2023 Toronto Mayoral by-election

[Northern Light]

What did he do that was so bold other than keep taxes low and come up with transit city, that was a political hot potato in the next election?

I'm happy enough to pick a few bones w/David Miller's time in office, but I think you're on the wrong track w/that assertion:

Miller actually did raise overall taxes, because he introduced the City Vehicle Registration Tax, he introduced the City Land Transfer Tax and he also shifted Garbage off the property tax bill onto its own dedicated fee structure.

Additionally, Miller did do a few relatively substantial things that were good.

Notably, the Ridership Growth Strategy for the TTC which significantly boosted every day service and reduced crowding.

He also bolstered Library hours, and made some other solid investments.

Now, could he have done more? Yes; Should he have done more? Probably; Did he underweight the need for a property tax increase? Yes; and did he pull some dumb stunts like selling the street lights to Toronto Hydro.....? Yup.

But overall, he almost certainly led the most competent administration since Amalgamation up to this point.

Granted, that's not saying much.........but still.

 

[marcus_a_j]

Not sure why Bradford needs to slag Hamilton.

 

[lead82]

Bradford is dumb. He has no chance to win given these lame tactics.

As for Miller, many of the good things he did was mentioned in the post by Northern Light. Miller was no saint but he did many things right. His focus on the waterfront designs and push for actual proper funding for city services was rare for this city. Where would Toronto be without the City LVT. I hate paying it but it didn’t have any impact to Toronto real estate demand or pricing. The city needed the money. Transit City was a good plan (not perfect) but it would have done wonders if all those lines were running today. It missed the huge demand for downtown improvements. He accomplished more in his 7 years than Tory in 8 years. Tory has no real legacy beyond bringing calmness to city politics after Rob Ford. That was fine for the first term but a valid failure to do anything real in his second term. We are still waiting for SmartTrack BS .

 

[TonyV]

View attachment 482609

Not sure why Bradford needs to slag Hamilton.

He is coming across as angry, isn’t he? So far, nothing constructive.

 

[adma]

Bradford is dumb. He has no chance to win given these lame tactics.

But he's probably inadvertently assured that "you don't have to move to Hamilton" will be, for Torontonians, a forever meme and punchline.

Incidentally, in my early and limited and largely downtowncentric or glimpsing-down-side-streets-from-the-streetcar scans around town, it looks like Olivia's got the overwhelming first-weekend lawn-sign advantage. Dunno about lawn signs, but Bailao had a dominant secondary street sign presence around the Stockyards or so (why not: I think that whole CP-corridor-to-Eglinton stretch from the Humber on east ought to be "Bailao central"), I did see a lone Matlow lawn sign, I saw the Mitzie campaign office on Dundas W, I saw a couple and maybe more Bradford lawn signs out in Bradford country but less then there "ought to be", nothing yet from Saunders (much less Furey), I'm not counting the street sign spam from the likes of Gong and I haven't yet really ventured into Etobicoke, N York, Scarborough to gauge what's going on *there*.

So Olivia's the so-far winner on "street visibility" grounds. As was Rob Ford in '10--I recall being taken aback by how lawn-invisible Smitherman was; like, there was no *enthusiasm* for him, other than to vote for him as the strategic "non-Ford"...

 

[Northern Light]

New Forum Poll out today.

Chow 38
Saunders 13
Matlow 12
Furey 10
Bailao 8
Hunter 7
Bradford 5

The discrepancy on Bailao btw Mainstreet and all other posters defies logic.

Taken from: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/20...-voting-set-to-start-in-mayoral-election.html

 

[christiesplits]

New Forum Poll out today.

Chow 38
Saunders 13
Matlow 12
Furey 10
Bailao 8
Hunter 7
Bradford 5

The discrepancy on Bailao btw Mainstreet and all other posters defies logic.

Taken from: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/20...-voting-set-to-start-in-mayoral-election.html

If you told me three weeks ago that Furey would overtake Bailao or Bradford, I would have thought you were crazy. I'm curious to see if he continues to climb.

 

[Admiral Beez]

The taxes are also being kept low for seniors who are on average the wealthiest generation that have paid for homes and can most afford the property tax hikes...

Unless you force seniors to sell their homes, how is the average senior supposed to pay higher property taxes? This is not an uncommon approach cities take where property tax increases are used to clear out senior homeowners. Meanwhile, with no need for schools, little utilities and much reduced road use, the average homeowning senior is costing the city very little at all, beyond your resentment of course.

 

[Admiral Beez]

^ transit city was brilliant. Too bad that the following administration was stupid enough to scrap it.

I blame Miller. He bailed before enacting his plan, leaving us to Ford. Miller would have won again, and could have put Transit City irrevocably into play before retiring to this lofting roles elsewhere.

 

[Northern Light]

Unless you force seniors to sell their homes, how is the average senior supposed to pay higher property taxes? This is not an uncommon approach cities take where property tax increases are used clear out senior homeowners. Meanwhile, with no need for schools, little utilities and much reduced road use, the average homeowning senior is costing the city very little at all, beyond your resentment of course.

There is already a program for seniors to defer a portion of their property tax if they find it financial burden, and the City collects the money on sale of the property.

Property Tax, Water & Solid Waste Relief Programs

You can now use the City’s new online portal to submit your application and to find out which rebate programs you are eligible for. The deadline to apply is October 31, 2023. Apply Online

www.toronto.ca

 

[Northern Light]

I blame Miller. He bailed before enacting his plan, leaving us to Ford. Miller would have won again, and could have put Transit City irrevocably into play before retiring to this lofting roles elsewhere.

He became profoundly unpopular during the garbage strike in which he was seen to be caving to the Unions and not in a rush to address the issue. That was likely unfair, but not helped by the terrible optics of Miller nearly in tears when there was some picket line violence at a transfer station.

He likely could have recovered; but between the political damage and the amount of abuse he and his staff were taking from the public, he chose to exit.

Perhaps the wrong call; perhaps a strategic error in terms of how he handled the negotiation/strike; but understandable, I think.

 

[Admiral Beez]

He likely could have recovered; but between the political damage and the amount of abuse he and his staff were taking from the public, he chose to exit.

Incumbent mayors losing their reelection attempt is a very rare thing in Toronto. Sewell was beaten by Eggleton. That's the only one I can recall.

 

[TonyV]

At this point it is absolutely Chow’s race to lose. I’m very certain that she’s being coached to stay on message and avoid landmines.

Chow’s election pitch — the overarching message of inclusiveness, combined with the careful grandmotherly approach — are working, in the wake of two aberrations (Rob Ford’s belligerent “screw ‘em, then Tory’s “we really are dullards after all”).

Chow should call on a large cross section of individuals to lead the city if she wins.

 

[TonyV]

He became profoundly unpopular during the garbage strike in which he was seen to be caving to the Unions and not in a rush to address the issue. That was likely unfair, but not helped by the terrible optics of Miller nearly in tears when there was some picket line violence at a transfer station.

He likely could have recovered; but between the political damage and the amount of abuse he and his staff were taking from the public, he chose to exit.

Perhaps the wrong call; perhaps a strategic error in terms of how he handled the negotiation/strike; but understandable, I think.

Agreed. I found that he was a brilliant person who unfortunately lost his nerve. I’d heard rumours that he’d had a belly full of the right wingers. Also, it was suggested by some that he new a right wing wave was coming. I considered this tragic.

He did make errors, I’ll give you that. On balance he was good!

 

[Videodrome]

I am honestly not sure who gets my support at this point, but I know who won't get it. Saunders let a serial killer hunt down the gay community and Furey is kind of anti-immigrant, so count them out.