Toronto Mayoral Race

[TheProfessor]

Alright, I know many members here live outside of the city of Toronto and as such cannot vote but I still wanted to see what everyone's thoughts were on the candidates.

I used to be a huge fan of David Miller but I just don't agree with his logic on some pretty important topics this term. For instance, he feels that to help ease congestion in this city surface transportation, and NOT the subway, need to be expanded/improved. I'm not quite sure where I stand on the issue of the Gardiner; on the one hand it's ugly as hell and I would like to see it go, but on the other hand won't that just add to the already congested lakeshore? If the plan is to build a new underground expressway where is that money going to come from?

Well, I could go on but I'd like to see what you guys think.

Go

[Broli]

money to build an underground expressway could come from contractors will to purchase the gardiiner land for condos

i hate the gardiner
but i am afraid of what traffic will be like while that rebuilding of it would go on!!

please let it me after i am done school!

lol

personally, overall i am a david miller supporter
but as usual, i will read a little before i vote and make my decision based upon that!

[TheProfessor]

Broli, I think the last thing we need on the Gardiner lands is more condo's. Toronto as a city really needs to redo the waterfront to help attract tourism. Also, keep in mind that right below the Gardiner is the Lakeshore, so you couldn't put condo's all along the land. There also wouldn't be room for parking required for the condo's if a highway were to exist underneath them, so I don't see that happening.

[Broli]

i am not saying we need more condos
but be sure that some condos will spring up, certianly not right on lakeshore
but they will pop up.

i heard once, that a contractor offered to build an underground under water expressway under the lake if they could have the rights to the land, i am not sure how true this is!

i agree, waterfront redevelopment would is key, i think we want the same thing man

however, i doubt we will see it!

[majic]

whoever takes a stab at this gets my vote

[TheProfessor]

whoever takes a stab at this gets my vote

That's pretty cool, but I highly doubt any of the current candidates have the guts to suggest something so brave.

[Broli]

that would be freakin sweet!!

[TheProfessor]

Oh yeah, some issues that I would like to see happen that are part of Jane Pitfields platform are:

- would make the TTC an essential service, thus prohibiting them from going on strike
- invest/extend the subway system

[Broli]

i dont take public transit

but they really need to work an integrated GTA transit system!

maybe not a toronto only issue, but the people are all coming into toronto to work

[sbmonkey]

The subways and buses during rush hours is like trying to squeeze into a sardine can that's already full. A lot of people also don't care to push you aside if you're a little slower than they are.

[Cardinal Fang]

Development charges for a construction project in the city of Toronto are the highest in Canada. The land cost in Toronto is one of the highest if not the highest in Canada. For a developer to buy any lands downtown would require a return on their investment enough to make it worth their while. The only way you can do that is through density. To sell the Gardiner lands to a developer and not expect them to build high density is a fallacy.

I’m sick and tired of hearing the current Council tell people “the Gardiner cuts people off from the Waterfront” while they allow all the condos at City Place to go up forming a 32 storey wall. For those of you playing along it’s called “sucking and blowing for political gain.” The mayor is only one vote on Council and while I don’t think David Miller has done a good job thus far his two other opponents have been awful in conveying their message to the public. Miller is ripe for the picking yet the other two clowns are about as charismatic to listen to as Barbara Hall.

Jane Pitfield spent the better part of an entire day arguing against the purchase of the landfill outside of London and when it came time to vote she voted with it. The City of Toronto needs to take care of it’s own trash not ship it elsewhere. European cities have been incinerating safely for over twenty years and producing energy as a by-product of it to boot. The fact that an honest debate about incineration cannot take place at Council because of the heavily dominated “left wingers” is proof that there is something wrong.

It’s my opinion that anyone with a “re-lect” logo on his or her campaigns should be booted out. It’s time to start a new. The people in those chairs have been there far too long to be effective and to have any creative solutions to the problems facing Toronto.