Niagara ads should be a wakeup call for Toronto

The recent controversy surrounding the Niagara Parks Commission ad campaign promoting Niagara by exploiting the negative stereotypes of big city’s like Toronto has struck a nerve with some Toronto residents and politicians.

This overblown reaction by Toronto is based on a deep-rooted insecurity and arrogance that highlights the need for Toronto to do more to promote itself within the GTA and neighbouring regions.

I was planning to write about the need for Toronto to do more to promote itself to the 905, but this recent controversy has added a new aspect to my position.

The depiction of “the big city”, (which is perceived by most to bear a striking resemblance to Toronto) in the Niagara ad campaign is reasonable. Although the characterization of Toronto as crowded, dirty and unsafe is exaggerated, the ads do play into a stereotype that some GTA residents have of Toronto.

Let’s not forget that although Niagara is a friendly cousin of Toronto, it is a competitor when it comes to tourism. As such, this ad campaign is fair game in the battle to attain more tourist dollars. Tourism is a competitive industry by nature. You can either promote your city based on its strengths, or by exploiting another city’s weaknesses, however exaggerated that may be.

It is slightly amusing and somewhat ironic that the backlash from Toronto regarding the ads has actually helped Niagara tourism through additional earned media. It was a crafty decision on Niagara’s part to include this controversial slant to their ads because of the prolonged exposure that it is receiving from the media. And with some politicians wading into the issue, the results will be that much more lucrative for Niagara.

Toronto’s response to the Niagara ads should not be that of anger or offence. It should be a wakeup call that Toronto needs to do more to compete with Niagara and other regional municipalities that are fighting for increased tourism market share.

Toronto is a world-class city that should not be insecure about its strengths, neither should it take these strengths for granted. We have so many attractive features of this city that most would want to experience. We just need to start focusing more of our attention on promoting our strengths, as opposed to complaining about our perceived weaknesses.

About Dan Bordonali

The perfect G20 summit location

As the dust settles from the G20 summit in Toronto, a number of people have complained that Toronto was the wrong place to hold the summit meetings.

I disagree.

I can’t think of a better place to have held the G20 summit this year than in Toronto. Toronto is the economic heartland of Canada, and home to the Canadian banking sector: one of the largest employers in the country, and one of the principal reasons why our Canada did not fall into the same economic crisis that other G8 and G20 countries fell into during the recession . What better place to show Canada’s strength amongst its peers than to have the meetings in the financial capital of Canada.

It’s also important to note that the City of Toronto is partially responsible for the federal government’s decision to hold the summit in Toronto. For years, the Toronto government has been justifiably boasting its prowess to the federal and provincial government, constantly complaining that they are not treated like the mature city that they have become.

Take a look at any media release from the city and you will read in its tag line: “Canada's largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. It is the economic engine of Canada and one of the greenest and most creative cities in North America.” If that is not a compelling missive for having the G20 here, I don’t know what is...

Other critics have complained that holding the meetings in the downtown core was just asking for the kind of violence and damage that we experienced.

I disagree.

The damage that occurred downtown was the result of a minority of misguided criminals who took advantage of legitimate peaceful protesters who were there for a cause that they believed in. Those peaceful protesters were able to get their message across without resorting to the violence and damage that some criminals decided to engage in.

As Canada Day fast approaches, this summit is one of the many reasons why I am proud to be Canadian: to live in a country that provides one of the strongest and stable economies in the world for individuals to pursue and achieve wealth. It is also a place where legitimate, peaceful protest is permitted and actually encouraged by our government.

About Dan Bordonali

Mayoral candidates get testy over credibility

When George Smitherman went after Rob Ford at this week’s mayoral debate, he did so with the intention of trying to get his opponent to say something that would hurt his credibility.

When Ford answered the question by rhyming off his philanthropic record with youth in his community, he passed his first big campaign test: Can Rob Ford control himself when put in a corner?

Ford’s ability to temper his response to attacks in the past has been mediocre at best. It’s ironically one of the traits that people appreciate about him. Similarly, Smitherman has been known to have tirades when placed in a similar situation and has attained a fair bit of support for his outbursts as well.

The objective of these two similar political figures is to manage the angry responses, but not go too far to irritate the voter. Both Smitherman and Ford know that if they start to lose support, the voters will most likely go to either Rossi, Pantalone or Mammoliti, not each other. In essence, Smitherman and Ford could play unlikely and unwilling kingmakers if they are not too careful about their attacks on each other.

What I found most interesting about Smitherman’s decision to go after Ford is that it is a clear indication that the Smitherman camp is a bit nervous about Ford’s recent momentum. Front-runners don’t often go on the offensive with their opponents in a personal manner at such an early stage in the election. By doing so, the voter is often left with the impression that the front-runner may not be the front-runner after-all.

Ford’s personal and political history is less than spotless, but then again so is Smitherman’s. These two candidates may be playing a dangerous game from their glass houses if they choose to get too personal throughout the next five months on the campaign trail.

Regardless of the results of this mayoral election, I think this year will go down as one of the most important and exciting campaigns in recent memory.

About Dan Bordonali

Cutting police budget a risky move

As city council debates the 2010 operating budget this week, it is important to recognize a necessary anomaly in this year’s budget: the Toronto Police.

Many have questioned the Police Services Board’s decision not to follow several other divisions of the city to cut 5 per cent of their budget, opting instead for a 3.9 per cent increase.

With over 90 per cent of this year’s police budget going towards salaries, the police budget is justified on many levels. It is important to note, however that the budget increase will not be sufficient to allow the police chief to maintain the appropriate number of recruitment classes this year, which will place additional pressure on next year’s budget.

This year’s police budget is being helped by a cash infusion of $1.8 million from the federal government to hire 42 transit cops to mitigate the potential risks to public safety on the subway system. Considering that the number of Toronto police officers per capita is approximately 10 per cent less than Montreal’s police force, the city must find the means to continue to increase the number of uniformed officers patrolling our streets and neighbourhoods in order to maintain the public’s trust and confidence for a safe city.

Some will point to recent crime statistics in Toronto that show a reduction in crime over several major indicators. However, we should not be persuaded by these statistics. Toronto still faces several challenges to public safety, including organized crime, gang activity and terrorist threats.

Policing is one of the most fundamental components of our city. The Police Services Board and the city need to ensure that they continue to maintain the necessary number of officers in Toronto in order to keep our community safe. Every single police officer contributes to a safer city, and the delay, or reduction in the number of officers will undoubtedly put our city at risk.

About Dan Bordonali

Should we license panhandlers?

On a recent visit to downtown Toronto I was surprised by the number of panhandlers who greeted me on almost every street corner. While none of these panhandlers were threatening or aggressive, I must admit that I was cautious as I passed them.

I am accustomed to panhandlers, as I spend a lot of my time downtown meeting with clients and politicians, but this experience made me stop and think about our City and our future. If I was a little leery walking by panhandlers, I am sure that I am not alone. I can only imagine what our tourists experience on a daily basis as they visit the many great destinations in the downtown core.

Before I go any further, I want to make the distinction between panhandling and homelessness. Homeless advocates constantly try to blur the lines between panhandlers and the homeless, but the reality is that not all panhandlers are homeless, and not all homeless are panhandlers.

Homelessness is a serious and complex problem that requires a multi-pronged approach to resolve. Governments have an obligation to assist the homeless population in our City, to provide sustainable housing opportunities and resources to protect one of the most vulnerable groups in our society. But this issue is for a future blog.

The Safe Streets Act, which was enacted in 1999 regulates panhandling in Ontario, but does not go far enough to preventing panhandling. Just because a panhandler is not aggressive or threatening, it does not mean that they should be permitted to impede or even block a person’s use of the public sidewalk.

If panhandling were prohibited in the downtown core, it would require additional resources and job skills training in order to provide people with a viable alternative. Now that would be money well spent.

I have an idea!

If we cannot ban panhandling in the downtown core, why not regulate it like they do with hot dog vendors, or community groups who use city parks?

Under this new regulation, Professional Panhandlers would be required to apply for an annual permit in order to provide their “service” on City sidewalks. They would be given a designated spot on a sidewalk of their choice, and also be required to review and adhere to the Safe Streets Act. They could even carry around a special badge that makes them an official City of Toronto Panhandler.

This idea may sound a little outrageous, but so is the status quo.

About Dan Bordonali

What's behind Miller's sudden budget surplus?

 I just came out of the Mayor's "important" announcement about this year's budget.

Besides the fact that he played coy with the media and the public by sending out a vague and cryptic media advisory, the Mayor's announcement of a $100 million surplus was surprising, but not shocking. With the increase in revenue from the Vehicle Registration Tax, the Land Transfer Tax, water rate increase, garbage tax, and other user fee increases, it is easy to see how the "surplus" could take place. I still find it surprising that the Mayor uses the word "surplus" to describe a budget that includes a tax increase. A true surplus means no tax increase in my books.

The Mayor will definitely have some explaining to do as to how the budget process created this surplus "out of the blue," when just a couple of months ago the budget hole was more than $500 million. Critics will definitely claim that the Mayor hid the surplus until it was politically opportunistic to use it.

Okay, enough of my cynicism, while the surplus was a surprise, the proposed allocation of that surplus was miraculous!

Instead of using the surplus to go on a spending spree, the Mayor has suggested using 25% of the money to reduce the residential property tax rate to 2.9% and the rest of the money to create a reserve fund to be used to offset the pressure for next year's budget process.

Wow! Where did this Mayor come from??

I think I have the answer...

One word: Legacy!

With this announcement, Miller has attempted to selflessly prepare the City and the new Mayor for the budget challenges that lie ahead. He has also created an opportunity for the left on Council to shift to the centre in order to be re-elected this year. With this new budget direction, the councillors and mayoral candidates on the left will be able to knock on doors during the campaign and show that they do have a prudent approach to governance and they aren't the spendaholics that the right has been successful at framing them as.

You have to hand it to the left on Council. When the chips are down, they do what ever it takes to remain in control, including becoming Conservatives.

This sudden epiphany will definitely cause tension on the left. The special interests groups will be raving mad about this announcement over the coming days and weeks. Who knows, Council may reverse this decision and spend away the 2011 reserve fund.

For the sake of the future of the City, I certainly hope that they maintain this direction, but as we all know, anything is possible at City Hall.

About Dan Bordonali

The importance of an open mind in 2010

Dan Bordonali.

It is with great pride and a strong sense of responsibility that I make my debut blog for the 2010 municipal election. For this introductory blog, I would like to focus on the importance of keeping an open mind during the election campaign.

Municipal elections are unique to the democratic process. No other level of government provides the amount of access to the candidate or their campaign. This is due, in large part to the fact that a candidate is free to create their own platform based on their knowledge and leadership in the community and the city, as opposed to simply “toeing a party line.”

However, the absence of a party system at the municipal level requires the electorate to invest some time to understand the candidates and determine which one is the most effective person to represent them at City Hall. I believe that this dynamic requires the voter to keep an open mind when making their decision for the next Mayor, Councillor, and School Trustee.

In this election, I ask you to resist the urge to support a candidate just because of name recognition or because they are the incumbent. Instead, have the candidates apply for the job, like they would any other job. Have them convince you why they are the best person to represent your interests at City Hall.

I recently spoke to one mayoral candidate who told me that it was too early to ask for my vote, but instead asked that I consider his candidacy as the campaign unfolded. That is the kind of campaign that every candidate should run, including incumbent Councillors, and one that the voters should expect!

This election will shape the future of our City for years to come, and it requires the electorate to be more engaged and informed in order to buck the trend of low voter turnout in previous municipal elections (approximately 40 per cent). If the City has any chance of success in the future, the electorate must participate in the process en masse.

So with that, I look forward to discussing the important issues that affect our city so that we can all contribute to the process of building a better city. Talk to you soon!

About Dan Bordonali