Next Mayor of Toronto?

[voxpopulicosmicum]

Honestly, from what I've read above, I don't think any info he provides that is reasonably available will convince you. He's given his opinion that the police are both effective and not generally corrupt. He's not stating this as substantiated fact, but as an opinion.

Chief Blair certainly seems to be making positive changes. It is beyond debate that the demographic make-up of the police is changing to reflect the population of the city. These are the types of arguments that would seem to support the notion that the Toronto police are doing a good job.

But I don't see how the police are a deterrent to the criminal potentiality of dissaffected youth. Even the police will tell you that the answer to youth criminality is enhanced opportunity, not the threat of incarceration.

In support of his opinion that the Toronto police are doing their job well, etc., Lordmandeep cited the Toronto Police's effectiveness as a deterrent to crime that would have been, but for the police, committed by the city's marginalized, immigrant youths. I questioned how that could be a sufficient basis for a positive opinion of the Toronto Police, and gave some other arguments that might be more convincing, in the hopes that still further arguments could be advanced.

Is it really fair to say that my mind is closed to the possibility that the police are doing a good job?

 

[nfitz]

who's coolaid are you drinking? lol...

Well to a great extent he's just playing with the mill rates ... I'm sure you are all aware with what's happened with valuation in the last few years, so clearly simplying comparing mill rates from year to year doesn't have much meaning!

Though the comparision to Mississauga is interesting. And the comparison in the average paid per house in Toronto to the 905 cities is always interesting, and tends to show that Toronto taxes are a bit lower than the surrounding cities ... which might go the complaint by businesses in Toronto that they pay an unfair portion of the tax.

 

[Whoaccio]

Surprised neither of these has been posted yet:

Giambrone mulling run for Toronto mayor:

Adam Giambrone, Toronto's youngest councillor and chairman of the TTC, says a mayoral run next year is a “very real possibility,” a move that would make him the first left-leaning candidate to throw his hat in the ring.

“I have not decided yet, but it looks like it is a very real possibility,” Mr. Giambrone told The Globe and Mail, saying he has spent the last two weeks mulling policy and making phone calls to potential supporters. It's the most explicit he's been yet on his political future at City Hall.

He's the first left-of-centre candidate to step forward since Mayor David Miller's bombshell announcement Sept. 25 that he will not seek a third term, fuelling an unofficial race that's been dominated so far by centre- and right-leaning names.

I really don't see the point of this. Giambrone's tenure at the TTC has been unremarkable, his opinions unoriginal and his personality unremarkable. He's pretty young, so that's not really such a big issue, but he should spend some time and get some actual achievements (beyond his youth) under his belt.

Councillor unveils 'drastic' platform for mayoral bid

Outlining his platform yesterday, Mr. Mammoliti said he would "reverse" the vehicle-registration tax, which he voted for in 2007, and seek to modify the land-transfer tax so it only applies to home vendors leaving the city.

But his main proposal for addressing the city's precarious fiscal situation is finding new sources of revenue.

"I would really consider a casino. I'd consider more sin taxes on areas we can get away with. I would introduce a lottery to the city of Toronto," he said.

"The proceeds would go to some of these initiatives like affordable housing, for instance. If we were to introduce a lottery that would pay for a good chunk of our affordable housing and other programs. I think that that might work."

Asked if the city has the authority to get into lotteries and gaming, Mr. Mammoliti said he believes the province would make allowances if city council endorsed his plan.

Never thought I'd be saying this, but thank god for Mammoliti. Not that the ideas are really my favorite, but at least someone is throwing out ideas beyond typical City Hall boilerplate of "brooms" and "sustainability." Reforming prostitution is probably needed, not sure how much legal authority the Mayor would have here though. Still, thank god for someone trying to suggest a plan.

EDIT: Err, seems whatever sort of beat me to the Mammoliti thing.

 

[CDL.TO]

Well to a great extent he's just playing with the mill rates ... I'm sure you are all aware with what's happened with valuation in the last few years, so clearly simplying comparing mill rates from year to year doesn't have much meaning!

"Playing with the mill rates"? I wasn't playing with anything. I simply posted the historical tax rates for the city, in response to the incorrect claim that:

property taxes in Toronto are reaching well above inflation due to continuous increases in the mill rate since Miller took over and increased housing value assessments from the city.

That claim shows a misunderstanding of how municipal finances work, and I wanted to point it out.

It's clearly a little tough for municipal politicians to make a budget. Would people complain that "the government raised taxes!" if a doubling in their pay led to a doubling of their income taxes? Of course not. But that's basically what people do when it comes to municipal taxes.

Beez, even if Miller had frozen tax increases your taxes would STILL be higher than when he entered office because:
- The city doesn't control a major portion of the tax bill (education and many social services)
- Cabbagetown saw property value increases at a rate higher than the rest of the city

And if Miller had frozen the municipal tax rate when he entered office, your taxes would have been even higher than they are today (considerably so).

I'll point out that I haven't said anything either in support or in opposition to Miller's managing of the finances. All I've said is that people should understand how the system works.
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[nfitz]

"Playing with the mill rates"? I wasn't playing with anything. I simply posted the historical tax rates for the city, in response to the incorrect claim that

... ah I missed that. I guess he was blantantly wrong ...

 

[tkip]

Waterfront casino....

I always wondered about the resistance to Toronto having it's own casino. Seems like an idea whose time has come.

 

[Glen]

The residential mill rate in 1999 was 1.2137%
The residential mill rate in 2008 was 0.8749%
The residential mill rate in 2009 is 0.8548%

Tax rates have gone DOWN during Miller's tenure.

And the city has no control over property assessments.

In comparison, the residential mill rate in Mississauga is 1.0176%

If one was to compare Toronto's rate to that of Mississauga, it would appear that Mississauga rate is ~19% higher. If one was to remove the provincial education portion (.264%) you get a more accurate picture of the difference
in municipal taxes. This shows that Mississauga's rate is actually ~27% more than Toronto's. On top of that,municipal per household spending expenses (operating budget/#households) is double in Toronto. In Toronto the city spends over $8,000 per year per household. In Mississauga/Peel it is ~$4,000.

 

[CDL.TO]

On top of that, municipal per household spending expenses (operating budget/#households) is double in Toronto. In Toronto the city spends over $8,000 per year per household. In Mississauga/Peel it is ~$4,000.

I think this is a much better measure of the financial/spending problems that this city has than mill rates or tax increases. I would expect higher expenses in Toronto, but I don't know any justification for double the spending per capita of Mississauga.

 

[Glen]

I think this is a much better measure of the financial/spending problems that this city has than mill rates or tax increases. I would expect higher expenses in Toronto, but I don't know any justification for double the spending per capita of Mississauga.

Keep in mind that $700 per household of that is the operating subsidy for the TTC. Also a sizable portion of the debt charges are related to TTC capital carrying costs.

 

[GraphicMatt]

I'd also assume that Mississauga's spending will necessarily have to increase as that city moves from being a young city fuelled by new development to an older city with dated infrastructure.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Is it really fair to say that my mind is closed to the possibility that the police are doing a good job?

Based your posts, yes it is. Just my opinion, of course, so feel free to ignore at your whim.

 

[Tewder]

I'm not sure I'm all that opposed to a casino either. I just don't like the idea of our government running it. It's a huge hypocritical conflict of interest that our government should be running and directly profiting off of liquor and gambling etc. What next, prostitution? Why not, really?? It may be splitting hairs - and sometimes it is important to split them - but it's fine by me that the government collects its sin taxes but to actually profit on those sins as another form of indirect taxation seems ideologically wrong. Why is it that in Ontario we are just so willing to let the government nudge further and further into our lives?? Illegal 'ride' programs and traffic radar... we just seem so easily persuaded to give up basic rights. Canadian apathy will get us in the end...

 

[adma]

Well, if Toronto *really* got bedraggled, a casino'd be obvious for 10 Dundas E. Otherwise, there's MLG.

*cringe*

 

[SimonP]

From today's Globe:

Karen Stintz drops plan to seek Toronto mayoralty

Karen Stintz, a leader of the right-leaning opposition at city hall and one of council's most vocal critics of Mayor David Miller, has bowed out of the unofficial race to replace him, The Globe and Mail has learned.

The Ward 16 councillor said former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader John Tory and current Deputy Premier George Smitherman, the next election's two most prominent-yet-undeclared contenders, have sucked the oxygen out of her fledgling campaign.

“It has definitely been a difficult decision,†Ms. Stintz said. “I was excited about the opportunity to talk about the issues that are so important to the city.â€

 

[MetroMan]

^ Thank the Lord! ... and I'm not even religious.

So we got Smitherman who can be a lefty since Miller won't be there to force him to the centre and Tory was never very right wing to begin with. Either way, we get a centre/left Mayor.

Nonetheless, I'd like to see some competition and I'd be disappointed if these two are all Canada's largest city can attract to a mayoral race without an incumbent.

I would have loved to see Bryant run but his luck ran out with the whole cycle courier thing. He would have made a fantastic Mayor and one I think Miller would have endorsed.