WIll Mayor Miller get the taxation powers he wants? Toronto city council takes its potentially historic vote on new taxes later today. Reading Toronto has already come out in favour of them (as much as it is possible to favour a solution made inevitable by bad, politically expedient policies by our Federal and Provincial governments). Miller's pro-tax supporters in council now claim they have the votes to carry the day. The reason? First time home buyers are now exempt from the new transfer tax. The Toronto Real Estate Board promises to be on hand to fight the vote.

The sooner Toronto can become financially self regulating the sooner it will be able to upgrade its sagging infrastructure and maintain its position as one of the world's most l cities.

1. Well said Robert. What good was all the clamour to amend the City of Toronto act to include increased taxation powers if we can’t use it? Don’t even get me started on the state of the TTC in comparison to other world cities…way too depressing!

   Posted by  on  10/22  at  11:10 PM

2. Here’s hoping you’re right, Robert.

   We are now living on Miller time. Either this will be step 1 to really solving Toronto fiscal troubles. In which case Miller will indeed have contributed to building a great city.

   Or this will further mandate Miller dividing
   and conquering. In which case Miller will be
   hurting Torontonians and the great city Torontonians have built. Commissions to study how better to control over-spending? Won’t be to control over-spending. Just ways to increase over-spending on and by Miller’s ideological buddies—who would never conclude anything Miller wouldn’t approve in the first place. Spending cuts? When such do occur—for show and tell purposes only—they will prove maximally visible and minimally efficient. Selected to confirm the ideology that “real” Torontonians must be happy to get over-taxed for sake of ever greater in-efficiencies and irresponsibilities.

   How will Miller time turn out? Predictions are in. Now we must wait for time to tell us. Next 2o months will tell for sure. And I totally hope you turn out right, Robert. I’ll gladly eat any small hat you own if only you turn out right on this.

   Posted by  on  10/24  at  09:17 AM

3. The only thing that I feel overtaxed by is the perpetual anti-tax hysteria emmanating from right-wing ideologues.

   Posted by  on  10/24  at  05:14 PM

4. Me too, Chris. Except I feel overtaxed by all ideologues. Not just right wingers.

   My (anti-ideological) point was by way of factual prediction. Now that Miller got his way, either Toronto’s fiscal crises will be diminished—even resolved; or Toronto’s fiscal crises will actually be exacerbated.

   See? I am now on record predicting that Miller getting his way will mean Toronto’s fiscal crises will actually get exacerbated. If proven wrong, I have offered to eat any single small hat belonging to Robert. And I will gladly and eagerly and happily admit I was totally wrong about David Miller.

   Question is—what if proven right? Will Robert admit having been wrong about our Mayor in event I turn out right?

   I am being way more than fair here. Not even suggesting Robert volunteer to eat any hat of mine in event I turn out right. Don’t believe I own any hats for Robert to eat :-)

   Posted by  on  10/25  at  12:05 AM

5. Well Peter it brings us back to your untenable position of ideological neutrality. When you use language such as “overtaxed” or “over-spending” you are engaging in political/ideological discourse that involves both implicit and implicit assumptions about our social world. Such assumptions include the nature and creation of wealth and it’s distribution, as well as the nature and function of government in relation to different interests. Holding such assumptions is the nature of ideology and such assumptions are unavoidable.

   The manner in which you frame the cities “fiscal crises” also pre-supposes ideological assumptions. Unquestioning and dogmatic allegiance to ideology may be dangerous but perhaps even more dangerous is adherance to unacknowledged ideological assumptions.

   So I’m not sure about hats but you might wish to try a pork-pie, only if you remember that some pork-pies(check your rhyming slang) are easier swallowed than others.

   Posted by  on  10/25  at  09:07 PM

6. Chris, I’m happy discussing and/or debating the nature, meaning and appropriate response to ‘ideology’. It’s central to my thinking—perhaps yours as well.

   But right here that’s totally off topic. Right? David Miller getting his way—and what that will mean for Toronto—should not bring us back to anything about me. Regardless those hat-eating quips—which were intended only and particularly to emphasize significance of finding out what Miller getting his way will mean for Toronto.

   Posted by  on  10/26  at  02:39 AM

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