I Agree....Let's Make A Deal

SO, LET'S MAKE A DEAL. IF THE COUNCILLORS CUT FIRST -- FROM THEIR OFFICE BUDGETS, STAFFS, CONFERENCE BUDGETS AND SO ON -- THEN THEY CAN MOVE ON TO CUTS THAT AFFECT THE REST OF THE CITY. IF NOT -- DESPITE THESE MEASURES ONLY SAVING PENNIES WHEN WE NEED DOLLARS -- DON'T BOTHER CALLING ON THE REST OF US. Start the cutting at City Hall By Rob Granatstein Last November, David Miller clobbered Jane Pitfield, regaining his mayor's crown with a huge mandate. Miller hopped on stage at the Steam Whistle Brewery and vowed to use his huge win as a tool to extract more money from the provincial and federal governments -- a penny of PST or GST -- especially with at least one election on tap for 2007, he said. "We will not take 'No' for an answer because it's what we need to build our city," Miller said. "Is this realistic? You bet. "The people of Toronto know very well what we need. We will be watching and we will be voting." Apparently councillors were watching that speech, too. With this week's vote to defer dealing with new taxes, the future well-being of this city is even more at stake than Miller could have imagined. Now Miller's feet are being held to the fire on getting more money from the province, with a $600-million budget hole and no new taxes in place. Is having a huge cheque delivery ceremony realistic for Toronto? We're betting against it. Why not? Because while Toronto is different than the other big cities in Ontario -- like Hamilton, Ottawa, and our growing neighbours in the 905 -- if Queen's Park gives Hogtown money, it would have to find cash for everyone. That's a lot of green. Enough to put the province in the red. So what now? It's time to freeze and cut. Finally. But starting with a hatchet attack on the TTC -- cutting buses, hiking fares and shutting the Sheppard line -- is more fear mongering than reality. The TTC is the backbone of the city and the key to the future, Miller has said that again and again. Tacking another quarter onto the fares hurts the people he says he's looking out for the most in Toronto. But this is what's coming. So, let's make a deal. If the councillors cut first -- from their office budgets, staffs, conference budgets and so on -- then they can move on to cuts that affect the rest of the city. If not -- despite these measures only saving pennies when we need dollars -- don't bother calling on the rest of us.