The Joke's on us Torontonians, eh Mayor Miller?

Wow, he sure got us!! And his timing... Oh, it was so perfect, wasn't it?

Yeah, we've just come off of a horrible global economic crisis, there's a recession, people have lost their life savings, people are fighting to keep their jobs, fighting to keep their pensions, fighting to keep their homes, pay their mortgages, pay for the children, pay for their rising tuitions, land transfer tax, vehicle registration tax, plastic bag fees, smart energy meters, Harmonized Sales Tax... We are being beaten and beaten, and every time we try to get up, we get kicked back down..

Then, we're given a budget, a budget that has "cut out all of the fat", and still it requires a 4% property tax increase, increases in user fees that will directly impact our children and our families, day care cost increases, even hidden behind-the-back - hit Bell and Rogers for maintenance fees and they download it directly to the customer - taxes...

When we ask you for mercy in the Budget Review Deputations, you insult and condemn us, you tell us that the only way to not raise taxes and user fees, is to take away breakfast at schools for the children, or that we would have to cancel transit city so transit-dependant folks would be stranded.. You tell us you've done everything you can, and to have a great city, it's not going to be free.

Then, suddenly you announce that you will be making a huge announcement the next morning, and that everyone should be ready for it.

We get ready, you come out, and then you pull an, "Ah ha, the joke's on you!!" wink wink... "Yes, we told you that there was no money, but we were joking!!! Actually, we found an additional $104.8 Million, and now things won't be so bad! Things are actually great!!"

Yes yes, that was so funny Mayor Miller! Us Torontonians must look so stupid for having been put through this unjustified and unwarranted torture, this heart attack-worthy worry-fest, where people were literally crying because they could no longer afford their mortgages with these new tax increases... You are so, so funny Mayor Miller!! Good for you!

Well, at least we can now confirm that Miller's entire legacy here as the Mayor of Toronto, has all been a big joke at the expense of Torontonians..

So, who was in on it? Was Budget Chief Shelley Carroll part of the scheme? She was right there beside you, laughing away and aiding you with hand signals... Or what about the Deputy Mayor himself, Mr. Pantalone... I mean, I had expected to see him as the new Acting Toronto Mayor, because you were suppose to resign today... At least one good thing came out of your fake-resignation press conference.. The last thing we need is Torontonians getting use to seeing Pantalone in the role of Mayor..

Oh Mayor Miller...  You "joke-maker", you...if I may..

So joke-maker, what exactly was your REAL plan with this entire fiasco that you've put us all through? Was this the good old, shock 'em with over-the-top bad news, and then you come out with the real news -which is bad, but not as bad, and then we accept it happily, relieved that it could have been worse??? That is very Canadian though, isn't? With our, "well, what can you do" and our, "well, it could have been much worse".. We fall so easily into your trap every time, don't we?? Oh, us gullible and naive Torontonians, eh Mayor Miller? You've played us like a violin since day one, haven't you?

Well, I'm glad that our lives have been so much fun for you to play with, Mr. Miller. I hope the joke was worth it..

Moving on..

I find it pretty crazy that a city that has a surplus of $350 Million, can cry poor to it's citizens... We're paying so much money to this city, literally taking the shirts off of our backs and giving it to this city, and yet, there is a budget surplus of $350 Million???? What the hell is going on?

I mean, it's so insane that for some reason the Mayor thinks that we should expect Taxes and User Fees to rise on an annual basis. That we should expect the TTC to increase fares every year.. What did he say today, this new found money was going to prevent a TTC fare increase next year??? Didn't we just have a TTC fare increase?? But wait, it's not even certain anymore that there won't be a fare increase... Based on what he said today, the only way to avoid a fare increase is if there is a "modest" 3% property tax increase next year, and if McGuinty coughs up $250 Million by December, which he already said is impossible...

I think Miller just told us to expect a TTC fare increase next year, and also to expect another 3% property tax increase.. And guess what, we have a surplus of $350 Million!!

Yes, we get to pay a ridiculous amount of taxes, we get to pay even more next year, and we have a budget surplus of $350 Mil! What a legacy! What a way to treat the most under-appreciated, hardest working, highest tax revenue-generating Citizens in this country!

And what was even more hilarious than Mayor Miller's big joke, was the reasoning he gave for why there was an extra $104.8 Million surplus:

Cost Containment Measures...Is he joking?? Wage Constraint on Management and Front-Line Staff - He must be joking...

And did you hear Pantalone's comments after Miller's announcement today?

National Post:  Punk'd by David Miller

“I think it helps a lot, because he demonstrates the message that I’ve been saying that if it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” Mr. Pantalone said. “My message has been the system needs tweaking, pruning, tender loving care. It doesn’t need bashing, which is some of what my opponents are suggesting by selling the family furniture, contracting out everything, putting people out of work. That kind of dramatic change is not needed.”

Pantalone is definitely in the same magic fairy land where Miller and Shelley Carroll are residing.. If you didn't accept yet that Pantalone truly is a Mini-Miller, then I hope that you do now...

God, what a mess... Our city must be the butt of all jokes right now across Canada (I mean, aside from our Corrupt Justice System). We Torontonians carry the entire Province of Ontario and the entire Country of Canada on our backs with the taxes we pay, and yet we get snubbed by everyone, from the Federal Level, to the Provincial Level, and even at our own Municipal level... How did we become such suckers?

And to think I woke up this morning eagerly awaiting Mayor Miller's press conference, where he was going to resign early and take up some environmental post somewhere that wasn't in Toronto.. I slept so well last night... Unfortunately, there's no way that I'll sleep that well again tonight...

--jackandcokewithalime


(Image:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/David_miller_points_at_paper.jpg
Wikipedia Copyright: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en)