Toronto taxpayers are facing a 35% tax hike unless there are job cuts to the city’s workforce, Mayor Rob Ford warned Friday.
His administration can’t avoid penning pink slips if more staff does not start volunteering to take buyouts the mayor said on The Roundtable, with Sun News Network co-hosts Pat Bolland and Sue-Ann Levy, the Toronto Sun’s veteran city hall columnist.
“I don’t know if we have a choice,” Ford said, adding he is reluctant to take that hard road.
Ford said in July that the city could no longer afford to employ 53,000 workers and offered buyout packages to 17,000 unionized employees and managers.
Blaming “the previous administration” driven by council left-wingers with a “culture” of milking taxpayers to finance special interest programs, Ford said he wants to work with city worker unions and avoid axing staff. Read More…
Let’s all stop these divisive politics of left vs. right wing. When you are laid off, your political leaning does’nt put food on the table or help pay the bills- our focus should zero in on new revenue sources, surprise surprise- Toronto has so many streams it can tap to payoff debt without touching city assets, without a sinngle layoff and without increasing property taxes. For only $400 million payable over ten years, my group can show Toronto how to get its fiscal house in order- permanently! guaranteed. Call Rob Ford and Counciilors to talk to us today.
But wait a minute if you cut these union workers then that will mean less socialized activities like repairing roads or education will be done. This is not good.
I think if it is sincerely an issue we can then look to a mix of higher taxes and a few non-essential job cuts but not an either-or situation. That makes no sense at all.
My money is the jobs are gone. When was the last time a conservative raised taxes. LOL! Nice try buddy.
Again, we are moving more and more towards the US system where everything is being privatized. And oddly, the voters seem to like having less rights.
This is just a game that is being played by all Conservatives throughout the country. The facts don’t add up and i think they are just using these execuses to begin weakening unions to make this country more a plutocracy. Welcome to the New Canada. *barf*
Why do i think his kissing the ring to Unions is only just babble and he has already made up his mind on cutting jobs. Disgusting.
Fine, let’s raise taxes 30-35%. We are currently paying record lows anyway. I am not a union worker but do appreciate all the work they do.
We are going broke people this is of course what Ford has to deal with. I live in nearby Toronto and things are dire so i welcome the unions being layed off. About time!
Always blaming the left for their problems. This is why you don’t put Harper and his cronies in charge. As soon as their in office they make a disaster of it. No surprises here.
It’s political suicide if Ford thinks the people will stand a tax increase like that. He will not hold his seat very long. So i think it is an idle threat. Calling your bluff, Ford!
I live in the Toronto area and this is the biggest news day-in/day-out without question. To think we may likely face a tax hike of that magnitude is unheard of today. And Ford, being a conservative that he is thinks this is normal? I am ashamed to have voted for him.