Nothing in his proposal is particularly creative or grand. It's rehashing what we are already expecting in the pipeline. If you want truly creative or grand, how about establishing a regional level of government encompassing the entire Golden Horseshoe, with the ability to levy taxes for transit building. That's grand. Moving responsibilities around so that one can use accounting trick is the opposite of grand.
AoD
As life goes along, I am less convinced of my ability to communicate clearly in my native language. I shall try to clarify.
1. After 30 years of negligible progress on rapid transit in Toronto, it is quite “grand” in my view for someone to campaign on it. That is rather a stronger commitment than the Liberals made two years back.
2. Not everything which is campaigned on becomes reality, but in this case, it’s a centrepiece pledge. Harder to sideline those. Allow me a child-like fantasy moment where politicians do what they say.
3. Remember, this is the same party that in another post, I remarked may have gotten over its fetish for self-immolation.
4. When I used the word ‘creative’ it was in the context of urban centres being centres of innovation and creativity. Not in the context of anything in the PC platform being particularly novel. Novel would be it happening as described in said platform.
5. The fiscal realities of today are that until this platform, the PCs would have burned the Liberals for allowing tolling on the Gardiner or giving the city room to tax further. If the PCs were to win the election, it is not inconceivable that an HST rate change to 15% or other tax measures are coming. Everyone here who can add - and that’s everyone in this clan - knows that this (PC platform rapid transit construction plan) ain’t going to happen without raising revenues or chopping something. The party of common sense might have to tell folks rapid transit isn’t free. I think we’re beginning to get that anyway.
6. PCs used to think that prosperity was important. I think that a prosperous Toronto is about the best thing the province could have going for it. I think a part of prosperity is people moving about quickly and effortlessly. Imagine if we got to work ready to work. Imagine if we got home in time to go to the kid’s sports or take care of ourselves. I think without that, very few companies will come or expand here if the region’s transportation woes continue. The real estate will ultimately be worth less too, if the region’s transportation infrastructure continues to wither.
7. I am all for a refinement of the transit governance model, but I suspect that politics has become so petty - à la Trump - even here, that it’s too much to campaign on, and best handled as a very bold, although controversial proposal from a new government. Royal Commission on GTHA Transit Planning and Financing anyone?
In short, although nothing is certain until it’s done, this platform is a huge improvement on all government bad, all spending bad which has been a conservative rant for twenty-five years. It has allowed a government to perform badly and still look better than the alternative. That may be about to end.
And although I suspect that a Liberal government could win an election on UrbanToronto Forum members alone, the progress on significant funding commitments to new rapid transit - beyond Finch West, or specific project timing commitments related to the April 2015 $13.5 billion cash commitment to the GO rail system from the current government has been spotty. Even in this discussion forum, the incumbent’s spokesman has been ridiculed as the minister of announcements. Would that the next government be one that is nailing accomplishments down month-by-month, season-by-season. It’s so crazy, it just could happen.
