BlueBehemoth
New Member
BlueBehemoth,
More people from Toronto work in the 905 than vice versa. As the quote from the report says. Since the time of the report, the disparity has increased. In fact, the job growth that occurred in the 905 region was to such a degree that its population growth could not support it..
I didn't disagree with you on that point Glen,
- As of the time of the writing of that report (Oct, 2005) there were more jobs in total in the 905 area than there are in the City of Toronto. (Since the 905 is a much larger physical area than the City of Toronto that would be logical.)
The report is not about companies leaving the GTA. It is about within the GTA, Toronto is not competitive. It has been at best stagnant while surrounded by a booming area.
Sorry, I have a tendency to use the term "GTA" when I really should be saying "Metro Toronto" or "City of Toronto". After all, I can remember when Mel Lastman was Mayor of North York.
Of course, Toronto is not competitive -- it's because of the Commercial & Industrial Property and Business Taxes.
Again this is not reflective of reality. As above, this is not about the GTA as a homogeneous tax climate. This is about the GTA as a heterogeneous one. Toronto's non residential taxes are far to high while residential taxes are too low. Businesses have left or ignored the Toronto part of the GTA but not the GTA itself. Despite higher residential taxes the 905 has flourished, while Toronto has not.
I agree with you about the 905 having flourished while Toronto has not, and I agree with you that the City's Commercial & Industrial taxes are too high; I do not agree with you over your statement that "Toronto's residential taxes are too low."
I believe that our residential taxes are too high in some districts, but not in all districts, many of them are about where I think they should be. I definitely firmly believe that the City of Toronto's stated spending per household and per person is completely outrageous when it is compared to the surrounding Municipalities. I believe the answer is not to increase residential taxes but to curtail the City's spending and bring it back in line with the surrounding municipalities.
If your idea to raise residential taxes in the City of Toronto goes into effect, the result will be that all of those people who still live in the City but work in the 905 will simply move out of the city and into the 905 to take advantage of the lower residential taxes and the shorter commute to work. The flow of Businesses leaving Toronto for the cheaper taxes in the 905 and elsewhere will not abate until the City reigns in its spending.
Your plan appears to be to turn the City of Toronto into another mid-1980's Detroit with everyone getting the heck out of here because of the way the place is being run.
You're beginning to sound as if you work for the tax department down at City Hall or one of the Councillors who are backing Miller's "I want more money and I'm going to fleece the residents for it" agenda.
If he needs more money he should be going after the Province for it. And if he wants to gain credibility and keep support from the voters then he needs to prove to us that he is managing the City's budget in a fiscally responsible manner. Right now his support appears to be eroding somewhat - if he raises residential taxes and brings in all those municipal surtaxes he wants then he will lose voter support in a very big way and the stream of people & businesses to the 905 and elswhere will become a flood.