East York Observer Interview of John Richardson - October 27, 2006


By LAURA BRADLEY
Toronto-Danforth candidate John Richardson wants East Yorkers to take a greater interest in their community.
"It amazes me that, when it comes to city politics, the overwhelming majority of people don’t vote," he said. "I really want people to wise up and take control of [their community]."
Richardson has lived in Ward 29 since 1984. He has been involved in a number of small business ventures, one of which was as a small-scale landlord. He thinks the way tenants are taxed by the city is horrible and he’d like to see that changed.
"If I could achieve one thing it would be to get the tax differential changed," he said, "so people who have a lease…aren’t incorrectly taxed at the highest rate."
Coming from the vantage point of an independent, Richardson believes that candidates should not be dependent on major political parties for support and funding.
"We’re dealing with local issues, neighbourhood issues," he said. "I don’t really see how the organization of a political party working on a national level or provincial level has much to do with local politics."
Richardson said that East York residents have lost faith in city council, because of the amalgamation a few years back and also because there is no evidence that their votes are making a difference. He wants to start working for them.
"If elected, I wouldn’t see my vote as my vote, I would see it as the trustee of their vote and certainly hope that they’d be interested in telling me what they think that vote should be."

Elect John Richardson – Ward 29

Toronto is a fantastic city and a fantastic place to live. But, it will remain so only as long as the residents of this city retain control over their city government. As a long time Toronto resident, I sense citizens are becoming farther and farther removed from the decisions that affect their daily lives. I sense a city council that is becoming less respectful of and more distant from the taxpayers who pay their salaries.

Torontonians are so busy working to pay their bills, that they have neither the time nor the inclination, to become involved. One does not need Council experience to identify and exercise sound judgment. One does not need to be a member of a political party to participate in or to contribute to the city. Regrettably, many candidates are members of or are endorsed by mainstream parties. This means that their primary loyalty is to their party and not to the taxpayers in their ward. City Council is and should remain about independent thinking and independent candidates!
Torontonians want to be taxed fairly and to be receive value for the tax dollars that they pay.

Are Torontonians taxed fairly?

Let’s look at one example.

Approximately fifty percent of Toronto residents are renters (approximately fourty percent in ward 29). Yet, the City of Toronto has declared war on tenants. Did you know that rental buildings that have more than seven units are taxed at a punitive rate? If you are a tenant in a one bedroom apartment, your unit is taxed at approximately the same rate as many detached houses. Sure, your landlord pays the tax. But the landlord passes the tax on to you as part of your rent. The tenant culture has always blamed landlords for high rents. The city of Toronto is responsible for your high rents. Why should tenants (who have on average less money) pay higher property taxes than many home owners (who statistically have more money)? By the way, at various times in my life I have been a tenant, a home owner, a small landlord.

Here are the property tax rates for different kinds of property in Toronto.
http://www.toronto.ca/taxes/tax_rates.htm

For more information on this issue see:
http://www.ontariotenants.ca/taxes/toronto-property-taxes.phtml

Do Torontonians receive value for the tax dollars they pay?

The last municipal election was three years ago. I have a question for you:
Are you getting better value for your tax dollars than you were three years ago?

Elect John Richardson – Ward 29!

Meet John (meetjohn.html)
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