Dalton McGuinty As Culpable As Miller In Torontonian's Plight

It's great to see that residents of Toronto have finally hit the tipping point as to how much over-taxation, waste, and socialist policies have destroyed the city and left them broke. Rob Ford is riding the wave of voter anger in his bid to be mayor of Toronto and restore financial responsibility to it's taxpayers. The media pundits point to David Miller, Howard Moscoe, and Adam Vaughan as some of the reason Ford is enjoying such popularity. But there is one person who needs to be dragged into this, as it was the Ontario Liberal government led by one Dalton McGuinty that really allowed this long festering wound to put the City of Toronto on it's deathbed:

"Miller salivates at new taxing powers
By Arthur Weinreb

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Toronto mayor David Miller has announced that he is considering using the new taxing powers that were so graciously given to him by Dalton McGuinty and the Liberals with the passage of the City of Toronto Act. Miller is thinking about imposing a parking surcharge in the downtown core as well as at North York City Centre; areas of the city that are well serviced by public transit. This is not just a money grab for the overextended city you understand; the idea is to cut down pollution by “encouraging” more people to use the TTC, the alleged better way.

Now none of this is for sure. Miller is simply floating a trial balloon, but much like the drunk who ponders what he’ll do when he gets inside the bar he’s walking into, we all know what will ultimately happen. Taxes will go up.

What is absolutely shocking about Miller’s pronouncement is not what he said but the timing of his statement. He wasted no time in telling Torontonians that he will use the powers that he skillfully downplayed during the election campaign. It’s still November; only two weeks since he was easily re-elected. The smart money said that he would wait until at least December before making a tax grab using the City of Toronto Act (I had December 7 in the pool). You can say this for our David; despite the fact that he has been criticized for not doing anything, the guy’s no slacker.

Newly elected councillor Adam Vaughan had an even better idea. He suggested that people who park should be taxed according to what type of car they drive. Those with gas guzzlers should pay more to park than those with environmentally friendly hybrids. The mind boggles at how many overpaid union bureaucrats will be employed in analyzing and categorizing all the various vehicles that park in the city. Vaughan hasn’t even taken his seat yet and he’s attempting to out-Miller Miller (look for Adam to run for the top job in 2010). There is however one good point about Vaughan’s suggestion. Lower income people are more likely to drive gas guzzling old clunkers than the beautiful people who buy electric cars in order to save not only the city but the planet. And it’s about time that the poor in this city pay more; why should the rich be the only ones forced to pay for new street furniture?

Of course a major plank of Ford's platform is the cancelling of the land transfer tax and vehicle plate renewal taxes, both of which could not have been implemented by Miller without McGuinty's granting of additional powers to the city.