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EDITORIAL

Tenant activists hit campaign mode

May 5, 2003

It must be election year. The Federation of Metro Tenants Associations (FMTA) hosted its self-touted "big, All Party Debate on April 14, boasting as usual that it had packed the joint.

"Five years of unrealistic rent increases is enough," states a recent FMTA flyer. "Five years of people losing their homes due to evictions is enough. Five years of Government doing nothing to ensure that our homes are well maintained and that landlords treat tenants fairly is enough. Five years of this Rental Tribunal is enough."

But the too little the FMTA does for tenants should also be enough.

"It is time for tenants to be heard like never before at the ballot box," says the FMTA. "An election is looming. The FMTA’s newly named Tenant Action Committee is working for you."

How, some city tenants dare to ask?

Long on rhetoric, the FMTA promised a cast of hundreds at last year’s annual meeting. About 60 people showed up and most of them were federation employees and board members, city hall staff, a few politicians with their staff and the media.

According to the Federation flyer, "We have established a special link on our website for the election.

The City of Toronto (read local taxpayers) finances the FMTA website. It could be argued that money from the public purse should not really be used for politicking.

The Federation, which has tapped your councillors for over $300,000, is once again looking to the public for more money.

States the flyer: "Thanks to all who responded to our last request for donations. Your FMTA has resolved to make sure that the tenant voice is heard in the upcoming (provincial) election, and to do it, we need money for mailings, flyers, room rentals, etc. "

The etc. goes a long way for the FMTA, a major lobby group, now supported by councillors like Michael Walker and Olivia Chow--to the exclusion of all other tenant groups.

The laments from the leaders of the smaller, and by and large, more pro-tenant groups have fallen on deaf ears at council.

"The landlord lobby may be rich, but it’s small in numbers," states the latest FMTA flyer. "We tenants, on the otherhand, have the numbers. The last census showed there are over 600,000 tenant households in the GTA. A small donation from each can add up fast!"

In Toronto, an argument has long festered that the FMTA is more into politics than it is in tenant support.

It’s a municipal election year too, and councillors supported by the loud-speaking FMTA lobby would be the last to stand up to them.

Meanwhile, $300,000 from the public purse is a lot of money.