toronto city council

Does this make sense to you?

Mike Cluett

Flipping through some on-line news this morning and I came upon a story from CBC News that made my jaw drop. After reading it, tell me if you don’t feel the same way.

The way it looks is like the City of Toronto WANTS their councillors to spend money and then punishes those who take it upon themselves to SAVE money.

This is beyond ridiculous! I’m sure Councillor Ford submits a detailed outline of all that he spends so whats the difference if he uses his own money to do it. And the City of Toronto wonders why they’re in the cash crunch situation they face.

Instead of being applauded for doing something to help out, hes singled out and persecuted for being fiscally sound.

Imagine if the Town of Milton did this? One example locally can be pointed out with former councillor John Challinor who took a reduced amount of pay for years in Ward 4. He didn’t accept any of the pay increases over the years of being on council and was one of the most frugal spenders. Imagine if the town staff said to him, “You’re taking the pay increase and that’s that!” It would be a joke.

Mayor David Miller and the City of Toronto executive are a joke if they condone this type of attack on one of their own. It just goes to show people that politicians only think of themselves and not the people they represent. Isn’t there something ELSE they could be doing, say finding the money they need to fix roads, pay for city services, improve the transit system and making the city safer to live in? They chose this route to show their taxpayers what their priorities really are.

Message to Mayor Miller…Instead of whining and complaining that the “feds” are to blame for the increasing gun violence in the city and the “feds” not giving them their fair share… DO SOMETHING about it instead of pointing fingers.

Here’s the CBC story.

Councillor reprimanded for not spending enough

Toronto city Coun. Rob Ford was formally reprimanded by the city’s executive committee on Monday for not spending enough taxpayers’ money.

Ford is the ultimate penny-pincher on council, spending nothing of his allotted $53,000 office budget this year.

Ford pays his office expenses out of his own pocket. He buys the stamps, the envelopes and pays the cellphone bills himself.

But that goes against the city’s ethics rules that call for transparency in public spending, the underlying principle being that the public should know who is paying so there is no chance individuals or companies could use the money as a lever to ask for favours.

“You don’t spend private money, or developers’ money, or anybody else’s money on things like your newsletters. You spend the public money because there’s an audit trail, it’s accountable,” said Mayor David Miller.

There is no suggestion Ford is doing anything improper, but strictly speaking, he is breaking the rules.

Ford said he’s done nothing wrong. He said he has been blessed with good fortune and he doesn’t want to charge Toronto taxpayers for something he’s happy to pay for.

“I can do what I want with my own money. I choose not to submit receipts because I don’t want to be reimbursed. The only reason these councillors submit receipts is because they want to be reimbursed,” Ford said.

He’s also fighting back by posting all of the office expenses of his fellow councillors on his website, item by item.

He has long argued that office budgets are just slush funds and that some councillors have spent thousands of dollars this year on lunches and dinners, sometimes involving alcohol.

Possible pay suspension

“There’s councillors at 2:30 in the morning taking cab rides. What are they doing at 2:30 in the morning taking cabs from downtown going to Woodbridge? Hundreds of dollars being spent,” said Ford.

Ford’s refusal to submit receipts and get reimbursed could land him a suspension of his pay for three months.

That doesn’t worry Ford, who said, “I’m not going to die without three months’ pay. What are they going to do next, throw me in jail?”

Council will decide on the punishment at its next meeting on Dec. 12.

Life changing moments

Mike Cluett

Just a quick update on the last post I made about the lights going in on Thompson and Yates…its been delayed. They have completed some of the work but still a lot more to be done. The information I was going on was a posting by Regional Councillor Colin Best on (one of my favourite sites) Hawthorne Villager

So as more details come in on this, I’ll post a further update.

And for those who don’t know, Pat and I found out a few weeks ago that we were expecting NUMBER 2 in the baby department. Anthony has just turned 7 so to go through this all over again, is almost like doing it for the first time. Both Pat and I are quite excited and today was the day we made our journey to downtown Toronto for the ultrasound.

With the birth of Anthony, Pat had developed a very good relationship with her doctor and has chosen to have the baby at Women’s College Hospital. A little out of the way mind you, but the care she got during the last pregnancy was outstanding, and its all about her comfort isn’t it?

So this morning we got up bright and early and made our way to downtown Toronto. I don’t know how many of the readers of this blog do this on a daily basis, but let me tell you something…you have MY respect. I couldn’t see anyone do that drive every day back and forth even if I did live just outside the big smoke…it would drive me nuts.

I did come up with a few ideas (controversial as they may be) for the city of Toronto to raise funds and decrease the dependence on raising taxes of his constituents. I don’t know exactly how it would all work, but you could make the Gardiner Expressway a toll road, similar to the 407 where all funds generated would go to an infrastructure account to improve the roads in the city.

Now many of you out there who commute to Toronto daily might not like that, but it makes sense. The majority of the roads that are heavily used in the city are driven on by people who don’t live in Toronto. I didn’t say the idea would be LIKED by everyone now did I? More on that coming up in another post.

There’s one more Toronto related item Id like to bring up and that’s the Maple Leafs and what a sorry state they’re in at this moment. They’re doing very poorly and no one can deny that, not even the most rabid of Leafs fans out there…it’s BAD. The situation wont get any better just by having guys / fans like myself complain that its bad. The only way its ever going to get fixed is if the ACC stopped selling out. HOW can that happen? The fans who wait in lines for standing room only tickets for all hours, and people who spend HUNDREDS of dollars just to go to a game, will have to say enough is enough and STOP going to games.

There are some bright spots on the Leafs offense including Sundin who is having an amazing start to the season. Andropov shocked almost every Leafs fan out there with the season hes having so far. There is more than that but those are the 2 main shining lights.

The duds of the team can be combined in one word…defense. Mainly idiots like Kubina who have YET, despite his years playing hockey, figured out hes not a forward but defense. He jumps out of position so many times during a game, I’ve lost count and when he does realize hes out of position, POOF…. Goal! He’s not the sole reason for the defense corps woes but he does need some help.

So far this year, my “teams” aren’t doing so well. The Leafs…the Vancouver Canucks…the Ti-Cats…and the San Fransisco 49ers. I have been doing what I can to help keep the faith.

All things being said, with all the problems we face on a daily basis, with work, with sports, with politics, and with everything else. None of it seems important when you’re looking at the screen of an ultrasound and seeing the beating heard of your unborn child.

Whats there to debate?

Mike Cluett

I almost have to laugh everytime I turn on the news and hear about Toronto’s woes and their pending tax increase plan.

For those who havent heard Toronto Mayor David Miller is pushing for a “TORONTO TAX” on the sales of homes and the sales of cars in the Toronto area. He feels this increase in revenue is needed in order to fix the financial mess the city has now found itself in.

Ever since Miller became Mayor of Toronto, spending on core services has increased over 21% and taxes as some people put it have “gone through the roof.” With this new tax on the sales of homes, it now adds an additional $4000 plus to a home with $400,000 in value.

Lets say youre a first time home buyer and moving out of the rental market into home ownership. Down payments on homes have decreased rapidly with our formerly low interest rates and people are now financing more in mortgages, ie long term debt. What was barely affordable then is not affordable under this new plan.

What is more “funny” for the lack of better word is Toronto city councillors are split on this issue. Hmmm tax out the wazooo or tax out the wazooo.

Mayor Miller has said if these tax proposals dont go through it would mean “drastic” increases in Toronto property taxes and reduction in services. Wasnt it THIS Mayor and council who recently approved a $6 million dollar investment in their new media room and upgrades to City Hall?

What the Mayor of Toronto and his fellow councillors are failing to realize is they have a spending problem that cant be fixed by just increasing taxes. There needs to be priorities in their spending. Theyve spent millions of dollars on items that just arent necessary. They have recently looked at buying a building in the city that houses some Arts organizations for $1.5 million dollars and then leasing it back to them for $2 a month. Again, something that doesnt make any sense. Theyve always gone back to “raising taxes” as a way of generating revenue and it doesnt seem to work.

Governments at all levels have clearly forgotten (or chosen to forget) that there is only one taxpayer for all levels. You and I. For what money the City of Toronto raises with these new taxes (or any other tax increase proposal scheme they come up with) there will be an additional burden on places like the GMA (Greater Milton Area) and the 905.

Whether Toronto City Council is successful or not, they will continue to ask/beg the provincial and federal levels of government for more money. It wont stop. You have to wonder how this flew under ther radar for so long and its finally getting people upset.

For those councillors who oppose these tax increase schemes, good for you. For those who support it, what are you thinking? For those Toronto city councillors who are still on the fence…? What is there to debate?

Good thing for them the next election isnt until 2010. Arent you glad you live in Milton? When I see lunacy like this…I know I do.

Not spending enough money

Mike Cluett

Let me get this straight. Toronto City Council is investigating 2 of their councillors for NOT spending their budget. Arent they supposed to try to save taxpayers money? I thought they would be rewarded for doing something thats GOOD especially when Toronto is nearing bankruptcy and every penny counts.

I realize that guys like Rob Ford may not be the classic examples of politicians, but he does serve his residents to the best of his ability. He may not be the nicest guy in the world (he was the guy who got hammered and started yelling at people during a Leafs game awhile back) but he is doing the right thing by spending less of taxpayers money.

Here in Milton there have been a few councillors who spend next to nothing of their expense limits. In fact, John Challinor was known for taking LESS than the allotted salary for being a Milton town councillor.

God knows how many Toronto city councillors there are but they should take the lead and try to save taxpayers money without being “investigated”. It seems to me theres a witch hunt and the other “pigs in the trough” are upset and want to do something about it. Seeing how Toronto is on the brink of financial disaster, it seems to me to be more appropriate that they do something other than complain.

Toronto Mayor David Miller is mainly to blame here. He is coming up with excuse after excuse after excuse why their financial problems are everyone elses fault, except HIS and his COUNCIL. Raise parking rates and implement a Toronto Tax and complain to the federal government for lack of funds, and complain to the provincial government for lack of funds…all the while spending like a drunken sailor.

Here’s the link to the investigation story from the Toronto Star and send your ideas for David Miller to stop bankrupting Canada’s “economic engine” stopspendingnow@toronto.ca

Enjoy!