Will John Tory’s ‘prudent’ leadership be tough enough to tackle Toronto’s big issues if he’s re-elected? One can only hope so.
In a city where the mayor has made a career out of working the edges of every ideological corner, he’s got himself a dilemma: How can he be a good leader with a big job on his hands, especially in a city where residents are fed up with high taxes, low services, and a city budget that, like the city itself, is in need of a shake-up.
A key part of being a good mayor is being able to lead, but he’s also got to be able to lead from behind. He’s got to be able to connect with the city’s people. He’s gotta be able to understand the pressures they’re under, and to know when to make tough choices to keep the city moving forward. That takes toughness, and that’s why voters’ elected him twice before — because he showed he knew he was up against it.
Now’s it’s his turn to show he’s up to the job. And we’ve got the first sign, as my colleague Matthew Yglesias has warned, that it’s going to be tough indeed.
The Ontario government is poised, for the first time, to make a huge tax credit for home renovations go to the lowest possible cost — no more than $500. That’s a huge tax credit that will go to homeowners who don’t even use their homes for anything more than for entertaining, let alone for running a business.
The government will also offer Ontario business owners a tax credit for every $1,000 in investment they make in their business, and will pay for it by eliminating the sales tax on the construction of business buildings.
Oh, and in another major initiative, the Ontario government will be offering tax credits for home renovations that go to people who invest in home renovations at home.
If these steps are made, it will be a huge boost to
