Has the city lost it's mind...
- Thread starter mimico_polak
- Start date
Doug's old cottage (that he still owns)
Dougs new cottage (built while he was premier)
Doug Ford sunshine list @ $210K/yr.
Doug Ford Salary at Legislative Assembly | Ontario Sunshine List
Salary history for Doug Ford, Premier / Premier ministre at Legislative Assembly from Ontario's sunshine listwww.ontariosunshinelist.com
There is no way that 210/yr could pay for that monster. Maybe CRA should do net worth audits on all politicians by legislation? Would they find any that weren't dirty? Definitely won't find any in the leadership of the party in charge.
it's beside the old cottage.. I believe on the same lot.
Fawn Lake is small.
45°10'33.4"N 79°14'20.4"W
He sold the US division of deco a coupe of years ago.
Glenn/RZ500
Well-known member
I used to think Ford was OK-ish,...he`s actually just another politician. A pompous blowhard dork out for his own good and the good of his wealthy buddies, the rest of us be damned. The science center sat on a primo piece of real estate, doesn`t Ellis-Don or one of the big players own a huge piece of land just north of that now vacant land? How convenient to develop and Doug gets juiced in. Nothing is ever free unless you`re a Liberal/socialist DB. The reckoning will come for Canada, don`t say we weren`t warned.
I'm not saying his cottage is guaranteed to be dirty. A net worth audit would shine light on politicians who were acquiring assets in a shady way. Knowing it was coming would be enough to clean up some of the graft. It's not that easy for a benefactor of your tax dollars to financially enrich you with no trail at all. CRA chooses not to investigate as the politicians are terrified of what they would find if they looked.
Glenn/RZ500
Well-known member
Same way Trudeau amassed 500 Million in 10 years on a PM`s salary. How about Nancy Pelosi`s net worth on her salary? I`d think there may have been a small amount of criminality at play.Doug's old cottage (that he still owns)
Dougs new cottage (built while he was premier)
Doug Ford sunshine list @ $210K/yr.
Doug Ford Salary at Legislative Assembly | Ontario Sunshine List
Salary history for Doug Ford, Premier / Premier ministre at Legislative Assembly from Ontario's sunshine list
There is no way that 210/yr could pay for that monster. Maybe CRA should do net worth audits on all politicians by legislation? Would they find any that weren't dirty? Definitely won't find any in the leadership of the party in charge.
sburns
Well-known member
That could be a tough battle. Lots of old money has those places, especially with the yachet club over there. maybe it doesn't impact them, but people of privilege may thumb their noses at him.
sburns
Well-known member
He was okish, until all these projects have come to light, which clearly seem like bending the rules, and or backroom deals, and not for all Ontario.
That whole area (Eglinton & Don Mills), has been totally redeveloped since IBM (Celestica) sold the property (I did my riders training in the back parking lot) It's like a whole new mini city. The only piece missing is the Science Centre property. I'm sure it's all coincidence right?
Sad part there is a large community up the street from SC, Thorncliff park with many schools and residences which have benefited from the proximity from the SC. The more I think about the SC it was just a ploy to get this new convention centre built.
Glenn/RZ500
Well-known member
Yup. Follow the money for the answer. Always. Like Hans Landa said..."Ooooh, that`s a bingo!"
FWIW a neighbour was a draftsman for the province and said most of this stuff is planned out many decades in advance. Land acquisition is a massive part of the poker game.
It's a bit like forestry. You plant walnut trees for future generations. Properly run, the corporation is gets older but never dies.
It's a bit like forestry. You plant walnut trees for future generations. Properly run, the corporation is gets older but never dies.
I like the Islanders, having met a few. They add character to the place. Instead the masses want to turn the island into a plot of land with all the charm of a sod farm.
The ne'er do wells at the foot of Spadina don't want the airport at all, never mind jets. Jet air ambulances are allowed IIRC.
Glenn/RZ500
Well-known member
I knew a guy that worked for Loblaws buying future investments of property. They sit on serious coin `til it`s time to act...and once in a while a sweet deal pops up.
He needs to dump the rubble from his 401 tunnel fiasco somewhere....
As for the islanders... I still think my solution is the best one:
-Offer them a one time deal to get out of the lease and to buy the properties they live in, maybe $1.5M per house, maybe more...
-Those that don't want the deal can stay with the current lease deal--but this is one time so...
-The ones that buy in, the house goes out of the entire existing system and is now free market like any other house in Toronto.
-Government gets the initial buy in money.
-City and province get the land transfer taxes and likely a second round in the near term on many homes as people buy in and then sell/flip...
-More property taxes paid for houses out of the current system.
-Use that 401 tunnel infill to build MORE houses on the islands and maybe bring back a business area like there once was.
-Build a damn bridge
Some will cry it is not fair one way or another, but it will end the current nonsense as anyone that can swing the deal likely will as they know it will make them more money down the road. These properties will be in very high demand on an open market. Give them the option to not take the deal takes away any leverage and breaks the solidarity... those too poor to get a loan to buy in just stay as is.
Reminder, the current leases can extend only to certain family members. When someone dies or otherwise leaves the house goes to someone on the waiting list for the remainder of the lease. Or there abouts...
Maybe some years later, we make the same offer to those that did not take it this time but now at a much higher price.... market value and all.
As for the islanders... I still think my solution is the best one:
-Offer them a one time deal to get out of the lease and to buy the properties they live in, maybe $1.5M per house, maybe more...
-Those that don't want the deal can stay with the current lease deal--but this is one time so...
-The ones that buy in, the house goes out of the entire existing system and is now free market like any other house in Toronto.
-Government gets the initial buy in money.
-City and province get the land transfer taxes and likely a second round in the near term on many homes as people buy in and then sell/flip...
-More property taxes paid for houses out of the current system.
-Use that 401 tunnel infill to build MORE houses on the islands and maybe bring back a business area like there once was.
-Build a damn bridge
Some will cry it is not fair one way or another, but it will end the current nonsense as anyone that can swing the deal likely will as they know it will make them more money down the road. These properties will be in very high demand on an open market. Give them the option to not take the deal takes away any leverage and breaks the solidarity... those too poor to get a loan to buy in just stay as is.
Reminder, the current leases can extend only to certain family members. When someone dies or otherwise leaves the house goes to someone on the waiting list for the remainder of the lease. Or there abouts...
Maybe some years later, we make the same offer to those that did not take it this time but now at a much higher price.... market value and all.
Unless you can afford an island house and a mainland house , year round on the island blows . I don’t see the huge desire to be an islander unless you’re loaded , the cormorants have polluted most of it and the stink is stiffling .
Sent from my iPhone using GTAMotorcycle.com
Sent from my iPhone using GTAMotorcycle.com
They don't own the land. 1.5M for a small house on leased land is crazy expensive.
No public land should have leases that long (including douggies spa boondoggle). While they have leases, nothing says the leases gives them more protection than other residents of the city. Live near the airport and it can be loud. Move or learn to live with it.
I highly suspect the cost to service those houses is grossly disproportionate to the revenue they return to the city. Why should everyone else subsidize them? Reducing the number of houses increases the cost per house for services. Add sixplexes to increase density? Why does the island get a pass from the densification the rest of Toronto is forced to accept?
If the city wants to keep the homes, when leases eventually come up, something like 1-5 year leases would be interesting. Enough time to enjoy the experience, not enough to become militant and entrenched. Also lets more people get the chance.
A bridge will never be viable and if constructed will ruin the charm. A village is no longer quaint when the zombies move in and start looting.
I think you misunderstood what I am proposing... When I say buy the property I mean the land, not just the house. Subdivide it up and when they buy they buy, no more lease for that land/lot/property the house is on, they now own it, it is just another house on an owned lot in Toronto. It entirely breaks the current system for that house and lot.
Those that don't buy, that parcel stays on the current lease and rules. The militant and entrenched can stay as is, they can scream and yell but get no say about their neighbours that want to buy. Greed/money will break the solidarity.
As for sixplexes, no reason why zoning in my context should be any different but at the same time I don't think they will work zoning wise as these lots are pretty small, they will hit other zoning limits... I bet in short order many lots that are bought will get as big a house as they can swing for.
The potential money...
262 homes on the islands, so lets say 200M to 300M from the ones that take the deal (not all will/can, but at least half will, maybe three quarters). Land transfer tax (split between city and prov) will be another 7M to 10.5M, and then some recurring in following years as house flip. Property tax assuming an MPAC at the sale price as there is no previous assessment... is another maybe 1.5M to 2.2M for the city a year.
Maybe less if it is not 1.5M but I think 1.5M is entirely reasonable...
Plus infill and add more homes and a quaint business district with shops, bars, etc.. Done right it is a small town almost downtown.
Bridge, I think there should be one, others may not... one that can be driven across for services, maybe trades with a permit (as this will trigger lots of renovations), but no regular private car traffic.
OR we can just leave it as is and complain about it... IMO greed breaks the current deal for many.
Imo, $1.5M for a detached lot in a private (essentially gated) enclave in Toronto is exceedingly low. They are small lots and house size is limited (currently) to 1500 sq ft or so. They could probably price them at $3-5M and sell out to rich people that want cottages close to home. That also simplifies servicing as you don't have as much garbage/sewage to deal with in vacation properties.
I agree, I want to break as many of these leases as possible yet also have a cash win fall. We need to find a sweet spot what people can swing, $1.5M is just a talking point number. Some of these houses are quite nice others not so much. More money means more win fall for the gov but maybe less buying into the change.
To disable the leverage of the militants my plan is the first sale can only be to the current lease holder living in that house, after that it is fair game for richy rich. That profit is the greed that will motivate many to take the deal. Puts them against each other to break the solidarity. Some will argue it is also a win fall for a "squatter", but life isn't fair.
I don't have an answer how to enforce it but I would require people live year around and for them not to be used as cottages... having a business district will help IMO.
Your plan would involve breaking the leases. If we're already going to spend millions in court, we might as well break the leases and kick them all out.
The prick plan would be to expand the airport and expropriate the houses for airport operations. As it would be TPA expropriating from the community trust, I don't even know how much money would be required. The province owns the land. The trust controls leases in the village. Instead of having 250 court cases, there is one of community trust vs TPA (or province).
As I understand it the land is vested in the province today and there will be some high level work to change the act, trusts, etc... There will be some legal costs but the individual leases per house that are getting broken are to the benefit of the current lease holder as they are buying the land, maybe for a sweet deal, I doubt they will also be fighting it. Others may stick their noses in but again it breaks solidarity. This is why they should be the only one that can make the initial buy, the current leaseholder.
In my plan, anyone that decides not to buy doesn't have to buy and their lease goes untouched, no change, no court. Stays in the current system 100%. They will stay as-is until they are dead, move or the lease expires in 2090 something.
Personally I think the houses on the islands are great idea, unique to Toronto and I even want it reasonably expanded. I think the way to break it with the least fight is greed.
As for the airport, they freak out about it. I lived in the building directly across the western gap from the airport, top floor facing the airport. The party boats were way louder and intrusive. I also lived on King Street downtown and I now live on a secondary artery both were/are way louder than the airport was. Sure expanding and RJs and the like may or may not be a bit louder than a dash but it is a lot of drama IMO.
sburns
Well-known member
Seems he's one upping this
Now I'm really curious what he's got planned for his
Either way he's really got his target set on Toronto waterfront with Ontario Place, the TO island and apparently Exhibition place.
