Mayor Tory went door-to-door in Ward 8 (Eglinton-Larence) Saturday, braving the rain to ask residents to complain to the government about cuts to City services. The door-knocking brought a response from Premier Ford later in the day saying that the Mayor and City Council want the public to believe the only way to address the cuts is to raise taxes or reduce services. Savings can be found in Toronto’s bureaucracy, he insists. Behind it all, the crushing provincial debt ($343 billion). It requires a stunning $11 billion in interest each year. And despite the insistence of the City and Queen’s Park that there is a better way to address the debt, that solution is not clear. Stories by CTV and CBC Saturday do not touch on alternatives (if any exist) to the present deep cuts being made to health care. There may be another way, but it is not apparent. Or, does a debt of $343 billion matter?
