Let me preface this by saying that I do not think that the city is currently in a perfect, ideal state. Nevertheless, after reading several of your posts, I have to say Fresh Start, that you are full of shit. On the one hand you do nothing more than make vague allusions to the decrepit state of the city, all caused solely by Miller et al. On the other hand you make vague allusions to 'solutions' that express little grounding in reality, or little knowlede of government responsiblity.
Just so I'm not accused of 'reading too much into your post' I'll simply ask you to expand on your policy proposals.
1) How would you... Please list...
Do not insult my intelligence! I’m not obliged to answer to you on a damn thing, and even if I did, you’d twist my arguments and find contradictory bogus studies that appear on the surface to be neutral but really have underlying corporate/political agendas. That’s what happens every time the citizenry presses the system for answers, we get stonewalled and censored. Why don’t you go press City Hall for the answers on any issue area, citing the Freedom of Information Act and see what type of response you’ll get.
If other cities in advanced industrialized societies can make the proposals that I’m suggesting work, so too can Toronto. You should see what City of Vancouver aims to accomplish with a measly $961 million operating budget this year. Let’s compare high tax/high spend Californian cities like Los Angeles to other states, such as Texas, which offer packages combining modest benefits and low taxes. Which do the people prefer?
“One way to assess how Americans feel about the different tax and benefit packages the states offer is by examining internal U.S. migration patterns. Between April 1, 2000, and June 30, 2007, an average of 3,247 more people moved out of California than into it every week, according to the Census Bureau. Over the same period, Texas had a net weekly population increase of 1,544 as a result of people moving in from other states. During these years, more generally, 16 of the 17 states with the lowest tax levels had positive "net internal migration," in the Census Bureau's language, while 14 of the 17 states with the highest taxes had negative net internal migration.”
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/nov/01/opinion/oe-voegli1
Lastly, so far the only 'bold' position you've dared to put forward with any specificity is reducing or eliminating councillor expense budgets . In general, you spout misinformed, vague, or contradictory positions. Its opinions like yours that make Toronto a backwards, parochial place.
By opposing my views, you're only siding with the ethically bankrupt status quo. Only a true leftist would view a tax as an opportunity and a prerequisite for success. Do you not notice that businesses are continuing to move from high tax Toronto to the 905? The economy is not growing but shrinking as the private sector is dying. The city needs to limit wage increases to inflation and eliminate egregious benefits like accumulated sick leave. Until they do that, any requests for even more tax money cannot be taken seriously.
Read this list of top City executives' salaries from 2008 and weep!
• Toronto City Manager Shirley Hoy has an annual salary of $322,128 plus benefits worth $9,079.00
• TTC chief general manager Gary Webster earned $273,735 with benefits of $13,731
• Police Chief Bill Blair earned $270,052 with a benefits package of $1,480
• Toronto Chief Financial Officer Joe Pennachetti earned $244,897 in salary and $13,309 in benefits
• Medical Officer of Health David McKeown earned $225,801 in salary and $9,787 in benefits
• Deputy City Manager Susan Corke earned $225,595 in salary and $11,735 in benefits
• Toronto Zoo CEO, Calvin White earned $208,963.86
• Toronto Library, City Librarian, Josephine Bryant earned $195,743.10
• Director of Transportation, Gary Welsh earned $176,051.85
• St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, General Manager, James Roe earned $145,924.79
When you artificially subsidize services, you create a situation where people make poor economic choices. Outsource the work to the private sector and marvel at how efficiently things can get done within budget, on time, and with accountability to the taxpayer and to the customers/clients of the respective services.
Quit using taxes as a form of social-engineering.