Junction Triangle

Jack,

I just added the name myself and updated the flyer/site.

-Vic

I don't want to resort to name calling (that's Sue-Ann Levy's job) but Sue-Ann Levy as a moderator is a terrible choice because she is one of the most partisan right wingers in the City. I honestly don't know how the candidates would feel with her as a moderator but I cannot imagine they would be happy having a Rob Ford supporter as the moderator. I am surprised that she was even considered.

We need somebody who comes to the table with a cleaner slate and somebody who actually knows the issues in Ward 18. In fact if you read anything about Sue-Ann Levy she is opposed to most things that are popular in Ward 18. You cant call for inclusion and fairness and then have somebody like her be a moderator.

I call for a Ward 18 person who knows the issues and is un-biased (at least compared to Sue-Ann Levy) to be chosen instead.

If your concern is putting on a good debate and doing something for the community, what is the problem with choosing a more acceptable moderator? If not one of the names put forward, someone else from the list of those you have considered?

In a lot of ways politics is about the friends you keep. It helps guide others in understanding where you are coming from and what your vision is. There are some serious questions about who exactly Ana Bailão wants to represent.

It is clear that in 2003 almost her entire campaign was funded by the construction industry or those within it without almost any donors actually listing addresses from Ward 18. In 2003 Ana Bailão raised almost TWICE the amount of the next candidate (Bailão 70024.54 Giambrone 42,00.70) Who exactly is paying for the Ana Bailão campaign this time?

Based on publicly available donor information from her 2003 campaign, there are serious questions unanswered about Ana Bailão and the company she keeps; questions that relate to issues going on right on my very street, issues that will impact what kind of community we will live in for the rest of our lives. Ana Bailão has done nothing wrong; but as a citizen of Ward 18 I have to question the company, or rather the companies she keeps.

Ana Bailão is quoted on page 6 and 7 of this summers edition of “New Voices” magazine: “Bailão also notes the difficulty of launching a campaign for candidates who lack a strong network of wealthy and influential contacts.” That may be true for some but she can’t possibly be referring to herself.

The Issue

Was Ana Bailão really running to serve the community in 2003? Her 2003 donor list (108 0f 112 Donors that could be identified) shows:

- Only 7 donors out of 108 had addresses listed within the ward accounting for a very very small % of her donations.

- The vast majority of donors listed addresses well outside the riding and at commercial construction businesses.

- The overwhelming majority of these commercial addresses were companies in the construction industry, especially concrete (such as Lee Rocca Concrete Forming in Oakville) even including St. Lawrence Concrete in Montreal Quebec! (St. Lawrence Cement is now called Holcim (Canada) Inc. and is a 1.3 billion dollar construction company). A large company outside of your province is donating to a Toronto councillor campaign?

- Many of the “individuals” names were actually the owners or presidents of the construction business (such as Pat Dipaolo , President of UCC Construction Group) listed at those addresses. Why not just just call it a business donation and list it as such? And if not a business donation then why not list a home address?

- Some of these individuals list addresses that are the HQ’s for very powerful construction industry lobby groups where they work or are involved (such as Michael O’Conner on Brundel Road Mississauga which is where he works at the Ontario Hot Mix (paving ) Association or what about Tony Carreira and John Meportin who both use the address of the Labourors union LiUNA local 183, or Scott Marus who lists the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters Association(IAFF Local 3888) at 39 Commissioners Road, or Manuel Valenti who is the director of Masonary Contractors Association of Toronto.) From contractor, to developer, to lobbyist---they are all in Ana Bailão’s donor list. All good people but shouldn’t some of these donations have been listed under unions, lobbyists, and company categories like the other candidates did so we have a better sense who whom is backing a candidate?

- Many of these companies including developers (Somerset Homes) who have or will at some time do work in our Ward and with the City. There is nothing wrong with that but shouldn’t citizens know this before they vote so people know who is bankrolling your campaign?

- The pattern of donations is so overwhelmingly consistent that you can only come to one conclusion. Ana Bailão was the 2003 construction/developer industry candidate in Ward 18 by a mile. How might that effect her votes at Council? Shouldn’t voters have known? If you did not take the time to actually look up the addresses you wouldn’t have.

Googlemap of 2003 Ana Bailão Donors

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=229+Perth+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+Ontario+M6P+3X7,+Canada&msa=0&msid=103158910526987248582.00048e5b09258e7a9f5f4&ll=44.47796,-76.760489&spn=3.053216,7.36084&z=8

Lets Put Everything In The Open

One has to ask, is Ana Bailão running to represent the citizens of Ward 18 or running to represent the development and construction industry? In 2003 she had almost zero financial support from Ward 18 business and residents and could not have run a campaign without the backing of the construction industry.

How would her winning then or now effect the development, rezoning, and future land use in our area? One of her donors, Somerset Homes told me yesterday that they are sitting on the property a block from my house until council changes the “employment lands” zoning now in effect on that property. When that vote comes up at Council who will be more important to Ana Bailão: the West End residents who want to protect Railpath that runs along the property and have developments that fit in with the existing community, or the construction/development industry who doesn’t have to live here and gets to leave when the money is made?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being the construction industry candidate, if Ana Bailão wants to be that. The construction industry helped build this great city and have provided lots of good jobs over the years. But the reality is that all industry has motives and agendas that will favour themselves first and there can be no mistake about that. That’s the way it works. But the theory behind local politics is that resident seek a representative that will honour and forward THEIR agenda; to level the playing field between Junction Triangle and the Holcim (Canada) Inc. Conglomerate, UCC Group with revenues of 50 million, or even SC Construction of Woodbridge with 5 million in revenues: all Bailão donors in 2003.

As a resident of Ward 18 I want to know that votes on zoning and development will be based on what is best for the Ward and not what is best for one industry special interest group.

Where Does This Information Come From?

From Ana Bailão herself. Everything I am concerned about stems from Ana Bailão 2003 “Financial Statement and Auditors Report” signed by Ana Bailão on June 30 2004 and available from:
Toronto Elections office website ( http://www.toronto.ca/elections/contribution-info.htm)
Vote Toronto website ( http://www.votetoronto.ca/financial/wards/2003T/Ward18_2003T.htm)

or in person as I got copies quite a few years ago. Every single name, address, person, company, or detail is publicly available to anyone who wishes to look it up.

Some of the companies and donors have changed addresses since that campaign and I tried to call each and every one of them to confirm. I corrected some mistakes of addresses that were innocent and I probably have made an honest error in an address or two myself but the pattern is unmistakable.

Ana Bailão has NOT done anything illegal nor has anybody who donated to her campaign. That is NOT what concerns me so lets not disrespect people. Every single person on her donor list is a verifiable and reputable person as far as I am concerned and by donating to her campaign has performed a valuable public service. I come from from a union construction family where hard work was respected as was making your voice heard at election time and getting to the bottom of things.

1. More police presence! Police often at Tim Horton's on the corner on breaks but ignore traffic infringements, noise, rowdyism. Many of my neighbours, business owners and landlords say they call police often but get little response. Very rarely see photo radar here too.
2. Safety audit needed: Camera at intersection while it would not deter crime, would catch the many near misses, cars whizzing by open streetcar doors, and be a backup for incidents like this. We also need better roadway markings. Signs often in disrepair, hanging at angles, signage not clear to motorists. Has been TTC accidents here too.
3. This area is the forgotten core of ward 18, with no active residents association like at Dufferin Grove or Dyan Marie-arts-land (DigIn). We need active participation by residents, who unfortunately are still angry and feeling disenfranchised from Giambrone's non-consultative Lansdowne narrowing fiasco.
4. Whatever happened to the idea of Neighbourhood Watch? Lots of kids, families still in the area despite wrong-headed move to close West Toronto school. Will it be a community center? Or will city sellout to developers to erect eyesore condominiums?
5. Many residents whose first language is not English are out of the loop and unrepresented in local and city democracy. We need the city to communicate in residents own language: Portugese, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, Vietnamese, etc.
6. There has been no significant "traffic-calming" to Lansdowne Avenenue despite city spending a few million dollars. Cyclist, pedestrian accidents, traffic gridlock, etc. We need to fix what Adam destroyed here. We need more crosswalks, lower speed limit as excessive speeding off rush hours.
7. Graffiti eradication: Just a block from our city councillor's office there is ugly gang tag graffiti everywhere. Why isn't this addressed with arts projects that other areas get?
8. Abandoned prtoperties: Coffee Time at Dundas/Lansdowne closed for long period, marked by graffiti. Much like the Seven-Eleven that sat vacant for years. Businesses on College Street (even right beside Councillor's office) can't make a living. Are they ignored because there is no College Street BIA? City needs affordable housing, yet the property at 1005 (?) College near Havelock is an abandoned eyesore that's been that way a long time.
9. Any City Councillor should represent ALL areas of his or her ward, not just special interest lobby groups. Does such a creature exist?

Scott, I have seen your posts where you vociferously complain about other people's opions being out of place or having some ulterior motive. Yet, isn't the essence of an inclusive democratic community one where every individual has the right to free expression of opinion? In my experience, this site seems to suffer an inordinate amount of censorship of certain others' opinions. Okay if it's one person's blog or diatribe, but this site says "this is a community website, ideas and help are always welcome!" If you purport to represent a community, you need to let the community have input.

Feel free to question my accuracy... point taken that crime stats overall are down, but the lived experience of people is that they have fear for their safety. Example: Sun story says about the Lansdowne/College stabbing, "One woman, who gave her name as Leonna, said she doesn't feel safe. "I try not to walk alone at night," she said. "I just don't feel 100% safe here." When she can afford it she said she plans to move." Maybe over the top, but that's the press that people see. So to me it makes it a legitimate election issue.

You said "If you are going to post here please keep to topics that relate to JT"..., Fair enough, but election issues I submit ARE relevant. Vic himself asked for input about election issues.

Scott, I get that you not have voted for me anyways, but I am not one to curry favour by agreeing with things I do not support.

Ken