Your day of financial reckoning is nigh, Toronto

[adma]

Watch it. These obnoxious perennial figures like to use the "there you go, attacking the messenger rather than addressing the message" tactic.

I know Glen's sort. They're pests, whether as repeated fringe political candidates or as eternal council deputants or professional blog-commenters/message-board-posters. And in cases like this, attacking the messenger is probably imperative in order to liberate (or set a platform for liberating) whatever message they're trying to convey--that is, whether it's even a message (or the absence thereof) so worth bellyaching over...

 

[Archivist]

Though I could go on, I won't be checking into the post again. Anybody who proposed the ridiculous parking scheme for taxes doesn't merit the time it takes to read his sound-bites. On his absurd parking tax - do some math - a whopping new tax bill for $3,600,000 for Yorkdale Mall alone! A huge new tax bill for those employers he keeps bleating about keeping in the city, completely contradicting his other arguments about lowering their tax burden! And a new $1000 tax bill on Mrs. Peters in Leaside because she has a driveway (but no car) that is used once a month when her neice visits - but could potentially fit two cars. Anybody can come up with drivel like this. It's not worth my time to read it.

However, like MuchoGrande, I would urge Glen to keep at it, too, but on the logical space of his own blog, where those who actually want to have his message can go and read it. (Clearly, that strategy failed for Glen because he hasn't updated his blog in 16 months, so he vomits his ideas wherever they are likely to meet with a set of eyes).

Here's my own list of things Toronto needs - convert every LRT line proposed by TransitCity to subways and start building them next year, bury every wooden hydro pole, require any developer at Yonge-Bloor to build at least 100 storeys, close Queen Street to traffic except for the streetcars, and rip down the Gardiner from Exhibition Place to the Don. Screw the details! As Glen himself says, I am under no obligation to provide a detailed platform for anything.

 

[syn]

Though I could go on, I won't be checking into the post again. Anybody who proposed the ridiculous parking scheme for taxes doesn't merit the time it takes to read his sound-bites. On his absurd parking tax - do some math - a whopping new tax bill for $3,600,000 for Yorkdale Mall alone! A huge new tax bill for those employers he keeps bleating about keeping in the city, completely contradicting his other arguments about lowering their tax burden! And a new $1000 tax bill on Mrs. Peters in Leaside because she has a driveway (but no car) that is used once a month when her neice visits - but could potentially fit two cars. Anybody can come up with drivel like this. It's not worth my time to read it.

However, like MuchoGrande, I would urge Glen to keep at it, too, but on the logical space of his own blog, where those who actually want to have his message can go and read it. (Clearly, that strategy failed for Glen because he hasn't updated his blog in 16 months, so he vomits his ideas wherever they are likely to meet with a set of eyes).

Here's my own list of things Toronto needs - convert every LRT line proposed by TransitCity to subways and start building them next year, bury every wooden hydro pole, require any developer at Yonge-Bloor to build at least 100 storeys, close Queen Street to traffic except for the streetcars, and rip down the Gardiner from Exhibition Place to the Don. Screw the details! As Glen himself says, I am under no obligation to provide a detailed platform for anything.

Sounds like the Jane Pitfield philosophy.

 

[Tewder]

I know Glen's sort. They're pests, whether as repeated fringe political candidates or as eternal council deputants or professional blog-commenters/message-board-posters. And in cases like this, attacking the messenger is probably imperative in order to liberate (or set a platform for liberating) whatever message they're trying to convey--that is, whether it's even a message (or the absence thereof) so worth bellyaching over...

Be careful, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter... er, well you get my point...

Given the morass of Toronto politics and the grim economic forecast fringe 'pests' may just offer the greater insight. I mean, in ostracizing dissenting viewpoints just what are you are 'liberating' us from? Alternatives to the status quo? We can all agree that this isn't working so well. And lets face it, from the vantage point of this choir the consistent UT sermon does get a little tiresome.

 

[Eug]

I mean, in ostracizing dissenting viewpoints just what are you are 'liberating' us from? Alternatives to the status quo?

Heh. Well said.

 

[Glen]

Archivist,

The parking tax revenue would not be in addition to property tax. The revenue generated would be used to lower the mill rate.

I think that it safe to assume that you are perplexed that the city passed a 'poop and scoop' bylaw without a doggy DNA bank.

 

[Sepiraph]

Come on Matt, If you had seen my post elsewhere you should have come across some of my ideas/solution. From Spacing.....

Cost savings (some would require Provincial approval):

- Move all traffic related enforcement from police to bylaw enforcement.

- End the fair wage program.

- Require that TTC construction be contracted out.

- Contract out TTC station management.

- Modify Transit city to have a shared track, with passing sections.

- Ensure that all infrastructure programs are co-ordinated so that redundancies are eliminated. (eg. replacing water mains on a newly paved street)

- Have specified garbage pick up areas between houses. So if one house places its garbage for pick up at the right side, the neighbouring house on the left would place theirs on the left, Being side by side would eliminate the number of stops needed for collection.

Taxation and revenue:

I would completely revamp the current system. To be replaced with the following:

A single class of property, no more beggar they neighbour polices.

A minimum tax of $1,500 for the first $250,000 of assessment value.

A yearly parking tax of $500 per spot.

The balance of property tax revenue would be generated from a single tax rate, applied equally to the assessed values over $250,000.

Have a single LTT rate for all properties.

End tax cancellations for seniors and change to a deferral.

Move to have TTC fares paid by distance.

Niceties

Potted palm trees on the beach, with a contained water area that could be cleaned and heated.

Seasonal bike lanes and pedestrian areas via lane closures on certain streets (Queen St. comes to mind).

Graffiti cleanup.

plus many more……

I basically agree with you 100% on the cost savings part. However, carrying them out is another matter altogether (the city will probably be on strike for a year).

 

[nfitz]

- Require that TTC construction be contracted out.

It virtually all is, except minor routine maintenance. There comes a point when contracting out a job that only takes 2-3 hours, is more work in contracting, than doing.

- Modify Transit city to have a shared track, with passing sections.

That might work on a service that only runs once every 30 to 60 minutes - remember some of the old radial lines? But one can't be seriously suggesting something like that on a line where one can expect a car every 5 minutes in peak ... that would mean that one is passing every 150 seconds!

 

[Glen]

That might work on a service that only runs once every 30 to 60 minutes - remember some of the old radial lines? But one can't be seriously suggesting something like that on a line where one can expect a car every 5 minutes in peak ... that would mean that one is passing every 150 seconds!

Using an average speed of 15km/h and a spacing of stops of 400 to 600 metres. That gives a maximum wait time time of 144 seconds. This only during the peak with a five minute headway. It would only occur under near pathological conditions, two trains arriving at adjacent stops consecutively with no provision for boarding latencies. If this proves to be to much passing sections could be added between stops. in the areas where there was only one track, the sidewalks could be widened, parking added or room for bike lanes.

Single tracks are used successfully elsewhere.