What Customer Service?

So I wanted to go on the monthly billing plan to pay my municipal taxes. But after completing the forms and mailing in a void check, I'm still on the six times a year system. No problem to switch it, right? Wrong. For the past two days, the one phone number provided to call customer service has had a busy signal: there's no way to leave a message or information about how to do it online. Nice, very nice…..

Robert Deluce’s Airport Dream

Whether or not you agree with the idea of a busy airport on Toronto’s waterfront, it seems Robert Deluce is intent on pressing ahead with the launch of Porter Airlines – a move that’s also got Air Canada excited again about the Island Airport. Unless there is a bold political move to stop the airport from expanding, perhaps the best move would be to let Deluce buy new airplanes so he can start operating. This may sound weird given I’m opposed to the idea of waterfront revitalization including an aiport but perhaps we should let business fundamentals stop something that citizens are unable to do. If you look back, airlines out of the island have not done well economically for a variety of reasons – some of them having to do with the lack of a permanent link. Deluce thinks he can be successful by having a low cost structure – and with help of the evil Toronto Port Authority, which plans to start ferry service from Cherry Beach. I say: spend $500-million on new airplanes and go for it. I have a funny feeling, however, that even with the TPA’s new ferry service, Porter Airlines will struggle financially. Then, don’t be surprised to see Deluce lobby aggressively for a bridge to airport as a way to “save” his investment.

3% Tax Hike? Right.

The news that Toronto’s property taxes are apparently “only” going up 3% this year is misleading because that’s the across the board rate. It doesn’t take into account many people will see significantly higher increases because they happen to live in hot neighbourhoods where housing prices are rocketing. Since taxes are based on the property assessment system, you get penalized for being forward thinking and moving into a neighbourhood before it becomes trendy. The city’s response is “well, at least your property value is going up” but that’s little consolation when your property tax bill climbs 20%.

Tidying Up Toronto

Christopher Hume has an interesting story in today’s Toronto Star about the city’s efforts to “rearrange the furniture”. It looks at the city’s renewed focus on improving the the street-scape when it comes to things such as newspaper boxes, transit stops and garbage bins. The number of newspaper boxes is a great example of urban furniture gone out of control when you realize some corners can have a dozen different boxes. In Chicago, they created a multi-box format that provides space for 10 newspapers. It’s a much better looking entity, and something that can easily be introduced. The city would also do itself a favour if it killed the idea of the mega-bins, which are currently being “tested”. Sure, the city will get some cash from Eucan but the mega-bins are downright ugly and not very functional. For one, they don’t hold much trash, which is not a good thing in a city with a growing litter problem.