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Mayor Miller wins award!

Glen

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Mad River Institute "Idle Canadian" award for The Worst Municipal Councillor.

The Worst Municipal Councillor is ...

David Miller, Mayor, City of Toronto

- for constantly harping his city doesn't receive its fair share from other levels of government, while ignoring Toronto taxes are at a level below most other Ontario cities, e.g. comparable $350,000 houses in Toronto and London are about $1,000 apart, with the former at $2,800 in property tax; for complaining that city council members cannot get things done, while doing little to compromise to get things done.

http://www.madriverinstitute.ca/
 
In somewhat related news, the winner of the BobBob Award for Clunkiest Website Design of an Obscure Political Institute is...

Mad River Institute!

Congrats to the winner, and a big thanks to all who participated. Better luck next year!
 
In somewhat related news, the winner of the BobBob Award for Clunkiest Website Design of an Obscure Political Institute is...

Mad River Institute!

Congrats to the winner, and a big thanks to all who participated. Better luck next year!

Miller is fucking useless.
 
This does not strike me as a big think tank or influential political institute. Nevertheless, its stated philosophy is somewhat left of centre, with a dose of responsible government tossed in. Reasonably Canadian in terms of a general stereotype.


I think Miller has been something of let-down. But then he's had plenty of help from council.
 
I agree that Miller hasn't lived up to expectations, not mine anyways. I'm willing to give him more time though.
 
...seriously though, would Jane Pitfield have done a better job? She would have pandered to the Minnan-Wong and Fords so much we would have nothing in this city in investments other than on potholes. Miller has his shortcomings, but he's done a lot in advancing or at least encouraging the urban agenda and improving the city's cultural and aesthetic fabric than any other of the mayor candidates of the last two elections.

It'd be nice to see a very strong candidate come out in the next election with similar ideals, though.
 
...seriously though, would Jane Pitfield have done a better job?


I think she would have. At least she had a more pragmatic plan to bring jobs back to Toronto. This councils glacial 15 year plan to reduce non residential property tax to 250% more than residential from 450%, has been a failure. NB they are supposed to be from 60 to 110%.

Toronto is still the sick man of Ontario (save for Windsor) and Canada. Looking at StatsCan's latest building permit survey, Toronto was largely responsible for the decline.


http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/411182
 
...seriously though, would Jane Pitfield have done a better job? She would have pandered to the Minnan-Wong and Fords so much we would have nothing in this city in investments other than on potholes. Miller has his shortcomings, but he's done a lot in advancing or at least encouraging the urban agenda and improving the city's cultural and aesthetic fabric than any other of the mayor candidates of the last two elections.

It'd be nice to see a very strong candidate come out in the next election with similar ideals, though.

I agree. He really had no competition in the last election. Pitfield would've been something of a fringe candidate if he had more worthy competition.
 
I feel the need to jump in and come to the defense of Mayor Miller, somewhat. He has not done everything right, but there has been no one else around to step up to the enormous challenges that his position offers. When they say Toronto is a diverse city, they're not kidding! An amalgam of urban dwellers, somewhere-in-the-middle types, all fringed by gimme-a walmart-and-highway types -- does this sound like an easy political challenge to you detractors? Sure there are some fumbled balls but let's see who actually wants the job enough to visibly age in a few short years.

The senior (ha ha) governments have finally realized that Toronto has been on too short a leash with respect to decision making, and that sad attitude appears to be coming to an end. In short, a political evolution is taking place. But its birth is a long labour, is it not?

Given the slate of candidates we've had, I think Miller has been the right choice. And if there is no real change in the slate next time, I'll vote for him again. Pitfield was a joke. I am glad she has been retired from politics.
 
Remember how she promised two kilometres of subway per year? It seemed like an unreasonable promise, but perhaps today we'd actually have a future transit plan with more subways where appropriate.
 
You could have funding for half a kilometer and over 4 years you can extend a subway to Steeles???

Not bad imo...

If we did this during the mid 90's we could have built 6.5 km of subway....
 
Can someone please show me these $350,000 houses in Toronto and London that are comparable?

:p Excellent point you make there CDL.TO

The description of my mother's house in London loosely corresponds to mine - 3 bedroom, two bath, living room, dining room, kitchen - yet she pays nearly $500 more per year in property taxes than I do.

She's got 80 ft frontage, three car garage, nearly an acre of land and an in-ground pool.

Me? A freakin' shoebox of a house that is 13 1/3 feet wide on a lot that's only slightly wider and longer than the 100 year-old structure standing on it which would be considered a tear-down by most reasonable people.

My Mother's property valuation? Oh - maybe $250K. Mine? Probably around $460K. (Not that I paid anything like that for it, nor would I ever be able to afford to buy the house I currently live in if I were house hunting now.)

Anyone who says that residents of Toronto are paying proportionately less tax than other municipalities needs their brains parked in a jar of formaldehyde for expert examination.
 
I feel the need to jump in and come to the defense of Mayor Miller, somewhat. He has not done everything right, but there has been no one else around to step up to the enormous challenges that his position offers. < s n i p >

Given the slate of candidates we've had, I think Miller has been the right choice. And if there is no real change in the slate next time, I'll vote for him again. Pitfield was a joke. I am glad she has been retired from politics.

So.. why do the staff at City Hall affectionately call him "Heil-Miller"?

Could it be that they all see him as a power-grabbing, fascist dictator who steam-rolls over any disenting opinion, is completely inflexible and does not listen to the voices calling for moderation, co-operation or accommodation?

I do certainly agree with you that there was no-one else around who was worth voting for last time but surely there's got to be someone with enough common-sense who will stand up and run against him next time.
 
Anyone who says that residents of Toronto are paying proportionately less tax than other municipalities needs their brains parked in a jar of formaldehyde for expert examination.

OK, I will have to take my brain out of the jar to respond to this.

Since property tax bears little relationship to density (10 to 20%?) why should property taxes. I pay income tax based on my level of income, not shoe size. Toronto residents should pay property tax proportional to the amount Toronto spends.

The use of assessment values is the only means in which the city can make property tax progressive.

If you think that Toronto's density automatically makes running the city cheaper, explain how less dense Mississauga (including Peel) spends $3850 p/a per household vs. $ 8420 in Toronto.
 

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