Change the Electoral System and More People Will Vote

The dust has settled after a feisty spring election where a minority of Ontarians (39 per cent) elected a majority provincial government to represent them at Queen's Park. Although 61 per cent of Ontario voters desired political change during the election, Kathleen Wynne's Liberals now hold 54 per cent of the seats in provincial parliament.

 Canadians witnessed a similar occurrence in the 2011 federal election where Stephen Harper’s Conservatives won a majority government with little under 40 per cent of the popular vote. Like Harper in Ottawa, Wynne has much liberty when it comes to routing the course of Ontario over the next four years.The will of many voters is effectively omitted because of our current electoral system, called "first-past-the-post". If one’s candidate of choice did not win in their community, then their vote is considered to be lost. It is no wonder that voters feel so disenfranchised about elections and will commonly say "What's the point in voting? My vote doesn't matter anyway." This was certainly the case in our community where our MPP won with only 11,867 votes while 33,561 chose not to vote at all.This system encourages what is called "strategic voting" which entails voting for a candidate, not one’s first choice but the one more likely to win and block the least preferred candidate. In Ontario, many who were unhappy with the provincial government plugged their nose and voted for Wynne in order to stop the Hudak agenda.Strategic voting is commonly abused by politicians who encourage it in places where it makes little sense. Here in York West and in downtown Toronto, the Conservatives generally rank a distant third with 10 per cent of the vote, yet many people are still encouraged to block Conservatives with their vote.How can a system that ignores Ontario’s voters still be deemed democratic?In 2005, the Election Amendment Act was passed and Elections Ontario convened the Citizen's Assembly on Electoral Reform to report back on whether electoral reform was in fact needed. The Assembly recommended a system of "proportional representation" where all votes count and the seats in provincial parliament would reflect the overall election results. This system was proposed to Ontarians as a referendum question during the 2007 provincial election where voters were presented with a second ballot which asked:"Which electoral system should Ontario use to elect members to the provincial legislature?• The existing electoral system (First-Past-the-Post)• The alternative electoral system proposed by the Citizens’ Assembly (Mixed Member Proportional)"Leading up to the 2007 election/referendum, a poll taken by Strategic Counsel showed 88% of respondents either knew "nothing" or only "a little" about the new system. Ontarians should have been provided with an expanded version of the ballot question with corresponding definitions and examples in order for there to have been a definite distinction between the two systems. Needless to say, the referendum failed, although 1.6 million Ontarians (37 per cent) were in support of changing the electoral system. Ironically, Wynne required 1.9 million votes to win a majority government.Every Ontarian's voice is valid, therefore every vote should count in an election. These past provincial and federal elections highlight the need for a vital change in our electoral system so that people can vote with a clear conscience and choose the person and party that they truly want the most - whether it is Liberal, NDP, Conservative, Green or other.In a time where fewer and fewer people vote, every necessary step needs to be taken in order to empower voters. Perhaps, if Ontarians felt that their vote could count, they would take the time to vote. By Jessica Pointon

Candidates reflect on election battle

After a hard fought provincial election campaign, the voters of York West have once again elected Mario Sergio as their Member of Provincial Parliament. Sergio, who has been the local representative in Queen's Park for nearly two decades, defeated NDP candidate Tom Rakocevic by 1,860 votes, helping Premier Kathleen Wynne's Liberals to achieve a majority government.

“I have been honoured and extremely pleased to have had the support of the people of York West since 1995 provincially and I have to say that I have served the same people since 1978 as their local councillor,” Sergio said. “I've had a long and wonderful relationship with the people of York West and I will will work hard, harder than before to continue to serve the people of York West.”Sergio who will continue to serve as the Minister responsible for Seniors, said that he is excited to continue moving forward in this capacity. “I have already held a meeting with the Ontario seniors secretary and staff to relaunch the community grant program for seniors,” he said. “We are ready to go and we are very positive with four years of progress for the people of Ontario.”Despite falling short in this election, Rakocevic said he is undeterred and would like to run again in the next provincial election. “I received an overwhelming amount of support and I was very humbled by it,” Rakocevic said. “I will definitely be seeking the nomination to run in York West again and I will continue to volunteer my time to work in the community until the next election.” Following the election, Rakocevic has continued to work as an executive assistant to councillor Anthony Perruzza and said that he will remain visible in the community.“I'm definitely going to fight for the issues that are important to my community and I want to encourage people that their voice matters, it matters to me and that each and every one of us can create change,” he said.Karlene Nation, who ran for the Progressive Conservative party, coming in a distant third, said that while she was disappointed by the election results, she was proud of her campaign. “We gave it a good go and I'm pretty proud that I got to speak to as many residents as I did about the issues and more importantly, I'm happy that I've gotten a lot of young people involved who have helped me and helped my campaign,” Nation said. “We have our work cut out for us in York West and we're doing what we need to do to win the election next time around.”Nation, who recently left CTV news after working there for 21 years as a reporter and diversity producer to start her own media company, One Nation media, where she helps her clients to gain media exposure, said she does not plan on running again in York West. By David Ros

'Ghost bus shelters' do not serve TTC riders

Contrary to popular misconception, the TTC has nothing to do with bus shelters and never has. They were originally erected by the local municipalities. North York used to budget for 40 shelters a year, but they were a major headache for the municipalities because of the cost of keeping them clean – and they hardly ever were clean.

Under former Toronto mayor David Miller, the city hit upon the idea of contracting out our street furniture (shelters, benches and trash bins) to a company in exchange for exclusive advertising rights on our streets. The plan was also to get rid of the ugly newspaper boxes that clog sidewalks and intersections and install public washrooms; but that’s another story. Several Companies competed and the contract was awarded to Astral Media Outdoor LP. The company signed a 20 year contact signed in 2007 and so it lasts for another thirteen years. It was a pretty good deal. The city got spiffy new street furniture and it shed the costs of maintaining shelters, bus benches, notice boards, and trash bins. In addition to some $26 Million worth of street furniture the city also received revenues of some $429 Million over the 20 year life of the contract. Now here’s the down side. In North York, for example, bus shelters were erected on the basis of actual need. City staff would count the number of passengers using a stop and multiply it by the length of time between busses to generate a number.For example, if ten people waited at a bus stop for 20 minutes it would be allocated a shelter ahead of a main street shelter that served 50 passengers who had to wait 2 minutes. Councillors would submit their requests for shelters and the numbers would objectively determine who got the shelters. This is the only way that remote locations could ever get shelters. Outdoor advertising companies earn their revenues based on traffic volume. They charge advertisers on the basis of how many people are calculated to see an ad. A billboard on Sentinel Rd., and Grandravine Dr., generates far less revenue for them than the same poster located at Jane St., and Finch Ave. W. Now shelters began to be erected on the basis of how much advertising revenue they could generate forthe company rather than need to shelter people waiting for busses.This has resulted in the erection of what I call “Ghost Shelters.” The most outrageous examples are two shelters that are located at the Intersection of Sheppard Ave. W., and Allen Rd. One is located on the south west corner where there is a bus stop but no bus route. The other is at the south east corner, a few meters away from Downsview station that also has a bus stop but no bus route. Even if there were real bus routes that served these stops there would be no reason to ever get on or off a bus at these locations. I checked out the litter containers. They both looked brand new and there was no litter in any of them. All the buses that pass are are on route to be serviced at the Wilson Yards.The Ghost shelters are located here because the intersection has one of the highest traffic volumes in the city and hence generates huge advertising revenues for Astral Media.Each of these shelters costs about $28,000 to erect. Under the agreement the company has to erect a fixed number of shelters a year. That means that because of these Ghost shelters there are two bus stops in this city that have no shelter. Passengers have to suffer the rain and snow because the city has lost control of where shelters are located.How many other Ghost shelters does Toronto have?I will be asking the chair of the TTC and the two local Councillors for their comments and will share them with you in a future column when I talk about shelters that don’t actually shelter anyone. I would also invite readers to tell me where they would like to see shelters erected.by Howard Moscoe

Students leaders celebrated for their success

Over the past year, I had an opportunity to work in a number of schools. Through my work with the City and the Toronto District School Board I was able to help organize a number of events, such as tree plantings and community clean ups.

[metaslider id=557]I have also worked with over a dozen schools in the Downsview area. In this time I've had the chance to see the diversity of talent and the latent opportunity that many of our students have. It also an eye opening experience that saw me discover the needs many students face in the classroom. There is nothing worse that wasted talent and opening doors for young people is the only remedy for wasted lives. With this in mind, I started a $100 bursary for high achieving graduating elementary school students, $150 for middle school graduates and $250 for those graduating from high school. The Downsview community needs to celebrate its successes more often. It has been over a year in the making, but it finally came through in June. I was able to hand a bursary to two dozen graduating students from grades 5, 8 and 12. Frankly, the work I do is a privilege. Public service is a vocation more than a job and it has some very rewarding moments. It was great to be able to celebrate students for their individual success, but it was well worth doing for me too. It was a way to give back to my community. The students that received the Leadership Award, were students that not only excelled academically, but that also fostered a better school community:

“The students have demonstrated leadership in the school by showing a love of learning and have led other students to improve their academic achievements. They have also created a more inclusive, welcoming place in the school community by their active participation in extra-curricular activities.”

By Matias de Dovitiis

Property tax and water rebates for seniors - Apply and Save Money

Seniors and persons with a disability are often the most affected by the rising cost of living. As the cost of everything goes up, their pension and/or benefits stay the same - this means they are actually making less and less money each year.

In 2008, I worked with Councillor Anthony Perruzza to help establish Toronto's water rebate program for seniors and persons with a disability whose household income is less than $50,000. Successful applicants can receive up to a 30 per cent rebate for the water they consumed at the end of the year. That same year, we also helped raise the income threshold for Toronto's Property Tax Increase Cancellation Program to help more seniors apply. Today, if you are a senior or person with a disability in the City of Toronto and your household income is less than $38,000, an application to this program means any property tax increase will be returned to your pocket. Important programs like this provide relief to seniors who are struggling on a fixed income. After their many years of hard work, seniors should live with peace of mind and dignity. Unfortunately, the reality for many seniors is one of financial stress. If you care about a senior or person with a disability who owns a home in Toronto, let them know about these programs that will help them save money. Call your local City Councillor and ask their office for an application or even help in applying:Ward 8 - Councillor Anthony Perruzza - 416-338-5335Ward 9 - Councillor Maria Augimeri - 416-392-4021 by Tom Rakocevic

Tom Rakocevic - Letter to the Editor

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my wonderful neighbours in York West for their tremendous support of my candidacy in the 2014 provincial election.

The election was an incredible, fulfilling experience. My campaign had the highest amount of growth (2,000 more votes for a total of 10,007), the most votes of all candidates within the municipal boundary of ward 8, and we finished a very close second overall - all thanks to you. The people of our community continue to face real challenges such as unfair high levels of auto insurance, difficulties in finding good jobs, rising costs of living and much more. You can count on me to continue standing up for our community and I look forward to running again in the next election. Tom Rakocevic Ontario NDP Candidate 2014

Rastafest

Downsview Park

Aug 23

35 Carl Hall Rd, Toronto, ON M3K 2B6

more info!

by Upfront Theatre Foundation

Editorial Endorsement - Tom Rakocevic has York West at heart

When deciding who to vote for in the upcoming provincial election, it's important to think locally.After all, you are electing someone whose main responsibility is to look after your immediate local needs. The things that matter most to you in your community.York West residents need a champion at Queen's Park. Someone who not only knows the area and the challenges it faces, but who also knows the residents intimately.Of all of the candidates running in York West, only Tom Rakocevic truly fits this bill.Rakocevic has lived his whole life in York West. He went to all local schools, starting at Derrydown Public School, moving on to Elia Middle School before attending C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute and York University.But it's not just that. Throughout his life, Rakocevic has spent countless hours volunteering in the community. He knows the area, he knows the residents, he knows the issues.Rakocevic has been a champion for York West residents in the fight for lower auto insurance rates. York West residents pay some of the highest auto insurance rates anywhere in the province. Rakocevic has organized information sessions and has constantly spoken out against the unfairness of our current auto insurance system where people living in places like Rosedale pay a significantly lower auto insurance rate than people living in York West.If elected to Queen's Park, there is no doubt that Rakocevic would fight to lower auto insurance rates for York West residents.Last year when York West was heavily impacted by two different floods causing a significant amount of damage, Rakocevic organized meetings providing residents with paperwork and information on how to get city rebates to install backflow preventers in order to help protect their homes from future flooding.This election in York West is not about the past, but it is about the future.The residents of York West need a change. They need a representative in Queen's Park who cares deeply about his community and who will put the residents of York West first. They need someone who is out there in the community who will be available to talk to, and more importantly, listen to residents about their concerns. Someone who will fight tooth and nail for the issues that matter most to the residents of York West.That person is Tom Rakocevic.