Toronto Taxpayers Coalition

05/04/2016

BREAKING: Michael Ford announced his intention to seek election for Toronto City Council seat Ward 2, long held by his late uncle Rob Ford.

Michael Ford properly resigned from his Trustee seat in the Toronto District School Board to run for this council by-election which will be held on JULY 25th.

We congratulate Michael Ford for entering the race. It's great to see young Torontonians seek elected office.

Information on Michael's campaign can be found at www.electmichaelford.com. We're interested to see who else joins the race!

For more information on upcoming municipal by-elections, visit: toronto.ca/elections

Michael Ford says he will enter the race to replace his late uncle as city councillor for Ward 2.

05/03/2016

HUGE Toronto CITY COUNCIL AGENDA this week starts today at 9:30am. Watch the action here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI9PXIAJwfQ

Big items on the agenda over the next few days: amendments to the lobbying bylaw and Toronto Police paid duty activities, Uber vs Taxi regulations (approving something final!), debating a Bloor bike lane pilot project, and declaring the council Ward 2 seat vacant.

What are we looking for?

1) Council approval to seek alternatives to Toronto Police officers on paid duty activities.

2) Careful amendments to the lobbying bylaw. Following this report (https://nowtoronto.com/news/city-hall/mayor-tory-believes-groups-should-register-as-lobbyists/ #.VygfysaifTt.twitter) - we strongly believe that unions should be required to register as lobbyists. There is a clear financial interest in their interactions with Council. We oppose any attempt to extend this requirement to non-profit organizations and grassroots local groups or campaigns. Frankly, it looks like the mayors office is concerned that the organized voice of taxpayers (and groups of all ideological stripes) are more effective than their lobbyist friends.

3) An end to the Uber vs Taxi debate. By the end of this Council meeting, there will be a conclusion on ground transportation rules. The rules must be fair AND less onerous for all. Uber (and other similar private transportation companies) and taxis should share the same regulations for vehicle safety, driver training, insurance, and vehicle accessibility requirements.

SHARE your thoughts and let us know if there is an item on the agenda of interest to you!

Toronto Meeting Management Information System (TMMIS). Browse and monitor agendas, items, decisions, minutes and meeting schedule for Toronto City Council and its committees. Search for agenda items. Find committee and Council decisions. City Council is the main governing and legislative body for th…

04/26/2016

Is anyone shocked? BOMBARDIER will only deliver 16 new STREETCARS to Toronto this year. That's far from the 75 streetcars that were supposed to be delivered by the end of 2016!

Bombardier "acknowledges the disappointment of the TTC" and promises to deliver all streetcars by the end of 2019. That's kind of like the promise parents make to children to go to Disneyworld eventually.

We hear how "dismayed" politicians and TTC brass are at Bombardier as if they have no control over the situation. Congestion in Toronto grows daily, rapid transit lines take close to a decade to build, and commuters see the same incompetence while TTC fares rise.

The TTC needs a business plan for transit expansion and the city of Toronto needs municipal leadership with the fortitude to kill bad contracts instead of giving slaps on the wrist. The city looks weak and taxpayers deserve better.

LIKE if you agree!

Embattled Quebec transportation firm Bombardier says it will have to further delay its delivery schedule for the TTC’s new low-floor streetcars in 2016, as part of a wider turnaround plan that it says will eventually boost streetcar output.

04/19/2016

An analysis shows that almost 80% (!!) of TORONTO POLICE officers net pay that put them on the Sunshine List.

These officers, paid by taxpayers, earn $100,000 / year or more.

Consider this: "Pay increases in the GTA for uniformed officers, required to have only a high school education, have outpaced inflation by about 20 to 30 per cent over a decade."

This is not sustainable. Contracts settled through arbitration regularly produce salary increases beyond what is reasonable for taxpayers to pay. Shift overlap and paid duty extras add to this fiscal burden.

While the Executive Committee of Toronto City Council took a good step yesterday to endorse ending some paid duty services, that is only one of many things that must be done to reform the force. (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/programs/metromorning/mayor-tory-s-executive-committee-approves-proposal-to-stop-paying-police-to-direct-traffic-1.3540721?utm_content=buffer963a6&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer)

SHARE your thoughts!

Almost 80 per cent of uniformed Toronto police officers are on the list of public servants making more than $100k. Other GTA forces come close.

04/18/2016

We commend The Toronto Sun on its two-year fight to expose how METROLINX financially boggled the UP-EXPRESS file.

Metrolinx provided media outlets with previously redacted details about ridership and fare studies. It shows Metrolinx ignored SEVEN reports (!) that showed the UP Express line would not attract enough riders with a high fare.

Who paid for these seven ignored reports? YOU. Taxpayer dollars. (and Metrolinx has not said exactly how much was wasted on these reports)

The UPExpress was launched as an elite link to Pearson Airport instead of a commuter rail line integrated with the wider transit network. Taxpayers are now paying for that mistake. For shame!

LIKE if you agree.

04/14/2016

We want to take the time to highlight the great work of our partners at the York Region Taxpayers Coalition.

After persistent efforts to expose the truth, they discovered the Town of Newmarket used taxpayer dollars to pay for a regional councillors election website. No, not his ward/constituent website, his RE-ELECTION website.

In Toronto, we might forget or take for granted the transparency measures in place that would make something like this easy to expose in the city.

Good job York Region Taxpayers Coalition! Keep fighting.

04/11/2016

We are sorry to report that Ward 5 (York Centre) Trustee Howard Kaplan has died after several months of ill health.

Our condolences are sent to his loved ones and the Toronto District School Board community. His death follows the passing of Trustee Sheila Ward earlier this year Our thoughts are with the TDSB trustees and staff who are experiencing much loss.

Funeral and shiva information will be posted as it is received.

EDIT: The funeral will be held Tuesday, April 12 at 10am. Benjamin Park Funeral Chapel, 2401 Steeles Ave. West.

Trustee Howard Kaplan represented Ward 5, York Centre, since 2010.

04/10/2016

This Mainstreet Research poll on photo radar is not shocking! 57% of Torontonians are against photo radar, despite a request from Mayor John Tory to the province to allow it in the city.

PHOTO RADAR is a cash grab, plain and simple. It illogically tickets vehicle owners, not drivers. Further, it takes away the educational component of a driver being stopped by a police officer and informed on how they were driving unsafely or incorrectly.

There's no doubt the Toronto Police Services budget needs to be cut. But that needs to start with salaries, shift strucutures, and more civilians in security roles. PHOTO RADAR is a gimmick to take more money from taxpayers.

LIKE if you agree and SHARE your thoughts!

Torontonians are strongly opposed to the idea of introducing photo radar in the city, according to a new poll.

04/07/2016

The city has released proposed guidelines for the ground transportation industry. This includes relaxed rules for conventional TAXI brokerages and drivers, and a new licensing category for ridesharing services like UBER and related companies.

To be clear: this creates separate tiers of regulation for Uber (and other private transportation companies) and traditional taxis. Many cab drivers were vocally against separate tiers of regulation, but this proposal follows a model used in several North American cities.

We encourage you to review the attached chart to compare the guidelines on vehicle inspections, fares, insurance, and other issues of contention.

OUR TAKE: It is right and important for Toronto City Council to debate equitable and fair rules between taxis and companies like Uber. However, the consumer and taxpayer perspective must not be forgotten. Consumers in Toronto want service that is affordable, safe, reliable, and courteous. De-regulation will permit companies (including cabs themselves as small businesses) to adapt to serve customers better and allow taxi and ridesharing services to flourish without the burdens of red tape. This proposal, while still evolving, is a step in the right direction of protecting the consumer interest.

SHARE your thoughts!

Coverage: http://news.nationalpost.com/toronto/toronto-unveils-proposed-rules-for-uber-in-radical-overhaul-of-citys-legal-regime-for-vehicles-for-hire; http://www.cp24.com/news/city-proposing-new-licensing-class-for-services-like-uber-relaxed-rules-for-taxis-1.2849014; http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/transportation/2016/04/07/toronto-proposing-loosened-taxi-rules.html

03/26/2016

Plans for ROB FORD's memorial services have been released. For those wishing to pay respects to our former mayor, you can find details in the attached statement. All services are open to the public. The burial will be a private ceremony.

"Councillor Ford will lie in repose at Toronto City Hall on Monday, March 28 and Tuesday, March 29.

Lying in Repose
Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen St. W., main floor rotunda
Monday, March 28, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday, March 29, 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Funeral services for Councillor Ford will be held at noon on Wednesday, March 30 at St. James Cathedral, 65 Church St. (at King Street). The procession from City Hall to the cathedral will begin on Wednesday. Timing and route information will follow. "

News item - Detail

03/22/2016

An online book of condolences is available for the passing of Rob Ford. Please follow the attached link.

A book of condolences is also available at City Hall. We will be going to City Hall tomorrow to sign in person and join Torontonians in mourning of our Mayor.

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03/22/2016

Our statement on the death of Rob Ford. Copied below in full. Please share your thoughts and memories of our Mayor.

"It is with profound sadness that we come to terms with the death of former mayor, Rob Ford. The Toronto Taxpayers Coalition sends our condolences and our prayers to his wife, Renata Ford, his children Stephanie and Douglas, and the entire Ford family.

We looked on with pride as Mayor Rob Ford continued campaigning for election as councillor in Ward Two after being diagnosed with cancer in 2014. That action embodied the spirit of Rob: determined to serve his community, determined to represent the taxpayer, selflessness above all else.

Rob Ford served his constituents as councillor for 10 years, and as Mayor of Toronto for 4 years. During that time he built was is referred to as “Ford Nation”: a coalition of taxpayers (both citizens and permanent residents), who were often ignored by the political elites and the establishment but found a genuine champion in Rob Ford. It is this coalition of voters in his ward, and across the city, where Rob Ford found his greatest support. He was the champion of the everyman. The champion of the resident who is often ignored.

Rob Ford re-defined what it is to be a retail politician. Rob would regularly visit constituents at their home, TCHC residents at their buildings, and call whoever he could not reach directly. He was passionate about people and public service, and represented constituents without prejudice. That is a quality rare in modern politics.

Many of our Coalition members were proud supporters of Rob Ford. To us, he showed incredible kindness and partnership, and a genuine desire to make Toronto great.

When Rob Ford faced well-documented personal struggles, Ford Nation stood by him and many others looked on with wonder. To us, his support amidst the turmoil made sense: Rob Ford made people feel special. The least we could do was show him the love and compassion he showed Torontonians as their representative.

Every person deserves a second shot at a better personal life. Unfortunately, Rob Ford was denied this due to the terrible disease that is cancer. Our thoughts our with his family.

Rest in peace, Mr. Mayor. You will be missed."

March 22, 2016 Toronto, ON - It is with profound sadness that we come to terms with the death of former mayor, Rob Ford. The Toronto Taxpayers Coalition sends our condolences and our prayers to his...