Next Mayor of Toronto?

[Admiral Beez]

I think Rob is done. He had his chance. He's an oaf, brash and makes bad choices of friends. But he's kept the budget tight

No he hasn't. On his watch the TPS salary cost has increased a record 11%. Property taxes have been increased, as has gov't spending, including a wasteful subway expansion where less expensive options that delivered superior results existed. Others would/may have been worse, but he's not kept the budget under control, IMO.

 

[nrb]

I love that Karen Stintz is running. There's going to be major right wing vote splitting. Can't wait until election day when we get rid of our embarrassment of a mayor.

 

[SJD_Toronto]

I actually think Karen Stintz will run a very strong campaign. She has hired A+ campaign staff and I think she and her staff will craft an effective message for Toronto voters. The top campaign issue will be transit expansion so I'm hopeful her number one transit promise is to make sure the Sheppard and Finch LRT lines happen and to make the Relief Line the next subway project. If it basically comes down to Ford versus Stintz, I think Stintz will edge him out. That said, if John Tory runs, I can see her dropping out by the summer and endorsing Tory. We'll see what happens, but at the point, I'm all for Karen Stintz becoming the next Mayor of Toronto.

 

[RC8]

I like Stintz, and I trust that she's got what is needed to be a good mayor... but she's not free of many typically conservative dogmas that would at most make her an average leader in my book.

So far I feel that she could do a good job running the city as it exists today, but I doubt she has it in her to re-envision a city for the future. I might be wrong. We shall see.

 

[jaycola]

No he hasn't. On his watch the TPS salary cost has increased a record 11%. Property taxes have been increased, as has gov't spending, including a wasteful subway expansion where less expensive options that delivered superior results existed. Others would/may have been worse, but he's not kept the budget under control, IMO.

Ford's control on spending has been exemplary compared to past mayors, all without support, if not outright resistance from the tax and spend left bloc of council.

National Post

 

[nfitz]

Ford's control on spending has been exemplary compared to past mayors, all without support, if not outright resistance from the tax and spend left bloc of council.

National Post

That's rather misleading isn't it? The operating budget includes flow-through funding from senior government.

Surely if you failed to get funding for projects that then end, or if your program was uploaded by Miller and McGuinty, then it doesn't mean much.

Why not look at the portion of the operating budget funded by Toronto taxpayers instead?

 

[WislaHD]

I actually think Karen Stintz will run a very strong campaign. She has hired A+ campaign staff and I think she and her staff will craft an effective message for Toronto voters. The top campaign issue will be transit expansion so I'm hopeful her number one transit promise is to make sure the Sheppard and Finch LRT lines happen and to make the Relief Line the next subway project. If it basically comes down to Ford versus Stintz, I think Stintz will edge him out. That said, if John Tory runs, I can see her dropping out by the summer and endorsing Tory. We'll see what happens, but at the point, I'm all for Karen Stintz becoming the next Mayor of Toronto.

Hmm now I wonder if her flip-flopping on Scarborough (whose construction won't start until 2017 at earliest, if I remember correctly from other threads) was a well-calculated move in order to push up SELRT and FWLRT construction dates earlier, and then campaign on those transit lines?

Or maybe I am giving her too much credit.

 

[syn]

That's rather misleading isn't it? The operating budget includes flow-through funding from senior government.

Surely if you failed to get funding for projects that then end, or if your program was uploaded by Miller and McGuinty, then it doesn't mean much.

Why not look at the portion of the operating budget funded by Toronto taxpayers instead?

Then he'd have no point

It's unfortunate that most people don't seem to understand how municipal budgets work.

Ford has been terrible at securing better funding for the city.

 

[urbandreamer]

I think I've said this before, but Matlow for Mayor has got a nice ring to it and will prove to be a winner!

 

[Peepers]

Mayoral candidate David Soknaki not afraid to take on Police budget

http://www.insidetoronto.com/opinio...-police-costs-efficiency-need-to-be-examined/

I have to admit that I know next to nothing about this guy but the more I learn the more I like him. Going back to the last election he was raising the alarm over escalating policing costs:

http://www.soknacki.com/news/articles/10 09 13 Toronto Board of Trade plan short on new ideas.pdf

 

[jaycola]

That's rather misleading isn't it? The operating budget includes flow-through funding from senior government.
Why not look at the portion of the operating budget funded by Toronto taxpayers instead?

The money from senior levels of government spending comes from the same taxpayers as the municipal money. You cannot simply state that the money from upper levels is irrelevant. What the graph clearly shows is during the ford administration the annual increases in spending have slowed to a crawl, especially in comparison to the steep climb in spending in the Miller years.

What I clearly stated was that Ford had kept the "budget tight". I did not say he reduced spending. Maintaining near flat year over year spending is in fact keeping the budget tight.

Let's remind ourselves who David Soknaki was in the Miller administration.
Canada.com

McGuinty bailout could hold tax hike
Funding contained in the upcoming provincial budget should allow Toronto to keep its residential property tax increase to 3% this year, city budget chief David Soknacki suggested yesterday.


A shortfall of $415-million in the city's 2006 operating budget had sparked warnings that the increase could exceed 6%.

But in a letter to city councillors yesterday, Mr. Soknacki and Mayor David Miller expressed confidence the province will help overcome the budget gap.

"The provincial government recognizes the city's unsustainable situation and is willing to move on a number of measures," the letter said.

"We anticipate that announcements will be made as part of the provincial budget."

In an interview, Mr. Soknacki declined to offer further details on the upcoming provincial funding. However, he did say the money would keep the city's property tax increases "in line" with the past two years.

Residential property taxes were hiked 3% in both 2004 and 2005, while business taxes increased by 1.5%.

 

[Silence&Motion]

The money from senior levels of government spending comes from the same taxpayers as the municipal money. You cannot simply state that the money from upper levels is irrelevant. What the graph clearly shows is during the ford administration the annual increases in spending have slowed to a crawl, especially in comparison to the steep climb in spending in the Miller years.

What I clearly stated was that Ford had kept the "budget tight". I did not say he reduced spending. Maintaining near flat year over year spending is in fact keeping the budget tight.

Let's remind ourselves who David Soknaki was in the Miller administration.
Canada.com

How terrible it was to have a mayor who actually cleaned up the financial mess that Mike Harris left us in amalgamation. I guess you prefer mayors who create messes? I can see why you like Ford.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I don't know why Stitnz would do this. Her chances of wining are close to zero. And she'll lose her council seat too.

Why, does everyone running for mayor have to give up their seat too?

 

[Admiral Beez]

How terrible it was to have a mayor who actually cleaned up the financial mess that Mike Harris left us in amalgamation.

Which mayor was that? You do know that under Miller the amalgamated city grew to more employees than the individual cities before amalgamation? That we still have their old city halls that we don't need?

 

[SJD_Toronto]

I think I've said this before, but Matlow for Mayor has got a nice ring to it and will prove to be a winner!

Josh Matlow would be a strong candidate for the mayor's job but in a future campaign. He's better off growing as an effective councilor and politician at the moment.