ssiguy2
Senior Member
It looks like all the major players have now confirmed their run for City Hall. In just naming the person, who do you think WILL win and {trying to put aside your biases} who do you WANT to win?
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2023 Toronto Mayoral by-election
- Thread starter SJD_Toronto
- Start date
SJD_Toronto
Active Member
I think Ana Bailao will win and I want her to win.
Northern Light
Superstar
Too early, need to see them out in the field visible for at least week one of the campaign and then some good polling data.
Also too early, clearly there are some who I would prefer not to see win.
But among the rest, I want to read platforms first; for me, its not a personality contest, except in so far as I think the candidate is both serious about pursuing their own commitments and that their personality/disposition will aid (or not) in that endeavour.
Otherwise, its about policy, policy, policy!
goreckm
Active Member
This race is going to get a lot more interesting. Looks like Ontario is not going to give Toronto it's shortfall money, so it's going to be big tax increases or massive cuts.
ssiguy2
Senior Member
Good. Now Toronto will have to tax themselves appropriately like every other city in the province.
yrt+viva=1system
Senior Member
If anything, the Ontario budget is a good wake up call for the city that they cannot cheapskate their way through everything and want to be that so called "world class city" that they keep harping on about. It takes creativity and balls to be a Alpha city.
goreckm
Active Member
It's easy to be hyperbolic about this stuff, but, I think this is the most important election for Toronto this generation. It's going to make or break Toronto for the next few decades. If someone can be elected on a platform of raising revenues to pay for the services we need, there's hope. We'll never have a situation where everyone is happy with everything, but, things can improve. If the response to this is electing a cost cutter by a plurality of Torontonians, there is going to be a pretty dramatic decline in the standard of living in this city for the foreseeable future, which will take decades to dig out of.
Hopefully this election will focus less on the personalities, and more on the vision of what we want to see from Toronto in the future.
Hopefully this election will focus less on the personalities, and more on the vision of what we want to see from Toronto in the future.
afransen
Senior Member
If we wanted a really visionary tax policy, a land value tax would be a great step forward in raising revenue in a way that encourages investment and densification.
on360.ca
Land-Value Taxation – Transition Briefing - Ontario 360
Rethinking how Ontario cities tax to promote housing affordability and finance public transit
on360.ca
adma
Superstar
Northern Light
Superstar
Just in time for the Mayoral by-election; The Integrity Commissioner is out with a report recommending a reprimand and loss of 10 days pay for Councillor Matlow for discreditable conduct for criticizing staff on social media.
When one reads though the whole thing.........you can have a few different takeaways.
1) The criticism by Matlow was largely accurate, and unto itself, largely fair.
2) Matlow's critiques of staff were not properly evidenced in one case (Park Washrooms); which is not to suggest the critique was inaccurate, but rather than the Councillor grandstanded without have confirmed on the ground facts.
3) Matlow's critique of Tracey Cook was largely accurate and fair (Two items, one regarding some factual errors in a report to Council and the other in respect of not 'owning' any wrong-doing in respect of the encampment clearing in Trinity-Bellwoods.)
4) On both of the above points, however, Matlow did not give a material opportunity to staff to answer his critiques. For instance on Park Washrooms, he neither reported to staff via email, nor filed 311 requests in respect of any closed park washrooms. In respect of the Report to Council which contained inaccuracies, he did not formally request that a revised report be brought forward, before Tweeting his criticism of staff.
5) The above reinforces my view of Matlow as chief-grandstander on Council. He had something substantive to complain about it; but rather than become fully informed and give staff a chance to correct any errors, he tweeted and sought publicity first.
6) The reaction, in particular, of the head of PF&R which amounted, in my opinion, 'need a safe space' from fear of Councillor Matlow's criticism is itself grounds for termination of said staff. It comes off as the most absurd, and cowardly way to avoid
criticism to 'own' a department's failures.
When one reads though the whole thing.........you can have a few different takeaways.
1) The criticism by Matlow was largely accurate, and unto itself, largely fair.
2) Matlow's critiques of staff were not properly evidenced in one case (Park Washrooms); which is not to suggest the critique was inaccurate, but rather than the Councillor grandstanded without have confirmed on the ground facts.
3) Matlow's critique of Tracey Cook was largely accurate and fair (Two items, one regarding some factual errors in a report to Council and the other in respect of not 'owning' any wrong-doing in respect of the encampment clearing in Trinity-Bellwoods.)
4) On both of the above points, however, Matlow did not give a material opportunity to staff to answer his critiques. For instance on Park Washrooms, he neither reported to staff via email, nor filed 311 requests in respect of any closed park washrooms. In respect of the Report to Council which contained inaccuracies, he did not formally request that a revised report be brought forward, before Tweeting his criticism of staff.
5) The above reinforces my view of Matlow as chief-grandstander on Council. He had something substantive to complain about it; but rather than become fully informed and give staff a chance to correct any errors, he tweeted and sought publicity first.
6) The reaction, in particular, of the head of PF&R which amounted, in my opinion, 'need a safe space' from fear of Councillor Matlow's criticism is itself grounds for termination of said staff. It comes off as the most absurd, and cowardly way to avoid
criticism to 'own' a department's failures.
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Blovertis
Active Member
The idea that a councillor has to first engage in some kind of quasi-judicial consultation process with staff before going public with criticism is absurd. It seems like the whole culture at City Hall is geared toward squelching public debate. This report only makes me want to vote for Matlow more than I already do.
Northern Light
Superstar
I agree the process can be over-wrought, but at the same time, if as a Councillor you're going to call staff 'Liars', that's a very serious allegation, and not really opinion-founded, but fact-based. At the very least, you ought to get your facts straight before saying such a thing publicly.
I hasten to add, if you have a problem with washrooms being closed in your ward shouldn't you ask staff to get them open before you Tweet?
picard102
Senior Member
Why should your employer be able to publicly malign you without all the facts?
Blovertis
Active Member
I'll have yet to read the full report, but It seems like Matlow's facts were "straight." After all, your summary of the report acknowledges that his criticisms of city staff were "accurate." The flashpoint was Matlow's public accusation that Ms. Romoff, the GM of Parks, Forestry and Recreation "lied" to him when she told him that all public washrooms were open by May 24. The report makes clear that she, in fact, did tell him that. And it wasn't true, as Matlow and many posters on social media well knew.
The thrust of the commissioner's report is not that the substance of Matlow's criticisms were wrong but that process by which he went about delivering them was unfair. . To which I say, that warrants a reprimand and 10 days of docked pay?
ShonTron
Moderator
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It was also quite clear that senior staff were communicating with the mayor’s office on what data to release and how to release it. This was before the “Strong Mayor” legislation so staff should be reporting to council, not to the mayor. Matlow is a grandstander, but he doesn’t come across looking too bad here.