Roads, sidewalks and transportation services. To begin, what do you think are the most important issues facing our city in 2011, страница 114

115.  

Current mayor campaigned on finding gravy--there's plenty in police services.  It was a good move to have councillors have reduced budgets and tighten expense policies.  However, the disparity between union and non-union staff (wage freezes for latter group) is divisive.  Why can't wage freezes apply to union staff?   / Real estate--what's the long term plan for City staff in terms of employee count and space needs? Are there underutilized City buildings?  Is the City renting private office space instead of using its own spaces?  What real estate does not need to be held?   / Refund policies for strike periods-during garbage strike, there were payments to City community centres and other dept. that were affected by the strike i.e.. no programs ran for what was paid.  Time to get into 21st century and update the refund policy for payments held up during strikes in the future. / Toronto a la cart program-vendors who entered the program need to be given a financial break for having listened to and invested in that program.  Not a New York moment of varied foods but red tape and hassle.  Learn from the mistakes! What about BIAs that are banning food vendors i.e.. Bloor-Yorkville BIA?  Can council do something to salvage the affected vendors' businesses?   / Follow-up on outstanding road/sidewalk/utility cut issues-it's a shame that columns like the Fixer in the Star or Urban Decoder in Toronto Life have to exist to get action on old issues or dangerous conditions in the City.  Where is the departmental awareness of what is going on with its inventory of facilities?  Is there a current policy regarding utility cuts and timeliness of repairs?  It seems that Toronto has lanes blocked forever for construction.

116.  

Toronto Community Housing Corp. - they are negligent, and operate like slum lords, a majority of their properties are in serious need of repair

117.  

Try to maintain services that are going to be health and safety issues -- so water, roads, policing, fire, health services.  But get rid of programs that are more luxury items.

118.  

I urge Toronto's city council to put aside partisan, ideological and ultimately divisive political positions as they sit down to consider the future of the city's services. These positions cloud judgment on both the right and the left of council, and lead to decisions that are reactionary rather than considered and rational.  / There are efficiencies to be found; there's no doubt about it, and a responsive, responsible city council should find them; its their duty as elected representatives of the city of Toronto. / Similarly, there is tremendous value in services that the city offers, that while expensive, represent a significant investment in the city's future and prevent much greater expenses down the road. / The decisions that city council have to make over the next year will be difficult. Their effects will be felt for decades. Thus, it is critical that our elected officials act in a considered, mature and respectful way when approaching them. I remind councillors that they owe this to the citizens who they have been elected to represent - not just those in their own wards but in the city as a whole. They also owe this to the future generations of Torontonians who will either benefit or suffer based upon what is decided this year. 

119.  

The needs of residents are significantly varied from region to region, and one-size does not fit all.  Let's keep our city looking great with BIAs and parkland.  Reduce the number of traffic lanes on roads in the suburbs.  Let's get back to a Toronto that is people-friendly.

120.  

We pay taxes to collectively pool our resources so necessary services can be adequately funded, managed, and maintained. Privatization is not the answer for any of our services. We need higher taxes for corporations and businesses that can afford it (i.e. not small businesses). All drivers should pay more to combat environmental concerns and road damage. Cars should also be taxed based on their emissions and size to adequately respond with environmental services to compensate emissions, as well as road repair for larger vehicles that are rougher on our roads. The city is broke because we overtax home owners while refusing to make corporations and private enterprises pay the price to operate in our amazing city. A city is defined by the people who live here, and the Toronto must remember THE CITY IS NOT A BUSINESS! Services should by no means be cut. I will gladly pay more taxes to ensure these services are here to stay, and I hope the city forces businesses to pay more as well, since increasing property taxes means less money to spend at shops and businesses, so if they help carry the burden, they will see a return.  I'd rather see our politicians lose their inflated salaries than lose any public service. 

121.  

Put that car lane back on Jarvis Street - bicyclists should be able to use the Sherbourne path only two blocks east. /  / I'd pay 10% more in property taxes to support programs which would remove vagrants and pan handlers from the

downtown area  - Yonge Street, Bloor Street East & West, Lakeshore/Jarvis, Rosedale Valley Road etc,  

122.  

Public Transportation is the backbone of any functioning city.  It is MORE important than roads.

123.  

we probably need the Vehicle Registration Tax, and Road Tolls to help pay for our services

124.  

Enable people to live and work and shop and go to school in the their own neighbourhood-  / This would not only reduce traffic, but would lead to greater satisfaction in life for everyone.

125.  

On our street there are 3 or 4 houses that  are owned by the city and run like social housing.  In one of those houses the husband has a full time job at the Sun Newspaper, has recently purchased a car, received a city parking permit and the house is being rented (we believe) as if the women is a single mother of 4 children. 

They probably bring in more money in a year than the average person on this street. 

Fraud, just as this, need to be strenuously investigated, stopped and prosecuted.   One of the other homes is a 3 bedroom home with 2 people living in it - surely there is someone on a list with a larger family that is more needy of larger home.    The sense of entitlement has to stop, no one is guaranteed a job, or a home for life.   The City should be getting out of the property business.  TCHC should be rolled into a separate company, run by the private sector, with no additional funding from the

City.