Monday, October 29, 2012

Hijacking Democracy Ontario Style

Political Parties 






Will it take a judge from a USA court to convenience Ontarians, Canadians and media outlets that shutting down our Ontario Legislature and thus democracy by Dalton McGuinty is an uncompromising personal act of oppression against the electorate? 


In my humble opinion a contemptuous act that breached the standards of responsibility and ethical-political moral conduct demanded of the office of Premier! 


To date, this Premier's shutting down of the legislature has further lacked any appearances of transparency in democracy or government and remains unchallenged legally by any political party, judge, law firm, corporation, union, lawyer or news media outlet on behalf of the residents of Ontario?


Do we no longer have lawyers, judges, law firms or media corporations that care enough about democracy and the rule of law or have an ethical and moral fibre necessary to ensure that Breach of Trust charges are at least commenced against McGuinty, his fellow liberal members of the now-defunct legislature and the liberal party of Ontario?

Also and unfortunately McGuinty’s intransigent and self-serving political actions went unopposed without a whimper when endorsed by the Honourable David Onley the so-called peoples Lieutenant Governor?  


Why is that the leaders of the NDP or the Conservatives political parties of Ontario continue to only make unrealistic or enforceable notices of motions as opposed to concrete legal actions in moving to the courts for legal demands that the Ontario Legislature be dissolved and that Dalton McGuinty and his liberal party members all be charged with Breach of Trust?


When political parties suspend the democratic process through shutting down Provincial Legislatures or the House of Commons they have effectively suspended civil liberties of both elected representatives and the public.


The bypassing of democracy in such a manner by a leader of any political party, federal or provincial in nature, before having such a closure come to a democratic vote by all elected representatives should be unconstitutional and a criminal offence in any transparent and honest form of democracy in the people's opinion.

However in Ontario it now sure feels, looks, walks and works as if all the so-called moguls be they media, political, business, unionists, legalistic, judicial or whatever all cover-up for each other's intransigent characteristics at the direct expense of democracy itself in my humble opinion as a mere mortal.


UPDATES:

Hi Peter:

I read the article.  This is an unfair interpretation of the prorogation of the Legislature which is a legal process and lies within our parliamentary tradition. Previous governments in Ontario have done it before – it is not a new and unprecedented action on the part of this Liberal Government.

Regards,

Name Blanked Out by Peter Clarke. 
____________________________________
MPP  

Find me on Facebook:  
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www.onmpp.ca


Thanks, Name Blanked Out, 

I appreciate your position and thoughts about leaders of a political party presently having the legislative process, questionable as it is for democracy when used, and the fact that it has been allowed by all political parties to remain as a parliamentary tradition does not make it a morally or ethically correct. 

The former war measures act was also a parliamentary tradition that was also not politically morally or ethically right and was subsequently changed after public awareness and democracy concerns.
 
I agree with you though that this is not the only unprecedented political action that the present provincial minority liberal government has taken under the party's leader Dalton McGuinty.

We both shall have to wait for the decision of the electorate on allowing any future governments and political party leaders of having the public's endorsement or non-endorsement for any governments continued use of prorogation procedures in the people’s legislature as opposed to the present political party's legislature. 

My strong belief about democracy is that individuals are elected by the voters to represent the voters first and then that candidates own affiliated political party. 

However today 99% of these political party candidates seek elected office primarily as puppet votes for the political party banner that they run under and to heck with democracy and the voters who actually elect them into public office and not a party office that in reality represents a membership of less than 1% of eligible voters and any given time.

Warmest regards,

Peter.


Contact your Provincial MPP @ 


A brief history of Ontario’s dysfunctional Governments 
















Sunday, October 28, 2012

The People Need Only Look at Ontario to Find Democratic Rot.





One does not have to look solely in Ottawa to find democratic rot as it is alive, rampant and flourishing here in the Ontario legislature.

McGuinty's uncompromising discontinuation of the People’s Legislature for oppressive political party purposes is an outright Breach of Trust.

A contemptuous act breaching standards of responsibility and conduct demanded of the office that represented a serious and a marked departure from the standards expected in his elected position of public trust.

He intentionally used the office for purposes other than the public good for an oppressive purpose.

McGuinty along with his fellow elected liberal party members and the political party he leads should all face criminal charges in my opinion.

The Honourable David Onley, the so-called peoples LG, should immediately recall the Ontario legislature and ask one of the other political parties or their members to form a government, 

As Lieutenant Governor David definitely has the moral and ethical authority, along with a constitutional one, to show leadership by acting on behalf of democracy.

And most importantly the people are behind him to ensure that the will of the electorate be respected now that the minority government has lost the support of the Legislature and the electorate. 

The law requires our lieutenant governor to ensure that there is a functioning legislative government is in place or otherwise call an election forthwith.   




Saturday, October 27, 2012

Residential Property Taxes Discriminate Against and Soak Toronto's Middle Class.






Why should one property owner pay more for city services when all properties receive the same level of Toronto City services?

The value of a property for tax purposes does NOT increase the level of services that the individual property owners receive for water, sewage, police services, fire services, sidewalks, storm sewers, garbage collection, library services, social services etc for paying said grossly inflated property taxes based on property evaluation.

The arbitrary bureaucracy of the MPAC assessed value of residential properties by attempting to ensure that residential property values are fairly relative to one another should have nothing to do with the taxing process for municipal services.

All residential properties, regardless of such market values, receive the exact same level of municipal services no matter what any such perceived value might be. Residential property taxes should be an equal amount for all residents across the city as are the services provided and received.

All property owners pay for their respective use of electricity, water, gas and receive the identical municipal services no matter what the value the property has been given! Why then should a property valued at a higher value than another property and yet receiving the exact same city services have to pay higher taxes for identical services received by the lower valued property?

This present system of a so-called level property assessment value is a myth and in reality, has nothing to do with increased municipal services and everything to do with current unleveled municipal tax system using assessed real-estate values on varying sizes of residential, condo and business properties.

The city's residential property taxes should be an equal amount for all residents regardless of any arbitrary property values set by MPAC.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Toronto’s Board of Health wants to License Hookah lounges and Ban Patio Smoking?



As a non-smoker myself, I disagree with the chair of Toronto’s public health committee, a political anti-tobacco activist's with a personal political agenda at the expense and rights to the fundamental freedoms of Torontonians.
Including freedom of assembly, association, and other means of communication as guaranteed under our Canadian charter of rights.
This committee on the one hand for purely political reason continues its attempts to appease anti-smoking groups a major growth industry that has accomplished all of the reasonable and rational measures which the science can support.
Then on the other for solely monetary reasons seeks to license water pipe hookah patios and lounges?
The city’s Board of Health should and must stick to the health and safety issues mandated by the province for which the city receives 100% reimbursement.

Until such time as the province of Ontario mandates that smoking be banned on all restaurant patios throughout the province it is a not a health issue but rather a political one.

 

While anti-smoking groups thanks to their political allies have become a growth lobbying industry they must continually keep up the political pressure for more draconian legislation that takes away the rights of their fellow citizens in order to obtain funding and thus keep their jobs.
Society is well aware of the enormous monetary and political pressures faced by public health units and scientists whose financing to a great extent are controlled in large part by eliminates by special interest groups, lobbyists and unelected bureaucrats.
Perhaps that is why we have recently and continue to witness the abuse of scientific integrity through an unfortunate generation of faulty and questionable scientific outcomes in a number of prevalent issues pertaining to the environment and health issues through mischievous statistical acts and findings.
Yes, smoking is harmful and so is the elimination of the individual’s fundamental freedoms of choice, association, and assembly by other means of communication.
Other Stories:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1278818--dimanno-toronto-s-choke-out-for-smokers-escalates


Saturday, October 20, 2012

McGuinty's Liberal Party Tosses Democracy for Secret Closed Door Deals with Unions.



Has it now become acceptable to lie and fool the voters in Ontario numerous times by political parties and their respective leaders who in reality all have a party membership of less than ONE % (1 %) of all eligible voters throughout this province!

You would hope that now Ontario residents might finally come to acknowledge that perhaps, in reality, there are no honourable and reliable political parties or career politicians who truly represent the voters or have the courage to stand up for democracy?  

Today it sure seems they all simply are puppet votes and peons for their political parties?

When political parties suspend the democratic process through shutting down Provincial Legislatures or the House of Commons they have effectively suspended civil liberties of both elected representatives and the public.



The bypassing of democracy in such a manner by a leader of a political party before having such a closure come to a democratic vote by all elected representatives should be unconstitutional in any transparent and honest form of democracy.


Unfortunately, such a process used in peacetimes, similar to the country’s previous war measures act has now become a standard practice by political parties and their leaders in attempts to cover up and not answer for their failed or questionable activities to the Canadian public in an open and transparent manner.


Why is that the leaders of the NDP or the Conservatives political parties of Ontario have not made any move to demand that the Ontario Legislature be dissolved?

 

 

The peoples Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, David Onley, has the constitutional ability along with a moral and ethical right to immediately ask one of these two political parties to form a government or dissolve this session of the Ontario Legislature outright and call a new election forthwith?


 


Where is the outcry from the media?

 

Why have special interest groups, lobbyists, Union leaders, Ontario’s Corporate executives along with all presently elected opposition representatives of from all political parties NOT demanded that the legislature be immediately recalled on behalf of the public and voters, they supposedly represent?

 

Why do they themselves now allow and endorse the eroding of Ontario's already a fragile democratic system of government and political parties?


 

Unions, Political Parties and Corporations all are equally guilty of the same behaviour of greed and power regardless of the cost to Free Markets, Democracy, and Citizens of Ontario.

 

It seems they all are far more concerned with self-serving salary, benefit and pension entitlements, power and profits as opposed to an honest days work by doing their jobs on behalf of all Ontarians, Union members, the Economy or The country as a whole?

 

A brief history of Ontario’s dysfunctional Governments 


Contact your Provincial MPP @ 



UPDATE 










Friday, October 19, 2012

Ontario Liberal Party Led by McGuinty Shut Down Democracy for Secret Closed Door Deals with Unions.




Fool or lie to the voters in Ontario once or twice, seems to be acceptable political practice here!



Perhaps a third time, even for Ontario residents, might finally mean that you’re out for good as a reliable political party or as honourable career politicians here in Ontario?  



When political parties suspend the democratic process through shutting down Provincial Legislatures or the House of Commons, they have effectively suspended civil liberties of both elected representatives and the public.

The bypassing of democracy in such a manner by a leader of a political party before having such a closure come to a democratic vote by all elected representatives should be unconstitutional in any transparent and honest form of democracy.

Unfortunately, such a process used in peacetimes, similar to the country’s previous war measures act has now become a standard practice by political parties and their leaders in attempts to cover up and not answer for their failed or questionable activities to the Canadian public in an open and transparent manner.

Why is that the leaders of the NDP or the Conservatives political parties of Ontario have not made any move to demand that the Ontario Legislature be dissolved?

 

The peoples Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, David Onley, has the constitutional ability along with a moral and ethical right to immediately ask one of these two political parties to form a government or dissolve this session of the Ontario Legislature outright and call a new election forthwith?

 

Why have the special interest groups, lobbyists, Union leaders, Ontario’s Corporate executives along with all elected sitting opposition representative of the voters and the media NOT demanded such a move on behalf of the public and the eroding democratic system of governments and political parties?

 

Unions, Political Parties and Corporations all are equally guilty of the same behaviour of greed and power regardless of the cost to Free Markets, Democracy, and  Citizens of Ontario.

 

It seems they all are far more concerned with self-serving salary, benefit and pension entitlements, power and profits as opposed to an honest day's work by doing their jobs on behalf of all Ontarians, Union members, the Economy or the Country as a whole?

 

A brief history of Ontario’s dysfunctional Governments 




Thursday, October 18, 2012

McGuinty's Liberals Shut Down Democracy, Similar to Former War Measures Act.





When political parties suspend the democratic process through shutting down Provincial Legislatures or the House of Commons they have effectively suspend civil liberties of both elected representatives and the public.

The bypassing of democracy in such a manner by a leader of a political party before having such a closure come to a democratic vote by all elected representatives should be unconstitutional in any transparent and honest form of democracy.

Unfortunately, such a process used in peacetimes, similar to the country’s previous war measures act has now become a standard practice by political parties and their leaders in attempts to cover up and not answer for their failed or questionable activities to the Canadian public in an open and transparent manner.

Why is that the leaders of the NDP or the Conservatives political parties of Ontario have not made any move to demand that the Ontario Legislature be dissolved?


The peoples Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, David Onley, has the constitutional ability along with a moral and ethical right to immediately ask one of these two political parties to form a government or dissolve this session of the Ontario Legislature outright and call a new election forthwith?

 

Why have the special interest groups, lobbyists and Union leaders along with all elected sitting opposition representative of the voters NOT demand such a move on behalf of the public and eroding the democratic system of governments and political parties?

 

It seems they all are far more concerned with self-serving salary and benefit entitlements, as opposed to honest days, work by doing their jobs on behalf of all Ontarians and Canadians?

 

Fool us once or twice but three times and your out for good as career politicians and political parties.

 

A brief history of Ontario’s dysfunctional Governments

Sunday, October 14, 2012

A Yield of 6 Billion Annually for a 1 % Transit Tax on Banks, Corporations and Unions, compared to 1.3 Billion for a 1% Sales Tax!







For the past 35 years Toronto politicians along with federal and provincial MP and MPP’s representing their political parties throughout the GTHA have not been able to come up with a meaningful and lasting funding arrangement for effective public transit.

For the media and special interest groups to suggest that Toronto’s property taxpayers on their own could, is totally unrealistic and a self-serving political agenda by a few career politicians and businesses who themselves cannot get their hands out of the public trough.

Asking Torontonians to suck-up yet another little new sales tax increase of 1%, that over the years would quickly become 5% or more, would not come close to the annual BILLIONS of dollars needed to fund any new subways, let alone LRT’s or the current infrastructure requirements for existing operations and never-ending fare and salary increases of the TTC, is scandalous. 

My proposed 1% Transit Tax on Banks, Unions, and Corporations Operating in Canada would generate $ 6 Billion annually for existing public transit in Canadian cities, including Toronto. 

Compared to the 1% Sales Tax on citizen being proposed by special interest groups and businesses that would yield $1.3 Billion yearly, road tolls of $ 1.5 Billion or parking levies for $1 Billion annually according to media reports.

This once again proposed Toronto sales tax, by special interest groups and businesses, for a 1% additional tax on the backs already overburden taxpayers would not at all come close to the annual funds currently needed just for the current infrastructure operations and maintenance requirements of the existing operations of the TTC, let alone any new subways, LRT’s and new and improved roads and highways. 
A Transit Tax of 1% on Banks, Unions and Corporations would Generate 100% more funding for public transit than a 1% Sales tax on citizens

Elected City officials, like councillor Adam Vaughan, who preach the need for more taxing power in order for the council to somehow be more responsible and grow the city is hogwash.

Toronto’s transit and overall fiscal crisis is the cause of chronic out of control spending habits and non-prudent councillors continued dereliction of duty on behalf of residents. It was not because of any perceived lack of or declining city revenues.

Prior to this city's new current administration, spending increased by 60% while inflation rose only by 23% over the same ten year period.

It has been obvious and the facts back it up that council has concerned itself over the years, not with transit matters or due diligence for the overall city fiscal responsibilities but rather with attempts at controlling the lives and habits of Torontonians.

With some 200,000 plus by-laws, regulations down to the level of what we eat, drink, French fries, no salt or shark fins or tails aimed at reducing and controlling personal choices and freedoms of individuals, corporations and union members alike.

And all of course for the collective good as decided by them and on the basis that some citizens lacked “self-control” and must not be allowed personal choices and freedoms of rugged individualism.     

History repeats itself and has shown us that arbitrary actions by elected councillors and governments that do not treat all taxpayers equally before the law are arrogant enough to take away anything from citizens, including fundamental individual democratic rights of freedoms, personal bank accounts, private or corporate property and businesses or everything you have, for what they might decide is the common good for all.

Councillor Vaughan’s further comment about development charges within city wards being solely for the benefit of local needs, as perceived by local councillors and not for distribution across the entire city to address the needs of Toronto as one city is narrow-minded at best.

The corporation of the City of Toronto does not need property tax increase over the rate of inflation and definitely not any new sales tax, road tolls, new development taxes etc.

However what is urgently required are these three following items:

1.   Councils inability and unwillingness to implement meaningful economic reforms, prudence and allocation of existing taxes involving pay as we go financing, zero-based budgeting, spending reductions and program eliminations starting with councillors salaries by $30,000 per year and elimination of existing one-year golden severance package of salary and benefits, go after tax evaders by corporations and citizens, reduction of staff positions and numbers and a reduced number of councillors in line with provincial and federal riding’s.

2.   A demand from the federal and provincial governments for a minimum of 25% of existing fuel, gas and diesel taxes for the GTHA public transit system.

3.   A 1% Corporate citizen transit tax (1% federal and 1% provincial) on gross revenues of all Canadian, federal, provincial, territorial and foreign corporations, Unions and Union federations registered and or carrying on business in Canada.(CUTT)

This is not the era of Queen Victoria and it’s now time that all our Canadian companies and unions doing business in Canada honestly and transparently become good corporate and union citizens organizations by willing to suck-up a small tax increase dedicated to public transit across Canada.
To this end it is also time that all GTH area elected provincial and federal members flexed their muscle and stood up on behalf of their residents and not their respective political parties and passed such a 1% Corporate and Union transit tax.

They as a group regardless of political parties represent 38% of the entire population of Canada and 47% of Ontario’s population in the GTHA.

As elected representatives of the people this group should be a combined voice of one, in supporting and pushing for a
meaningful and lasting funding proposal of existing public transit within Canadian cities through a 1% transit tax on both Corporations and Unions doing business in Canada.

1% transit tax levied on both Corporations and Unions as a meaningful and lasting funding proposal for existing public transit within Canadian cities by our federal and provincial governments.  

Voters across Toronto, the GTHA, Ontario and the rest of Canada have swallowed enough tax increases from all three levels of government.
 
It is now bailout time, for public transit, by our banks, financial institutions, media corporations, and unions, federations like (OFL, CLC, CEP, OPSEU, OSSTF etc) the likes of the Toronto Star and other incorporated entities to put up and pay up through a 1% transit tax levied on corporations (private and public) and union organizations including all union federations. 

Elected political party representatives at all three levels of government, for the most part, receive their financial backing from Corporations, Unions and Special Interest Groups. It's time they openly commenced being the representative of the public who voted them into office.  

Finally the time for a 1% public transit bailout tax on Corporations and Unions is now as it has been long overdue!


Corporate and union transit tax

Contact your Provincial MPP @ http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/members_current.do

Contact your Federal MP @ http://www.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?Language=E&TimePeriod=Current

Contact your Toronto city councillor  @ http://app.toronto.ca/im/council/councillors.jsp


INFO Up Date

TABLE 2.12 Summary of Medium-Term Outlook
($ Billions)
Revenue
Interim
2011–12
Plan
2012–13
Outlook

2013–14
2014–15

Taxation Revenue
75.2
78.8
81.1
84.7

Personal Income Tax
24.2
25.8
27.2
28.7

Sales Tax
20.9
21.1
22.1
23.3

Corporations Tax
9.4
10.8
10.2
10.5

Ontario Health Premium
2.9
3.1
3.3
3.4

Education Property Tax
5.6
5.6
5.7
5.7

All Other Taxes
12.2
12.4
12.6
13.1

Government of Canada
21.4
21.8
23.0
23.5

Income from Government Business Enterprises
4.4
4.1
4.4
5.3

Other Non-Tax Revenue
8.3
7.6
7.6
7.5

Total Revenue
109.3
112.2
116.1
121.



Proposed revenue possibilities are:

Revenue source
Nominal rate
GTHA annual revenue
Personal income tax increase
1%
$1.4 billion
Sales tax
1%
$1.3 billion
Property tax
1%
$90 million
Payroll tax
1%
$500 million
Highway tolls
10 cents/KM
$1.5 billion
Fuel tax
10 cents
$500 million
Vehicle tax
$100
$300 million
Parking levy
$365 per space
$1.08 billion
Land transfer tax
1%
$600 million
Development charges
$5,000 per unit
$200 million



PS. As you can see NO mention or thought of a 1% transit tax on banks, unions or corporation? 



Sources:
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/10/13/a-home-grown-solution-to-torontos-transit-funding-woes/