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.

We’re Doomed Financially…But Be Happy (?)

There is an interesting contract in the weekend papers in terms of Toronto’s future. The  Toronto Star’s GTA secton on Saturday has several stories about how the city is doomed financially because it simply doesn’t have the revenue and taxation sources to pay for all the services it provides. To be honest, it’s disheartening because it paints a picture of a city in financial crisis with only one way to go: down. Unless something dramatic happens - and I’m not sure it’s just a New Deal with Queen’s Park - all the things we like about Toronto will disappear: clean streets, social services, well-run community centres, low user-fees, accessible services for people with lower incomes, etc. Royson James offers up the more troubling scenario with the possibility that Toronto may have to declare bankruptcy one day - much like what New York City did. Meanwhile, the Globe’s John Barber tells us in Saturday’s paper to “don’t worry, be happy” - suggesting our concerns about traffic congestion, a lack of parking spots, etc. shouldn’t really concern us. Maybe, he’s the eternal optimistic, while the Star is riding the attention-grabbing doom and gloom pony. In any event, I’m feeling terribly uneasy about Toronto’s future. We just don’t seem to have the leadership to create a vision for the future or the financial formula to ensure the city keeps working efficiently. At some point, something’s got to give.

Is David Miller Getting Nervous?

With an election nine months away, there are signs David Miller is starting to feel the heat. After promising sweeping reform and vowing to get Toronto’s house in order, the city is faced with a huge deficit and a mayor who appears afraid to talk tough with salary-seeking unions or consider the possibility of users fees as an alternative to higher property taxes.How else to explain the public dressing down that Miller delivered to Glen Grunwald when the Toronto Board of Trade CEO provided feedback last week at a public forum about the 2006 budget. Rather than thank Grunwald for his insight, Miller went on the attack. He later explained he wanted to “clarify” some of the proposals made by Grunwald. My sense is Miller’s re-election campaign is nowhere near a slam dunk because there’s a feeling he’s ineffective and the city is no better now than it was with Mel Lastman at the helm.

Budget Blues

Toronto apparently has a budget deficit for 2006 of more than $500 million. That seems incredible. It’s either a case of provincial downloading coming home to roost and/or bad financial management. So far, the politicians seemed focused on finding new sources of revenue - be it calling in some Toronto Hydro debt or raising property taxes…again. What about taking a deep look at the city’s expenses to find out if there’s some fat to be cut. We seem to have no problems spending $10-million for a new soccer stadium that will rarely see its 25,000-seat capacity filled. Explain to me how a city with a $500 million budget deficit can spend $10-million a soccer stadium? No wonder the province doesn’t want to bother bailing out the city any more.

My 2006 Toronto Wish List

With 2005 in the books, it’s time to look ahead to 2006. Here’s what I’d like to see in Toronto.
1. A crackdown on gun-related violence. Not just the Liberals’ promise of a ban of guns but a multi-level program to address the roots and symptoms of the problem - everything from well-funded community centres, and low cost or no cost recreational programs to mandatory 10-year sentences for anyone using a gun during a crime.
2. Signs of life on the waterfront, although nothing is better than some of the stupid ideas (high-rise condos, a small sliver of recreational space on the waterfront) that have been proposed. Toronto needs to implement a cohensive development plan rather than the project-by-project work being currently done.
3. Cleaner streets. I’m tired of walking around town and seeing trash everywhere. It’s a classic example of the broken window theory. If you let trash lie around, people think it’s okay to drop more trash. What ever happened to Toronto the Clean? If the city implement a limit of how many garbage bags you’re allowed to toss, do not be surprised to see bags dumped on street corners and in parks and ravines.
4. Smarter developer now that the Ontario Municipal Board appears to be getting defanged. A city can’t be planned properly if developers rule the roost and rely on the OMB to overturn every city planning decision that doesn’t go their way.

Toronto Needs More

To deal with the growing amount of gun-related violence, Toronto needs to adopt a mutli-pronged “more” strategy. This includes:

 

1. More police on the streets

2. More social and counselling services that have sustainable funding

3. More job-training

4. More community and recreational centres

5. More political will to use the current laws to come down hard on people who use guns to commit crimes

6. More strikes directly against gangs involved in any kind of criminal activity.

 

 

 

 

City of Toronto Act: Good in Theory

There’s much celebration within city hall about the City of Toronto Act that gives the city more power areas such as speed limits and local taxes. Toronto Star columnist Glen Murray gave it the thumb’s up in today’s paper. While, in theory, it makes sense to give the country’s largest city and economic engine more power, the legislation will only be as good as the politicians at the helm. Unfortunately, too many city councilors are far too concerned about their own backyards rather than the big picture - something known as petty politics. I guess for the province, it means they’ve haded over the car keys to the teenagers who are now responsible for gas and maintenance. Wish us luck!

 

 

 

Who Gets Better Service

The Toronto Star has an interesting piece today looking at property taxes and the deliver of services across the GTA. Apparently, 905ers are still upset that people who live downtown get a better deal on property taxes as well as better service. On both fronts, those are inaccurate. For one, the much-despised and much-flawed municipal property assessment system doesn’t discrimminate against the suburbs. Instead, it gives property owners an assessment and then the municipalities establish a levy. Don’t blame Toronto if Vaughan or Mississauga are slapping you with a higher levy. As for delivery of services, it simply costs more money to delivery water, sewers, mail, etc. to single-home communities in less densely-populated areas. If you want the space of the suburbs, the driveway beside your house and a two-car garage, there’s a cost.

Olivia Chows Goes for It

Olivia Chow is officially and finally leaving the City Hall roost as she plans to make another bid to become an MP in the upcoming federal election. This time, she has no plans to come back if she losing - unlike last time when she lost by 800 votes. One of the key issues in her riding is the Toronto Port Authority, which continues to work to expand the island airport even after the controversial bridge was apparently killed. Then again, Paul Martin’s Liberals have never directly come out against the TPA or the island airport. In typical Liberal fashion, they always seem to slide around the issue just in case there is a change in the direction of the wind. Perhaps there are too many business ties to the Liberals that they don’t want to upset. Still, it would be good to see the TPA defanged as it is an impediment to the redevelopment of Toronto’s waterfront. I mean, how can you have an airport on the waterfront. Look at what Mayor Daley did in Chicago - he ripped up the runways at the city’s waterfront airport. Sadly, Ottawa doesn’t have the conviction or chutzpah to do the same.

An Alternative to David Miller?

When David Miller became mayor two years ago, there was tremendous hope he would bring new ideas and fresh thinking to a city starting to crumble around the edges, if not the core. While there have been some bureaucratic and political obstacles that Miller has not been able to overcome, there is a growing sense of disappointment with Miller’s performance. This has picked up momentum over the past six months as gun-related violence has become a regular part of the landscape. While there is discontent with Miller - see Royson James’ front page letter to Miller in today’s Toronto Star - the question is whether anyone credible will run against him in the next election. Few people currently on city council are mayor-credible so a real candidate would have to come from outside the current administration. In many ways, I wonder what Toronto would be like today if John Tory had won the last election.