By Klaus Rohrich
Thursday, July 19, 2007
"MILLER FREEZES SPENDING" The National Post's front page screamed in a type size usually reserved for a major disaster or a declaration of war, but once one actually gets into the story it becomes clear that the spending Miller is freezing is designed to make the good burgers of Toronto suffer, so they will see the error of their ways and support massive tax hikes this fall. Miller talked about a cut in "front line" services as a possible result of his so-called spending freeze.
Yet at the same council meeting that Miller and Budget Chief Shelly Carroll informed councilors that dire consequences would follow council's deferral of the two new taxes Miller wanted to institute, council voted 30-8 in favour of purchasing the property in which Theatre Passe Muraille is currently housed and leasing it back to the theatre for $2.00 a year. Miller claimed that the expenditure was justified because the funds to complete the $1.2 million purchase came from the capital reserve budget rather than the operating budget, and besides, the city is purchasing an asset, Miller proclaimed.
Be that as it may if the city of Toronto spends $1.2 million to buy an "asset" and then rents that asset out for $2.00 per year, it will take 600,000 years to recoup the city's investment. Theatre Passe Muraille, which some consider an artistic success, might be better off being Theatre Past Muraille, if it isn't capable of surviving on its own because the productions it puts on are seen by the public as Theatre Pass Muraille.
Miller, who lamented the fact that poor children would have to forego swimming lessons because of program spending cuts, might be well advised to consider the impact his snit is having on the hearts and minds of Toronto residents when they find out that the city can afford to buy theatres that aren't able to survive without municipal subsidies, yet can't afford to provide front-line services.
That's the best reason I've heard yet to deny the Millerites at City Hall any additional funding. Effective politicians make tough decisions and stick to them because they can be justified logically. Miller's "freeze" on municipal spending smacks of a sore loser kicking the cat because he can't have his way.
The City of Toronto has done absolutely nothing to control its spending since the day Miller took office. All the mayor has been able to do for the past four years is to panhandle federal and provincial governments for more money and the minute he gets additional money he claims it isn't enough. So the thing that the taxpayers of Toronto should understand is that the minute Miller gets his way and council votes in favour of a land-transfer tax on the sale of property and a Toronto vehicle registration tax, he will then want to levy other additional taxes.
With politicians like Miller, who have spent their entire adult life sucking at the public teat, no amount of money will ever be enough to satisfy their megalomaniacal appetites. The symbolism of Miller urging council to purchase the underachieving Theatre Passe Muraille can't be lost on anyone: They can't seriously look at ways of reducing costs, as they like spending too much.
As my friend Art Weinreb pointed out in these pages recently (Blame Dalton for Toronto taxes), This mess can be laid directly at the feet of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, who played the part of Dr. Frankenstein in creating the monster we know as the City of Toronto Act, the law that Miller is now attempting to utilize in order to further fleece hapless Torontonians.
That may be well worth remembering as Ontario heads to the polls on October 10th to elect a new government.
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