As far as McGuinty dropping a funding promise for Sheppard during the campaign, I'm not saying he won't do it -- in the grand scheme, a $650 million capital commitment over the next decade is small potatoes -- but would it really benefit him in the race against Hudak? I'm not convinced there...

I kind of feel like the westward subway station is something people want because it'd make the subway map look more symmetrical. For it to actually have a network impact, you'd have to encourage southbound riders on the Yonge line to switch trains at Yonge-Sheppard, travel west to Downsview...

Eh, funds for capital projects are more likely as election promises as opposed to further uploading for Toronto's operating budget. I'd be surprised, especially given that the Ford Family will absolutely be campaigning agains the Liberal party next month.

The city's in a terrible position to ask the province for anything: we recently killed a revenue stream with the vehicle registration tax; Toronto residents pay a very low amount of property tax relative to neighbouring municipalities; and just last month we rejected provincial money in the form...

Heritage protections/programs would be a big one for me.

Parked illegally, too. Maybe it's time to hold him to hold him to his election promise to paint the curbs different colours so people know where they can park!

With the spotlight Toronto City politics is now getting, I'd be surprised if we didn't see far more behind-the-scenes organization and coordinated campaigns to unseat certain councillors in the 2014 election. It's going to be a war. Because, really, how hard could it be to knock out a person...

Fixing the city's structural deficit requires a long-term multi-year approach that balances efficiencies and cuts with revenue increases and intergovernmental negotiations. Ford had an opportunity to allow time for that necessary process, but instead stacked the deck against 2012. Recall that...

Why would anyone seriously consider getting rid of the Land Transfer Tax? Are you a real estate agent or a speculator? The only tweaks I'd make to the LTT would be to increase the value exemption for first-time buyers to $450,000 and to develop a formula to see that exemption automatically...

Briefly, and speaking only fiscally, I'd have kept the VRT though with a promise to review it by the middle of term. I'd have applied only a small amount of the surplus to the 2011 budget, keeping the result in reserves to ensure the 2012 budget balances without too much effort. This avoids the...

Your example implies that Toronto is experiencing a short-term decline in revenues due to a bad economic situation, and thus must make temporary sacrifices to improve its financial situation. That's not the case at all. What this council is attempting to do is cut services to fit revenues that...

I snagged a copy of Ford's introduction and Harper's speech, along with the ending where Jim Flaherty is given a wrestling belt. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk9PRWjfSw4 What makes this relevant is that it's a clear indication that the Fords are likely to be heavily involved in the...

You're right, yes. The Prime Minister thanked Diane Ford -- the mayor's mom -- for hosting.

Cyclists already are accountable if they're caught by police violating a traffic law. A license would allow, I guess, penalties that include stripping them of their bicycle license, but those with suspended bike licenses could still head out on the road. Enforcement is so lax that it's not like...

Yes, exactly. The City of Toronto has looked at bike licensing several times over the last twenty years and each time has determined that, to cover the administrative overhead of such a program, the cost-per-license would need to be so high that it would discourage a significant number of people...

I don't believe the City of Toronto has the legal ability to impose a sales tax currently. That's not to say that they couldn't lobby for it. A 1% sales tax would bring in an estimated $400 million, essentially wiping out the city's structural deficit. I agree that it'd be more workable as a...

Sure, but open question to the more conservative types: what programs would you cut in 2012 to produce significant savings? Be realistic. None of this "I'd contract out transit!" stuff because that's not workable for 2012, nor can you realistically modify existing collective agreements.

Correct. The way property taxes work is that the city determines how much revenue they want to raise this year from property taxes and then does a calculation based on the number of households and assessed value to determine how much you get charged as a homeowner. e.g, if the city raised $4...

Property taxes HAVE to go up every year, at the very least to keep up with inflation. Gimmicky property tax freezes essentially result in a net reduction of revenues for governments. Income taxes and sales taxes, on the other hand, are based on percentages that grow with the economy, so they can...

With municipal taxes, sure you can. Property taxes need to go up every year to keep up with the economy. It's an integral part of balancing the books.