Rob Ford's Toronto

[GraphicMatt]

IMO, unless Toronto wants to become its own province, it doesn't need its own land transfer and vehicle registration taxes. It can play by the same rules as other municipalities in Ontario play by.

This is weirdly arbitrary. Toronto is the largest city in Ontario and Canada and as such bears the burden of funding programs that other municipalities don't. It's very uncommon for large cities to rely heavily on property taxes for revenue. (For comparison: the top 35 largest US cities take, on average, about 18% of their operating revenues from property taxes; in 2011, Toronto took almost 40%.)

No one faults New York City for having municipal taxes and fees that Albany doesn't.

Diversification of revenues is a good thing, and you're likely to see other municipalities start looking at their own MLTTs as their infrastructure matures and costs get higher.

 

[freshcutgrass]

The VRF and LTT need(ed) to go, but a responsible mayor would have implemented a property tax increase to make up the difference.

It's very uncommon for large cities to rely heavily on property taxes for revenue.

That's true. The fact Queen's Park still constrains Toronto as if it was some rural town is very unique among global cities of the world.

It was very responsible of Miller to do something about this...Bill 53 was one of the best things to happen to Toronto during Miller's term. Allowing Toronto to structure its revenue sources specific to Toronto's dynamics has no downside.

And the VRF & LTT were probably the best ways to implement this.

Why?

The VRF was a logical target, because whether we like it or not (and apparently we don't) we are entering an era of reversing the subsidization of the car. Between congestion and environmental concerns, car drivers simply have to start paying more of the costs associated with it. That's an inevitability regardless of our temporary denial of it. It was a small fee that didn't amount to much, but it was a step in the right direction. You can join the mayor and pretend the "war on the car" is over....but all you are doing is putting off the inevitable. That $60 you think you are ahead, is going to be paid back....with dividend.

The LTT was even more logical. When you need a significant chunk of money, where do you get it? Where there's tons of money being made. And in Toronto, the condo capital of the planet, there's big money being made in real estate. That's where you tap in.

Going back to the same watering hole (property tax) every time you need more is just a stupid idea.

NYC's fortunes live and die by Wall Street bonuses. They have fiscal powers Toronto couldn't even dream of....they actually have their own municipal income tax.

 

[Torontovibe]

Oh great, so now the American's can laugh at us too. I'll never hear the end of it once my New York relatives hear about this. OY VAY!

[video=youtube;qLMLUn9XhWo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLMLUn9XhWo[/video]

 

[syn]

Like the revival of the Toronto City Airport which he ran his entire campaign against and which turned out to be a huge success story?

A months long garbage strike that was entirely unnecessary since he ended up caving to the unions anyway in the end.

Huge increases in user fees/taxes which showed his inability to balance a budget.

And so universally disliked by all but elite champagned socialists in the core of this city that he literally paved the way for that fat f*ck Rob Ford to take over.

Ford hiked user fees in his first budget.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Oh great, so now the American's can laugh at us too. I'll never hear the end of it once my New York relatives hear about this. OY VAY!

Respectfully Torontovibe, I don't know why you posted that video, most everything they discuss is inaccurate right down to the alleged leaked quote - practically every detail is wrong.

 

[Tee]

I know I've offered seemingly outrageous scenarios in the past: riots in the streets, assassination attempts, etc--but here's another one: at this point, I wouldn't be terribly surprised if Rob Ford's driven to suicide. And re those who think he's too obtuse to be suicidal: au contraire, I think it's exactly his obtuseness that could lead him to off himself.

Which, of course, would lead to him being a "hounded to death" martyr, not unlike endlessly bullied children--in which direction that'd be spun, who knows...

I believe that you're missing the point. Rob Ford is the BULLY.

 

[adma]

I believe that you're missing the point. Rob Ford is the BULLY.

So was this Rob Ford doppleganger.

Sometimes, a bully, cornered, can take desperate measures.

 

[LordWanker]

Respectfully Torontovibe, I don't know why you posted that video, most everything they discuss is inaccurate right down to the alleged leaked quote - practically every detail is wrong.

Well the situation has mutated into a he-said-she-said fiasco. If Ford really has nothing to hide then he should have the 911 tape released. However judging from his past antics of fabrication until confronted with the truth/proof...

 

[nfitz]

Well the situation has mutated into a he-said-she-said fiasco.

A very bizarre he-said; she-said given that so many things Ford said have been directly contradicted by the video. Most of what Ford has said had been shown to be a lie by the video (the darkness, the child, the "attack", the wording of what was said ...). It's not like anyone would believe Ford on this ... even if he didn't say bitches, it would appear that he was unnecessarily rude and aggressive with his employees. Given that even he admits that he identified to the police that he was their employer, then there are some serious issues here.

 

[PinkLucy]

CBC radio this morning said that their sources were standing by what they said. Given that there were three 911 calls, the "I'm Rob f'ing Ford" and "bitches" comments may have only happened in one of them, so it would be technically true for someone to say "he didn't say that in a call". Who knows? If it were me, and I knew I hadn't said it, I'd want the tapes released. I'll be very surprised if Ford wants that to happen.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Marg Delahunty ambushed David Miller when he was mayor, but it was a couple of minutes that passed by and was forgotten. By blowing it out of proportion, Rob Ford, Doug Ford, and their clique, extended that moment into days.

 

[Electrify]

This is weirdly arbitrary. Toronto is the largest city in Ontario and Canada and as such bears the burden of funding programs that other municipalities don't. It's very uncommon for large cities to rely heavily on property taxes for revenue. (For comparison: the top 35 largest US cities take, on average, about 18% of their operating revenues from property taxes; in 2011, Toronto took almost 40%.)

No one faults New York City for having municipal taxes and fees that Albany doesn't.

Diversification of revenues is a good thing, and you're likely to see other municipalities start looking at their own MLTTs as their infrastructure matures and costs get higher.

Question: Does Albany and other municipalities in New York state at least have the power to implement its own taxes, or is New York City only allowed to because of its size? If other municipalities in Ontario, hell even if just the most populated or ones which are at the centre of a metro area, could create their own taxes like Toronto can I wouldn't be as against it. But as is, there is something not right about being able to skip out on these levies by living on a side street north of Steeles.

 

[freshcutgrass]

"I said f*ck...but I didn't say b*tch"

Alrighty Rob....I guess your good to go then.

I love the 6 year-old deflection technique.

 

[GraphicMatt]

Question: Does Albany and other municipalities in New York state at least have the power to implement its own taxes, or is New York City only allowed to because of its size? If other municipalities in Ontario, hell even if just the most populated or ones which are at the centre of a metro area, could create their own taxes like Toronto can I wouldn't be as against it. But as is, there is something not right about being able to skip out on these levies by living on a side street north of Steeles.

I'm not sure whether other New York State municipalities have the power to levy an income tax -- the city-to-state relationship differs greatly from the city-to-province one -- but I'm not sure it matters. Toronto got the power to implement new revenue tools because it asked for that power. The province would be unlikely to deny other municipalities the same right, should they request it. (The only municipal tax the province seems to shy away from is sales and income taxes, for whatever reason.)

The border issue is always going to come up. Yes, up until last year you could avoid paying $5/month for your car registration if you lived one-street north of Steeles. But to do so you'd end up paying almost $1,000 more on average in property taxes every year.

 

[freshcutgrass]

Chicago funds most of its transit with a 2.25% sales tax.

NYC funds its schools with a 3% municipal income tax. NYC doesn't have to worry about transit funding, as transit is not a municipal responsibility...it's run and funded by a State Authority.

States don't seem to have as much contempt for it's cities like Ontario does. They give them the ability to utilize progressive revenue streams geared to their specific needs/dynamics.

Not that I would want to trade places with New York, as despite having progressive revenue streams, both state and city governments are essentially bankrupt.