It's time for a change in York West

By Howard MoscoeFor nearly 20 years, Mario Sergio has represented York West in Queen's Park.The Liberal MPP was elected by a landslide in three straight provincial elections between 1995 and 2003, when he won by more than 12,000 votes.Since then, the Liberal vote in York West has begun to erode.In the 2007 election, the Liberal vote fell by 14 per cent and in 2011 it dropped a further 5 per cent in 2011 while in the same elections, the NDP Vote increased by 10 per cent and 7 per cent respectively.While electoral popularity across the province mostly depends upon how the electorate views the provincial campaigns and the provincial parties, in York West, a lot of the vote depends on the local candidates and the strength of their local campaigns.So what seems to account for the NDP upsurge in York West?  A lot of this is because of the work local Candidate Tom Rakocevic has done in the riding.Rakocevic, executive assistant to Toronto city councillor Anthony Perruzza has helped hundreds of people in York West solve their individual problems. He’s always out and about in the community.While many people may not be able to pronounce or remember his last name, almost everyone knows Tom.I‘m particularly impressed by the energy and youthful enthusiasm of his campaign and the tireless work that he and they have put out in the community. Most residents know him by sight and they should also remember his name when they go out to vote.Karlene Nation of the Progressive Conservatives, is an excellent candidate and as an on camera news reporter for CTV she has a high public profile.  She is the diversity producer for CTV news, and has won awards for herself and the network.  It’s too bad that the Tories can’t give her a better PC riding in which to run.  The PC party is virtually dead in this neighbourhood.  It has never, in recent memory, polled higher that 11 per cent, and likely never will. Most people here are working people.  They just don’t trust the Progressive Conservative Party.I checked out the shoe department in the Bay yesterday and I couldn’t find a single pair of shoes made in North America. When the conservatives talk about jobs, they mean dumping decent paying government and teaching jobs and exchanging them for minimum wage private sector jobs. This is not something that will benefit the voters in this riding.In my opinion, the Tories should find Nation a riding where she has half a chance to win, because she doesn't stand a chance in York West.Mario Sergio, the current MPP is past his best before date.  He was first elected to municipal politics in 1978. That’s 36 years ago.  I served on North York city council with him from 1978 to 1995 until he got promoted by the voters to warm a bench at Queen’s Park.Try as I may, I cannot remember a single speech he ever made.  I wanted to say something about his accomplishments but when I checked him out on Wikipedia I couldn’t find any of note.I do however know that he is still my MPP because I get a calendar from him once a year.If he doesn’t make it won’t be the Ornge Ambulance scandal, the E-Health fiasco or the Gas Plant debacle that does him in.  It’s just that his time has come.

Provincial election necessary because of broken promises

So here we are again.On Jun. 12, the citizens of Ontario will head to the polls to decide who will form the next provincial government.Admittedly, the mood among some voters ranges from apathetic to downright hostile. Many are wondering why we are going into our second provincial election in three years? They are wondering why the parties could not sort out their differences at Queen's Park rather than getting the public involved?If only it were that easy.What this all boils down to is a series of broken promises Premier Kathleen Wynne's Liberal government has made to the people of Ontario.The Liberals promised to cut auto insurance rates, which vary greatly across the province, causing people in places like Downsview to pay significantly more money to insure their vehicles than people living in other parts of the city, let alone other parts of the province.While the Liberals did make some cuts to auto insurance rates, these cuts were simply not enough. This is something Downsview residents can attest to every time they have to pay their auto insurance bill.The Liberals have promised to improve the access to affordable childcare services, which currently cost Ontario parents between $40 and $70 a day to place their children in a licensed daycare. What's worse is that the parents of more than 16,000 children require subsidies that they have not received because they can't afford to put their children in daycare.Kathleen Wynne has repeatedly promised to fix our childcare system in order to make it more affordable, yet there has been no action. There are plenty of available spots in licensed daycare facilities that remain empty because their cost is simply too high for many Ontario parents.There is also the issue of the $1.1 Billion of Ontario taxpayers' money the Liberal government wasted to cancel an unpopular power plant in order to secure then Premier Dalton McGuinty's re-election in 2011. This also doesn't mention the files related to the scandal that were deleted from hard drives within the Premier's office. The matter is still currently under investigation.Put yourself in the position of Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath in considering whether or not to support the most recent Liberal budget. Sure there were a lot of promises made, but given the Liberal government's inability to keep the promises they've made in the past, it is understandable that Horwath determined they would be unable to keep these promises as well.Plunging the province into yet another election is never an easy thing, but Horwath made the right decision. A government that has not been able to keep the promises it made to the citizens who put it in power should be held accountable by those very citizens.Kathleen Wynne and the Liberals will once again make all sorts of promises in order to remain in power. It is now up to us, as citizens to determine whether or not to believe those promises. 

Sometimes you can only change the system by changing the government

by Howard MoscoeNo doubt in this provincial election there will a lot of gnashing of teeth and jawing of gums  about the Ontario Liberal government wasting Millions of dollars moving hydro plants  and the Ornge ambulance scandal.These are small potatoes when compared to the waste that they’ve built into the structure of the hospital system.  I learned about it the hard way, tried to do something about it and failed.In 2004, I spent almost six months in and out of hospital beds at Mount Sinai Hospital where I witnessed first hand how hospital funds are wasted.I had picked up a virus on a trip to Spain that began to harden the lining around my heart. It is called constrictive pericarditis and as the lining turns to cement it begins to impair the ability of your heart to pump out fluids. To correct that doctors administer diuretics, drugs that cause you to pee.In my case, the pills didn’t work, so I had to enter the hospital so they could be administered intravenously.  Eventually, they would operate by stripping out the lining around my heart to permanently relieve the pressure.During that period, I was scheduled for several major tests some at Mt. Sinai and some at the Toronto General Hospital, where the operation was to take place.  The tests were scheduled and what invariably happened was the day before the tests were to occur I was bumped.When I looked around me and I spoke to nurses and other patients I learned that being bumped from a test was a very common occurrence.It seemed that being bumped for an average of three days was the norm.Why?  It’s because the hospital is paid a per diem (daily fee) by the Province of Ontario for each day that a patient is under hospital care.  At that time it was around $900 a day.  That fee covers the total cost of a patient’s care including major tests.When an outpatient comes in for a test, the hospital receives a separate fee for that service.  Therefore there is an incentive for the hospital to bump inpatients in favour of outpatients.  Think about it.  Every time I was bumped from a test, I spent an extra three days in hospital. That cost the Government of Ontario $2,700.  Multiply that by the many thousands of patients who are bumped from tests and it makes the Ornge ambulance scandal look like chump change.  It doesn’t just happen in cardiac wards, but almost every other department where major tests are scheduled.This could explain why in two instances, I had to spend a full night on a stretcher in the emergency room because the cardiac ward was full.  That’s one of the many reasons that emergency rooms are crowded and why you have to sit there for endless hours waiting for treatment.So what’s the answer?  It seems easy.  Exclude the cost of tests from the per diem payment, lower it to offset that cost and pay hospitals separately for major tests. In other words eliminate the incentive for bumping inpatients.It may sound easy, but I am sure it isn’t.  I was determined to do something about it. I scheduled a lunch with George Smitherman, the then Liberal Minister of Health in the members’ dining room at Queens Park. I know George from his time a City Hall.He took careful notes and nothing ever happened.  I know how difficult making a structural change in any government system can be. Every time you try to change the dynamics, there are powerful interests that will lobby against it and hospital boards and administrators are among the most powerful.That’s why sometimes you just have to change the government if you want to change the system.   

Pipeline changes approved with little consultation could put us at risk

By Yasmin ParodiThe Hydro Corridor, north of Finch Avenue, is a strip of grass bordering the entire City of Toronto. Recognizable by its hydro towers and power lines above ground, the corridor also pumps natural gas, electricity, and oil through the City.Beneath the grass lays the controversial Enbridge oil pipeline also known as 'Line 9. Changes to Line 9 which now were approved on Mar. 6 now include the ability to transport heavy crude, or bitumen from Alberta's tar sands.The tar sands (also called oil sands by the industry) are a large deposit of unconventional oil in the form of sand, which needs mass amounts of land, water and chemical to be refined. An estimated 82 per cent of water is drawn from the Athabasca River, which runs along many first nations communities in Northern Alberta whose lives are severely being impacted by the extraction."Canada faces a crisis when it comes to the situation of indigenous peoples," said James Anaya, the UN's special rapporteur on the right of aboriginal peoples after his visit to Canada.Transportation of this heavy crude, also known as “super hot sandpaper”  by activists, provides a serious risk of creating a leak in the 37 year-old pipeline, which could have catastrophic consequences on our natural environment.Enbridge says this description of the consistency of the oil is inaccurate and reiterated that they will add drag reducing agent (DRA) to line 9 in order to avoid corrosion or friction in the line.The precedence for such a disaster was set four years ago with a pipeline the same size and make of line 9.In July 2010, Enbridge oil pipeline 6B burst causing more than 3.3 Million litres of bitumen to flow into Michigan's Kalamazoo river causing the worst inland oil spill in American history. In addition to the severe environmental damage the leak caused, it also cost Enbridge more than $1 Billion to cover the cost of the oil spill.The social, health and economic impacts of environmental disasters can not be overlooked.Stretches of the Kalamazoo River have also been closed for more than two years following and it caused severe damage to the wildlife and the ecosystem of the area.“If a leak, the size of the one that happened in Kalamazoo that leaked for 17 hours before it was stopped happened in Toronto, it would be devastating,” said Councillor Anthony Perruzza who voted in support of a motion by councillor Mike Layton at the Apr. 1 Toronto city council meeting urging the province to conduct a comprehensive and independent environmental assessment of the area surrounding line 9.The pipeline crosses the Credit, Humber and Don rivers, which lead to Lake Ontario, where our drinking water comes from. It also passes close to the G Ross Lord Reservoir, at Dufferin St., and Finch Ave. W., which contains the run off from flood waters. Any leak could put our water supply at risk of contamination.There are some fears that because the pipeline is nearly 40 years old and was not designed to carry this type of heavy crude it may be susceptible to a leak.Despite this very real risk, the National Energy Board, a federal regulation group, presided over a rushed approval process with very little public participation or consultation.There were tight qualifications for those "directly affected" who were able to comment on the proposal, which prompted the Directly Affected campaign arguing everyone is affected by an inter-provincial pipeline and therefore should be invited to participate in the process.What has scientists, activists and engineer in uproar is not just that this project is bad for the climate and the environment.(an issue which was not allowed to be on the issues discussed at the meeting).  They are outraged by the Conservative governments purposeful changing of laws in order to pave the way for unchallenged fossil fuel development projects, like the tar sands.Bill C38 in 2013 removed environmental protection. Of particular concern, is that the changes mean Line 9 ( apart from being nearly 40 years old) is exempt from an environmental assessment.Federally, the government Is not taking responsibility and the Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne has not stepped up. Leaving it up to the company. This is of particular concern because of what happened in Kalamazoo.Currently, line 9 carries light crude from other counties and flows in a westbound direction. What this project has approved is the shipment of Canadian diluted bitumen  eastbound through our city to refineries where it will be processed into petroleum products.It approved an increase in the amount of oil being shipped per day as well as changes to a tariff in order to ship heavy crude oil which was not permitted prior.Support for oil projects are commonly connected to the idea of job creation and economic growth, and for good reason. Families have mouths to feed, and Canadians need to go about their daily lives, but the government should be leading the country forward to a variety of renewable energy opportunities and sustainable transportation systems which are good for the planet, the economy and our health.Citizens should encourage and support politicians who are prepared to do the work needed to protect us.Of course, cutting our oil use cold turkey is nearly impossible, it is a valuable resource that is being used up faster than the planet can handle. It is not an end, but a beginning.Being conscious of and acting on our use of dirty energy is not just a moral imperative, I think it's our only option.Based on the latest report of the International Panel on Climate Change, which encouraged world leaders to act immediately, which encouraged world leaders to act immediately to reduce carbon emissions, Stephen Harper's plan to expand tar sands extractions by five times, is not logically or morally responsible.It's in our best interest to not let the government put the interest of big business ahead of the safety and well-being of Canadians -- industry and government alike.We all deserve, and need better.  

Get Out of My Parking Spot!

  By Howard MoscoeThe accessible parking permit system in Ontario needs to be scrapped and re-engineered.There are almost 600,000 disabled parking permits issued by the province of Ontario.  Many, if not most of them, are owned by people who do not deserve to hold them.  The fault lies squarely on the shoulders of the Province of Ontario and elected politicians who don’t have the guts make real changes to the criteria for issuing permits.A handicapped parking permit is one of the most valuable permits you can own, not only because of the money that you save, but the privilege it conveys.  Those privileges include: the right to park in conveniently located reserved parking spots, the right to ignore most “No Parking” signs and (in Toronto) the right to free on street parking.In the 70s, when the accessible parking permit system was being developed, I represented the Association of Municipalities of Ontario on a stakeholder committee that was advising the government of the day on how to structure the accessible parking system.  Two members of that committee, John Feld who represented an association for people with disabilities, and I warned that the proposed system for obtaining a permit was fraught with potential for abuse.To obtain a permit, all that you need is a letter from a physician.  Most physicians are advocates for their patients. Under these conditions, the letters would be too easy to obtain.  How many of you know someone who has a permit that they don’t deserve or is using a permit that belonged to a deceased relative?Now, I have a disabled parking permit. I have a breathing disability and a leg muscle problem that requires me to wear a leg brace.  I drive my car using hand controls and I resent the fact that I have to circle a parking lot to find a distant parking space because some inconsiderate slob is occupying a handicapped spot that they don’t need or deserve.What is the answer?  Raise the fines?  The present fine for abusing a disabled parking spot is more than $250.  Has it helped?   Better enforcement?  Perhaps, but it’s a tough regime to enforce because you actually have to catch someone with a permit they shouldn’t have and have then to prove that they shouldn’t have it.In 1995 I was vice-chair of the Toronto Transit Commission. We ran the Wheel-Trans system.  Wheel-Trans provides door to door accessible transit for disabled riders.  It was costing us more than $28.00 for each one way trip (riders paid a TTC ticket).The TTC was financially pressed to the wall.  Not only had funding been cut for Wheel-Trans, but we had come to realize that there was widespread abuse of our eligibility criteria.The Wheel-Trans system had become a free taxi service for anyone who could get a letter from their doctor.At the urging of our Disabled Advisory Committee we scrapped our Wheel-Trans permits, dumped the doctor’s letter, changed the eligibility criteria to “unable to ride a regular bus” and forced all of our permit holders to re-apply.They had to attend in person and be interviewed by a panel that included a disabled person and a physiotherapist.  It was tough love, but it had to be done.  We had to reserve the Wheel-Trans rides for those who really needed them.As a result, we dumped more than half of those who held permits, many of whom didn’t even bother to apply.It was politically painful, but necessary to preserve the integrity of the system. That is what has to be done to ensure the disabled parking permit system is socially defensible and free of abuse.The system has to be scrapped and re-booted.  Will politicians in Ontario have the guts to tell 300,000 citizens that they have to give up their permits?  I wouldn’t bet on it.

Downsview Councillor Maria Augimeri Wins Top Spot at TTC

Maria Augimeri was named TTC Chair this last month

  Downsview Councillor Maria Augimeri (Ward 9 York-Centre) is the new Toronto Transit Commission Chair. A majority of Toronto City Councillors backed the veteran Councillor's successful bid during a Council vote last month.The high-profile position is considered to be one of the most influential in municipal politics. It includes oversight for one of the City's largest budgets."As a Commissioner, I have always worked to stand up for everyday riders, and I am delighted that I can continue to do so in the TTC's top spot," said Augimeri.Councillor Augimeri has served on the TTC for 6 years, bringing to her new role a wealth of experience.Augimeri says that the recent focus on giant transit projects such as subways and rapid rail has distracted attention from other important priorities."I am focused on getting the TTC to provide more service with less crowding" Augimeri explained. "That can only be achieved through increasing our operations, not starving them as we have been for years" she added.Augimeri revealed plans to sit down with provincial and federal officials to discuss funding.  She stresses that one of the best ways for all levels of government to get people and the economy moving is to invest in Toronto's transit operations."Every other sizable transit system in the developed world gets help from its upper levels of government, because they recognize that getting people places faster is one of the best ways to encourage economic growth," Augimeri said.Currently, neither the province nor the federal government provide any operating dollars to the TTC, which is unusual for a transit system of Toronto's size.The TTC's funding has been virtually frozen for years, and service has been cut since 2011. In that time ridership has increased to over 500 million rides per year. It is expected that in 2014, rides on the transit system will top 540 million."Ridership demand is exploding. Investing in Toronto's transit will get people to their work, their home and their playtime faster, said Augimeri. She argued that renewed investment will reduce gridlock and produce “huge gains for our economy.”Today, riders pay the bulk of the cost of operating the TTC-- nearly 80%-- which is the highest percentage for any transit system in North America.