Hello,
On November 24, 2009, I hosted a rountable discussion at the Artscape Wychwood Barns, called “Setting the Agenda 2010.” More than 150 people attended and participated in discussions on a wide variety of issues that they hope to bring to prominence in the next municipal election.
We collected many notes from those discussions, will be posted here shortly.
I am still working on ways to bring the issues to the forefront of the dialogue leading in to the election next year.
Please feel free to continue to post your comments about the issues in this space, and check back in the coming weeks to find out what is planned to come next.
Sincerely,
Councillor Joe Mihevc
Ward 21, St. Paul’s West
Tags: About
November 17, 2009 at 2:12 pm |
The health of the city lies in its transportation and infrastructure investments. If we spend more in the short term in developing green technology, we can see a dramatic reduction in health care issues, especially as they result in respiratory illness (caused by smog, pollution).
Every Torontonian (and Ontarian) can benefit from clean air, so let’s start with the rail expansion. The provincial government has been clear that “clean” diesel is an acceptable alternative to cars constantly driving to the airport. If we get cars off the road, then surely we’ll have solved many municipal and provincial issues, not the least of which is traffic congestion and carbon emissions.
The problem with this thinking, and I can’t impress this enough as a Torontonian, is that it’s incredibly short-sighted. I understand political sway and interest. The import of crude oil creates jobs, improves trade relations, and the use of diesel means that we won’t have a train that relies on the grid.
However, in the long term, I’m sure that we can all understand that electric, with a bit of wise planning, can be a much better investment for everyone between Union Station and Georgetown. Additional investments in generating the power needed to fuel these trains should also be heavily researched.
The efficacy of electric has been touted by experts many times over. The amount of power one requires for electric actually moves the train further down the line than that of a diesel with a similar engine.
There are also the aforementioned health risks, and let me clear: There is no such thing as clean diesel. It’s a fairy tale propped up by a provincial government that constantly trips over its own commitments to a “greener” future. A mining executive once told me that if you wash a lump of coal with soap, it’s still a dirty lump of coal. The same applies here. Carcinogens and other harmful agents that travel far beyond the corridor (the potential for a 30km radius, it’s been reported) and it’s time to not just start saying, “maybe not,” but a deep, resounding, “no!”
I don’t want to build my home and raise a family anywhere near the tracks if these plans come to fruition in 2015, which would mean leaving the city and leaving the pollution. I encourage Toronto City Council to push for electrification. This not only does our city a world of good, but sets international precedent. If we want to continue with our vision for a “world class” city, this would be an excellent place to start.
November 23, 2009 at 10:25 pm |
AGREED! This past May, Council approved a request that GO Electrification, including Air Rail Link and Georgetown Corridor, be accelerated. It makes no sense to spend a limited transit budget on implementing diesel trains while proposing to electrify the same line within the next 10 years, as Metrolinx has proposed.
An Electrification Study is to be done by Metrolinx by the end of 2010 which we hope gets the benefits case put forward. It will require pressure from Council and the Mayor to expedite the Georgetown route (planned to be the busiest in the system) and get resources approved in short order so it can be ready by 2015.
Otherwise, we get diesel trains for the service expansions, and once the trains are bought they last a long time. The minister’s conditional approval that they be ‘environmentally friendly’ tier 4 diesels is highly suspect, as these still have emissions which health science (as opposed to govt standards) says are harmful, and the fine print in the MOE order allows GO lots of weasel room.
Electric trains already surpass these environmental standards, plus the technology is widely available today and world standard, whereas tier 4 diesel does not exist. Beyond the unestimated cost of diesel development and of pollution mitigation measures, the basic operating cost of diesel fuel and maintenance offsets any economic advantage diesel has over electrification. Peak oil is approaching so why would we plan to build a transit system for Toronto’s future that is reliant on oil as its energy source?
November 18, 2009 at 1:00 am |
I why to know why Joe is running again??
A career politician who has been in office for over 18 years, that the tax payers have paid over $1.5 million in salary alone in this time (not to mention office expenses). And constantly ranks among the top councilors in yearly expenses.
His claim to fame… the St. Clair street car line. A disaster that everyone in the area knows (if you have not seen St. Clair West, I urge you to do so, and see the mess).
Joe, quite while you are ahead, there is no need for career politicians (should be a limit of 2 terms) that take advantage of the system and produce no results.
November 18, 2009 at 10:47 am |
Frank,
Your opinions of Councillor Mihevc’s career and plans to run for re-election are not relevant to the subjects of this website.
If you have thoughts on St. Clair renewal, or Transit City, I’d encourage you to jump in the “Transit Future” conversation. If you have questions of Joe,please contact our office, or save them for appropriate fora.
Best,
Anthony Schein
Assistant to Councillor Joe Mihevc
November 23, 2009 at 2:58 pm |
Thanks Joe, for your hard work and support of constituents like me. I. I hope it lasts for another 18 (or more) years.
I commute by bicycle to Yonge & Queen most days and use Bay St. as my route between Gerrard & Davenport.
What community support would be needed to extend the hours of the Bay Street diamond lane? I am thinking ‘Diamonds on Bay’ has a nice ring to it and an extension to 24 hours or at least from 07:00h to 21:00h will make a lot of sense to other commuters who (like me) find themselves on Bay after 19:00h (when the diamond lane designation ends).
Thanks again Joe. BTW, $1.5M for 18 years? That is a bargain.
November 23, 2009 at 7:34 pm |
Agree with Frank,
No matter how nice a guy Joe may be there should be term limits.
I suggest 4 terms at 4 years each meaning that Joe is past due date. When politicians become institutions as opposed the fresh blood inovators they should step aside.
November 18, 2009 at 2:32 am |
Careful overall planning of the city would surely start with restricting the construction of new condo buildings that obstruct the views of other condo buildings already in existence. These new buildings create traffic and congestion. Every parking lot or space not put to vertical use seems to invite a potential new building, with cranes everywhere in the city. Stop and think of the pollution and the claustrophobic density.
Make it possible to go by transit or taxi with ease and speed. Torn up streets are necessary for repair, but please do allow people with disabilities to get from one place to another with ease. You can encourage people to leave their cars at home by ensuring a well run and effective public transit.
Profit is not the only motive for expansion downtown. Affordability is also important. Beauty, space, a view of the lake, enjoyment of the waterfront, and parks and beaches are Toronto’s heritage. Preserve and protect them.
November 18, 2009 at 8:07 am |
The Pan Am games must be high on the agenda. With so much money at stake, I have little confidence that this will be handled honestly. The games have the potential to have a profoundly negative impact. For a city already challenged financially, this could be the death blow. We need keen, vigorous, courageous oversight from Toronto’s politicians.
November 23, 2009 at 4:10 pm |
Amen.
Inasmuch as the 1976 Olympics in Montreal have only recently been paid off by the city and in light of what I have seen of the road-transportation infrastructure there, I agree entirely with a prudent approach to these games.
November 18, 2009 at 9:56 am |
I briefly went over this and didn’t see much about the disabled community. I feel that although the city is committed to full accessibility, this commitment is over looked when the work is being done. The perfect example is when construction work is happening on our streets and sidewalks, an alternative “safe” accessible route for people using a mobility device is never considered. Only when someone complains they do something about it. It should be a standard procedure to ensure all safety precaution is taken to protect everyone!
November 18, 2009 at 9:58 am |
Poverty, homelessness and subsidized housing have to be on the agenda.
November 19, 2009 at 12:20 pm |
Done: http://settingtheagenda2010.com/city-anti-poverty-strategy/
November 18, 2009 at 10:31 am |
I believe we need to deal with public transit and make it a GTA issue. I also believe the council itself needs to work more collaboratively on issues that cross party lines. Let’s celebrate the uniqueness of each Ward and diversity of our great city. Let’s reach out to the neighbourhoods and acknowledge what makes them special. Let’s give the Parks back to the communities and stop the “top down” mentality of Parks, Recreation & Urban Forestry.
November 18, 2009 at 10:57 am |
Mere are my priorities for the city:
1. Improve the road transportation network. We can make it easier to drive without penalizing public transportation. For example, the traffic lights can be synchronized to cars stay moving rather than stopping at every light. Bus stops can be repositioned so they don’t block traffic. This is better for the environment too.
2. Plan for a good underground mass transit system and not a system of above-groud buses and trams. Many more people will take the TTC if there is a single subway ride between home and work. People don’t want above-ground transportation, especially in the winter. for guidance look at Munich, Stutthart, Copenhagen or any big city in Japan.
3. If we can’t afford to have good roads and pay City employees above market rates, decide which is a higher priority.
4. If we can’t afford to have a good subway system and pay TTC employees $100,000 to take tokens, make the tough choices and do what is right for the city at large.
November 18, 2009 at 12:17 pm |
Hi Joe,
Great work on this, and great work on being a community advocate. Things are getting tough for the poor in Toronto and are only set to get worse unless we come together as a community to change that. Good for you for starting the conversation!
I wish I could attend this first meeting, but unfortunately I am temporarily out of the City. I will be contacting you soon with my own survey I am doing on behalf of Toronto Women’s City Alliance.
In the meantime, best of luck with this first endeavour and I do hope to attend the next one. Remember to keep/put Gender Equity on your agenda!
Elise
November 18, 2009 at 1:07 pm |
Thanks to Councillor Mihevc for opening up this forum on the future of our City. Every single priority listed so far whether it be improved transit or roads, better community services and facilities, green infrastructure etc. has a cost associated with it. As a City that cannot legally run a deficit, we need to find sound and constant funding for the services and infrastructure that a mature City requires.
Currently about five per cent of a Toronto taxpayers total tax load (includes GST, PST, gas tax, income tax etc. as well as property tax) goes to the municipality. For 5 per cent of your taxes Toronto provides roads, transit, police, fire ambulance, water, sewage, parks rec centres, public health programs, running of largest housing portfolio in Canada, libraries, homes for the aged etc. as well as 25% of welfare costs which rise in a recession such as the current one.
It is most of what we require for our daily lives except for health care and education.
Until there is stable funding to provide for our daily needs by the municipality there is no assured path to solve our current shortcomings. The legal and funding system that worked well in 1834 is still essentially in place and is not practicable 176 years later.
thx
Paul
November 18, 2009 at 1:30 pm |
Thanks to Joe’s office for a great initiative.
Beyond the three categories listed in the email as being of greatest concern for Toronto, I would add a fourth: aesthetic environment, or beauty vs ugliness, or psychscape… call it what you want. Billboards, especially oversize and video billboards, have not only wrecked the appearance of Toronto, they’ve wrecked what it FEELS like to walk down the street. Joe has been a great advocate of new billboard legislation. But let’s all get active. Tell whoever runs for mayor that this is a make-or-break issue. We’re tired of living inside a commercial Disneyland of signage.
November 18, 2009 at 3:02 pm |
For those of you slamming Joe, what about his great support for the Barns Project. It is an amazing addition to our neighbourhood. For one, I see many families with young children using the play area daily. For an inner city this is fantastic! As a relative new comer to the area, how about a post office. Is there one on St Clair and if so where is it. If not we need one!
November 23, 2009 at 4:27 pm |
Jocelyn there is one at 509 St. Clair Ave W, 27 St. Clair Ave E, and 12 St. Clair Ave E.
November 18, 2009 at 4:43 pm |
I’ve created a new page called “Public Spaces, Clean and Beautiful Cities and Urban Design” for discussion of these issues.
November 18, 2009 at 10:51 pm |
Thank you for providing this forum and thank you for all of your dedicated work over the years.
I agree with Paul Bain re a proper funding base. It is absurd that so little of our total taxes are retained municipally.
Like others, I support the following:
- extending the TTC with electric trains, hopefully manufactured in Ontario, at least to Pearson and beyond
- having some underground fast traffic roads running east – west under the whole city, to relieve the 401 (perhaps under Bloor & Eglinton) (as in Boston)
- make the new fast traffic routes toll roads
- introduce genuine bike lanes, like in Copenhagen, so that cycling is attractive to commuters
- allow Segways to operate in the City, encourage their use, in the new bike lanes. Have free, secure bike and Segway parking throughout the city (i.e. someone to staff the sites)
- buy land around schools for fields and grounds for schools so that kids have sporting facilities available to all of them at their schools after classes
- raise property taxes to the levels of other large cities to pay for these developments
- impose taxes on all commercial property developments (including condos)
- have lots of coffee tables and allow catering businesses to operate in Nathan Phillips Square in the summertime
November 23, 2009 at 8:31 pm |
I think we need to address the refusal of the Province to step up and reverse downloading and stop blaming the feds for our misfortune. What happened under Cretien and continues under Harper is that the Feds do not want to be funding things that are not part of their Constitutional obligations i.e. municipal infrastructure. Miller demanded that the feds give 1% of GST to municipal infrastructure. The Feds cut the GST and invited the Province to take up the cut by converting the 2% cut into a 1% addition to PST but he Province bailed out and left Toronto bankrupt. Our City must bear down on Province not the Feds to come up with the money. The Federal Governemnt whatever its’ stripe does not want to get into a business of supporting municipal issues that are outside of their Constitutional obligations simply because they will get pissed on by Provinces no matter what they do and that is probably for the best. Tornto should be damanding a piece of the PST not the GST.
November 18, 2009 at 11:41 pm |
Joe , I would like to see Green Infrastructure as a discussion topic and priority
November 19, 2009 at 12:18 pm |
Done
November 23, 2009 at 9:57 pm |
Green Jobs, Green Manufacturing, Green Economic Development
November 18, 2009 at 11:54 pm |
The commonality in all our desires for more affordable housing, better community facilities, more Transit and Subways and better infrastructure in general is cost. The biggest single problem in all these ambitions is that the City of Toronto is forced by a loophole in the Labour Relations Act to restrict public tendering for all building projects to Building Trade Union contractors only costing the City at least 30% more on projects as well as discriminating against qualified local contractors and tradesmen. The first initiative should be for Toronto to join with all other municipaities in the Province and demand that the loop hole be closed and that municipalities not be allowed to be designation ‘construction businesses’ under the Labour Relations Act. No other GTA community has union only restrictions and they put the Toronto at a huge disadvantage in building and maintaining infrastructure. Before we talk of plans about how to spend money we need to make sure we get value for money and restore ‘fairness’ to our public tendering.
November 19, 2009 at 9:49 am |
Thank you for initiating this. It’s welcome and overdue.
That said, the actual site could be a little easier to navigate. The first thing many people will want to do is register on the site, in order to participate. May I suggest a “register here” link at the top of the page. (Perhaps it’s there, and I missed it.)
In terms of priorities for the City and a vision for the city – I guess my comments would be filed under Community Services and Engagement. (All I see on the page is a general comments thread.)
An interest of mine is getting people involved in their neighbourhoods and city. This website is a good initiative in that regard. So are community councils, neighbourhood environment groups.
I’d be interested in the City exploring and developing more strategies in this area. I’m prepared to elaborate in more detail, and work on this issue.
cheers,
November 19, 2009 at 12:15 pm |
Alan Broadbent, Chair of the Maytree Foundation, has just published a new piece on the need to put policy before personality in next year’s election.
He outlines five priority areas:
-Housing
-Transit
-Settlement and Immigration
-Voting rights for permanent residents
-A “new brand” for Toronto.
Check out his piece here: http://www.maytree.com/maytreeopinion/MaytreeOpinion14.pdf or the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_6IxyvAKlM
November 19, 2009 at 4:10 pm |
Thanks to Joe for allowing us to comment
- The recent TTC fare hike reinforces the need for a more coordinated approach to transit in Toronto and the GTA. This seems to me to be an area where broad cooperation between the city, province and federal government
- another broad issue to me is how well people new to Canada are able to find work in their field and settle into the city. This also seems to me an issue that requires broader collaboration
Although I am a permanent resident and not a Canadian citizne, I do not concur that I deserve the right to vote. In my view citizenship is both a responsibility and a priviledge and if I am not currently the citizen, I should not be enfranchised.
November 20, 2009 at 10:23 am |
Traffic Disaster at Marlee-Eglinton!
This area is already a traffic disaster, as the unplanned end of a major expressway. It could get much worse under plans the City is currently developing.
The City is now planning on totally redeveloping the neighbourhood and street pattern north of Lawrence Ave around Marlee and the Allen (Lawrence Heights). The City is currently consulting residents of that neighbourhood (but not ours!) on the following proposals:
• extending Marlee Ave. north of Lawrence to link up with Yorkdale Shopping Centre, which could allow a huge volume of extra traffic to flow down to Marlee and Eglinton.
• increasing the population in that area SEVEN-fold, (from 3,500 to over 23,000), which would also generate significant extra traffic flow to Marlee and Eglinton..
For further details on City plans, including maps of three options proposed by the City, see: http://www.toronto.ca/planning/lawrence_allen.htm
Making Marlee into a new major thoroughfare up to Yorkdale Shopping centre and for 20,000 extra people to be living around Lawrence and the Allen will make a disastrous traffic situation much worse for Marlee/Eglinton.
This is something that hopefully Mr. Mihevc can work to prevent.
Meanwhile, concerned residents should call City Staff who are conducting this consultation. City Planning Staff: Anne Marie Nasr, Planning Manager, (416.395.7180, anasr@toronto.ca) or Kyle Knoeck, Senior Planner (416.395.7116, kknoeck@toronto.ca,) City Planning Division, 5100 Yonge St, M2N 5V7 fax: 416-395-7155. email: lawrenceallen@toronto.ca
November 20, 2009 at 10:54 am |
Good day to you:
I’m adding my piece here as i feel it’s very neccessary; the recent approval for the TTC fare hike is way too much for most people to afford, eg: people on ODSP , the retired, Welfare, new comers, etc., my husband is recently retired and i am in school trying to better myself a little for which welfare pays for my Metropass, welfare still hasn’t caught up with the last fare hike yet; things are quite tight for us and another hike may just break us as well as many others; i think that those who have a really great paying job with lots of benefits and perks should be very thankful for having that job in the first place as they may lose it tomorrow; please be more considerate to others non abilities to pay higher and higher costs without getting higher incomes.
Vivian
November 20, 2009 at 12:29 pm |
Improving bicycle lanes, bringing the city’s bike infrastructure up to the level of Montreal’s ( physically separated bike lanes!! ), and the smart implementation of a Bixi style bike sharing system.
Thanks!
November 23, 2009 at 3:40 pm |
The Bixi concept appears to be a good one. If Toronto can sustainably put such a system in place, it could help some of the transit lines (into the Beach come to mind).
As far as dedicated bike lanes, yes but. These may require some years in implementing. I think a high return on investment (in the shorter term) can be had via simple public awareness media. The ‘Share the Road’ billboards are a start but strike me as too general to have much impact.
I would love to see targeted messages at key locations. A billboard asking ‘ Is there a bicycle behind you?’ at a intersection where autos and bikes interchange (east & westbound College & University, SB Davenport @ Dupont and many others) or ‘Bikes may be turning left.’ could raise awareness that the roadways are the domain of more than simply motorized vehicles.
It would seem that a mixed approach which includes DRIVER/RIDER understanding of the rights of one another (like bicycles turning left have the right to the entire left turn lane) in conjunction with development od dedicated bike lanes may bear some low hanging fruit and with fairly limited investment of capital.
November 20, 2009 at 12:30 pm |
We need to democratize the planning process in this city. The current framework gives far too much power to individual councillors to negotiate deals with developers wherein they access Section 37 funds that they then spread around as political spin. Kyle Rae is the living manifestation of this problem; he posits himself as the ‘hard bargainer’ when in fact these funds would flow anyway. The problems with this set-up are many; public hearings are reduced to items on a check-list, and the Section 37 funds, rather than being used for planning purposes as they are supposed to are treated as a slush fund entirely at the behest of the local councillor. No-one is allowed to have a say. The entire process needs an overhaul and the power of individual councillors needs to be reduced. Let the sun shine in, and let the people have a bigger say in how their neighbourhoods develop. We need to stop treating growth as an unquestioned good. Urban growth itself should not be our goal.
November 20, 2009 at 12:41 pm |
I live in the St.Pauls riding on Eglinton Ave West between Oakwood Ave and Dufferin. Recently AGAIN there has been shootings in the nieghbourhood, it seems that St.pauls riding doesn’t really get any attention from politicians until you go east of Allen Rd and getting into Forest Hill. 2 different worlds. What are the plans to improve this part of St. Pauls?
November 20, 2009 at 3:32 pm |
Good intiative Joe. But I do think you need a thread about the actual political structure and processes of the city – a democratic reform thread. Council will soon be addressing one element of campaign finance reform – but there are others related to campaign finance, the way we elect our council members, and the actual structure and processes of council. Can you add a democratic reform thread?
November 21, 2009 at 3:25 pm |
The National Post reports today in a cover story “Off The Rails” that the TTC had a staff last year of 12,411 peopleto transport 471 million passengers last year compared to 9963 staff to move 464 million riders in 1988. No doubt there was “bloat”" in 1988, and it has not shrunk since.
It was informative to see that Joe Mihevc (vice chairman of the TTC was quoted as saying “We need to get that number down as much as possible without looking at service implications”. Mihevc it was reported instructed managers to sharpen their pencils and look for efficiencies….This is the world of municipal politics.
Let me provide an example of how it is done in the real world. Vice presidents, department heads and managers attend a meeting where budget discipline has run amok in their areas of responsibilities to be informed of new policy relating to the next year fiscal year. The edict is “we the board will arbitrate a 10% spending reduction for fical 2010. Each of you are to return to a meeting in one months time with your proposals as how you will operate your departments with expenditures not to exceed 90% of last years budget allocation. If you are unable to do so, we will do it ourselves. It makes sense for you to do it because you know your departments better than we do”. The underlying message is do it or be demoted.
The usual bellyaching will start to occur as it almost always does when any person in municipal goverment ever dare suggest a reduction in the transportation, fire or police budgets to name just three. The scare tactics start. The discussions go on ad nauseum and nothing usually changes.
On the other hand, take a look at the general downsizing going in the past year on the part of the private sector. Downsizing has become a mission as companies cut expenses to stay solvent, become more efficient and protect their most effective employees jobs.
We can all propose great, and justifiable ideas for our cities betterment. The first question should be “Is it in that departments budget for 2010?” If the answer is no, the best ideas should be recommended for priority consideration in 2011.
We should never forget that total budget revenue for our city can only be optomized by the following limited options:
a) squeezing the province or federal government for bigger transfers
b) imposing municipal tax increases .
c) a reduction in operating expense.
We can talk all we like at proposed meetings about change and improvement. It seems however that we are doomed to pass along a burgeoning debt to our children and their offspring as well. That is unless there is serious change, and our civic officials start trying to run city hall more like a business and less like a pork barrel.
November 23, 2009 at 12:22 pm |
1) All agenda items should be considered within the primary objective or reducing, or at a minimum freezing property taxes in the city of Toronto.
2) A good start would be to propose the ludicrous reversing of Councillor salary increases from this year. Make the wards larger to reduce the drag on public coffers.
3) Reduce head-count for union and non-union employees at the very comfy cozy Toronto City Hall.
4) Green issues, while noble, will cost taxpayers money. Much as I value my health, let the market dictate whether these Green methods are relevant.
5) Lay off TTC employees (I love the ones that sit by a collection box near an open door at busier stations). We have one of the most archaic, bloated public transportation systems.
6) Complete integration of TTC and Go…with zone fares. As someone who travels 10 stops on the subway, I shouldn’t have to subsidize more expensive bus travel for others.
7) I am in support of the Transit City initiative so long as there is cost certainty….let’s get the digging started. Forget about surface routes. Dig tunnels for more subway. If you build it, they will come….look at the condo developments popping up on Sheppard.
9) This one is directed squarely at Mr. Mihevc….Support a mayoral candidate who will start running the city like a business. Not like a playground for the Councillors. Clearly left-leaning solutions have put us into this mess. Opt for a right-leaning mayor to clean up the mess. I love this city, but we are at a tipping point here, I fear.
.rl
November 23, 2009 at 4:04 pm |
Dialogue & negociation are key to future success. Through dialogue, workable and sustainable solutions to complex issues can be aired, vetted, agreed upon and implemented. Here is a recommendation. Air municipal governance in action via community-based television in the same way that CPAC airs federal governance issues.
City hall isn’t a business. It never has been and never will be. Thank goodness for that. The disaster of corrupt Chicago under its’ mayor Daly during the Capone era and the decay and corruption we saw in Toronto prior to the Miller administration are examples of top-down (read ‘right-leaning’) municipal administrations. Looking at, and discussing the future is exactly what we should be doing at this critical point in the life of our city.
November 24, 2009 at 10:35 am |
I would like to see new blood , new ideas diverse of city council that reflects Toronto like culture , ethnic , age and color as well gender , I would like to see lower taxes as well its always about downtown what about suburbs or other areas.
November 30, 2009 at 12:35 am |
1. Improving cycling infrastrucure
2. Improving the built landscape (better architecture and street furniture, installing public restrooms and water fountains, taking down billboards, etc.)
3. Improving municipal governance and efficiency (abolishing the ward-based system, higher pay for mayor and councillors, reining in spending and extraneous initiatives, abolishing (or at least taking a stand against) public sector unions)
4. Making TTC a profit-seeking organization (i.e., stop subsidizing sprawl).
5. Reversing the land-transfer tax grab
Thanks for this opportunity Coucillor Mihevc — I hope this makes a difference this coming election.