They Are At The Wire.....Place Your Bets

Suburbs fight back Toronto's property taxes, transfers from GTA attacked Arm-twisting on way to tax vote 'Can you think of one good reason why I should vote for them?'

By SUE-ANN LEVY

It would certainly seem that tomorrow's council vote on Mayor David Miller's new taxation measures (a.k.a, revenue tools) is far too close to call.

After conducting a poll of council's tools over three days last week, my colleague Zen Ruryk and I found an equal number -- 17 -- intend to vote for the proposed City of Toronto Act taxes and against them.

Another six say they're undecided about the two proposed measures -- land transfer and vehicle ownership taxes -- that duplicate the provincial ones.

"I'm trying to get through to the mayor ... I have an idea I want to share with him ... I haven't made my mind up yet," said Coun. Suzan Hall.

Coun. Raymond Cho said he had a "very tough decision to make" and wanted to hear what other councillors had to say.

Another five councillors were either unavailable for comment, did not return Sun phone calls or were out of town.

Overturning the Miller taxes should be a slam dunk.

After all, the city's own report says "with very few exceptions" the 600 members of the public who turned up to four consultation sessions held in May were "vehemently opposed" to the measures. Another 40 high-profile business leaders endeavoured to register their opposition at the June 25 executive committee despite being given the cold shoulder by Miller and his smug minions.

A flurry of polls released last week also indicated the vast majority of Torontonians oppose the taxes. A Canadian Taxpayers Federation telephone survey of 402 Toronto adults found 74% strongly oppose the mayor's revenue tools. An Environics poll for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business reported that some 72% don't believe the taxes will solve the city's fiscal problems.

NOT MUCH SPINE

Rightly so. As he yaks on about city-building, the mayor made it clear at a recent Sun editorial board that a "real part" of the $356-million raised from the two taxes will go to reduce the $605-million budget hole projected for next year (at least half by his generous union wage hikes and non-stop spending).

But that said, this is not a council with much concern for public opinion, or much spine. Many would sooner appease His Blondness to hang on to their plum positions and perks than listen to the constituents who put them in their cozy council seats.

Take councillors Gloria Lindsay Luby and Norm Kelly, who claim to be fiscal conservatives, yet voted with their socialist colleagues on the executive committee.

Besides, the propaganda machine and the arm-twisting was working overtime last week even with the King of Denial off in Michigan to hold court at the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative meeting. (Never mind that his own city is drowning in debt. There's shmoozing to be done!)

Coun. Paul Ainslie, vice-chair of the city's budget committee, said he was told by the mayor's executive assistant Bruce Scott he's kicking Miller "where it counts" for not supporting the two taxes.

If the arm twisting wasn't enough, councillors were sent a package late Thursday from City Manager Shirley Hoy with seven (!) backgrounders on the efficiently run city.

Well at least it gave me a good laugh on a hectic day.

One lists what portion of the city's $7.79-billion operating budget are contracted services -- a measly $444-million, according to my calculations, or 5% of the budget. Compare that to the nearly 50% of the budget the backgrounder says goes to pay for salaries and benefits for the city's unionized employees.

No brownie points for that. Nor for another document which shows that a city cleaner makes $20.91 per hour compared to $22.01 for the same job in heavily unionized Oshawa -- presumably to suggest that the city's salaries are competitive.

Oh the arrogance of this crew of socialists.

Coun. Doug Holyday says Toronto citizens will get "absolutely nothing" for these new taxes. "All they will do is go towards paying for the mismanagement and inappropriate spending of this council and previous councils," he said.

As newbie councillor Chin Lee, who also intends to oppose the taxes, told me last week: "Can you think of one good reason I should vote for them?"

No. Not a one.

---

The vote's tomorrow morning so come on down and look your councillor in the eye as he or she debates the new Miller taxes. The fun is scheduled to start around 10 a.m. and will likely last all day.