Let the cuts begin

[The_Falcon]

shared usual provisions

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_13024.aspx

TTC May Increase Fees, Cut Sheppard Line
Thursday July 19, 2007
CityNews.ca Staff

The Sheppard subway line and over 20 surface routes will be permanently parked if the city's budget requirements come through. Adam Giambrone, chair of the Toronto Transit Commission, says his department has been asked to cut $30 million from this year's budget and another $100 million next year.

He says this doesn't leave enough money to run existing services, let alone make dozens of planned improvements.

"This is the worst day for transit in a decade," laments Giambrone.

The entire Sheppard subway line, which opened in 2002, will be shut down in January 2008 if the cuts go through. Poor-performing streetcar and bus routes, 21 of them in all, will also be stopped as the TTC scrambles to make up for the city's shortfall.

"What this does, and it's dramatic and draconian, but it minimalizes - not to say that there will be minimal effect, but it's a best-case scenario in a horrible situation," says Giambrone.

This will mean increased costs for commuters in Toronto, upwards of $0.25 per fare or an extra $10-$15 a month for a metro pass.

This seems to be a direct response to the warnings issued by Mayor David Miller who said there would be massive cuts across the board after his proposed homeowner tax increase was deferred until October in a July 16 city council vote. Mayor David Miller seems concerned by the increased costs to the TTC, which was a major platform for his Mayoral bid.

"It's very serious. I'm very worried," says Miller. "It's taken ten years to build up the T.T.C. after the last round of cuts and increases but the T.T.C. has to look at everything now."

An emergency meeting was called for Friday, July 19, to go through the possible cuts to try to alleviate the $130 million loss.

Now let me preface this in saying that there will probably be more announcements of service cuts (I presume), but of all the places to start, you start by hitting an essentitial service such as the TTC ???? ???  I mean out of all the programs and expenditures Toronto has I am sure there are more non-essential things they can cut or reduce first, like I dunno the fact they just bought some obscure theatre, that produces even more obscure artsy-fartsy junk (and they wonder why they went broke in the first place) for over $1million.  Thats just to start.  Or freezing/reducing city wages?  Cutting back on some of these "arts" programs/grants, and "harm reduction programs".  Oh wait thats would take a spine to take on some these sacred cows : I have got money that say the next annoucement is another essential service (road maintenance, POLICE/fire/ems)

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Not too sure what this has to do with Canadian Politics as it only really affects Ontario....

 

[The_Falcon]

Not too sure what this has to do with Canadian Politics as it only really affects Ontario....

I dunno, I figured this sub-forum, was for politics on any level that just happened to occur in/or involve Canada .  I guess this should be moved along with all the other threads in this sub-forum, that are more localized.  :

 

[Meridian]

Not too sure what this has to do with Canadian Politics as it only really affects Ontario....

Since Ontario involves more than just Toronto, this actually really doesn't even apply to Ontario....

 

[Greymatters]

Not too sure what this has to do with Canadian Politics as it only really affects Ontario....

Well, most of the guys Ive met from Ontario tend to think that if its about Ontario its important to everybody...  ;D

 

[Meridian]

Well, most of the guys Ive met from Ontario tend to think that if its about Ontario its important to everybody...  ;D

And being from Ottawa originally, and living in Montreal now, most of the people I've met seem to think that if its about Toronto, its about Ontario

 

[Greymatters]

Now that is something I do find to be really annoying...   

 

[Edward Campbell]

To be fair Ontario is the economic engine of Canada.  Alberta may provide the fuel and BC the comic relief but Ontario provides the manufacturing jobs which are, despite the knowledge economy etc, at the heart of our prosperity.  Toronto is the centre of Ontario – what goes wrong there has a province wide impact.  When things go wrong in Toronto the ripples can extend to Victoria and St. John’s.

Deciding to propose cuts to essential services is an age old political/bureaucratic trick which never seems to fail.  It’s why DND always proposed cutting the Sky Hawks and why the Musical Ride is always top of the RCMP’s list of proposed cuts.

Toronto, like most Canadian cities, is poorly funded.  Electoral politics in Canada almost universally devalues the urban vote.  Cities, where most Canadians live and work,  are poor relations to suburban and rural communities.

It is a Canadian political issue – whether Nova Scotians like it or not.

 

[observor 69]

The City of Toronto is a public bureaucracy. One thing that I have learned since becoming a civy is that public bureaucracy whether city, provincial or federal is by nature inefficient. There is no similar private imperative to drive efficiency, no personal negative feedback for failure to meet targets or achieve the best result.

 

[Northern Ranger]

It is a Canadian political issue – whether Nova Scotians like it or not.

    :rofl:  An so is the garbage pick up fee in Winnipeg. 

 

[Bane]

While most of the topics under "Canadian Politics" deal with federal or national matters, several do not. It is ok to read a thread, decide it is of little interest to you, then carry on. 

 

[Edward Campbell]

The City of Toronto is a public bureaucracy. One thing that I have learned since becoming a civy is that public bureaucracy whether city, provincial or federal is by nature inefficient. There is no similar private imperative to drive efficiency, no personal negative feedback for failure to meet targets or achieve the best result.

Adam Smith was usually right.  Too bad so few people ever read Wealth of Nations.  Had more done so we would not have to live with institutionalized ineptitude.

 

[Scott]

Edward summed it up best in his argument that it is a Canadian issue, now on with the thread please.

 

[RCR Grunt]

To be fair Ontario is the economic engine of Canada.  Alberta may provide the fuel and BC the comic relief but Ontario provides the manufacturing jobs which are, despite the knowledge economy etc, at the heart of our prosperity.  Toronto is the centre of Ontario – what goes wrong there has a province wide impact.  When things go wrong in Toronto the ripples can extend to Victoria and St. John’s.

Deciding to propose cuts to essential services is an age old political/bureaucratic trick which never seems to fail.  It’s why DND always proposed cutting the Sky Hawks and why the Musical Ride is always top of the RCMP’s list of proposed cuts.

Toronto, like most Canadian cities, is poorly funded.  Electoral politics in Canada almost universally devalues the urban vote.  Cities, where most Canadians live and work,  are poor relations to suburban and rural communities.

It is a Canadian political issue – whether Nova Scotians like it or not.

Blah blah blah, I'm from Toronto and its the center of the universe.  Its the best place in the world, just ask anyone from here.  The maple leafs are the best hockey team ever even though we havent won a cup in over 40 years, but 2008 is our year!  Anything that happens outside of Toronto is irrelevent.  Blah blah blah.

 

[Danjanou]

Living and working here in the centre of the known universe I concur that this is in the appropriate spot on the forum. You lesser mortals on the fringes of society who dared speak otherwise may now collectively touch your forelocks in punishment.  ;D

The local media feeding frenzy is loving Chairman Millers very public melt down and resulting temper tantrums over the loss of one lousy vote at city hall this week, and not just the usual suspects at the Sun either, the left wing dailies are also ripping into him with glee. Except for NOW magazine, they’re still upset at him for flip flopping over the yellow ribbon issue.

To be fair the first cut announced yesterday was the cancellation of the 1.2 million dollars in renovations to the Mayors office and the cancellation of three new personal staff that were to be hired for him.  :

He’s basically whining and crying because some of his trained seals on council dared to go against him to save their own hides, and because some poor peon are suggesting that maybe he does not know what is best for us. The proposed TTC cuts coming right after his trumpeting of how “green” TO was going to become under his watch are really going to come back and bite him where he sits.

Methinks the good burghers of Hog Town have finally woken from their comas, dragged there heads out of their fifth points of contact and realized that they’ve been screwed and without even a peck on the cheek to go with it.

 

[Bane]

Perhaps some of the several hundred million (i forget the exact amount) that was marked for the subway extensions could be used to make up the shortfall, the remainder then going to a reduced expansion.  And perhaps this painfully straight forward bit of accounting would prove to monumental a feat for the already mentioned inflexable federal-provincial-municipal bureaucracy.


Chairman Miller....to funny. ILMAO

 

[a_majoor]

It is a Canadian political issue – whether Nova Scotians like it or not.

Because of the way Federal and Provincial politicians pander to toronto (and to other cities to a lesser extent), tax dollars that should go to rural infrastructure or small towns/cities (or better yet should never be taxed away from there in the first place) are hijacked and sent to TO in the form of grants, funding for special projects and other forms of payoff, in the quest for votes. This allows irrisponsible city administrations to survive, rather than having to declare bankruptcy.

Consider that next time you look at the disconnect between the taxes you pay and the "services" you receive.

 

[Cdn Blackshirt]

It's a way to try and leverage extra money by picking an issue that applies across a wide portion of voters.

There was a special on about Toronto a couple of weeks ago "and its commitment to the arts" and the dramatic funding that taxpayers provide so a bunch of hack theatre actors can hold plays that no one cares about.

THAT would be a good place to start because most people's response would be "and we were funding that in the first place, why?"

Now that all being said, Toronto is getting exactly what it deserves it voting for a NDPer like Miller.


Matthew. 

P.S.  I'm not really a fan of subsidizing public transportation.  Using long-term debt to fund the infrastructure:  Yes.  Annual subsidies for operations: Hell no.  If it isn't self-funding, shut it down.

 

[Edward Campbell]

Because of the way Federal and Provincial politicians pander to toronto (and to other cities to a lesser extent), tax dollars that should go to rural infrastructure or small towns/cities (or better yet should never be taxed away from there in the first place) are hijacked and sent to TO in the form of grants, funding for special projects and other forms of payoff, in the quest for votes. This allows irrisponsible city administrations to survive, rather than having to declare bankruptcy.

Consider that next time you look at the disconnect between the taxes you pay and the "services" you receive.

Except the votes are not in Toronto.  Toronto, like Vancouver, Calgary, Hamilton and Ottawa, is grossly, undemocratically underrepresented when compared to Kamloops, Wainwright, Fort Francis, Pembroke or almost anywhere in Atlantic Canada.

Most of the national income comes from the major cities because that's where all the wealth is - save for that in the pockets of some seniors in places like Orangeville and Kelowna.

 

[Bane]

+1 to Edward

And you don't find half a billion dollars by trimming a million here and a few hundred thousand there from much maligined, and likely misunderstood, "arts" projects.
All the big services are likely going to take hits.

This type of funding issue, which a large number of municipalities are facing, though mainly an urban issue, is also the result of downloading of services without the commiserate re-adjustment of taxatation and revenue generating mechanisms.  Giving municiplities a certain percentage of the GST revenue (a consumption tax) collected within thier territory would provide much needed property/land transfer tax relief and also make the subsidization of certain public works (like a subway) understandable if will sponsor enough consumption within the municiplaity to make up for the subsidization.