denfromoakvillemilton
Senior Member
What is your platform? What do you plan to do immeadiately? What are your long term visions for the city during your term?
Raise property taxes by 3% in 2010, increase the now eliminated vehicle registration tax by 7%, increase the land transfer tax by 5%, additional 5¢ gas tax for city infrastructure projects, toll all City highways at point of entry, re-evaluate all older building stock and decide what should be designated heritage then inspect all heritage properties and demand restoration (where necessary) with generous tax incentives/grants to faithfully restore the structures and frontages to modern standards, accelerate transit city plus a subway/LRT for Queen Street, streetcar links to Cherry Beach and Sunnyside Beach from the King/Queen subway line, modernize/expand the Ferry Docks to move more people traffic and add two additional ferries during summer months, close key neighbourhood streets in July and August for summer festivals (i.e. Kensington Market - Augusta Ave), agri-highrises for year 'round growing of local produce, repeal the 200metre dance club bylaw on a case-by-case basis that will be carefully studied, create the largest truly separated bike lane network on the continent (with true separated lanes using concrete barriers) along every 2nd or third major east-west and north-south downtown street within two years then expand the network to the suburbs over the next three years, more small affordable housing low-rises and co-operatives sprinkled throughout the city, continue and enhance waterfront beautification with added attractions to bring people down to the lake, all mid-rises/high-rises must go through an intensive arcitecutal competition to encourage unique landmark buildings, wind farms off the lakeshore, encourage business into the city through generous tax breaks and lower business taxes, buy 10 Dundas E. and tear it down once AMC's lease is up then sell the property to a respectable developer to repeat the exercise but this time with highrise office/condos/hotel on top and redevelop the corner properly, combine parts of the CNE lands with Ontario Place to create a high quality downtown amusement park that has functional indoor spaces during winter months while retaining but re-purposing all of Zeidler's structures - provide a direct LRT link from Union station to Ontario Place. Continuing an aggressive plan for rapid public transit growth and cycling infrastructure is the future of the city and must be a high priority, the streets and highways of the city are at capacity.
So what, I dream. I'd never get elected!
Raise property taxes by 3% in 2010, increase the now eliminated vehicle registration tax by 7%, increase the land transfer tax by 5%, additional 5¢ gas tax for city infrastructure projects, toll all City highways at point of entry...
8 years of this mentality is precisely what got Rob Ford elected in the first place. With all due respect, how many of these additional tax ideas would directly affect you?
I believe that taxation should affect all people equally. Accordingly, my favourite types of taxes are income tax, sales tax, and property tax because EVERYONE has to pay them. I do support raising property taxes by 3%, but would also suggest raising HST back to 15% and either raising income taxes across the board, or paring back personal exemptions.
To put a traget on Toronto residents and charge them vehicle registration tax, land transfer tax, tolls to enter our own city, and higher gas prices is beyond unfair. What's even more unfair is that certain demographic groups get a free ride entirely, while others are directly affected by every single one of those measures.
Not bad, but I'm not sure how the public would react to tearing down a relatively new building just to put up a 'nicer' looking one.
8 years of this mentality is precisely what got Rob Ford elected in the first place. With all due respect, how many of these additional tax ideas would directly affect you?