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My Platform
"For Stronger Communities, For Safer Streets"
Summary
My election platform continues with most of the promises and initiatives from my last election campaign in 2006. For this election campaign, I chose to create a more formal platform structure, built on four fundamental pillars identified (and to be affectionately known) as SCIL:
- Service -- Serving the needs of the people in Ward 7 & Toronto, not the other way around
- Community -- Remembering that Ward 7 & Toronto are a collection of unique communities with its own identity and needs, made stronger when brought together.
- Integrity -- Serving the people of Ward 7 & Toronto under the highest ethical standards
- Leadership -- Strength, drive, persistence, responsibility, tolerance and setting an example to one's peers and those looking for guidance and help.
A brief explanation of SCIL is found below.
1. SERVICE
Promises
- Break up the Emery Village Business Improvement Area (BIA), stop the flagpole project, suspend expansions of this BIA & establish a VOLUNTARY group of smaller, more effective BIAs that represent the needs of the business community, not its Ward Councillor; This is my first priority as Councillor. A petition to request a break-up of the Emery Village BIA will begin immediately after the election.
- My staff and I will return phone calls, letters and emails. Period. If one prefers to speak to me instead of staff, I will be accommodating and provide the necessary translation services if need be.
- A Ward 7 Councillor website will be designed and updated regularly with a community events calendar, relevant programs, contact information and important motions affecting Ward 7. Residents and business owners could also sign up and have updates sent to them via email.
- A Semi-annual newsletter would be sent to ALL residents and business owners in Ward 7. It would NOT promote the Councillor. It would inform and promote the Ward itself and the people within the Ward. Period.
- Begin a Ward 7 Internship program for College and University students. Students throughout the Ward should be given the opportunity to connect with their communities and get work experience at the same time. Starting at the Councillor's office, an internship program for the Ward would allow students to help their neighbours, initiate and get involved in community projects, and solve problems that would be useful skills to future employers. If successful, the internship program would be expanded to include all businesses and community groups in the Ward, utilized for High School students, or those taking time out of school. The rewards for the communities they serve would be priceless!
- Draft a "Toronto Bill of Rights". It will lay out a series of rights and responsibilities that the City of Toronto (both Council members and City Staff) will be expected to do for all people living, working and doing business in Toronto. The fundamental principles will be incorporated into guidelines for Council members and staff, and provide the base from which an Ethics Committee would be formed (see Integrity initiatives below).
- Protect the rights, needs and dignity of those most vulnerable within Ward 7. I will work alongside our Provincial MPP (Mario Sergio) & Federal MP (Judy Sgro) to ensure that all existing programs, tax credits & services are made available to all those who qualify in Ward 7.
- Negotiate with the Province to expand the number of members of Council to include four "regional" Councillors, one each to Chair a Community Council. In the event that residents or business owners have a problem, and their Ward Councillor will not support them, the option will be open to go to their Regional Councillor for help. A Regional Councillor would guide their Community Council more effectively and look at issues from a better perspective. These offices will be funded by lowering office expense budgets.
- Promote business initiatives in the Ward by designating commercial/industrial areas as "incubation zones", feed off the knowledge base of York University and provide tax holidays (with the help of provincial & federal governments) for those committed to employing those in the "new economy". The industrial and commercial zones west of York University would be a perfect choice for incubation zones.
Promises- Divide Ward 7 into 10 distinct communities (see left), each with its own volunteer representative. Each representative would form part of a "Ward 7 Committee", meet regularly and providing input and suggestions for myself and staff. This committee will respond to the needs of all residents & businesses in Ward 7.
- Once the Emery Village BIA is disbanded, begin the process of establishing individual BIAs. I will hold meetings throughout Ward 7 and ask the business owners if they wish to form their own BIA, helping them through the process.
- Promote business initiatives in the Ward by designating commercial/industrial areas as "incubation zones", feed off the knowledge base of York University and provide tax holidays (with the help of provincial & federal governments) for those committed to employing those in the "new economy".
- Establish a cleaner, safer, pedestrian/bicycle-friendly and positive business environment throughout Ward 7. No community will be left out of this initiative and no community in Ward 7 given preferential treatment. Period.
- Promote greater citizen participation and transparency by advocating the addition of "citizen advisory committees" (CACs) for all Agencies, Boards & Commissions (ABCs) throughout the City. I have been an advocate for greater public participation in our Municipal Government and spoke openly for CACs at the Toronto Zoo and TTC. The costs are minimal, the advice valuable and the connection between Torontonians and their civic government priceless.
- Formalize the process of establishing community hubs throughout the Ward by connecting our libraries, community centres and schools together. Although this may exist on a case-by-case basis, it is not consistent, resulting in a disconnect between certain hubs.
- In the case of our schools this is an acute problem. The reason is simple: These schools are controlled by the Ontario Ministry of Education (through the Education Act) when the best solution is to bring our schools under the control of the City of Toronto (under the City of Toronto Act). Therefore, I would like to begin the process of negotiating with the Province of Ontario to incorporate the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and Toronto Catholic District School Boards (TCDSB) under the City of Toronto as individual Boards. There are many advantages to this proposal:
- Toronto's two School Boards are in a particularly difficult position of being asset rich, cash poor and with student populations that are dropping. This problem could be better fixed at the City level.
- The City of Toronto can more effectively consolidate these assets with our libraries and community centres and dispose of unnecessary assets quickly and with less political pressure.
- The TCDSB scandal is a black eye to the management of our schools. The City of Toronto's transparency guidelines and unique City of Toronto Act can bring better accountability to our schools. Given the scandal itself, the Ontario Ministry of Education would most likely want to rid itself of these Boards anyway.
- School Trustees would not be needed any longer, as each Board would be made up of Council members and professional staff. The potential cost savings would be significant, and Board members would fall within the Integrity Commissioner's "Code of Conduct".
- Most importantly, our schools would be an important component of community hubs, as they should be.
Promises
- It is difficult to believe, but the incumbent has been the subject of SIX formal complaints to the City's Integrity Commissioner since 2006 (I personally read four responses from the Integrity Commissioner, five including mine). My formal complaint, made in 2007, concerned the incumbent's actions during and after the 2006 election. While the Integrity Commissioner did not find fault with the incumbent, in my opinion the problem is due to a weak "code of conduct" (guidelines used by the Integrity Commissioner) rather than the incumbent's ethical behaviour. In fact, I have spoken to the Integrity Commissioner and informed her that I would be pursuing yet another formal complaint against the Incumbent after this election (whether he wins the election or not). A member of Council should not be subject to so many formal complaints without consequences. As Councillor, I will ensure that my office will be run under the highest ethical standards. Period.
- The establishment of an "Ethics and Accountability" Committee, made up of non-partisan members of Council. The Integrity Commissioner, Ombudsman, Auditor General and Lobbyist Registrar would report into this committee and submit all reports dealing with ethical and accountability complaints against members of Council and City Staff. An adequate budget would be provided to deal with complaints and meetings would be held in private if need be to protect the reputations of the individuals reported on. Guidelines would also be reviewed by the committee to determine whether minimum ethical standards are being met.
4. LEADERSHIPPromises
- I will commit to a voluntary two term (eight years) limit as Councillor, with no intention of ever returning to office as Ward Councillor. It is not my intention to be a career Councillor and I would prefer to move to another challenge afterward.
- Return 20% of my salary (after tax) to the people of Ward 7 for community projects and festivals. The Ward 7 Committee would be responsible for allocating the funds. If there is an opportunity to have the City provide these funds on a before-tax basis, all the better.
- Establish term limits for all members of Council to three terms (12 years) in a row. If a member chooses to run again after taking a four-year break, it should be allowed (but not encouraged). Although this provision to the City of Toronto Act should be grandfathered to allow remaining Council members to continue office, there is no doubt that a strong message must be made that the longer a member stays in office the greater the feeling of entitlement.
- Roll back salaries for Council members by 10% and office expense budgets by 25%. Council members must lead by example and in this case it is imperative that their reduced salaries and budgets reflect a leadership role.
- Eliminate the 5-cent (6 cents including HST) plastic bag fee altogether. The bag fee, while passed at City Council with good intentions, is annoying for customers and not enforceable by the City (and many retailers choose to ignore it already). Most shoppers continue to purchase plastic bags at retailers and the profits generated are exorbitant. The best solution is to "lead by example" and encourage the use of canvas/recyclable bags through advertising and promotion, starting with retailers.
- Work with City Council and the Province of Ontario to find alternate revenue sources for license renewals and land transfer fees. The City of Toronto Act allows for these types of tax revenues, but they are grossly inefficient as an economic tool, as they unfairly penalize homeowners and automobile drivers. Torontonians resent these fees as well, making things worse. However, these monies also represent hundreds of millions of dollars per year that can not be eliminated without another revenue source. The only reasonable solution is to change the City of Toronto Act to allow for more efficient revenue sources in the form of consumption taxes, such as a sales tax. If these taxes can be done region-wide with the Province of Ontario, for example, all the better, as there is no doubt that other cities in the GTA would prefer a more efficient tax source.
- Support Transit City, bring back the original 2007 plan and ensure that the Finch Ave. and Jane St. LRT lines are built as soon as possible. Transit City is the proverbial "bird in the hand" transit project for Toronto and to deviate from this plan is difficult to justify. The risk is to lose the funding altogether. The people of Ward 7 would benefit from Transit City, despite the construction delays and funding changes.
- Once Transit City is committed, it is my intention to advocate for the transfer of the TTC to Metrolinx, the Province's regional transportation agency. Metrolinx is managed by professionals, funded by the Province and any toll system for automobiles along our expressways and 400-series highways must be done on a regional basis to be effective. Metrolinx is the perfect model to manage the region's transportation needs and the TTC would be best in their hands. I have been saying this on blogs since October 2009 and continue to advocate for a regional transit strategy that includes the TTC.
- The City's budget process is a mess. Despite all criticism, the same process continues that creates a disconnect with Torontonians, keeps important information private, and each year forces the City to go begging to the Province of Ontario to fund shortfalls. The solution is difficult but necessary -- a zero-based budgeting process. In effect, zero-based budgeting forces each department in the City to start with a clean slate and justify each expenditure, line-by-line, without referring to past expenses. It is by far the best approach to controlling City expenditures. It will take many years to implement (as budgets start from zero) and may inadvertently cut certain programs needlessly, but within six to eight years the City will be in a much better fiscal situation.
- Return the Civic Party system to Toronto, as is presently done in Vancouver and Montreal. A civic party system brings greater discipline, clarity and purpose to municipal governments. An exceptional member of Council could meet the needs of his/her constituents and adhere to the principles of their political party at the same time. It is done at the Provincial and Federal levels, and it can most certainly be done at the Civic level.
LarryPerlman |
Latest page update: made by LarryPerlman
, Oct 10 2010, 7:38 AM EDT
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