A Mayor for Toronto?

At Monday's Ward 18-Davenport debate the candidates were asked who they supported for mayor. We all said we hadn't yet decided, although Kevin Beauleau said he was leaning toward Joe Pantalone.

But the question made everyone ponder what they wanted in a mayor.

Toronto needs a green mayor, one who supports a low-energy future powered by electricity from local renewable sources like wind, photovoltaics and biomass; a mayor who supports community gardens, green roofs, zero garbage, more trees, bicycle lanes, transit, fewer cars, etc.

Toronto needs a fiscally-conservative mayor who would keep Toronto debt free. Seniors should be allowed to pay their taxes out of their home equity. The mayor should favour moving municipal taxes off buildings and onto land (land value taxation) to stop punishing people for fixing up their houses, and to incent more efficient land use.

The new mayor should continue David Miller's initiative to ban hand guns, allow new permanent residents to vote municipally, and to make schools into community hubs. Toronto's mayor should lead a campaign to zone against strip joints out of respect for the city's girls and women.

Toronto's mayor should lobby for the abolition of the unelected Ontario Municipal Board, to return zoning to elected Councillors. The mayor should support Toronto's re-org into walkable neighbourhoods linked by pedestrian walkways, bike ways and transit so no one needs a car.

And the Toronto mayor should advocate for citizen integration so that young and old, rich and poor, and all nationalities feel they are an integral part of the city's social fabric. The mayor should discourage exclusive neighbourhoods and elitist activities and events, and continue to build Toronto's fabulous library system, transit system and social support services. A just, accessible, safe and green city is a great city.

Now this is the mayoral candidate I would support!