http://www.nowtoronto.com/daily/news/story.cfm?content=178637
Toronto Star Article:
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/919044--ford-warns-of-ttc-fare-hike-uses-surplus-to-minimize-cuts?bn=1
Wow. I guess Miller handed a gravy train to Ford but it ran out of gravy too soon. I think it's stuck out somewhere in Etobicoke. Ford's budget came down today.
Even with the advantage of having one-time 'gravy train' $706 million budget head start handed to him in large part from a $286 million budget surplus from Miller's 2010 budget, a $78 million dollar surplus from Miller's 2009 budget, $45 million from the land transfer tax he wants to get rid of, and another $63 million in Ontario Works from the province (also acquired from Miller's days) he couldn't balance the budget without cutting services and adding 'user fees' aka hidden taxes.
'“I assure you services will not be cut,” he said while releasing his fiscal plan on Oct. 8. “I will guarantee it.” Since being elected, however, and promising no increase in property taxes, Ford has changed the pledge to “no major cuts.”'
His budget didn't even take into account wage increases that are coming this year for some of the most important and essential services: library, health, police and fire services. Blair last week asked for a 3 per cent increase in the police service’s $983 million budget ($26.7 million), saying any cuts would take officers off the street (so much for his campaign to hire 50 more officers which the police board didn't ask for). The board of health is asking for a 1.5 per cent bump to help fight bedbug infestations. The library board wants to increase its spending by 2.6 per cent.
To add insult to injury there will be hidden taxes in the form of user fees including increased fees for garbage/recycling collection (3%), rate increases in water, wastewater and stormwater services (10.8 per cent for residents and 8.6 per cent on business) and a likely hike in TTC transit fees of $5/month and 10 cents per token (est. $24 million). Other 'user fees' not taxes, may include a 3 per cent increase for swim classes, ice time and virtually all other city recreation programs (details expected Tuesday).
Coincidentally $5/month in TTC fees is the same cost he got rid of for car drivers in the canceled vehicle registration tax of $60/year. So he's passed a cost from people with enough money to buy, insure and fuel a car (meaning they are not among the most needy and are adding to our gridlock and polluting the air) to riders of the TTC which is essential to people that cannot afford to drive or choose the TTC as the greener, more efficient alternative. Along with an increase in TTC fares, there will be a decrease in service (with 48 late night bus routes being cut). Please tell me how people in lower income brackets (often late night custodial crews, shift workers, shelf stockers and food service workers) will get to work if they can't afford a car.
In another kick 'em when they're down scenario, at 21 'priority' recreation centres (priority, meaning low income neighbourhood) adults will now be charged for $68 for nine-week adult programs at those locations, for an extra $200,000 in revenue a year.
There is no 'rainy day' or rather 'snowy day' reserve fund (hopefully we don't need extra snow plowing this winter, although that looks dangerous this week). He is closing a library. He is sending some refugee claimants to motels instead of homeless shelters. On the surface, that may sound like somewhat of an improvement for refugees, except that their meals were taken care of at the shelters. He's reducing a fund to help tenants fight bad landlords. These cuts all hurt low income families.
They only found $57 million in service efficiencies (see cuts above). One of their found efficiencies was $70,000 by not renewing Toronto’s support for the C40 international climate change secretariat in London, England. This was expected, as it is another participating city’s turn to provide the funding (therefore this should be attributed to Miller's office as well). Miller's council found $102 million in efficiencies in their last budget. They also 'saved' $4 million to $5 million a year by cutting some 13,000 Toronto households from a city program that disconnects their downspouts for free. Homeowners must now hire somebody to do the work for $400 to $500.
To make his budget work, he needed $23 million from user fees (see garbage, water above), $25 million from the reserve fund (hope it doesn't snow a lot), and $24 million from the TTC fair hike (thanks a lot for shuffling that from drivers to transit riders) along with the $706 million head start. What the hell is he going to do in his next budget when he doesn't have a head start and all his 'efficiencies' are used up? Further increases in user fees or cuts in services or debt? But no tax hikes. Haha.
Just as in his campaign Ford has offered vague “facts” about where the money is coming from: '“Service efficiencies” found by city staff include $225,000 by providing “alternate models of shelter service,” $400,000 by automating the “payroll interface,” and $325,000 from “collection management process improvements” by the library system.'
Don't even get me started on his TTC 'Plan' where he is serving 1/10th of the people at 3 times the cost with service starting 6 years later than Miller's well thought out and heavily researched Transit City plan. And he made this unilateral decision by consulting exactly how many experts? None? Really? Oh. Wow. Do you call that respect for the taxpayers' money?
http://media.thestar.topscms.com/images/1c/d4/08e1d671427c857fc0faaffaf8e0.jpeg
Not only will his 'gravy train' plan not work, but we now have a belligerent, stubborn, whiny, politically insensitive bully representing us on the world stage. What an embarrassing buffoon! A special thanks goes out to everyone who voted for him. When will you realize that he isn't serving your interests?!? You heard 'stop the gravy train', 'subways', 'cut taxes' and you shut off your brain and didn't examine his vague 'numbers' and unrealistic 'promises'. I hope Perks, Vaughan, Layton, or any other candidates are able to rise from the ashes and establish a good enough profile/portfolio to have a successful mayoral run in a few years. Start working on the good centrist PR now.
