[AlvinofDiaspar]

Tory was not "consistently" against tolls. He spoke for them very eloquently when he ran CivicAction. How soon we forget.

https://www.thestar.com/news/city_h...ls-highway-robbery-to-crusading-for-them.html

Yeah, so he attacked Miller on that file when he was running, going so far as setting up a website for it, "supported it" as someone not in the position to make policy, then flip flopped again afterwards as mayor and again now:

http://globalnews.ca/news/3086465/john-torys-past-positions-on-tolling-the-dvp-gardiner-expressway/

How soon did we forget, indeed. Just what does he believe in, exactly?

AoD

 

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

https://www.thestar.com/news/city_h...ls-highway-robbery-to-crusading-for-them.html

Yeah, so he attacked Miller on that file when he was running, going so far as setting up a website for it, "supported it" as someone not in the position to make policy, then flip flopped again afterwards as mayor and again now:

http://globalnews.ca/news/3086465/john-torys-past-positions-on-tolling-the-dvp-gardiner-expressway/

How soon did we forget, indeed. Just what does he believe in, exactly?

AoD

You got me
I'd like to assume that CivicAction John Tory - who had no need to kowtow to keep or earn his job - was the real one. And it kinda makes sense that, having opposed it nearly 15 years ago, he came to change his mind rather than "flip-flopping."

At the end of the day, this whole thing is so absurd - the Liberal premier shooting down the PC mayor trying to impose tolls. And the NDP is even stronger in its opposition. Down is up and up is down and Tory comes out relatively smelling like roses. No, he won't use any other revenue tools to fund things like the Gardiner but he can look voters in the eye and say, "Well, I tried." If he knew it wouldn't pass muster then I guess it was well-played. And if he was sincere, pretty much everyone loses. not yet, probably, but eventually. Anyone fed up with Wynne who "wanted" tolls literally has no one else to vote for so we have a political consensus - except for Tory and council - that tolls aren't happening.

 

[W. K. Lis]

There is an federal excise tax of 10.0¢/litre, HST of 13%, cap-and-trade of 4.3¢/litre and an Ontario Fuel Tax of 14.7¢/litre. That Ontario Fuel Tax of 14.7¢ has not been adjusted for inflation since 1992. The public transit share of 2¢ comes out of the Ontario Fuel Tax, they did not increase it by 2¢.

The increase in the public transit share comes out of Ontario Fuel Tax, and remains at 14.7¢/litre, when they should be increasing the Ontario Fuel Tax (or change it to a percentage instead).

 

[amnesiajune]

There is an federal excise tax of 10.0¢/litre, HST of 13%, cap-and-trade of 4.3¢/litre and an Ontario Fuel Tax of 14.7¢/litre. That Ontario Fuel Tax of 14.7¢ has not been adjusted for inflation since 1992. The public transit share of 2¢ comes out of the Ontario Fuel Tax, they did not increase it by 2¢.

Cap-and-trade isn't some fixed amount. It's a cost that's included in the price the gas station pays for it's gasoline, just like corporate taxes and extraction royalties. The impact is predicted to be roughly 4.3 cents, but that can't be determined precisely because the emissions credits aren't sold at a fixed price either - they're auctioned off by the province to the highest bidder or sold on the free market by companies that are below their cap.

 

[rbt]

Just what does he believe in, exactly?

Getting re-elected. He's just not exactly sure what will achieve that singular goal.

 

[muller877]

There is an federal excise tax of 10.0¢/litre, HST of 13%, cap-and-trade of 4.3¢/litre and an Ontario Fuel Tax of 14.7¢/litre. That Ontario Fuel Tax of 14.7¢ has not been adjusted for inflation since 1992. The public transit share of 2¢ comes out of the Ontario Fuel Tax, they did not increase it by 2¢.

The increase in the public transit share comes out of Ontario Fuel Tax, and remains at 14.7¢/litre, when they should be increasing the Ontario Fuel Tax (or change it to a percentage instead).

We just got dinged with a carbon tax of 4.3 cents/liter with no meaningful decrease or expected decrease in pollution. Plus the electrical rates skyrocketing. And a premier who thinks we should scrap all natural gas heating to siphon more money to her cronies at OPG.

So giving us a few scraps back....whoopey! And you want to let the province steal more money from us to line their pockets?

 

[ssiguy2]

One good thing about all this is that it forced transit operational funding issues to the top of Queen's Park agenda and it will be impossible for the Tories not to agree to the funding if elected. It's also great that the money will increase funding to all the transit systems in the province although I don't know if that would include GO. Also these extra funds make compete GO/TTC,local transit integration more financially feasible for the respective cities.

I'm also curious............the province can stop the city from introducing tolls on the Gard/DVP as they are owned by the city and as we know, in Canada cities are completely controlled by the provincial governments. That said, what would happen if Toronto decided to SELL the Gard/DVP to the highest bidder? The highway would no longer be in city hands and owned by a private company so could they introduce tolls to pay and profit from the sale of the highways? Seeing the highways and their ROWs would be 100% privately owned land could Queen's Park legally stop them from charging tolls? If the highways were just another business asset, would they have the legal ability to stop them from tolling as it would no longer be a public road but rather a private asset?

 

[salsa]

Del Duca news release

Ontario is boosting support for Ontario's largest city by saying efff you to road tolls. This undermines our government’s plan to provide modern, accessible transit infrastructure that will reduce commute times, create jobs and improve quality of life for Ontario families.

Premier Kathleen Wynne and Steven Del Duca were in Richmond Hill today to announce this new investment.

Starting after the election, Ontario will increase funding for local transit through a gradually declining source of revenue called the gas tax. This will partially replace the toll revenue with something which the city has no control over, in order to appease Ontario families outside of Toronto.

Ontario is making the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario's history. Snubbing Toronto is further proof that this government is very committed to building things, but seem much less concerned with whether we intend to actually build them.


QUICK FACTS

• Premier Kathleen Wynne approval rating is at an all time low.
• Not signing off on road tolls is part of Ontario's commitment to saving Liberal seats in the 905, contrary to what was originally promised.
• This is just one more example of the government's political cowardice in the face of an upcoming election.

QUOTES

​

"We are a global metropolis. We have needs that go way beyond and are more complex than cities much smaller than us in thus province. And it is time that we stop being treated as a little boy going up to Queen's Park in short pants to say, 'please could you help me out with something that I thought was in the City of Toronto Act that I could do' and to be told, 'no, I'm terribly sorry, go away and come back some other day' ".

- Mayor John Tory


https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2017...ing-for-cities-and-towns-across-province.html​

 

[jje1000]

Geez aren't these press releases something the auditor general targeted as being a general attempt to paint a rosier picture than reality?

 

[W. K. Lis]

Would just love to see John Tory walk up to Queens Park in shorts.

 

[Johnny Au]

Would just love to see John Tory walk up to Queens Park in shorts.

I much prefer to see John Tory in shorts in temperatures under -10°C and wearing a Canada Goose jacket in a packed Line 2 train when the temperature is at least 30°C.

 

[ssiguy2]

As much as I don't agree with Queen's Park dictating to Toronto how to run it's government to gain political points. for average transit user this is probably nothing but good news for all Ontario cities not just Toronto.

The reality is that Gardiner/DVP tolls were going straight to redoing the Gardiner for the first 10 years. The TTC really wouldn't see much of an increase in operational funds for at least a decade. The city also said it would take 7 years to implement the tolls {how it takes more than 6 months is anybody's guess but whatever it's all mute now} so the revenues will begin rolling in much sooner. Added to this, this further increase in spending is for TRANSIT only and cannot be used for roads like the Gardiner. That will force the city to re-think it's Gardiner options and make sure that new revenue goes to transit and not a Gardiner revamp.

 

[Euphoria]

The city's future is actually in naturalization, not highways at all. I sort of envision a city of glass and steel in a forest with rivers and gleaming streetcars: skyscraper Muskoka. That's the future for sure, so just build transit everywhere. Eventually as budget allows, or if people want it badly enough, the Gardiner could be buried, or not.

 

[WislaHD]

It is good to see some significant momentum behind transit the past few years. The Libs attempts to save their sinking ship might net some great gains that the Tories would be unwise to try to pull back.

But they will once they are back in power, which is likely.

 

[sixrings]

Can't the city of toronto add a parking tax which could raise the same amount as tolls