Ed: Some folks in the arts community are quickly organzing a rally tomorrow and passed this information on to Spacing. It is also a Facebook event for those who wish to share it around.
What: No Cuts to our Essential Services Rally
Where: Nathan Phillips Square
When: Wednesday, September 19th 4 – 6 PM
On WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH, 4-6PM we are calling on ALL MEMBERS OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY AND ANYBODY ELSE to convene at NATHAN PHILLIPS SQUARE to make it clear that we will not tolerate cuts to our essential services and that we support the Land Transfer tax.
IT’S URGENT: the councilors will be meeting on the 20th to discuss this and we need to show our city officials that we are organized and strong in numbers and that we are horrified by the city’s deteriorating quality of life.
Please show your concern by attending WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th because it’s tough as hell to swim in empty pools.
If you have suggestions for speakers, activities or want to help organize please contact:
Heather Haynes — Darren O’Donnell — Lisa Pijuan-Nomura
12 comments
1) I wouldn’t call a swimming pool an “essential service”. Somewhere along the way, this term has been “watered down”. It’s a heck of a nice service that I wouldn’t want to see closed down though.
2) Even though the LTT will not affect me directly, it’s still a bad idea. Why tax a very small part of the population in a HUGE way for the benefit of everyone else? Why punish people for trying to buy a home in Toronto? I’d rather see a property tax increase (which I would have to pay) than a new LTT (which I would not have to pay).
The city has obvious financial problems, but they don’t seem to be coming up with the wisest solutions.
Yes, the city is bucked up, sometimes through no fault of its own…
So why does this rally not mention supporting the vehicle registration tax?
Why should buyers be paying a sales tax and not the sellers who usually have made quite a few thousands on the inflation in Toronto housing, often tax-free?
And to harp on a theme, if we could save maybe $400M on putting two waterfront transport projects into one, why can’t we explore it after four years of wondering where are the transit options to the Front St. Extension, like say GO? Miller, Bussins, Pantalone, Giambrone – they seem to support the Etobicarians inalienable right to drive SOVs downtown and gift them $250M to do so – and ignoring the harms to two transit systems this road entails.
Ah, Caronto!
where we can’t charge the cars!
Hamish, I think the reason they’re focusing on the LTT is that the VRF is widely accepted — even councillors like Karen Stintz have been on the record supporting it.
I hope people turn out for this demonstration because I’ve heard that later in the week the real estate lobby will be out for their own rally opposing the LTT. And, without a doubt, the real estate agents will be there with the same lies that they’ve been pushing since day one because they just don’t seem to understand that Torontonians want a city with strong public services and public infrastructure.
“they just don’t seem to understand that Torontonians want a city with strong public services and public infrastructure.” Paid for by whom?
Well Jim, the taxpayer, of course. Exactly who paid for them in the first place, and how this city became great — and who still pays for them now, but our financial relationship with the province and etc has been messed with.
If you don’t like living in a city with a long tradition of strong publicly funded services and infrastructer, why not move to a city without that, or an American one like Phoenix or Houston, and see how you enjoy it? Maybe you’ll love it.
Paid for by the people and businesses of Toronto. Who else would pay for it? It’s not like there’s a money fairy that sprinkles loonies all over town (only on cricket pitches.)
Hey Everybody,
we’re just throwing this together because it’s urgent. none of us have ever done this before. 🙂
so:
the empty swimming pool is a metaphor. it’s a nice image. we’re artists. obviously swimming is not at the top of the list.
i simply forgot to include the motor vehicle thing in the email. whoops. but yes to that too. 🙂
hope to see you there.
Darren
I am happy to pay more property taxes.
Real estate agents are overpaid in the internet age.
sorry, I too am happy to pay greater realty taxes. I just am not sure that we should be taxing new home buyers to pay for the infrastructure – if you buy a home, you pay. many will be paying the tax plus interest over many years (as part of their mortgage).
the buyer pays the tax. the vendor pays the real estate commission (if the vendor wants to use one in the internet age).
Great to see artists getting organized and understanding the financial realities that the city faces.
But what a mixed, muddled message this rally has put forward. Don’t Cut Our Services! We support the LTT!
Just say you support the taxes and that implies you support strong services.
Jim –> First home buyers are EXEMPT from paying the LTT. This is one of the lies the Real Estate Agents lobby is circulating.
perhaps too late to respond to Luis, but, mixed, muddled message. please. who doesn’t understand how those are linked? sure, you can just say support the taxes but why… ? because we like our services. it’s easy. it’s not muddled.