Toronto "Roof Tax"

[ZR]

A Toronto city councillor has released a photo of himself flipping the bird in an effort to bring attention to what he is calling a proposed new “roof tax.”
The photo surfaced hours after Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti sent out a press release expressing his frustration over a proposed new stormwater charge for homeowners in the city.
The photo, emailed to members of the media by the Ward 7 councillor’s office, shows Mammoliti raising both middle fingers with a caption that reads “tax this.”
PHOTOS


http://www.cp24.com/polopoly_fs/1.3129442.1477348143!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_225/image.jpg (http://www.cp24.com/polopoly_fs/1.3129442.1477348143!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_960/image.jpg)http://www.iheartradio.ca/image/policy:1.2089286:1477343096/Giorgio-Mammoliti-Tax-This.jpg?c=0%2C20%2C2166%2C1217&$p$c=abe09f3&w=300&$w=b021567

Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti released this photo on Monday in an effort to bring attention to what he is calling a proposed new "roof tax."



“I think taxpayers will be more than happy to know somebody is representing their voice at city hall,” Mammoliti said of the photo Monday.
“In an effort of representing the taxpayers, I have had enough.”
Mammoliti claims that the new stormwater charge is just “unwarranted gouging” on the part of the city.
“It means that if the tax-and-spend socialists on council get their way, starting around 2019, taxpayers with a roof (hard surface) will be paying more taxes ($130-$401 for residential properties) for a service that they already pay for,” his press release read.
“I feel that these new taxes and the underhanded way in which they are being implemented (are) totally unconscionable.”
Stormwater charges are currently in place in several Canadian cities, including Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, London, Mississauga, Kitchener and Ottawa.
Asked if he thought some might find the photo to be unprofessional, Mammoliti told CP24, “Anybody who says I’m unprofessional, I’ll give them the finger.”
In a tweet sent out Monday evening, Mammoliti claims that people have reached out to him for “signed copies” of the picture.

[ZR]

Fuck me, so I had all my eavestroughs replaced and rehooked to the sewers (as per city bylaw) only to have them change the law some months later forcing me to disconnect. Ok so now I have new troughs with a patch where the old downspouts were located and new ones to push the water towards the lawn. Out back, no problem, out front, constant ice on the walkway in the winter as I can't get it any further than the garden box and it runs out. Alright, so I'm irritated enough so now they want to re tax me for a service I already freaking pay for via a roof tax.

[Uncle Buck]

Slightly off topic but in Georgina the town bills me for water and sewer services. Seems reasonable except that I'm on a well and septic. When I inquired why, I was informed that there was a bylaw that any property where water services are available on the street are billed regardless of being hooked up. Yes, roughly $1,000 a year for a service i don't use.

[RedSN]

By proclaiming: "TAX THIS!!!", Mammoliti has opened the door for the City to tax the middle finger. Expect the equivalent of a swear jar on your next municipal tax bill.

[RedSN]

Fuck me,

https://connorlenahan.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/homer-swear-jar.jpg?w=620

[WTF]

here's my take

if you want your eves to drain into the storm sewer then you pay.....if you disconnect and drain on to your grass then you don't pay

if the real problem in the city is that over-development has caused the issue because all these new builds are gobbling up green space then charge the fucking developers who are raking it in hand over fist

[Zexhuffer]

Reason 1243# i will not move anywhere near that city

[TheMustangShow]

GM is a good Councilor and TO lucky to have him, but he is but one Conservative KNIGHT, in a sea of Toronto Liberal Serfs.

Toronto, politically, is Fucked, has been for years.

[Stephen06GT]

here's my take

if you want your eves to drain into the storm sewer then you pay.....if you disconnect and drain on to your grass then you don't pay

if the real problem in the city is that over-development has caused the issue because all these new builds are gobbling up green space then charge the fucking developers who are raking it in hand over fist

What Tim said. Municipalities across the province approve zoning where a builder can put a 29ft wide house on a 30ft wide lot, and then they complain about the lack of runoff. Fucking morons. I know, swear jar.

[92redragtop]

What Tim said. Municipalities across the province approve zoning where a builder can put a 29ft wide house on a 30ft wide lot, and then they complain about the lack of runoff. Fucking morons. I know, swear jar.

Then they make you put 3 large recycling bins in the 1-2ft between the houses.

[92redragtop]

Reason 1243# i will not move anywhere near that city

Problem is they're not the first. I believe there are 3-4 municipalities in the GTA and wider that do this so more will likely pile on for the extra cash.

[Mellow Yellow]

I can see now.....soon I will be taxed for letting my rain water drain into the lake!!

[ZR]

Being as we are talking about Ont govt, they'll come up with a system to pay by the ounce for your run off them cancel the plan 2/3 of the way through it's multi million dollar inception.

[RedSN]

I can see now.....soon I will be taxed for letting my rain water drain into the lake!!
They will also charge you tax on the electricity that runoff creates at Sir Adam Beck.

[ZR]

Check this lil tidbit out, so they want to tax my roof but they are pissing away money like it's free on (abused) benefits for city workers.

City workers made millions of dollars in questionable claims for large quantities of erectile dysfunction pills and highly addictive opioids including Fentanyl, the city’s auditor general says.
Beverly Romeo-Beehler said in a report Tuesday (http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2016/au/bgrd/backgroundfile-97612.pdf) that workers claimed $1.9 million worth of sex enhancers Viagra and Cialis last year alone, noting the benefits plan funded by the city and managed by Manulife includes no maximum.
Her findings on the anti-impotence pills include:


For Cialis pills, 16 claimants were reimbursed between 395 tablets (a 13-month supply) and 600 tablets in at least one of the years 2013, 2014 and 2015.

A “number” of them were also reimbursed for on-demand erectile dysfunction drugs in addition to the Cialis once-a-day drug.



The city’s cost for erectile dysfunction drugs rose 18 per cent between 2013 to 2015.



Some 65 claimants were reimbursed an annual quantity of 180 tablets or more in at least one of the years studied.



“It is possible that the large quantities of drugs reimbursed may be medically justified. However, it is important that City staff follow up with Manulife,” the auditor-general concluded.



She notes that the city reimburses another $2 million-plus per year for prescription opioids, including Oxycodone and Fentanyl, plus $500,000 annually for prescription sedatives and $700,000 for prescription stimulants.
Her findings include:


Sixteen claimants were reimbursed an equivalent of 2 years or more supply of Oxycodone and/or its brand-name version within a one-year period.



The annual quantities reimbursed for “several” claimants were at least four times the maximum annual supply.



Thirty-two claimants, including four retirees, were reimbursed for more than 18 months’ supply of Fentanyl patches over one year. The annual quantity provided to them at taxpayers’ expense ranged from 19 months to more than six years of supply.



Some 44 claimants were reimbursed for a two-year supply of prescription sedatives, including benzodiazepines, within one year. Three of them were reimbursed annual quantities equivalent to four to six years of supply.

Over the five-year period from 2011 to 2015, the city spent, in total, more than $250 million for drug benefits.
Romeo-Beehler made 18 recommendations for tightening controls that she said could save the city $900,000 a year, and a one-time sum of $180,000 that could be recovered from Manulife.
She also noted that Manulife’s contract to oversee the city’s drug benefits ends this year, and her findings should strengthen the city’s oversight of benefits in a new five-year contract with Green Shield Canada.
Councillor Stephen Holyday, a member of the audit committee that will discuss the report Friday, said he felt “a real sense of urgency from the auditor” to fix the problems. “This is all taxpayer money and at the end of the day it’s important we keep an eye on it.”
Holyday said he has no medical expertise but questioned the huge amounts of sex-enhancement drugs being claimed and also the drugs including Fentanyl.
“If there are people on the job using those quantities of opioids, you really have to ask if anybody’s monitoring that — and I don’t have confidence we are,” he said.

[Mellow Yellow]

It sure seems some claimants are getting enough opioids to supplement their incomes.......if you know what I mean.

[83 5.0]

$250 million (let me rephrase this a quarter of a $Billion!!) in 5 years on paid out drug benefits.
Thats a lot of parks, ice pads, road repairs etc etc.
I guess the gravy train never ran out.
Add me to the swear jar effing ridiculous.

[RedSN]

Isn't the drug plan through a 3rd party provider? (edit: Manulife). Don't the city employees pay into the drug plan from their salary? (and subsidized by the employer, the city). Unless city employee plans differ that much from the private sector.

This is a massive fraud between the city employees and the insurance company. I don't see how the tax payers are on the hook?

And what kind of a drug plan pays out that many claims? edit: oh right, union workers.

[RedSN]

Mammoliti in the news again. This time for NOT doing anything.


....Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti were the most absent from their council seats in 2016.

“I am there for all the important votes and to make sure that the interests of my community are protected. Spending never-ending hours listening to endless rants from councillors pushing a socialist downtown pet project agenda on a dysfunctional council is indeed a Herculean task.”

Mammoliti missed two important votes on the rehabilitation of the Gardiner in March and December, despite his recent vocal concerns over the possibility of tolling the expressway and stated change of heart over the decision to rebuild the eastern section. He also missed votes on the city’s transit network plan, poverty reduction strategy and affordable housing. He did not respond to a follow-up question on whether he considered those votes important.

There were 1,118 recorded votes in city coucil last year.
Stephen Holyday (Etobicoke Centre) missed 1.
Giorgio Mammolity (York West) missed 433.

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt137/LX-Markham/TMC/mammoliti_zps8szwhynh.jpg

[ZR]

Good grief. :(

[Speedtospare]

And what kind of a drug plan pays out that many claims? edit: oh right, union workers.

You can stuff that comment. That like saying people commit crimes because there black. Not all union workers are bad and not all non-union workers are good.

[Armen]

I'm a union worker and I have rarely used my drug plan - like maybe 3 single times in the last 10 years - and that for only some mild back pain meds. I didn't use my dental plan for a long, long time - I only started going again because of a cavity, lol.

[True Blue]

^^^ I'm glad I'm not alone... :) I haven't used my drug plan yet in 5yrs, never got glasses or footwear which I'm entitled to every 2yrs. I have yet been to a chiropractor or for a massage which I have unlimited access too. If I don't need it, I wont use it.

[5.4MarkVIII]

^^^ I'm glad I'm not alone... :) I haven't used my drug plan yet in 5yrs, never got glasses or footwear which I'm entitled to every 2yrs. I have yet been to a chiropractor or for a massage which I have unlimited access too. If I don't need it, I wont use it.

Unfortunately as with many other things in society now a days not many other people carry that same thought line.

Like everything else benefits are a right and if you have them it's your right to use them weather you need them or not.
Please note the sarcasam here.

We tried to get a benafit plan at work. First people complained about the share they would have to pay. Then they complained the plan didn't cover enough.
We did a trial run and it ended up being so expensive for us the business owner it was not feesable. And as soon as the trial was started I had employees claiming for stuff they had never needed before

[92redragtop]

^^^ I'm glad I'm not alone... :) I haven't used my drug plan yet in 5yrs, never got glasses or footwear which I'm entitled to every 2yrs. I have yet been to a chiropractor or for a massage which I have unlimited access too. If I don't need it, I wont use it.

I know someone who works for the Federal Govt and uses his eyeglasses benefit to get Oakley sunglasses. The entitlement is sickening.

[True Blue]

I know someone who works for the Federal Govt and uses his eyeglasses benefit to get Oakley sunglasses. The entitlement is sickening.

I see it everyday, co-workers getting "prescription" sun glasses and so called "orthopedic" shoes. That's how the system goes... Am I stupid for not taking advantage of the system? Probably, but that's not me!

[92redragtop]

I see it everyday, co-workers getting "prescription" sun glasses and so called "orthopedic" shoes. That's how the system goes... Am I stupid for not taking advantage of the system? Probably, but that's not me!

No, you're just honest - anyone doing that is essentially committing fraud.

[ZR]

+ 1 on the above.

[Screw]

Slightly off topic but in Georgina the town bills me for water and sewer services. Seems reasonable except that I'm on a well and septic. When I inquired why, I was informed that there was a bylaw that any property where water services are available on the street are billed regardless of being hooked up. Yes, roughly $1,000 a year for a service i don't use.

That's bs wtf

[Ray721]

I see it everyday, co-workers getting "prescription" sun glasses and so called "orthopedic" shoes. That's how the system goes... Am I stupid for not taking advantage of the system? Probably, but that's not me!

Same stuff happens in my Hall. I can proudly say that I've been doing this for 10 years now and not once have I done anything like that and I own 4 pairs of Oakley's. The only time I've even used my drug plan was last year when I fell ill and unfortunately it will be ongoing indefinitely for medication I need forever.