|
Miller is DONE!!! No third term as mayor. (pg. 6)
|
View this Thread in Original format
| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by daves
Are these high property values you are talking about the fault of the municipal government? |
Obviously not. But the end result is that it results in higher taxes being paid per square foot and that accounts for something when it comes to the treasury. |
|
|
| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by aflyonthewall
WRONG!
You forget SO many things....the revenue on the "new" taxes (cars and transfers) have only just started to kick in...property taxes have been out of line for a very long time.SO this will not make up the difference. |
So what? They exist now and ARE taxes anyway you slice it. I forgot to mention the new garbage tax that exists now too.
| quote: |
The parking fees do not amount to a hill of beans and are likely paid in a high percentage by the very suburbanites who come into the city from the 905. |
They dont amount to a hill of beans? Is this why they are so zealous to hand out those $40 parking tickets? Is this why you can walk 10 blocks and literally see 5 meter maids on the same street??? Its become a cottage industry in Toronto to the tune of 2,902,929 tickets per year... Almost 3 Million. That breaks down to almost 8000 parking tickets PER DAY! source: http://www.toronto.ca/transportatio...et_activity.pdf Average it out at $40 per ticket and that works out to 1.16 Billion dollars per year according to the city's own numbers.
Some hill of beans!!
| quote: | I do agree that all levels of government,no matter what their stripes, waste money...(the Harper conservatives in Ottawa had let spending spiral out of control in the three years BEFORE the recession hit). But you have to remenmber two things:
1. Mel Lastman did nothing in 6 years to either spend on needed projects or raise the taxes to do so...and Miller has had to catch all that up. |
What you forgot to mention here is that Miller has also created record spending in city hall the likes of which have never been seen at all resulting in a record deficit. The way to cut your debt is NOT by spending MORE.
| quote: | | 2. A city has no means of raising money in this country, except for property taxes. The City of Toronto Act gave the city the power to raise more revenue...and it has chosen as wisely as possible with new taxes. |
But they do have control over spending. The problem with Toronto is the excessive spending more than taxation. New taxes have just been thrown at more excessive spending. Just look at the result of the garbage strike as an example.
| quote: | | And in closing, DO NOT compare us to other large US and international cities unless you want to compare apples to apples...most of them, like NYC, have many more municipal taxes such as hotel tax, and retail sales tax....they can raise money....our cities can't. Also, cities in the US get much larger subsidies from the Federal government. |
So Toronto is an island, the centre of the universe. And we should not look to other examples of how to do things right? Typical Torontocentric view here and one that gets us into trouble a lot. |
|
|
| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Dave Akermanis
Can you be more specific? I frequently hear you "righties(?)" ranting about these sorts of things without providing any concrete examples of programs you feel are superfluous.
At least I went to their website and pulled out some examples :P |
Here are some general items that would be looked at.
Things that may have merit in good times but cant be afforded in bad times. If you were broke and owed a fortune to the banks would you be going out and buying a new flat screen tv be a good idea? Because basically thats what the city is doing.
Access and Equity
Access and Equity Grants
The Access and Equity Grants Program provides a mechanism to maintain a positive race relations climate and to promote respect and value for Toronto's multicultural and multiracial character. It is also a tool by which the City can support strategic partnerships and networks with community based organizations to foster social, economic and civic participation.
Back To Top
Arts, culture, and heritage
Toronto Arts Council
Through the Toronto Arts Council, grants are provided to organizations and collectives for the presentation of art, and to individual artists for the creation of art.
Telephone: 416-392-6802 ext.205
Toronto Heritage Grant Program
The Toronto Heritage Grant Program provides matching grant funds for eligible conservation work in each of the two project categories: 1) residential house form buildings, and 2) commercial, institutional, multi-residential and industrial form buildings.
Telephone: 416-338-1077 or 416-338-1078
Live Green Toronto Grants Program:
The Live Green Toronto Program is providing human and financial resources to strengthen and enhance the ability of Toronto's neighbourhoods and community groups to undertake collective action on climate change, clean air and sustainable energy use. Two funds are available for community based projects including the Community Investment Program and Capital Projects Fund. Telephone 416-397-5746
Toronto Atmospheric Fund
Offers grant funding and loans for projects in the community which reduce greenhouse gas emissions and/or improve air quality. Proposals accepted in the areas of transportation, renewable energy, energy efficiency, education, and adaptation.
Telephone: 416-392-0271
Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation Community Grants
The Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation is a not-for-profit organization working in partnership with the City of Toronto's Parks and Recreation division to enhance the public park system. The foundation, formed in June 2002, raises private funds to help improve and create parks; offers recreational, horticultural, cultural and environmental programs; and supports and encourages community initiatives in Toronto parkland.
Telephone: 416-397-5178
Recreation Grants:
The Minor Recreation Partnership Program creates opportunities for community organizations that provide a variety of leisure or sports activity in response to needs of Toronto residents. The Community Festivals and Special Events Program encourages community and economic development in different neighbourhoods by providing developmental financial support to organizers of small to medium scale community festivals.
Telephone: 416-392-0439 |
|
|
| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by aflyonthewall
This paragraph is from an article written by Kevin Gaudet of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation:
With Mr. Harper in power, many Canadians thought they had a federal government interested in keeping its promises to control spending, balance the budget and reverse decades of overspending. They were wrong. When the Liberals left office, program spending stood at $175-billion. In the four years since, spending is projected to have grown by 31 percent, up to a whopping $229-billion! This government has abandoned any pretense of being fiscally conservative with their plans to spend with reckless abandon.
I would love to hear some comments from the right on this....
Conservatives talk a good game in opposition...but they spend like everyone else when in government....just look at the 8 years of Bush in the US! |
Have a look at a previous thread, i cant remember which one. But essentially my arguement is that to stay alive in this minority government Harper has had to govern like a quasi liberal. I dont let him off the hook for it though. Im very angry about this. But it beats paying a carbon tax (Dion), and paying for a national socialist day care program (Martin) which we would be doing under the Liberals. I wouldnt even want to see what our tax rates/deficit rates would look like under the Liberals. Just look at McGimpy as an example of what would happen nationally.
And Bush is Bush, the likes of which we have never seen and never will see in canada (thank god) |
|
|
| aflyonthewall |
Hey Jayx....
How do you figure that 3 million parking tickets @ $40.00 each comes to 1.16 billion? I make it 116 million...a "hill of beans"...not to mention that not ONE of those tickets need be issued if people park where they are supposed to...or take transit....it can be a cottage industry or a tax grab if people follow the rules...this is NOT a tax...it's a personal choice.
As for Harper...isn't that what's wrong with politics...both sides? It's always about getting re-elected or staying in power...it's never about principle. |
|
|
| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by aflyonthewall
Hey Jayx....
How do you figure that 3 million parking tickets @ $40.00 each comes to 1.16 billion? I make it 116 million...a "hill of beans"...not to mention that not ONE of those tickets need be issued if people park where they are supposed to...or take transit....it can be a cottage industry or a tax grab if people follow the rules...this is NOT a tax...it's a personal choice. |
:eyes: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:
sorry a misplaced decimal!!
So now you are defending this tax as a personal choice? Amazing!! Then taking transit is a tax all its own. $115 per month for something that is not very reliable unless you live on a major line, usually takes 2 to 4 times longer to get somewhere and doubles or triples in price if you dare cross municipal boundries. No thanks!
As for people parking where they are supposed to. I have to ask, do you drive? Because if you do youd be aware at how sneaky they have become at trying to trick you into breaking the law. Such as changing the sign every couple of months. Making confusing prohibited periods. Or the one street where you needed a permit until 7 am. Had two hours of free parking until 9am and then required to pay the meter afterwards. So the poor schmuck who goes to work at 830 am either comes back out at 9 to feed the meter, or what the city plans for, for him to forget and get fined. Those meter police are there right at the expiry time. Never mind the time i caught one writing me a ticket 5 minutes before the meter was to run out. He ran like a bat out of hell when i confronted him!!
| quote: | | As for Harper...isn't that what's wrong with politics...both sides? It's always about getting re-elected or staying in power...it's never about principle. |
I would tend to agree but in order to govern in a minority you need to stay in power. Or we could be like italy's rotating yearly government and never get anything done!
Either way i dont agree with what Harper has done with the deficit. Having said that, I would like to see what he would do with a majority. If he cant manage then, then he deserves to be kicked to the curb. |
|
|
| Jayx1 |
BTW where are all you lefties and liberals when it comes to the record deficits McGimpy and Miller have run up with little to show for it?
Oh i forgot... it was because Ontario was hit with "hard times" due to SARS and Mad Cow..
Right :rolleyes: |
|
|
| miketg23 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jayx1
Have a look at a previous thread, i cant remember which one. But essentially my arguement is that to stay alive in this minority government Harper has had to govern like a quasi liberal. I dont let him off the hook for it though. Im very angry about this. But it beats paying a carbon tax (Dion), and paying for a national socialist day care program (Martin) which we would be doing under the Liberals. I wouldnt even want to see what our tax rates/deficit rates would look like under the Liberals. Just look at McGimpy as an example of what would happen nationally.
And Bush is Bush, the likes of which we have never seen and never will see in canada (thank god) |
A lot of people are so eager to forget that it was the Chretien Liberals that brought us out of the deficit years of the late eighties to early nineties. They halted spending on a lot of programs and cut taxes and actually started paying down the debt. Previous and following conservative governments can't make these claims whether under a majority or not. Scandal brought that government down, not good policies. |
|
|
| mute79 |
| jayx1, why haven't you mentioned that parking tickets are only issued to cars, not mopeds/bikes? if you are contributing to traffic congestion, i don't see why you shouldn't pay for it.. |
|
|
| aflyonthewall |
Jayx1,
Do you REALLY think the city has people running around changing parking signs? What other conspiricy theories do you subscribe to?
A tax...legislated...is not something you can legally avoid....but parking in a Green P...or using a meter correctly, or going to a parking lot...all things that will get you in and out of your destination without a parking ticket....so get off that bandwagon....a parking ticket is NOT a tax.
Neither, BTW is a transit pass....that, my dear misguided friend, is a user fee...are you suggesting that the TTC should be free? What would happen to your precious taxes then?
The residents of the City of Toronto DO NOT pay enough property tax...you seem to be the only one who does not get that...we have a HUGE infrastructure deficit in this city and even if you cut all the programs you mentioned earlier...it would NOT be enough savings to get this city in order! |
|
|
| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by mute79
jayx1, why haven't you mentioned that parking tickets are only issued to cars, not mopeds/bikes? if you are contributing to traffic congestion, i don't see why you shouldn't pay for it.. |
Isnt that what the miller car tax, license tags and gasoline taxes are for? Dont worry. Motorists "pay for it" more than you know. |
|
|
| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by aflyonthewall
Jayx1,
Do you REALLY think the city has people running around changing parking signs? What other conspiricy theories do you subscribe to? |
Ive seen it happen quite often. Once with a row of cars with tickets on the windshield. Its not my imagination either.
| quote: | | A tax...legislated...is not something you can legally avoid....but parking in a Green P...or using a meter correctly, or going to a parking lot...all things that will get you in and out of your destination without a parking ticket....so get off that bandwagon....a parking ticket is NOT a tax. |
Ok if you want to get into semantics its NOT a tax. But supposedly neither is Mcguinty's Health Care "Premium". But it's treated as a tax. The city doesnt even hide the fact that the primary objective of parking fines is revenue and NOT safety or traffic flow. If thats not a tax, then what is?
| quote: | | Neither, BTW is a transit pass....that, my dear misguided friend, is a user fee...are you suggesting that the TTC should be free? What would happen to your precious taxes then? |
I think you missed my point. A please dont talk down to me as it only serves to make you look foolish.
| quote: | | The residents of the City of Toronto DO NOT pay enough property tax...you seem to be the only one who does not get that...we have a HUGE infrastructure deficit in this city and even if you cut all the programs you mentioned earlier...it would NOT be enough savings to get this city in order! |
Im not the ONLY one who "doesnt get it". (I forgot that if you dont agree with lefties you are automatically "stupid"). And how do you know that proper spending wouldnt bring the house in order? It may or may not, neither of us know that. But i do know that it would definitely HELP. It doesnt take an economist to understand that you dont spend on frills when you cant even make the monthly payments!! |
|
|
|
|
