Elections
Do you believe municipalities should have more powers to generate revenue? If so, what would you propose? If not, why not?
Responses to the question: "Do you believe municipalities should have more powers to generate revenue? If so, what would you propose? If not, why not?"
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5 Candidate Responses (top)
| Hamilton Centre | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Andrea Horwath | Yes | Ontario’s New Democrats recognize the fiscal challenges faced by municipalities, which is why we will allocate additional funds to infrastructure projects, continue to upload social service and court security costs by 2018, make the provincial gas tax permanent and fund 50% of the operating costs for municipal transit.
We also are committed to expanding municipal powers to generate revenue. For example, the Development Charges Act should ensure that growth pays for growth. We will also create opportunities for municipalities to engage in renewable energy projects. |
| Christopher Lawson | No | Do you mean should they have more power to tax? We are already taxed enough. Business generates revenue in the municipality. Business is the lifeblood. All government is like a flea riding on the back of this animal. What if corner stores could sell a profitable new and popular product? A Freedom Party government would extend to them the opportunity to compete with the LCBO outlets. Canadian-made micro-brews and wines are denied a Canadian market. A Freedom government will ensure these Canadian products are available to the Canadian market. In addition it would eliminate the Liquor Tax and abolish minimum pricing. Those who live in places that require them to drive to work and all transportation businesses will appreciate that a Freedom government would eliminate the Gasoline Tax. Lowering the cost of transportation lowers the market price of any goods that are transported (almost everything)! A Freedom government would also roll back the Health Premium. All businesses and the municipal government benefit together from the Freedom Party policies that seek economically viable, ecologically-considerate, cheaper electricity. If we can't guarantee greater revenues, can we at least offer lower bills? There is more than one way to make ends meet! When business prospers there is a greater tenancy occupation rate and, in turn, greater tax revenue to the municipality. Ultimately, lowering the costs of operation for business means more business. More tax? NO. The Liberals promised, "no new taxes." It was a lie. The PST, hidden in the HST, was applied all kinds of places that the PST was never applied to before. It was 3 billion dollars worth of "no new tax"! Lower taxes. Vote Freedom Party. |
| Michael Baldasaro | Yes | We should allow Municipalities to run raffles, just like Lotto Ontario does, to raise revenues. |
| Peter Ormond | Yes | Of course municipalities should have more powers to generate revenue. In Hamilton's case, with our waterfront, escarpment and urban core, we have a tremendous opportunity to be innovative. Instead of focusing on the corporate profit-making mindset, the city can delve into community-building alliances. Renting buildings, refurbishing lands, for example, and be open to ideas from the public.
Besides generating revenue, municipalities can rethink our current systems. How about rainbarrels on every house, planting and harvesting more trees, stop fluoridation of our drinking water, garbage pickup every two weeks, community gardens, etc. In some cases, the solutions are simple. Let's just start applying some! |
| Robert Kuhlmann | No | It's not the purpose of government to generate revenues. Whenever the government does so, they move from the realm of protector to aggressor. The only way government can generate revenue is by extracting money from those who produced it by threatening to use physical force against them if they don't comply. Government's purpose is to protect the wealth, great or small, of those who create it, not to steal it. Government does not create products therefore government can not produce wealth; it can only take it from those who have. |
Response Summary (top)
| Brief Response | Count | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 3 | 60.0% |
| No | 2 | 40.0% |
| Maybe | 0 | 0.0% |
5 Candidates Have Not Responded (top)
| Hamilton Centre | ||
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Gracey | ||
| Don Sheppard | ||
| Donna Tiqui-Shebib | ||
| Robert Szajkowski | ||
| Steven Passmore | ||
