Next Mayor of Toronto?

[Mystic Point]

Smitherman, Miller, Tory.

They're all the same.

Yesterday's men. Washed out characters from Toronto's distant past.

Is there no one young and engaging to run this crazy city?
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[nfitz]

lol

Of course property taxes are lower but he created a whole array of new taxes which practically negate any difference imo.

2 new taxes is a whole array? And that $60 on the car per year is equal to the $1,000 more in property taxes outside the city ... besides, aren't we supposed to be discouraging excess car ownership?

I suppose if you move houses every 2 years you might have a case ...

Yes, he is truly Satan.

Oh come on ... let's be positive. Some people seem excited by this ... what will Smitherman do for Toronto? What are his good points? I just don't know the guy ... he certainly doesn't seem as bad as some of the whack jobs in council who talk of being mayor.

 

[GenerationW]

Oh come on ... let's be positive. Some people seem excited by this ... what will Smitherman do for Toronto? What are his good points? I just don't know the guy ... he certainly doesn't seem as bad as some of the whack jobs in council who talk of being mayor.

You seemed to know him pretty well after only a few sentences up above.

 

[nfitz]

You seemed to know him pretty well after only a few sentences up above.

What are you talking about? I clearly said "All I really know about Smitherman is that in 2009 he professed that he'd never heard about Toronto needing new streetcars, despite years of media coverage, and various documents that the city has sent to the province over the issue."

To tell me about him. What is he promising?

 

[GenerationW]

What are you talking about?

This:

So basically he was already campaigning for Mayor back then. And he is in conflict-of-interest. He should resign from cabinet.

So basically your telling me he is uneducated and has already violated conflict-of-interest guidelines. Elsewhere all I've gleaned is that he is a bully.

You've obviously already made assumptions about him (that no one else has, but maybe you're a trailblazer). Why would you even need to know more about him?

If he decides to run, I will be interested to learn what he is promising.

 

[kEiThZ]

lol

Of course property taxes are lower but he created a whole array of new taxes which practically negate any difference imo.

Exactly....and those aren't going anywhere but up. Yet after gaining hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue, Miller still failed to balance the books. We are going to be at the mercy of Queen's Park next year to prevent massive tax increase

2 new taxes is a whole array? And that $60 on the car per year is equal to the $1,000 more in property taxes outside the city ... besides, aren't we supposed to be discouraging excess car ownership?

I suppose if you move houses every 2 years you might have a case ...

Not just two taxes. Garbage, auto registration, pet licensing, destination marketing fees on hotel rooms, and of course, the land transfer tax. Those all came in or were increased under Miller's watch. And after all that, he still hasn't come close to balancing the books. I'd be happy with just a smaller deficit than when he started in office.

... what will Smitherman do for Toronto? What are his good points? I just don't know the guy ... he certainly doesn't seem as bad as some of the whack jobs in council who talk of being mayor.

I'll wait for the guy to make his announcement and release his platform. But as Barbara Hall's right hand man, he knew this city and it's players like the back of his hand. And at the provincial level he's been McGuinty's pitbull being sent in to handle the toughest of files. Given the mess that Toronto is in, he's exactly the type of personality we need leading this city. He'll whip those councilors into shape (or shame) in no time....and he'll definitely be a tough boss to deal with for the unions.

 

[nfitz]

This:
You've obviously already made assumptions about him (that no one else has, but maybe you're a trailblazer). Why would you even need to know more about him?.

That was simply what people in this thread had said about him. These are the conclusions about him gleaned from his thread. I posted this lacking information about him, in an attempt to scare up something. I'm surprised no one has jumped out and said all the great things he has done.

If he decides to run, I will be interested to learn what he is promising.

So would I ... and I'm also interested in his track record.

 

[CDL.TO]

I really hope you're joking.

On a related note, I remember a few years ago somebody on this forum posted a rant trashing Sue Ann Levy most savagely and I think it was one of the funniest things I've ever read here. I really wish I could remember who wrote it and which thread it's buried in.

http://urbantoronto.ca/showpost.php?p=58090&postcount=31
?

 

[jn_12]

Not just two taxes. Garbage, auto registration, pet licensing, destination marketing fees on hotel rooms, and of course, the land transfer tax. Those all came in or were increased under Miller's watch. And after all that, he still hasn't come close to balancing the books. I'd be happy with just a smaller deficit than when he started in office.

I just want to clear this up so that way it isn't perpetuated. The Destination marketing fee is not a tax created by the government. They are taxes that the GTHA (greater toronto hotel association) imposes on its members which then go towards destination marketing. They never go to government coffers and only go to Tourism Toronto. These fees have no impact on citizens unless for some reason you decide to stay in a local hotel. It's essentially a visitors tax, which is awesome. So it might be a good idea to omit DMFs from that list of taxes imposed in the future.

 

[nfitz]

Not just two taxes. Garbage, auto registration, pet licensing, destination marketing fees on hotel rooms, and of course, the land transfer tax. Those all came in or were increased under Miller's watch.

You've already been shot down on destination marketing fee. Garbage was simply linked to volume, and went down for many users, and marginally changed for many more. Pet license ... a tax? Give me a break ... Is the increase in TTC fares a tax too?

 

[lordmandeep]

The whole point is, he is increasing taxes to meet expenses he simply cannot afford.


This is just common sense...

Reduce your expense or reduce the rate of growth of your expenses.

You can buys things and keep buying things and then you would need more money. Then you get loans and get even more loans but then you have to start paying back those loans and then you hit a brick wall and then your forced to living as a poor man.

All I am saying, the budget is heading for a brick wall, where one day the city will have no option but to cut the services that you guys hold so dear.

So I am not some crazy conservative saying stop funding social services and lower city taxes...

I think many of the city's services are essential and if you love them so much, you should take a greater interest in the city's growing budget deficit.
So I am not just against taxes because I hate taxes, its because....

It won't fix the budget Deficit!!!

 

[jn_12]

In all fairness, that's entirely based on the current tax system. We don't know if somewhere down the line municipalities will have the ability to create municipal sales taxes, or if the federal government will reverse even a portion of the 2% cut from the the GST. Maybe it's unlikely, but if things got even more dire for the city, I can see the province giving municipalities more power. As we become even more densely urbanized it'll be in the province's best interest to ensure the good conditions we see today in the cities are maintained.

 

[GraphicMatt]

The whole point is, he is increasing taxes to meet expenses he simply cannot afford.


This is just common sense...

Reduce your expense or reduce the rate of growth of your expenses.

You can buys things and keep buying things and then you would need more money. Then you get loans and get even more loans but then you have to start paying back those loans and then you hit a brick wall and then your forced to living as a poor man.

All I am saying, the budget is heading for a brick wall, where one day the city will have no option but to cut the services that you guys hold so dear.

So I am not some crazy conservative saying stop funding social services and lower city taxes...

I think many of the city's services are essential and if you love them so much, you should take a greater interest in the city's growing budget deficit.
So I am not just against taxes because I hate taxes, its because....

It won't fix the budget Deficit!!!

The vast majority of taxes Toronto residents pay go to the provincial and federal government. That money is rarely reinvested into Toronto. The problems facing Toronto's financial future go way beyond David Miller.

 

[kEiThZ]

You've already been shot down on destination marketing fee. Garbage was simply linked to volume, and went down for many users, and marginally changed for many more. Pet license ... a tax? Give me a break ... Is the increase in TTC fares a tax too?

DMF fair enough. How can you claim that garbage charges went down for any homeowner? It didn't exist before Miller came along. It was a new tax. And there was no corresponding net decrease in property taxes accompanying the commencement of the garbage tax. Ditto for the poodle tax. And yes I consider it a tax. There are many municipalities in this country where Fluffy can reside with his/her owner for free. Toronto isn't one of them. And it isn't even a one-time fee covering some city expenses related to pet registration or animal control. It's annual. Pure money grab, plain and simple. And what does the city provide for this that the current microchipping/pet tracking services don't? At least the TTC provides a service every time you drop coins in the fare box.

 

[kEiThZ]

The vast majority of taxes Toronto residents pay go to the provincial and federal government. That money is rarely reinvested into Toronto. The problems facing Toronto's financial future go way beyond David Miller.

However, the province has given significant power to Toronto to at least start down the road towards remedying the situation. Yet the budget deficit is as large or larger than when Miller was first elected. He gains 300 million in new revenue generating powers and comes away with a larger deficit. Do you really think the province and the feds are going to give Toronto more after that?