[kenmore]

Don't get your tory trousers in a knot, the vote for mayor does not translate into a votes for the feds~!

[CommanderSock]

Rob Ford. To anyone who actually lives around Toronto or is familiar with the city; I was reading over some of Ford's plan (over again), and the numbers simply don't add up.

For example he wants to get rid of the land transfer tax, and the vehicle tax. Fair enough, nobody likes taxes.

But then, he wants to remove streetcars from Spadina, Queen etc. This one is really nonsensical to me; I don't see how that will save the city any money.

But then the really big issue here in Metro Expansion. He wants to expand Metro, into the suburbs. I'm absolutely 100% in agreement. But honestly, this will cost billions, and millions more to maintain annually. Due to low population density, most North American cities lack Metro Stations that branch too far out from the core, simply due to the enormous cost associated with maintaining a line that will be empty for the most part. Scarborough RT is. Anyone who's been to the Sheppard/Yonge line can see that even during peak times, it's rather bare on the inside.

So this whole, “I'm a conservative who will slash and burn to make you rich” simply smacks of George W Bush type conservatism. Billion dollar expansion for subways while simultaneously slashing taxes? Oh boy…can we say bankruptcy?

[Regina]

CommanderSock CommanderSock:

For example he wants to get rid of the land transfer tax, and the vehicle tax. Fair enough, nobody likes taxes.

Those are both Provincial and out of his hands.......although it sounds good when you know you have no control.

[EyeBrock]

Regina Regina:

CommanderSock CommanderSock:

For example he wants to get rid of the land transfer tax, and the vehicle tax. Fair enough, nobody likes taxes.

Those are both Provincial and out of his hands.......although it sounds good when you know you have no control.

Not true Regina. Miller brought in a city tax for both ON TOP OF the provincial taxes. It's the NDP way!

I also think it's funny that Justin Trudeau came to Toronto to boost Smitherman's campaign. And BF wanting to vote Pantalone says it all. He was another big union bought NDP candidate.

The big losers out of this has been the Toronto Star and the radical left in Toronto.

It will be interesting to watch this as the battle has been won but the war will continue as long as the sense of entitlement in the left-wing councillors and the unions remains.

[OnTheIce]

CommanderSock CommanderSock:

Rob Ford. To anyone who actually lives around Toronto or is familiar with the city; I was reading over some of Ford's plan (over again), and the numbers simply don't add up.

For example he wants to get rid of the land transfer tax, and the vehicle tax. Fair enough, nobody likes taxes.

But then, he wants to remove streetcars from Spadina, Queen etc. This one is really nonsensical to me; I don't see how that will save the city any money.

But then the really big issue here in Metro Expansion. He wants to expand Metro, into the suburbs. I'm absolutely 100% in agreement. But honestly, this will cost billions, and millions more to maintain annually. Due to low population density, most North American cities lack Metro Stations that branch too far out from the core, simply due to the enormous cost associated with maintaining a line that will be empty for the most part. Scarborough RT is. Anyone who's been to the Sheppard/Yonge line can see that even during peak times, it's rather bare on the inside.

So this whole, “I'm a conservative who will slash and burn to make you rich” simply smacks of George W Bush type conservatism. Billion dollar expansion for subways while simultaneously slashing taxes? Oh boy…can we say bankruptcy?

Rather than read over "some" of Ford's plan, read the entire thing. Then, you may see the entire picture as to how he plans to raise money for such changes in transit planning.

Street cars cost the city a fortune in road maintenance alone. Having lived and worked on Queen, tracks and roads are always under repair. Add to that the blockage they cause and the excessive noise, it's about time the dinosaur was retired.

Naturally, the Shepard line is empty, it leads to nowhere....you branch the Subway system East into the Durham Region and North, it'll be packed.

[Lemmy]

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

The big losers out of this has been the Toronto Star and the radical left in Toronto.

It will be interesting to watch this as the battle has been won but the war will continue as long as the sense of entitlement in the left-wing councillors and the unions remains.

It'll be interesting for sure. I'm of the "give him a chance" camp, hoping he'll go after what he says he's going after: waste. My suspicion is he won't. My suspicion is he'll destroy infrastructure instead. And as a rural Ontarian, we already support Toronto in a disproportionate manner. Municipal cuts will certainly mean more non-Torontonians funding GTA projects at the provincial level. And guess what? You non-Ontarians will also pay a Federal price for Toronto municipal cuts.

Either way, Ford has this stupid giggle/snicker that sounds exactly like Chris Farley doing Tommy Boy. I feel certain that, at some point, Rob Ford will use the phrase "Yabba Dabba Doo" in an interview.

[EyeBrock]

I'll be watching, as will Hudak and Herr Harper.


Another interesting phenomenon is that the 'new' Canadian vote which by default used to go to the Liberals, is now going to more conservative candidates.

The NP had an editorial in today’s paper.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/201 ... te-voters/

[Unsound]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Sadly, I've never been able to find a pair of size 14 stilletto heels.

I have connections, I'm pretty sure I could find you some. Only if you promise to post a pic of you wearing them tho... lol

[PublicAnimalNo9]

Unsound Unsound:

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Sadly, I've never been able to find a pair of size 14 stilletto heels.

I have connections, I'm pretty sure I could find you some. Only if you promise to post a pic of you wearing them tho... lol

Get him to e-mail them to you then. There is a list of things I NEVER want to see...and that just got added

[BeaverFever]

Some things you guys need to know:

1) About 70% of the expenditures in the Toronto budget are mandated by PROVINCIAL LEGISLATION that goes back to Mike Harris's downloading and beyond. Even if you elect Jesus Christ himself as Mayor, theres not much that he could do to reduce those commitments.

2) Since the Province has its own fiscal agenda, the new Toronto taxes were granted by Provincial Legislature (The City of Toronto Act) because the province would not commit to its share of funding for Municipal infrastructure and projects. The Province said "before you ask us for money each year, you have to go use these new tax powers first, then we'll talk." The truth is, most of the things Ford is mad about are beyond the powers of the mayor and even the city council. So Ford can fire some city hall cleaning staff and maybe manage to save a few hundred thou. But even if he finds $100 million in annual savings, that's scarely more than 1% of the city's budget.

At the same time, he's voluntarily opting out of new tax powers that the province recently gave to the city, while promising not to cut municipal services down to third-world levels. Does he think the province is just going to pick up the tab? Of course not, they've got their own spending critics do deal with, theyre not going to take the heat for someone else!


3)Many of his promises can't be fulfilled: he doesn't have the power to unilaterally renegotiate funding arrangements with the province or contracts with Bombardier and doesn't have the money to build subways ways out to inner 'burbs where nobody will use them anyway. He wants to slash the number of elected representatives (bad for democracy) while slashing the budget for the remainder, all the while promising higher levels of service??? The numbers dont add up and are really just election gimmicks.


3) Nothing wrong with being "Brash" and a "straight talker". But when you say stupid shit that is not only 'insensitive' but patently false, like the AIDS quote I mentioned earlier, its a different story. If that's not an opinion based on bigotry, I don't know what is. He doesn't even know the basic facts about the subject. And I'm supposed to put you in a position of authority over policy-making? I imagine that AIDS patients who receive city health services must be absolutely terrified right now. How about he reads a book before proposing policy based on pure bullshit he made up in his own uninformed, bigoted head?

The truth is, it takes some skill but it also takes knowledge, thought and vision to govern a city well. This guy not only lacks the latter two traits, he has little interest in developing either. I don't think his personal library has any books about urban sustainability and urban planning. To his unsophisticated mind, that's all code for communist central planning. Frankly, I doubt the guy reads much beyond Tom Clancy novels and books about football. He has only ONE issue on his mind - taxes. Beyond that, he has never articulated any vision of what Toronto should be could be except for populist daily frustrations like gridlock. Hey Einstein - gridlock is caused by too many cars on the road, period. No amount of bike lane reductions or street car cancellation is going to change that. You can't widen the streets any more, so the only option is to reduce the number of cars.

People from the suburbs will come to T.O. for their work and entertainment because this is where those things are located. They should look to GO trains and carpooling or expect to pay their fare share when they clog up our streets and use our services. We're not here to serve the whims of suburbanites, although as a former suburbanite, I can say that too many of them seem to have that outlook towards the whole world - outraged over minor inconveniences caused by others while defending the serious problems they cause for everybody else.

I get it...he's mad as hell at the current leadership so you think he should be mayor. That's like saying an airline should let passengers fly the plane if they really want to get home badly.

[andyt]

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

That's like saying an airline should let passengers fly the plane if they really want to get home badly.

Good one.

But if we hope hard enough that there's a magic answer out there for more services with less taxes, it will come true right? I mean that's how The Secret works - just put out the right energy and the universe will fulfill your desires. Who knew Torontonians and Teahadis were actually New Agers? That plane will fly even without engines if the passengers would just BUHLEAVE. Hallelujah.