Same old, same old

The grandstanding and fearmongering by Miller minion and now TTC chair Adam Giambrone was all too predictable: we'll have to cut key services - perhaps including the Shephard subway line - because council did not pass a whopping property tax increase.

And yes, the proposed Land Transfer Tax (LTT) is a property tax - it's paid on the value of your property. The only different is that it's paid in one shot - the buyer and seller end up splitting the cost. The seller pays in the form of a lower home price - while the buyer pays he tax at face value. Assuming you are in one home for a decade, the LTT proposal adds about 20% to your property taxes.

There are a few people who never move - or don't think they will - such as Globe & Mail columnists Rick Salutin and John Barber. They argue that it's unfair for people who own properties with growing values should not pay increasing property taxes. This is quite selfish - as it means people in less attractive housing must pay more.

Did Miller really go to Harvard?

I just heard that council has deferred the whopping tax increase in the form of doubling the land transfer tax payable on sale of real estate. This is a big defeat for Mayor Miller - although perhaps only a temporary reprieve for Toronto's citizens. Miller and his minions are intent on spending and taxing this metropolis into oblivion.

If you read Miller's bio on Wikipidea:

you'll se that he has an interesting background. He was born in North America, grew up in England. He attended - according to the article - Harvard University. One can do worse in life than be a Canadian Ivy Leaque man with a good set of hair:-) The trouble is, he's putting us into disrepute.

How it is possible for someone who lived in Britain at the time the nation was the 'sick man of Europe' - with high taxes and all-controlling unions rapidly sucking the life out of the place - to be bent on implementing the 'sick man of Europe' policies here in out city?

I'd like to see Miller's Harvard sheepskin. Is it for real?

Beach transit woes

An enterprising resident has created an on-line petition asking that the TTC stop mismanaging streetcar service to The Beach.

I'm not sure if I'm going to sign. First, the TTC don't listen and don't care. Second, most of the problems are inherent in having streetcars. If we really want a working transit service into the Beach, we need buses. People are paying double fare ("extra" fare is almost double) to use the Beach Express. Regular service could easily be handled by buses - and service would be better (more frequent, more reliable.)

Most people in the Beach don't care - as they don't take transit.