By Arthur Weinreb
Thursday, July 12, 2007
The Canadian Olympic Committee would like to see the city of Toronto bid on the 2020 or 2024 Summer Games. Toronto mayor David Miller is against the idea; believing that it is too soon after losing the 1996 and 2008 bids to Atlanta and Beijing respectively. Miller has a point. And the fact that the 2010 Winter Games will be held in Vancouver will probably work against a Canadian bid in the near future.
Perhaps Miller fears getting pregnant. We all remember former Montreal mayor Jean Drapeau telling his city's residents and the world that the 1976 Olympics that were to be held in Montreal could no more lose money than a man could have a baby. Years later, while Montrealers were still paying off the Olympic debt, cartoonists were still having fun drawing pictures of a very pregnant looking Drapeau. Just kidding; some people fear debt but not our boy David.
But if Toronto really does want the Olympics we better not wait too long. Mayor Miller and his cronies are quickly driving the city into the ground, especially with the new taxing powers that were given to the city mothers by Dalton McGuinty's government. The imposition of a new city land transfer tax as well as new taxes yet to come will eventually sees the exodus to the suburbs quicken.
Last April, rookie councilor Adam Vaughan proposed taxing people on the city's sidewalks. It's so nice to see new blood on council; David Miller and the rapidly aging Howard Moscoe could never have thought up that particular tax revenue tool. When Vaughan came up with the idea, it was hard to tell whether or not he was serious, even though he is a member of a council whose motto is "if it moves, tax it; if it refuses to move, subsidize it". The proposal made international news as a couple of talking heads on CNN made fun of not only Vaughan but of the once great city of Toronto. The best part of the segment was watching the two info babes chuckling away while knowing that they had no idea what Adam Vaughan did for a living before entering politics.
Well, according to Toronto Sun columnist Sue-Ann Levy, Vaughan's idea is definitely no joke and council is prepared to spend money (our money, not theirs) to study the idea.
Unfortunately this proposed sidewalk tax will be imposed on businesses and not individuals. Not every business will be taxed; only the successful ones. The tax will be placed upon nightclubs and theatres where patrons are required to line up on the city's sidewalks before entering their venue of choice. It is indeed unfortunate that individuals will not be taxed. We are missing a golden opportunity to tax the homeless who rather than line up on the sidewalks, live on them. If a homeless resident ever changes locations we could hit them with a loonie or two; sort of a homeless land transfer tax. And if they can't or don't want to pay the tax, perhaps they can hitch a ride out to the 905 area with one of the fleeing businesses or when the land transfer tax becomes a reality, fleeing homeowners. Taxing the homeless on the sidewalks would be great for their self esteem; it would put them into the mainstream, make them feel better about themselves. And isn't that what it's all about? It certainly isn't about getting them off the streets.
The sidewalk tax will also be great for discouraging tourism by forcing successful clubs and theatres to lose money and possibly go under. Tourism from the United States is already declining due to a combination of a higher Canadian dollar, high gasoline prices and increasing difficulty in crossing the border. What better way to get rid of more of former MP Carolyn Parrish's "bastards" than to tax the sidewalks that they come to loiter on?
All of which brings us back to the Olympics. The city could make a financial killing by taxing the sidewalks that visitors to the Olympics will hang around on while waiting to get into events. We could even require more tickets sold than available seats to force more people to remain on our revenue inducing sidewalks. And the best thing about this is that we will never have to worry about David Miller or any future mayor becoming pregnant and spawning more little socialists.
So let's forget the rational arguments and let's go for the Olympics. And tax those sidewalks. We have nothing to lose; the city is already an international joke.
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