Rob Ford's Toronto

[Tewder]

It's also something of a myth that Harris made deep cuts to overall spending. Harris' cuts were mostly ideological, to things like welfare, transit, and government regulation. These are small parts of the provincial budget and were done mostly for social engineering reasons rather than fiscal ones.

... and the spending policies of the NDP or the Liberals are somehow not 'ideological'? Harris cut everywhere and amalgamated and reformed widely, and reduced personal income and corporate taxes. These changes were hardly 'surface' ones no matter how much the revenues went up.

Provincial spending continued to rise under the Tories, and was about $5 billion higher by 2001 then what they took over, but with a $14 billion rise in revenue handed to them (even after the tax cuts) they didn't have to make many difficult decisions.

Once again, I'm not talking about the PC in general or Eves. I'm talking about Harris.

 

[Glen]

Why not? As you point out, legally the province can authorize municipalities to levy direct taxes. Which is exactly what David Miller got the province to do when they added Section 267 to the City of Toronto Act which clearly states

Keep reading.....

Power to impose taxes

267. (1) The City may, by by-law, impose a tax in the City if the tax is a direct tax, if the by-law satisfies the criteria described in subsection (3) and if such other conditions as may be prescribed are also satisfied. 2006, c. 11, Sched. A, s. 267 (1).

Exclusions, types of tax

(2) The City is not authorized to impose any of the following taxes:

1. A tax imposed on a person in respect of the person’s income, revenue, profits, receipts or other similar amounts.

2. A tax imposed on a person in respect of the person’s paid up capital, reserves, earned surplus, capital surplus or any other surplus, indebtedness or in respect of similar amounts.

3. A tax imposed on a person in respect of machinery and equipment used in research and development or used in manufacturing and processing and in respect of any assets used to enhance productivity, including computer hardware and software.

4. A tax imposed on a person in respect of remuneration for services, including non-monetary remuneration, that is paid or payable by the person or that is conferred or to be conferred by the person.

5. A sales tax imposed on a person in respect of the acquisition or purchase of any tangible personal property, any service or any intangible property, other than a tax imposed on the person,

 

[GraphicMatt]

This is an irrelevant story when it comes to the politics of the day, but still kind of funny. How hard is it to tell the truth about your time in university?

Few details of Rob Ford’s sometimes tumultuous life in and out of municipal politics have gone unquestioned, but the Toronto mayor’s time at Carleton University in Ottawa may be the exception.

During the municipal election, the Toronto Star reported that Ford played centre for the Ravens football team at Carleton and left the school just two credits shy of a degree in political science.

....

Reached by telephone, Ford couldn't immediately explain the discrepancy.

"I don't ever recall saying that I went anywhere for three years. I went to university for three years, but I wasn't in Ottawa for three years," Ford says.

Ford, born in 1969, would have been 21 in 1990, the year he confirms he left Carleton. He enrolled at the school in 1989, but now says he went on to study at Atkinson College at York University.

http://ottawa.openfile.ca/ottawa/file/2010/12/rob-fords-stint-carleton-lasted-less-year

 

[taal]

Didn't Ford mention he was freezing all taxes for 2011 - this includes commerical and residential no ?

 

[APTA-2048]

Ford on making OC Transpo an essential service... The response.

 

[GraphicMatt]

A decade later and we're still known mostly as the place that called in the army to help with the snow.

 

[Redroom Studios]

just heard on the evening news that Ford and city council are moving to raise garbage collection fees and that they will be looking at raising other fees... the shell game has begun already!


Toronto water rates, garbage fees could rise
Last Updated: Tuesday, December 21, 2010 | 4:04 PM ET Comments8Recommend3.
CBC News
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford may be promising no increase in property taxes in 2011, but councillors are suggesting other rates may be going up.

During next year's budget process there will be a recommendation from the city's public works committee to increase the fees Toronto residents pay to have their garbage picked up and increase the water rates.

Coun. Denzil Minnan-Wong, who chairs the committee, said the extra money is needed to help pay for diverting waste and to fund badly needed repairs to the city's water pipes.

"We need to fix our infrastructure," said Minnan-Wong.

The councillor said he believes Toronto residents who voted to give Ford a mandate to cut taxes will accept the rate increases.

"When you look at these increases, you know, I think people are looking for value — and when they know the money is going directly into the water system there's a higher level of support for that user fee," said Minnan-Wong.

Currently residents with a small garbage bin get a $10 rebate from the city. But the committee is suggesting that rebate be sliced in half

The cost of a medium, large or extra large bin, could increase between $9 and $14.

Residents could also be hit with a nine per cent increase in their water bills.

"If you don't pay for it now, you pay for it later," said Minnan-Wong. "You don't eliminate the cost, you just put it off."

Water rates also increased by nine per cent last year and the city plans to raise water rates by that amount annually through 2012 to pay for fixing Toronto's old, deteriorating pipes.

The average household in Toronto will face about a $50 hike in their water bill if the increase is approved by council.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/12/21/toronto-water-rates.html#ixzz18my3dB57

 

[GraphicMatt]

Water rates were always set to go up, but the garbage fee increase is new. I support both increases but it's fun to see Denzil Minnan-Wong justifying fee hikes when he would have been their loudest critic pre-Ford.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Water rates were always set to go up, but the garbage fee increase is new. I support both increases but it's fun to see Denzil Minnan-Wong justifying fee hikes when he would have been their loudest critic pre-Ford.

Why do multi-unit buildings (duplexes, triplexes) have to pay extra for each living unit in their buildings? They get a rebate only on a single unit basis, but pay extra over and above a single container.

 

[MetroMan]

So we're saving $60 on the vehicle registration fee but we're paying an additional $50 on water and up to $15 more on garbage? If voters don't see through Ford's bullshit by the next election, I'll have lost hope in Torontonians.

 

[spider]

So we're saving $60 on the vehicle registration fee but we're paying an additional $50 on water and up to $15 more on garbage? If voters don't see through Ford's bullshit by the next election, I'll have lost hope in Torontonians.

I saw through it. Now everyone is asked to pay their own way without a subsidy from vehicle owners.

 

[nfitz]

I saw through it. Now everyone is asked to pay their own way without a subsidy from vehicle owners.

Except of course vehicle owners.

Surely we should at a minimum collect enough revenue from car owners each year, to at least pay for city services that are only necessary because of cars. Such as traffic light operation.

 

[taal]

So we're saving $60 on the vehicle registration fee but we're paying an additional $50 on water and up to $15 more on garbage? If voters don't see through Ford's bullshit by the next election, I'll have lost hope in Torontonians.

Read the article more carefully ... the water rates were going up either way the only increase proposed here the garbage ...

And yes, sounds like a good idea to me as well.

It's all politics ... getting rid the vehicle registration fee was an emotional move in the sense that for whatever reason a good 30/40% of the population saw this has a huge negative but they may not complain about paying just about the same in various other fees

 

[lafard]

Actually, I think this sort of user fee is actually probably more appropriate than the flat rate car tax. Even that might have been better recieved had it been prorated in some way.

The fordies are gonna be pissed though. No doubt about that. Honeymoon, consider yourself over.

 

[EnviroTO]

Now everyone is asked to pay their own way without a subsidy from vehicle owners.

Except of course vehicle owners.

The war on black bins begins. Next election hopefully we elect a mayor which doesn't hate Toronto families with black bins. I'm tired of paying garbage fess to subsidize car drivers with their paved roads, signs, stop lights, etc. Cars run fine on gravel and stop treating drivers like babies with the signs and stop lights. You come to an intersection, you look both ways, you go. Instead we need signs for the most obvious of things, road curves?? When did pedestrians ever need such hand holding.