Cross-posted from Eye Daily.
When was the last time you heard of a protest to raise taxes?
Yesterday, Toronto artists took to Nathan Phillip’s Square for a rally in favour of the proposed land transfer and vehicle registration taxes that council will vote on in October. Their message: if you want a healthy, vibrant city, you gotta pay for it.
“Our mayor’s initiative to fix this broken structure immediately is Toronto’s only fiscally responsible option. We should all take to it like a duck to water!†said a shirtless Lief Harmsen wearing an inflatable duck-shaped pool toy around his waist. “Our city will be nothing if we support the politicians who try to duck responsibility!â€
Instead of lecturing the city about finding efficiencies or getting their financial house in order, speakers at the rally turned their attention towards the questionable tactics and claims of the Toronto Real Estate Board. Councillor Adam Vaughan told the crowd how the board warned him that if he didn’t vote against the new taxes, they would make sure he lost the next election. (Considering the former City TV reporter trounced the “NDP machine†in the last election, I don’t think he’s too worried.)
Harmsen argued that homeowners will still enjoy hefty profits when they sell their house if the new land transfer tax becomes a reality. “Real estate is sold at the highest price the market can bear. Land transfer tax cannot make a difference to what buyers can afford to pay in total. It can therefore only affect the seller’s capital gain,†he reasoned. “Your capital gain in this town has been fabulously gigantic if you’ve owned your home for a while…. Having a working, vibrant city is ultimately what gives land here real value.â€
Roy Mitchell, executive director of Trinity Square Video, got the crowd laughing with his performance of an over-the-top anti-tax advocate. “The city should focus on the big things, like the crystal and the lights on the CN Tower — things you can see from your cars,†he said. “Keep the Lion King going, but forget about the Tarragon Theatre, that’s just a spice.â€
After shedding his character at end of his speech, Mitchell asked those in attendance, “If we don’t invest in this city now, what will we have down the road?
Plans to continue to advocate for the new taxes — as well as provincial uploading — are in the works.
Photo by Jessica Wyman
