OneToronto.ca ~ Toronto is our Home, don't TRASH TALK it!

http://onetoronto.ca/ ~ Toronto's our home -- don't trash talk it.

This municipal election has turned into an assault on our city based on myths, not facts. This video busts a few myths and celebrates Toronto for what it is: a great city to live in.
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Visit http://onetoronto.ca/ and join our page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/OneTorontoca/160160227330948
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Toronto's municipal elections has turned into a negative campaign based on a few key myths about our city. If you listen to some municipal candidates it would be natural to think city spending, taxes and finances are out of control. But the facts tell a different story. Lets look at those facts. Are city taxes out of control? Well let's look.. here is Oakville, Vaughan, Oshawa, Markham, Brampton, Mississauga, and look at this - Toronto (it's got the lowest residential property taxes in the GTA).
Is city spending out of control - hardly. Two-thirds of the city's spending is dedicated to transit and services that are at least partly mandated by higher levels of government. Mandated services can't be cut. Other services help make Toronto a livable city. Are city taxes out of control? Toronto's residential property tax rate is 0.6%, that's the lowest in the GTA and it is also lower than it was in 2005. Despite higher housing prices the average Toronto tax bill is the lowest in GTA. Per capita property taxes rose 1.8% per year between (2006-2009), keeping up with inflation.
So let's look at what we pay. Total personal income Per Person in Toronto is $38,549. Residential property tax and user fees amount to 3.7%. What do we gain? Less than 4% of personal income in Toronto goes to city property taxes and user fees. In return we get $3,500 per person worth of public transit, a beautiful waterfront, police services and other emergency help when we need it, water and sewage and so much more.
Are city finances out of control? Lets look, we got the federal government, its running a deficit, so is the provincial government. The city government isn't running a deficit at all. In fact Toronto ran a $355 million operating surplus in 2009. So let's break down Toronto's finances. Toronto has balanced operating budgets. It's got a AA1 credit rating. It has more assets than it has debt and that debt is only used to fund long term capital projects.
So is the city out of control? Well pricewaterhouseCoopers just rated Toronto the number one most livable city in the world.
We are ahead of Sydney,Stockholm,Paris,Frankfurt.
Toronto is rated the least risky global city for employment (among 90 cities in the World). Toronto has the third lowest crime severity in Canada. It is the third best place in North America to do business. Foreign policy magazine says Toronto is the fourth best cultural center in the world.And KPMG says Toronto has the fifth most most competitive taxes in the world.
Toronto is our home...don't TRASH TALK it.

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[cardboardhut]

You guys did a great job on this. Posted to Facebook!

[callumCGLP]

Great video. It's nice to see that there are still some sane people out there

[SuperSuperKman]

@smudboy dummy did you not listen to that video at all and you cant cut fund to the ttc and other necessary services so how do you make them lower you cut unnecessary services like recreation business improvement association's stuff like that get your god damn head out of the gutter and actually learn something about your city pal

[smudboy]

Fifth lowest taxes in GTA? So? Make them lower.



[obamaisfromkenya]

Right wingers will be complaining about spending even after they cut it all.. It's a never ending talking point for them that they never even back with facts.

[ishtapinks]

The candidates who are trying to dispute these facts are attempting to use FOX news tactics - that work wonders in the US. It's called fear mongering.

I've lived in Toronto all my life, I am an artist who pays property tax on my home. This city is more vibrant than it was when I was a kid and I'm happy to vote for a Mayor who is proud, instead of ashamed, of how good we have it here.

I'm voting for Joe Pants who shares my progressive vision, has 30 years of experience and no scandalous past.

[killa10102]

There are many sides to Toronto, and yes it's wonderful depending on which side you stand on. Trash talking Toronto started long before the current Mayoral race--as a matter of fact it's not trash talk, but the fact that the city's purse strings are tight perhaps due to services being downloaded from the province. What incenses me is not the taxes, but how they are being used. If our streets can't be repaved, why are libraries being gutted and rebuilt right now, and why redo city hall now?

[InuvikPhil]

Very nice! Always nice to see some sanity in a campaign. No need to tear things down when they're doing well overall

now just work on your homelessness problem...

[aylwinlo]

This is great, but would be stronger sans the 3D bar graphs, which obscure (and, some would argue, distort) the already-favourable data being presented. 

[waleedbleek]

Toronto is rated the least risky global city for employment (among 90 cities in the World). Toronto has the third lowest crime severity in Canada. It is the third best place in North America to do business. Foreign policy magazine says Toronto is the fourth best cultural center in the world.And KPMG says Toronto has the fifth most most competitive taxes in the world.

Toronto is our home...don't TRASH TALK it.

[waleedbleek]

I love TO! So is the city out of control? PricewaterhouseCoopers just rated Toronto the number one most livable city in the world. We are ahead of Sydney,Stockholm,Paris,Frankfu­rt. Waat waat.. TO 4 LIfe!