Letters |
Slicing Shiner with a dull knife
I read with interest Rob Granatstein's column calling out Coun. David Shiner's inappropriate criticism of the McGuinty government's efforts to assist the City of Toronto with its financial challenges ("Shiner crossed the line on the floor," July 19).
Granatstein was right to question Shiner's motives. There's no question he was using his seat on council, not for the public interest but to advance his own partisan political agenda as a Tory candidate in the upcoming provincial election.
Shiner's comments were not only inappropriate and highly partisan, they were also dishonest and misleading.
Shiner's suggestion that the province has uploaded costs from the 905 area but not from Toronto is dead wrong. The McGuinty government has uploaded costs for public transit (both operating and capital), public health, ambulance services as well as policing costs. The province's cut of the Business Education Tax will save Toronto businesses $230M per year. The McGuinty government is currently at the table with Toronto and all Ontario municipalities in a review to consider future fiscal reforms. Unlike Shiner's Tory party, which was responsible for the most massive and damaging download of costs to Toronto in our history, the McGuinty Liberals have invested billions of new dollars in Toronto. The Liberals are providing five times more new funding to Toronto than the Tories did.
Ironically, David Shiner's advice to Toronto MPPs has consistently advocated against budget bailouts for Toronto, citing the need for the city to get its own house in order. Now, he's criticizing the province for not doing enough. You can't have it both ways.
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