A Newer deal for cities.

[idealisttotheend]

Re: A new deal for cities.

Am I the only one that sees the new deal for cities as an exercise in utter uselessness. Firstly it was funny to see the Liberals backtrack by including towns, I was wondering why people in rural areas (traditionally poorer) should support people in urban areas (traditionally richer). Secondly, if cities need more revenues they ought to raise them themselves through property taxes or what have you. If the cities need a new taxation mechanism then give it to them (say get out of gas tax all together and let cities set their own, though this may be counterproductive on the environmental side). The level of government that spends the money ought to raise the money. The only benefit to the feds transferring money is equalization, which is better done at the provincial level in any case. Say it after me children "There is only ONE taxpayer."

I would submit that this country's main political problem is that debate regarding social programs, health and taxation rates tends to boil down to intergovernmental hot potato. I think t Mr. Ian McClelland (spelling aprox. -- former Reform MP now MLA in Alberta in charge of the "let's fight off the separatists in Alberta by talking about our own pension plan" project) said it best, "It's about getting the other guy to take the blame for levying the taxes and then taking the credit for spending the money."

Therefore a new deal for cities is clearly an exercise in political rhetoric and Martin is doing it simply because some mayors came to him and it sounded like a good way to be the good guy, unless he can prove otherwise. However another problem we have in this country is a lack of national political objectives. Plus, taxation competition among the provinces can lead to a race to the bottom in terms of providing services to those who are at the bottom . Three birds with one stone? Here it comes.

There are at least two big areas the federal government has historically had responsibility for that also relate to cities, (housing and the environment). Get rid of this unproductive "new deal for cities" as it will only give cities the opportunity to blame the federal government when they run short on revenues and isn't useful. Replace it with -- gasp -- nationally directed funding for mass transit and affordable housing.

1) Mass transit. Here the federal government could get together with the cities and all other interested parties and come up with national objectives and goals for improving mass transit usage. Since Toronto might need a new subway line and Nanton may need a new Handibus, the individual municipalities would do most of the planning and would be compensated both on a per capita basis and by how well they met the national objectives. This would help environmentally (remember big bad Kyoto) and if ambitious enough could take the pressure off cities infrastructure budgets because fewer roads would be needed. Plus people might actually get where they want to go more efficiently which is always a bonus.

2) Housing for the homeless. I'm livid with Mr. Layton for bursting my bubble that the NDP was the last truly federalist party in Ottawa but will defend him nonetheless. His comments about cuts to social housing funding causing people to die are partly true. I mean if it weren't true that this sort of funding saved lives why spend it at all. Whether it makes Mr. Martin a murderer remains to be seen but we do need to acknowledge that survival is an issue for some of us and a warm place to sleep can be the difference.

So.... the federal government should be required to provide shelter and a meal for EVERY person who is homeless on a long term basis. Nothing fancy but a warm place to sleep and enough nutrition to survive. These shelters should be run by the federal government pure and simple to get rid of any wrangling and because it's more efficient than funding 5 or 10 agencies in any given city. Again, this would be the federal government's sole responsibility and they would be REQUIRED to ensure people don't freeze or starve to death on our streets.

Doesn't that make more sense than another half baked tax transfer from one government to another?