Ford’s transportation deal with province

City and province to make joint transit announcement
It’ll include Ford’s privately-funded Sheppard subway plan
Plus provincial cash for Eglinton and Scarborough LRTs
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier March 30. March 31 UPDATE.)

Mayor Rob Ford's plan includes $4 billion in private sector cash to build a Sheppard subway. Town Crier file photo.

The city and province are both climbing aboard a new transportation deal that will be unveiled tomorrow morning.
TTC chair Karen Stintz confirmed on March 30 that the provincial government, its transportation agency Metrolinx and the city are moving full steam ahead with the plan outlined by Mayor Rob Ford.
“We have an agreement that will see major transit expansion in the City of Toronto,” Stintz told the media at an impromptu press conference this afternoon. “It is a real win for both the city and the province and I am really excited about the announcement tomorrow.”
That announcement to take place at the TTC’s Wilson yards at 9 a.m. on March 31 will be to confirm the province is still committed to its original investment of about $8.4 billion.
The provincial cash will be spent on a fully underground and expanded Eglinton LRT and to turn the Scarborough RT into an above ground light rail transit route.

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Joe Pantalone’s economic platform

Mayoral candidate unveils plan to balance 2011 budget
Modest tax increase, no staff firings, no service cuts
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Oct. 14)

 

Toronto mayoral candidate Joe Pantalone releases his economic plan. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

 

Joe Pantalone made two big announcements this morning:
First, Pantalone said he won’t drop out of the race for the city’s top job. And second, he said he can deliver a balanced budget in 2011.
“This budget has a number of components in it,” he said. “First of all it has no service cuts. It does not call for any additional money from the provincial government for 2011 because we understand the province and feds have financial issues as well.
“It is a city building-budget which is fiscally responsible,” he claimed.
Pantalone said the city’s facing a $503 million gap to balance next year’s budget. That pressure grows to $541 due to $22 million in campaign promises plus the $16 million revenue loss of phasing out the vehicle registration tax in 2011 through 2014 plus a four-year tax freeze for seniors earning less than $50,000 living in their own home.

Election vision for Toronto

(Column Written for Town Crier Aug. 19)

What kind of city do you want?
At debates, this is a favourite question for mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson.
John Tory, who earlier this month announced he’s not running for mayor, told me many important issues facing this city aren’t being debated in this election. I agree.
Sure some candidates are talking about cutting taxes, the streetcars vs. subways, or how to plan and design prettier buildings, etc.
These are important issues to many of us. But Toronto is a complex, multi-faceted city with many interconnected issues that can either make us or break us.

George Smitherman’s mayoral platform

First plank in Smitherman’s policy platform unveiled
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier, May 27. UPDATE here.)

Mayoral candidate George Smitherman at the Town Crier offices for an editorial board meeting. Photo by Victor Aguilar/Town Crier.

George Smitherman, the perceived frontrunner in the mayoral race, will be starting to unveil his campaign platform tomorrow starting with an expansive transportation plan.
At an editorial board meeting at the Town Crier offices the afternoon of May 27, Smitherman gave insight into his three-pronged platform, which will also include a detailed roadmap emphasizing jobs, community development and a focus on the city’s core services.
Details on how he’d focus on core services will come later in his campaign, but did speak specifically about recreation and parks.