A Candidate from your community

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Originally uploaded by mister anchovy.

One point I stressed tonight that I want to stress again here, is that I have lived in this community for over 20 years. My wife Barbara and I have raised our son here. We've seen the infrastucture in our community deteriorate. Your issues are my issues too. I'll fight for the interests of the residents and businesses in this community.

Great Crowd out for All-Candidates Meeting

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Originally uploaded by mister anchovy.

I want to thank the Mount Dennis Resident's Association for holding the all-candidates meeting tonight in the Legion on Weston Rd. I also want to thank my supporters for coming out. I'm very confident I gained some new supporters tonight as well.

The questions were good tonight - I think the audience was able to learn quite a bit more about all the candidates. If any of you have further questions, you are welcome to give me a call. I'd be happy to discuss the issues with you. You can reach me at (416) 799-6866.

As we get closer to the election, I want to urge you all once again to get informed, get involved and get out to vote.

Come out to the all-candidates meeting Wednesday

There will be an all-candidates meeting for Ward 11 City Councillor and School Board Trustee candidates on Wednesday, November 1, 2006, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., at the Mount Dennis Legion Hall (1050 Weston Road - west side south of Eglinton).

I urge residents to come out to this meeting. You will have an opportunity to hear the candidates speak and to ask questions. I hope to see you there!

Why Vote?

“Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.” George Bernard Shaw

In the last municipal election in 2003, out of 38,749 eligible voters only 12,591 actually voted for councillor in Ward 11!

Why should you vote?

• If you don't vote, someone else does, and you are stuck with that person's choice.

• Every vote counts. Look at how a minority of the eligible voters actually chose your councillor last time.

• It is the way to future change. Our neighbourhood is one of the top l3 most disadvantaged of 140 Toronto neighbourhoods. You vote to select the councillor who will insist that our neighbourhood receive the community investment it deserves. You vote to select a councillor strong enough to speak out against further damage to the community (e.g. excessive train traffic).

• You vote to prove that you don’t take the democratic process for granted.

Voting is simple. You will receive a card by mail that tells you the address of the polling station where you vote. The polling station is a convenient spot in your neighbourhood; so you won’t have to go far.

Polls are open from l0AM till 8PM on election day, November 13. When you arrive at the polling station building on that date, there will be someone at the door to greet you and to tell you which table to check in at. At the table, your name will be checked off a list and you will be given a voting ballot and a secrecy folder and directed to a private area where you will mark your ballot.

You mark your ballot by connecting the head and tail of the arrow next to the candidate of your choice. You then place your marked ballot in the secrecy folder and give it back to the person at the table who is collecting them and who will insert the ballot into the tabulator without looking at it.

It’s that simple.

Support continues to grow

I have been receiving a great deal of positive response from residents of Ward 11 who appreciate that I've lived in the Ward for a long time - I face the same issues in our neighbourhoods as you do, and I know we can make the improvements in our community that we all want to see. Our support is growing, and our team is growing too. I will continue to canvass as much as possible in the coming weeks. I want to thank all those who have already pledged your support, and as well as those who would like lawn signs.

If you would like a lawn sign, please email me or phone (416) 799-6866.

I hope to meet you on your street soon.

Voting FAQ

Recently, a number of people have been asking me questions about how, when and where to vote, as well as about opportunities to vote in advance of November 13. This post is linked to a very good Frequently Asked Questions site provide by the city. If you have questions this site does not answer, please give me a call at (416) 799-6866, and I will make sure you get the info you need to participate in this election.

I urge all eligible voters to be sure to vote in this municipal election. This is your opportunity to vote for positive change in Ward 11.

Revitalizing Ward 11 - A new way of working together

At this time, I would like to make some comments about my approach to revitalization in Ward 11.

The Strong Neighbourhoods Report will be the roadmap for revitalization.

We need to develop a four to five year plan for the ward, and as well, we need to identify some improvements that can be made quickly.

I intend to create working groups that include residents, community groups, business improvement areas, business representatives, city staff and additional professional resources as required. Our plans will fit within the City’s overall revitalization plans, and meet the needs of the people and businesses who live and work in Ward 11.

Regular communication will be provided through the Councillor’s office. Everyone will have the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process. This community-based approach will create effective change and build strong working relationships within the ward.

Isn’t it time you had your say? I welcome your comments, either on the blog or by email.

Coming to your street soon

Some of you will have already met people from my canvassing team. Thanks everyone!

The Problem of Crime in Our Community

Toronto’s Chief of Police William Blair has said, “Working proactively to prevent crime is the most effective way to provide citizens with safe and secure neighbourhoods.”

As I have been visiting neighbourhoods throughout our ward over the summer, I have heard concerns from citizens about crime. First, it is important that residents in our ward understand the areas in which Council can and cannot drive improvement:

- Council does not have the power to define what a crime is or to set jail terms or other penalties.
- Council does have authority over policing; however, this authority must comply with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
- Council can generate increased visible community policing in Ward 11.
- Council can fully implement the Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy. Improving infrastructure will have a positive effect

The Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy Staff Report, adopted by Toronto City Council in 2005, stated:
"Persistently low incomes and a widening income gap between the rich and the poor in many communities threaten the social cohesiveness that has marked the success of the city. Some neighbourhoods have experienced increasing levels of gun violence and criminal gang involvement resulting in city-wide concerns about community safety. An unequal distribution of services and facilities has left some neighbourhoods less well-equipped to deal with the social challenges they face.”

Unfortunately, Weston – Mount Dennis has been identified as being in the top 13 of 140 disadvantaged neighbourhoods. It is time Ward 11 received a higher share of funds for infrastructure improvement. As Councillor, I will be speaking up, advocating the ward be equipped with the necessary infrastructure to meet the critical needs in our community.

I will also do everything I can to support Business Improvement Areas. There are currently two active Business Improvement Areas in Ward 11, the Weston Village BIA and the newly formed Mount Dennis BIA. I know that the Weston group has done much to protect and improve the business appearance of the Weston area and to promote community activities. We should not rely on the Business Improvement Areas exclusively though, to revitalize our neighbourhoods. We need increased City dollars working toward the revitalization of our infrastructure as soon as possible.

What about video surveillance?

I see merit in limited video surveillance – provided that police follow the guidelines set out by the Ontario Privacy Commissioner that balance the goals of surveillance against citizens’ right to privacy.


More Visible Policing

Ward 11 straddles two police divisions, 31 and 12. I have been to these Divisions and I am impressed by the positive efforts of our police. As Councillor, I will advocate increased visible community policing – more officers on the streets in our neighbourhoods. Some people have asked me what I think of the “Guardian Angels” in our city. I believe we have an excellent, committed police force. They do not need a parallel group dealing with their responsibility using possibly conflicting strategies. This will only complicate their job and make it more difficult. We don’t need groups like Guardian Angels working in Toronto.


The Solution

It is not enough to stigmatize Weston-Mt. Dennis by recognizing that we lack the infrastructure to combat crime. As Councillor, I will advocate that additional funding be applied to support visible community policing in our ward, and sustained ward neighbourhood improvement solutions.

Finding ways to reduce costs

Applying a Business Model to the City

There are opportunities to reduce costs by conducting an internal analysis of the work processes in each department. In business this is often called an Activity Value Analysis. My experience tells me that applying this approach in Toronto will reveal natural opportunities for the City to operate more efficiently.

What is zero-based budgeting and how does it work?

Zero-based budgeting is a method of budgeting where all spending must be justified for a given period – rather than starting with the same budget as the previous period and only explaining requests for additional funds. In other words the base for the budget is zero, and departments have to demonstrate why funding for their area will lead to achieving the business goals. I have worked with zero-based budgeting successfully many times.

Should we contract out work in our Ward?

Each situation must be weighed on its own merits. I support the continuation of contracted garbage pick-up in our Ward. At the same time, when a situation arises where in-house work by our unionized employees is the best choice, I will speak out for that choice as well. For those who don’t know, I have successfully managed major projects in my career, working with a very large and strong union, building productive relationships.

Where should we direct the savings?

The savings generated by taking a business-like approach to budgeting can help us avoid tax hikes in the future. They can also help us fund the infrastructure improvements we need to achieve the goals set out in the Strong Neighbourhoods Report I recently wrote about on this blog.

We need to take a more business-like approach to City government. I have the skills and experience to make this happen – to make positive change in Ward 11.