has officially declared his/her candidacy, there's certainlya decent number of potential combatants starting to make a little noise. I was always ambivalent about Miller, but, not surprisingly, reaction to his announcement has beenquitemixed. But of the articles I've read -- and I must admit that haven't read them all -- I particularly admireMarcus Gee'sanalysis of Miller's strengths and weakness.

Amidall the talk of the TTC's 17.4 million dollar operating deficit and its putative source in the transferable metropass, the news thatthe commission is now seeking an additional 350$ million from the province for funding of proposed light rail vehicles(and specifically a garage to house them) has flown a bit under the radar.City council had originally ponied up the money when the Feds refused, but in the face significant capital shortfalls, the new Bombardier streetcar project needs an influx of cash. Although the two budgets -- operating and capital -- are separate, it seems pretty clear both are in pretty dire straits.

Speaking of troubled budgets, word came yesterday thatthe provincial budget shortfall is far higher than expected at 6.4 billion(up from estimates of around 3.9 billion). The major culprit? Corporate tax revenues, which fell an 'unprecedented' 48.1 percent. Worse still, the estimated shortfall for 2009/10 of 18.5 billion could now also rise.

The Toronto Daily Bread Food Bankiscalling for contributionsafter a 'long' summer that that has depleted their supplies. With shelves nearing bare, they're asking for 500 000 pounds of food and the same amount of money (dollars). Although donations have apparently stayed high, tough economic times are being blamed for the increased need.

And, in another instalment of cool shit that I've somehow missed, numerous GTA residentsreported the presence of a sizable blue-green meteor in the night sky yesterday. Eye-witness accounts spanning from Mississauga to Ajax, and as far north as Collingwood, confirmed the presence of the object but differ in their observation of its flightpath. I know it's just a rock entering the atmosphere, but I find stuff like this extremely enticing for some reason. Perhaps it's because I'm a former X-Files junky?