Changing Toronto with a single vote

October 18th, 2010

With less than one week to go, our message of changing the way we treat the tax payer, and changing the way we run the TTC is being heard loud and clear at the doors, with virtually everyone agreeing with our support of a one year tax freeze while we get our financial house in order and decide where we are taking Toronto over the next decade. This is not a notion that is supported by all of my fellow candidates, namely Mike Layton, who believes that we need to raise taxes to preserve city services. The simple fact is that, if we are smart with the way we spend tax payer money, we can not only preserve the services we enjoy, but we will be able to improve on city services for years to come.

As our six month door-to-door canvass of all 24,000 households in Ward 19 nears an end, a couple of key questions are been asked that I would like to share on this blog in the event you were not home when we were through your neighbourhood.

Q: Who are you supporting for mayor?

A: I am not supporting any of the mayoral candidates. This is primarily because none of the three frontrunners have publicly stated their plans for Ward 19. Supporting a candidate who has not shared plans that will directly affect the people who I will be serving is not a responsible move. As your city councillor, my responsibility is to represent your best interests at City Hall, and I am prepared to work with whichever candidate emerges as the winner, and immediately begin to forge a relationship with that mayor to get the best results for you in Ward 19.

Another reason is that it can often be dangerous to endorse or support a political candidate without first hand knowledge of his/her campaign practices. For example, Mr. Layton is endorsing public school trustee Chris Bolton. Earlier this month it was revealed in the Toronto Star that Ward 19 Public School Trustee incumbent Chris Bolton is under investigation for illegally campaigning after concerns were raised by parents who received his literature from their children who were sent home with material promoting his campaign by their school principal.

Q: Which political party do you represent?

A: I am not a member of any political party, but the McCormick Campaign is supported by the Liberal Party of Canada, as well as the Conservative Party of Canada.

Q: What are your plans for the TTC?

A: I believe we need to keep the TTC public. However, this is a business that is in serious need of repair dogged by unreliability and inefficiencies that run to the core of the operation. The business model is fatally flawed, and we need to examine ways to improve the decision making process at the highest level. This starts at the top of the food chain – at the TTC board of directors. Currently, the TTC board of directors consists of 9 positions, all of which are held by city councillors. This needs to change. We need to create a board built on resumes, not appointments. We need decision makers with resumes thick with transit experience – individuals with extensive backgrounds in transportation. The road to respectability at the TTC must begin at the top where good decisions can funnel down to the street level where patience is wearing dangerously thin.

This is a pivotal time in the history of our great city, and a pivotal election on October 25th. As your city councillor, I will be committed to changing the way we run Toronto. You have a say, and you can help change the way we run Toronto with a single vote. From all of us at the McCormick Campaign, thank you for your support.