Miller: Comments On City Spending “Ludicrous”
Mar 04, 2010 | admin | 8
Photo courtesy: Globe & Mail
Mayor David Miller has indirectly responded to mayoral candidates George Smitherman, Rocco Rossi, Sarah Thomson and Giorgio Mammoliti as well as the Toronto Board of Trade for their comments this week on the city’s financial position:
“The truth of the matter is that the city spending has grown very modestly over the last few years, at about half the rates of the federal and provincial governments. And people who want to spread a lie that it’s out of control, that’s a lie. It’s not true,” he said.”
Read the rest of the article here.
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The Front Runners in this Mayoral Race have a hidden agenda or are applying political bias to the city budget. Toronto did well in spite of a Recession with a balanced budget.
Why would anyone listen to Smitherman, Rossi or Thomson and their Sell Off the City nonsense.
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Miller calling critics 'liars' has been his tactic from the beginning and as propoganda it is the 'Big Lie.' He is coming up with this line now to deflect attention from Paula Fletcher's embarassing insult to the people of Toronto that clearly exposed the true nature of the Miller beast; arrogant, intolerant and just plain dishonest.
Yes this is confusing. There appears to be a conflict in his accounting though. While he claims his spending has increased modestly, the tax increase is double that of inflation. So the municipal taxes increase at a higher rate than his claimed spending increases. And his government still encounters deficits. … Wear a hat reading about this, it will prevent scalp damage from the head scratching.
Of course Smitherman's and Rossi's positions are also as mathematically bizarre. Contracting out of services isn't the panacea people think it is. Often such contracting out leads to other forms of government corruption. And usually service declines on full contracting out. Their mathematics appear equally fudged.
Can't we ever get a politician who uses basic grade six level math in their economic predictions?
Mr Miller it's time for you to be honest. A 50% increase in spending in Toronto over your 7 year reign is hardly a "modest increase".
PMK- Your pithy summary is less that honest. Toronto's aggregate spending over Miller's term as mayor includes implementing massive infrastructure like TTC projects cost-shared by other levels of government, positive indication that the city is working to get itself into the future on a more sustainable basis.
I think the more damning figure on MillerTime is that labour costs have gone up on average 6.5% a year. Last election he bragged about how the City finances were is great shape then 6 months later we were broke and needed new taxes. Miller is a con man willing to play with the numbers and the truth at will and we will have no idea about the real truth until he and his fiscally changed allies are gone.
Try as you might to rationalize it, spending is out of control under Miller. He has shown little restraint. Even if you pull the infrastructure money out of the equation with your disingenuous attempt to justify Miller's excess, the operating expense, particularly salaries have increased by an average of more than double the rate of inflation.
That is completely irresponsible of Miller, no matter how you apologists try to spin it.
Oh, I forgot to mention the true test of a scoundrel; one who calls everyone else a liar.