City Hall slapped us with new taxes for land transfers, vehicle registration, garbage, water ...
By SUE-ANN LEVY
Last Updated: 28th December 2008, 5:04am
There's no doubt that 2008 was a taxing year for Toronto residents.
Mayor David Miller's socialist regime introduced so many new taxes, fees, fines and levies (not to be confused with Levy) that I'm considering giving the city a new name.
Henceforth I think King David's fiefdom should be named (The Socialist Republik of) Tax-onto.
It's hard to remember exactly how many ways Miller and his minions sought to put their paws in Torontonians' pockets to prop up their city-building agenda (best known for building costly green pet projects and fattening the pay packets of their union buddies.)
Still, I predicted that the socialists would take their new taxing and policing powers very seriously from the moment the City of Toronto Act came into being in 2007 and the Millerites have proved me right.
Kevin Gaudet of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation can't think of a single government in the past 15 years that comes anywhere near ours with respect to the increases in fees, levies and taxes -- all driven by Miller's "out of control spending."
Right-of-centre councillors Mike Del Grande and Doug Holyday agree.
In his 25 years in politics, Holyday says 2008 has been "the worst ever" for the number of taxes and fees put in place in one year.
"They've spared nobody," he said. "They've charged the rich, they've charged the poor, the weak, the young, the old, they've even charged dogs and cats."
No doubt the most controversial -- I dare say much loathed as well -- new levies to kick in this past year were the land transfer (LTT) and personal vehicle taxes (PVT), which duplicate those already charged by the province.
Those two new taxes were on top of the 3.75% property tax hike handed to city residents, nearly double the rate of inflation promised many times by the mayor.
The impact of the LTT, which is supposed to add $155 million to the city's coffers this year, has been sure and swift. A recent study by the Toronto-based C.D. Howe Institute found that since the tax was introduced on Feb. 1, average sales of single-family homes have dropped 16% compared to the same averages in 2006 and 2007.
As was confirmed two weeks ago when council approved the 2009 capital budget, only $21 million of the $55 million the city expects to collect from the PVT in 2009 will go to repair Toronto's decaying roads. So much for city building.
There's no doubt the new garbage tax -- which took effect Nov. 1 and ranges from $33 to $190 per year on top of the $209 we already pay for the privilege of having our garbage collected -- has been equally unpopular.
In fact, when the tax first came into play nearly two months ago, some 75,000 households still didn't have their gray garbage bins. Many won't until at least February.
Add to this a water hike of 9%, fee increases averaging 8% for city recreation classes and permits and increased fees to remove a tree from one's own property (provided that the city's tree police agree to allow the tree to be cut down).
Rest assured the socialists have taken their newfound policing powers very seriously.
You might say they've been downright dogged with $240 fines now regularly imposed on those shameless cat and dog owners caught without licenses or dogs discovered walking off-leash where not permitted in city parks.
Gaudet believes that the taxes, fees and fines have been nothing more than a cash grab.
"The only (city) building I see happening is tax walls around the city's borders," he said.
Del Grande says he's heard from plenty of people who are "hard-pressed" to pay their taxes next year and "can't wait" to get rid of Miller.
CONSTITUENTS 'UNHAPPY'
Holyday says his constituents are "very unhappy" because they think their services have been reduced.
He points to the 60 calls and e-mails he got last week from citizens who were missed by the snowplows after the most recent series of storms.
"They (my constituents) really think they're paying more and getting less," he said, noting there's "no shortage" of innovative ideas from the Millerites on how to spend the money on their "clean, green agenda."
Gaudet feels that Miller and his minions don't get it in the slightest.
"They live in a privileged bubble," he said. "There's an economic storm swirling around City Hall and everyone in there is just thinking everything is fine."
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