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The average detached house price in Toronto (Ontario's capital) is well over $600,000. So in effect Ontario taxpayers are massively subsidizing Toronto's real-estate bubble.
Move all Ontario government operations out of Toronto (the faster the better). Then Ontario government employees could live much more cheaply (a 30% pay cut would be fair). This would benefit the Canadian economy because real-estate bubbles are completely wasteful and anti-productive (and inevitably collapse the economy). Ontario taxpayers would obviously get much lower taxes and deficits while sustaining affordable services. Other Ontario cities would get great jobs, and boosts to property values and tax revenue. Even Ontario bureaucrats would get a windfall by selling their hyperinflated houses (then relocating).
The people most opposed: Toronto real-estate speculators and Toronto's banksters who profit by inflating Toronto real-estate bubbles.
I swear to God... Relocating the massive Ontario bureaucracy (bloated by the Libs) out of Toronto will become a big BIG issue !!!!!
First a question! Why was Mr Drummond directed, by our government, to not comment in his report on the savings that would occur if Ontario move to one publicly funded school system?
My guess is that they do not want the public to be aware of the savings that would be available! The number of 1 billion was mentioned in an ealier post, I would suggest that estimate is quite low. Before we start cutting health care, early learning programs, environmental issues, infrastructure etc..... The province (Ontario) has to look at moving to one publicly funded system that provides quality education in French and English as is the case in most of the 9 other provinces (ie Manatoba, Quebec, Newfoundland ) The Province needs to move its education system into the 21st century and eliminate the bias created by funding one religon.
There is a 4:1 ratio for every dollar MPP's put towards their pension. Outrageous! That is for every dollar an MPP puts in his pension plan four dollars from us taxpayers also go there. I say get rid of that make it fair for everyone.
Also on top of the government's outrageous number of holidays they 'suffer' or sneak as it were, they average 13 sick days while everyone in the private sector maybe, maybe, is allowed 5 or 10 but their average is 13. If I had 13 sick days, I'm pretty sure I'd be recovering in the Caribbean too. But with all their holidays how do they still manage so many sick days? eh? The government is like a spoiled kid in a room full of candy with no one to watch.
When will our government become responsible and lead rather than impose hardships on everyone else first?
Definitely spending needs to be addressed. Cap salaries for senior executive bureaucratic and political positions. Curtail expensive committees and studies, and set a cap on the cost of any study. go back to 1/2 day kinder garden, and use the extra space in schools for a 'for-profit' day care and after school care program.
Rationalize all holidays to make most school semesters full 5 day weeks, smaller holiday breaks, no March break and implement for profit day care for all PD, holiday and breaks during the school year. Use schools for for profit programs during the summer.
Implement regional nursing and electronic drug refills, utilize more nursing care, home care and cap hospital salaries for senior admin and doctors and other high paid staff. Do away with paid parking at hospitals.
Increase taxes with a flat tax on everyone, 1% increase to HST, luxury item tax on big cars, houses and toys or other items. Increase tax on cigarettes and alcohol. Roll back corporate tax breaks and setup a simpler tax regime for business. Do more services on-line and offer more bulk or extended period fee options at reduced rates (hunting, licenses, registrations, etc.)
Recover costs for any services where the individual or business is either at fault or has requested without need the service. This includes costs for damage, or inspections or revisits due to lack of compliance, etc.
Reorganize the police services, use smaller cheaper and more efficient vehicles everywhere in the province, use photo cameras, electronic data capture instead of chasing people, and make all delinquencies for fines, tickets, court costs, taxes etc., all collectible on any renewal of any service including a hospital visit.
Provide services as and where needed when requests justify it. Have people schedule a service for a period when the provider will be there so a full day or week of service is provided and the agent moved on to the next place.
Sell and downsize government buildings where possible, or utilize the space for for profit services.
Improve services where there is a cost benefit, and customize taxes or tariffs to influence people to use the services, like tolls in large cities for cars during peak hours, higher parking fees, cheaper bus and transit fees, bulk passes for one or more persons with electronic cards and refillable transit accounts. Make the transit cards work for all public transit in all cities, Go trains, buses etc. with the same card. Allow negative balances on the card for a single use. Free transit for children under 10 and 50% for seniors over 70 and disabled.
End all labour stoppages and make settlement agreements mandatory by the end of any prior contract. Require binding arbitration if necessary. Make all salary increases equal the cost of living for everyone including senior exec, politicians, etc. for 5 years.
Develop made in Ontario industry especially if it for use in Ontario, and build the Ontario tourism and other income generating sectors.
Encourage immigration and business development in Ontario.
Get rid of office supplies, pens, etc. (one person, one pen, one note pad) if they need others they buy them or use scrap paper pads) it is reasonable that a person comes to work in a pair of shoes and just as reasonable they have their own pen and paper.
Ban the use of charter flights, limos or any service more expensive then that which is offered through commercial regular services.
There are so many more so setup a suggestion box so the employees can send in ideas and then implement the ideas with a thank you the person suggesting it.
Get rid of all the tax cuts. Governments in Canada have been cutting public revenues like drunken sailors - often just to buy votes with tax dollars. $12 billion in tax cuts just from the Harris days. Wonder why we have deficits and can't seem to make much progress addressing glaring social problems like hunger, child poverty and frail elder care? Because we've given away huge public revenues. Drummond may find some efficiencies - but the essential problem is on the revenue side.
There should only be one school system publicly funded!
The administration of the cathloic school system is costly and redundant!
Adminstrators are paid double what an average teacher earns and adds no value to the childrens education, duplicating adminstrations with two school systems does not benefit our society at all.
Government wages, their perks, pensions policies and layoffs is my biggest pet-peeve; one school system, school bus system, school boards, teachers and their pensions, social services, tuition grant for under $160,000.-, should be $ 70, 000.- indeed! Too many public servants on all levels! Work in private childcare-you make $ 13 to 15. Work for the county as a bedmaker in a long term care facility you make$19.-!?. What is wrong with this picture! Teachers making $ 80.000,- a year, and off 12 weeks a year! I strongly believe that anything paid for by the Canadian taxpayer should be scrutinized and cut when necessary; I love the Don Drummond report for that reason. He is not only sensible but very creative. Will he offend people with the cuts? Sure! But like the Caterpillar lay offs-we can't go on like nothing is wrong. The unions are not really doing the economy a favour and people are overpaid. On public service level as well as corporation level. More companies will follow Caterpillar and more cuts will come from the government. Will the execution be fair? Who knows...I think children, patients, elderly, natives, students, athletes, disabled people etc will suffer before public servants stop feeling entitled to their ridiculous salaries and their perks! Just the thought of MPP salaries and their pensions make me sick to my stomach...
Eliminate all-day kindergarten! Kindergarten was originally intended to be optional, because it was recognized that 5 years old is still very young for children to be away from their families. The trend towards the normalization of institutional care for very young children in this country is very troubling. It isn't boding well for Sweden, which after 30 + years of institutional care for very young children has seen social ills, including domestic crime rates, skyrocket in recent years. We should be finding ways of helping loving families afford to keep their very young children close to them, not facilitating their separation.
cut out the FIT program wind and solar are a waste of money paying 80 cents a kwh when nukes can produce it for 4-5 cents and around 97 percent effencieny compared to 20 -30 for wind and solar
Government wages and their pensions and layoff policies. I always here about voting themselves raises and how beautiful their pensions and layoff packages are, it's rediculous. I don't hear them sacrificing their wages (I'd imagine they'd put up quite a fuss and, of course, they would vote against it). If they reduced their hourly rate by $1 dollar and reduced their pensions and the number of MPP's in office you ... WE would save millions in tax dollars every year.
politicians & teacher wages and pensions
We need to streamline health care to make it actually work for Ontario. Not cut it. It doesn't work properly now, cuts would make it worse. Cut infrastructure, too many government employees and executives! Cut all government wages especially the execs. Cut the all day kindergarten program. It is not a necessary expense. Every dollar spent by the McGuinty government should be accounted for and certainly should not be spent foolishly anymore. Also make certain drugs available to the public over the counter. Drugs for pink eye for one. There is no need to have to go to the doctor for pink eye. Why can't we get some medications over the counter at the pharmacy without going to the doctors every single time, for every single stupid little thing. Even to have a prescription renewed we have to go to the doctors, so they can claim yet another visit. And cancel that ridiculous tuition grant program of McGuity's for university students whose parents make up to $160,000 a year. If they cannot pay for their kids to go to university with those kind of wages, then no one can. This program should be for families that make a maximum (combined) of $70,000 a year and less. That is called the less fortunate families in my mind.
The Landlord Tenant Board
FAT CATS who get these plush Jobs that are strictly politically appointed
These Jobs are for Lawyers/Party Supporters/and Unemployed-Buddies/or Friends of Friends who can not make it in the real world
Audit What Is Spent To what it resolves, Including these Lavish Real estate RENTALS for these plush offices
Retail Sales Tax
Employees making $35.00 hour to answer a phone
CEOS
Making $195k for a 50 Bed Hospital with $1Million in Salaries for his Senior Management/Supervisory Team
SCHOOL BOARDS
Look into Bill Davis and Cardinal Carters Back door deal ON SCHOOL BOARD FUNDING
Look into the BLUNDERS of past Government failure to provide Nursing Homes for the elderly that are plugging up the acute care Hospital Beds (THE ELDERLY ARE NOT GOING AWAY)
Improve efficiencies in the healthcare system instead of cutting service. Increase the number of family physicians so fewer people burden the system with expensive ER visits. If so many applicants to medical school are qualified, why not let more in? Also cap the salaries of specialists. I have a friend out of residency starting at almost $500K per year. This is ridiculous! Something has got to be done.
Eliminate public funding of Catholic schools and just have one school system. it would save a billion dollars annually!