The cities woes didn't start with Mike Harris whose actions were precipitated by the then Finance Minister Martin's slashing transfer payments to Ontario to reduce the debt run up by the federal government. So let's put the blame where it belongs; the federal liberals for cutting transfer payments and the provincial liberals who promised change but did little then throw temper tantrums in attempting to get a fair deal from Chrieten and Martin. Also Toronto City Council cannot be left off the hook when it comes to being fiscally responsible.
City's day in court
April 14, 2007
Fed up with relying on polite pressure and good intentions voiced by others, politicians on Toronto's budget committee have opted to strike a blow against Queen's Park.
They have voted unanimously in favour of launching a judicial review, hoping that a court will force the province to pay a $71 million bill for welfare, shelter and child-care costs unfairly loaded onto city residents.
Critics, including Finance Minister Greg Sorbara, have described the proposed action as "frivolous" because it has little chance of success.
Regardless of its chances of success, this lawsuit should proceed.
If nothing else, it highlights the city's frustration with years of provincial downloading, started by former Conservative premier Mike Harris and continued under the current Liberal government. Legal merits aside, taking the province to court might prove a useful pressure tactic to stop this unfair practice.
Premier Dalton McGuinty, Sorbara and others in the government and on the opposition benches have repeatedly expressed sympathy for cities struggling with burdens imposed by Queen's Park.
To be fair, the Liberal government has channelled more money to Toronto and other municipalities, mainly for capital projects. But it has not done enough to remove the unfair cost of provincial downloading.
Perhaps this high-profile legal action in an election year will prompt more consideration.
If the province fails to step forward to fill the $71 million gap in Toronto's budget, city officials say they will have to balance their books with $41 million taken from a reserve account plus $30 million drawn from a fund meant to cover cost overruns on subway construction out to York University and into Vaughan.
This, too, is smart politics. While there is real need for the subway, it is also one of Sorbara's pet projects. Drawing money from here is another way to show provincial leaders that Toronto will no longer be passive, or quiet, or patient when it comes to receiving fair treatment.
At the same time that the city pursues a lawsuit, it should take a long, hard look at finding more efficiencies, trimming waste and cutting costs. Only after doing that will it have an ironclad argument to back up its claim that it needs more money from the provincial government.
City council is to finalize its $7.8 billion operating budget later this month. While more money may be saved by belt-tightening, the biggest budget handicap facing this city remains provincial downloading.
In response, Toronto needs to marshal as much political pressure as possible, including legal action, behind a renewed effort to win fairness.
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