[hper]

What I remember the most about the Miller years were the budget meltdowns and the strikes (TTC and garbage). When every budget requires some unpredictable combination of property tax increases, ingenious new taxes and provincial bailouts, you've got a problem. I liked the Ford years for budgets that weren't crises

Perhaps you might cast the mind's eye back to Ford's first budget. Smooth as silk, it was (rolls eyes, palms face, heads desk - the perfect trifecta).

 

[freshcutgrass]

First, in comparison to Ford, Miller was a God!

That said, he did do things I did not agree with.

Also he did very little to address TTC culture. Very slow adaption of smart cards and electronic payment, no investment in larger buses, two hour transfers left as a "pilot project" for 5 years on a single route without any oversight (and continue to this day), poor handling of customer complaints and concerns, etc.

What TTC culture? When Miller took office he faced declining ridership and service, obsolete vehicle fleet and infrastructure, and no new subway/LRT lines planned or funded. This is not a problem you solve with "smart cards".

No...Miller launched the Ridership Growth Strategy, and improved service increasing ridership by 100 million.
He replaced the aging bus, streetcar and subway train fleet and invested in state of good repair.
He went out and got $12 billion in upper level govt transit funding for Toronto, which is why we have the Spadina subway extention, the Eglinton subway/LRT and whatever it is that actually ever gets built in Scarborough.

What do we have to thank Ford for....less transit services and an $85 million bill for the pleasure of building nothing in Scarborough?

 

[typezed]

Wouldn't there be a conflict of interest on Rob Ford's part, if he still is going after that parcel of parkland from the TRCA?

Well, was mostly a joke. But how stupid is that, putting him on the board of an organization that when Mayor he thought he could strongarm into making a piece of their public holdings his private land?

 

[Palma]

The NatPost Matt Gurney piece linked on today's UT news page is very interesting to me, in the context of 'rightwingers agreeing with Tory for things that they lambasted Miller'. I'm not a fan of Gurney, but I'd be interested if he & Selley actually went out to Scarborough and saw where the LRT would have gone and did a writeup akin to their Waterfront Toronto piece back in the day. (IIRC, it was Selley who actually went down to the waterfront and it turned out WT knew what they were doing and Doug Ford was an idiot.)

I think there's zero chance they re-visit the subway, but there's the billions you need for all your other projects, Mr. Tory, including SmarTrack.

ETA: The comments on that piece are Worms Sun-level awesome.

What about if the Liberal gov't says they will give 1/3 to Smarttrack but take that money from the Scarborough subway but leave it up to Metrolinx to give out the bad news. After all Metrolinx is "suppose" to be at arms length from the gov't so it can appear that its not the Liberals fault. Plus has it not been posted on these boards that the Master agreement changing from LRT to Scarborough subway has bot been revised and still shows the LRT will be built.

 

[hawc]

Will we ever see cuts to Toronto Police and Toronto Fire?

Their numbers have grown out of control. We could do with big cuts in both.

The city won't burn down or be overrun by criminals.

 

[urbandreamer]

Ridership goes up in a recession down during boom times and thus has very little to do with mayors. Look at the USA: urban thinkers like to talk out of their asses about how car ownership is declining amongst younger people when in fact the opposite is true: it's rising because their income is rising with the boom times.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

Ridership goes up in a recession down during boom times and thus has very little to do with mayors. Look at the USA: urban thinkers like to talk out of their asses about how car ownership is declining amongst younger people when in fact the opposite is true: it's rising because their income is rising with the boom times.

Link? VMT ticked up, but even w/ cheaper gas VMT/per capita still trending down. I'd like to see some proof for your assertion.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Will we ever see cuts to Toronto Police and Toronto Fire?

Their numbers have grown out of control. We could do with big cuts in both.

The city won't burn down or be overrun by criminals.

Ignore the 100,000+ increase in city population in the past five years? Ignore the new condo and office buildings that are currently under construction or in the planning stage? Ignore the population increase in the surrounding area who may travel within the city? Must be a lot of vacant buildings in your neck of the woods.

 

[hawc]

Ignore the 100,000+ increase in city population in the past five years? Ignore the new condo and office buildings that are currently under construction or in the planning stage? Ignore the population increase in the surrounding area who may travel within the city? Must be a lot of vacant buildings in your neck of the woods.

Ignore the fact fire crime and fires are way down from years past. Ignore that their salaries continue to be the highest in the country for police/fire. Ignore that big red fire trucks show up to medical situations that only require and ambulance. Ignore that millions and millions of wasted tax dollars could be spent elsewhere.

 

[junctionist]

Perhaps you might cast the mind's eye back to Ford's first budget. Smooth as silk, it was (rolls eyes, palms face, heads desk - the perfect trifecta).

Those late-night public meetings where people spoke out about what not to cut were among of the most incredible examples of the democratic process I've ever seen. But in the end, I think Ford handled budgeting more competently than Miller. Budgeting shouldn't be a crisis. If we need money from the province, we should negotiate to upload some services or get an operating subsidy for the TTC. If we need new taxes to cover the services people want, there should be some public discussion. Let people agree on what services they want and give them options for funding it. All of this stuff should happen throughout the year.

In the end, we also have to be prepared to close some libraries, lay off some employees and postpone some capital projects. That demonstrates both the seriousness of the situation, and that you don't give in to any special interests in handling the budget. It's sad, but money is just figures on a ledger sheet. It's not going to show you any sympathy because you're a good guy or your special interest reflects the public good. People lost respect for Miller in the way city hall handled the budget.

 

[freshcutgrass]

But in the end, I think Ford handled budgeting more competently than Miller. Budgeting shouldn't be a crisis.

What crisis?

There was only Ford's rhetoric attempting to present a false dilemma to justify cutting taxes. He froze taxes and removed revenue sources (VRT) without that magic "gravy" he promised to find to pay for it, creating his own fiscal "crisis".

Good thing Miller's last budget surplus was there to pay for it.

 

[SunriseChampion]

Councillors all get assigned to 'something" - he's also on the Government Management Committee, the Hockey Hall of Fame Board and the Audit Committee

Believe it or not (because it is a bit generous of me), but I'm ok with him being involved with the other postings he has. TRCA though? F*ck no!

 

[SunriseChampion]

the Dufferin-Finch BIA.....

Sorry, what? Is there? Ha, could have fooled me.

 

[SunriseChampion]

Ridership goes up in a recession down during boom times and thus has very little to do with mayors. Look at the USA: urban thinkers like to talk out of their asses about how car ownership is declining amongst younger people when in fact the opposite is true: it's rising because their income is rising with the boom times.

I also think you're making this up. I don't know about absolute numbers but the ratio of licence-less youth has been steadily increasing for well over 15 years. In the US as well as here.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Sorry, what? Is there? Ha, could have fooled me.

Judging from street view, absolutely nothing: 800 Finch Ave W, Toronto, ON M3H
http://goo.gl/maps/mSXVK