Socialism Doesn't Work But Comrade Miller & The Politburo Don't Get The Message

If they need any proof all the they have to do is look at the Swedish model that is held up the left as how things should be done. Look at the results....it is not rocket science.

— Sweden’s average tax bill (incl local and municipal taxes) is 56 per cent
— In 1970 it was the world’s fourth-richest country (GDP per capita); in 2000 the fourteenth-richest
— Official unemployment rate is 5.7 per cent; Eurostat estimates it at 7.1 per cent
— Since 1995 the number of self-employed people in the EU has risen 9 per cent; in Sweden it has fallen by 9 per cent
— State spending has almost doubled from 31 per cent in 1960 to 60 per cent in 1980
— Between 1975 and 2000 per capita income rose in the USA by 72 per cent, in Western Europe by 64 per cent and in Sweden by 45 per cent
— Average number of patients seen by a Swedish doctor daily has fallen from nine in 1975 to five in 2006
Source: European Commission; Eurostat, OECD, Swedish Office of National Statistics

Getting Toronto off welfare
By Lorrie Goldstein

Once again this year, Toronto City Hall and Queen's Park are fighting over money. That's no surprise.

What is new is Mayor David Miller is taking Premier Dalton McGuinty to court in a bid to obtain a ruling that Queen's Park owes Toronto $71 million this year to fund social services.

To make up the shortfall and not raise property taxes above 3.8%, Toronto's budget committee yesterday recommended two things.

First, diverting $30 million to Toronto's operating expenses from a city capital fund meant to finance the York University/Vaughan subway line.

Second, raiding $41 million from reserve funds to make up the rest of the shortfall, including reducing the one meant to pay any unexpected welfare costs to zero.

Miller and the budget committee are saying if Queen's Park won't properly fund welfare, the city not only won't, but can't pick up the slack in future. At least there's a method to Toronto's madness.

Instead of just whining about what they've said for years is an annual provincial shortfall in funding social services, this time the city is covering it off from its own budget and looking to resolve the issue permanently in court. Fact is, it does need to be resolved for good.

As for McGuinty, he hasn't exactly left the city high and dry over the years.

Last year, Queen's Park shelled out $200 million extra for Toronto at the eleventh hour. In 2005, it was $72 million -- $45 million for TTC improvements and $27 million more by allowing the city to raise business taxes 1.5%. In 2004, Toronto received $70 million from McGuinty and a $52 million GST tax break from the feds.

But McGuinty has to answer to all Ontarians. He can't keep bailing out Toronto without infuriating everyone else.

The real issue is Toronto needs reliable, stable funding from the province -- particularly to fund social services which shouldn't be paid from property taxes in the first place.

The annual fiasco of last-minute lifelines tossed from Queen's Park to Toronto has to end.

None of which changes the fact this spendthrift mayor and council need to stop asking "how high?" whenever city unions say "jump."