If I’m elected Mayor of Toronto in 2010, I promise to always act in the best interests of the city and its citizens and to run my administration in an open and transparent way and to use common sense and logic in all my decisions. Below is a list of goals that I will strive to accomplish to the best of my abilities during my tenure as Mayor of this great city of ours. And as Mayor, I plan to assemble a team of the most creative and innovative minds in the city to help me achieve these goals.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY INITIATIVES
1. First and foremost, I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to balance the city’s budget, wipe out the deficit and bring city spending under control by the end of my first term in office. Furthermore, I will involve the citizens of Toronto in the decision-making on any major spending issues by giving the people the opportunity to cast their vote via an on line or phone in poll process.
2. As part of my commitment to tackle the city’s overwhelming deficit, I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to control and combat the foolish spending that was going on under the watch of my predecessor by laying down new guidelines and policies on city councilors’ expense accounts & limiting the eligible expenses that may be claimed.
3. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to review and reduce the amount of self-serving perks that councilors and city staff have been receiving over the years under the former administration.
4. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to set up a Public Expense Registry for all of city council so taxpayers can monitor to see what money and where it is being spent on.
5. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to review and reduce property taxes for both businesses and residents alike.
6. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to reduce the Municipal Land Transfer Tax for first-time home buyers so they can afford to live and invest in a home in the city of Toronto.
7. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to reduce the new Personal Vehicle Tax imposed on residents of Toronto by the previous Mayor and council.
8. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to establish an open book policy with our city unions especially during contract negotiations so they can clearly see for themselves the state of the city’s budget and financial situation.
9. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to open the doors of City Hall by setting up Sponsorship Building Initiative Programs that would offer both small and large corporations branding opportunities to help fund city programs and public recreational facilities. As far as JP is concerned, everything other than family morals, human dignity and self-respect is up for sale.
10. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to develop relationships and work with the various levels of entertainment and hospitality industry leaders of the city on how to best promote and market their industry in order to attract more tourism dollars to our beautiful and vibrant city.
COMMUNITY BUILDING INITIATIVES
11. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to showcase and celebrate our city’s unique multicultural flavour by displaying flags around the perimeter of Nathan Philips Square representing the city’s many varied cultures.
12. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to establish a New Business Development Fund designed specifically to help enhance and support young and inspiring entrepreneurs with fresh new ideas and minds through city grants that would help kick start and launch their new venture.
13. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to promote and support Neighbourhood Community Watch initiatives by encouraging citizens to take a more active interest in ensuring the safety of their families and fellow neighbours in their own community.
14. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to set up a city-wide volunteer fundraising program which will issue tax deductible receipts to citizens and enterprises who are willing to volunteer and assist seniors, disabled and handicapped persons living in the city of Toronto. In addition, in order to improve the lives and maintain the dignity of our disadvantaged elderly and infirm citizens who live on their own, our mission will be to advocate on their behalf with other levels of government to apply more funding for special hygiene services in their own home.
15. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to organize the first annual Toronto-fest event which will be a fundraising initiative held once a year on behalf of the taxpayers of Toronto to help raise funds to go into a special reserve fund to cover any shortfall expense suffered by the city.
16. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to further develop and broaden the relationships with the owners of our taxi cab companies in the interest of ensuring better safety measures for our hard-working cabbies in the city.
17. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to set up an annual Mayor’s Citizens Award night to honour those citizens who actively participate in our online suggestion mailbag program by submitting their ideas, comments and feedback to the Mayor on how to improve the city.
18. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to develop a closer relationship with Toronto’s school board officials by implementing an Ambassadorship Program made up of local sports, entertainment, media and business personalities and role models with the mandate to inspire, motivate and mentor students, the future leaders of the city.
19. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to implement a Good Samaritan Program to honour and give recognition to those youth and adults (YAA) who do good deeds for their fellow citizens at the Mayor’s annual YAA-fest.
20. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to make myself available on a regular basis on both open tv and radio talk shows to answer questions from the citizens of Toronto.
CITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES
21. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to beautify Toronto and make it a more tourist-friendly city by giving the entire city a complete facelift including sweeping & washing down of city sidewalks and streets, grooming of city parks, cleaning up of alleyways and picking up trash along the lakefront and beach areas.
22. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to review and re-examine our city’s whole bike lane strategy to ensure safety and enjoyment of our city’s streets by motorists, cyclists and pedestrians alike.
23. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to make sure more overnight parking permits are made available for car owners living in the downtown core.
24. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to increase accessibility for the physically challenged citizens of our city by establishing a new self-help committee of disabled and handicapped people to advise on these types of issues.
25. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to review and implement a better planning strategy when the city is approached by organizations requesting permits for their event that may require the closing of city streets so as to avoid overlapping of events causing traffic headaches for drivers and pedestrians alike.
26. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to assist citizens who are on social assistance and residing in municipal housing facilities by setting up self-sustaining employment centres, daycare facilities and healthcare clinics within these municipal buildings for use by residents so as to improve their lives and build a brighter future for themselves and their families. Furthermore, we will create additional shelter space with in-house rehabilitation programs and retraining facilities to assist the homeless men and women who wish to accept a helping hand to get off the streets and get their lives back on track with health and wealth.
27. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to review and establish a long term revitalization plan to develop Toronto’s waterfront in a more cohesive and aesthetically pleasing design and to make our city’s skyline truly spectacular for the enjoyment of all Torontonians and visitors alike.
28. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to repair and upkeep Toronto’s roads in a timely manner and as well to come up with cost efficient ideas and solutions to improve Toronto’s transit system infrastructure for transit users.
29. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to work with the Port Authority officials in supporting and building an underground pedestrian tunnel to the Island Airport and using battery-operated motorized carts as a more environmental and efficient way to taxi passengers back and forth to the mainland.
30. I, JP Pampena promise to try my best to bring value to taxpayers through the city’s snow removal service by having our city snowplow staff avoid blocking the homeowners’ driveways when clearing snowfall on residential streets of Toronto.
We hope we can count on your support and
Encourage everyone to vote for change on Monday October 25, 2010
Let’s get started on improving the quality of life
Of all who live, work and play in this wonderful city of ours
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Hi JP I look forward to working with on your campaign to City Hall.
ReplyDeletePhilip
Looks great, your ideas are really good... ambitious and optimistic, but it's nice to see.
ReplyDeleteYou'll need more visibility (probably not the right choice of word) though.
Good luck to you.