The cost of austerity

Now:

It’s death by a thousands cuts in Rob Ford’s the 2012 budget

So there is no war on children. The mayor has come riding to the rescue, taken childrens’ nutrition programs and the closure of 12 community centre programs run jointly with the Toronto District School Board off the list of cuts for this budget go-around.

I suppose we should all rejoice?

Politically, there were always going to be trade-offs. And blowback on Ford-friendly members of council on these two issues in particular, not to mention the optics of taking food from poor kids’ mouths, were too much to chance having a knock ‘em down, and drag ‘em out debate on the council floor. Besides, the mayor could use some good PR right about now.

But before we lose sight of the bottom line, a dose of cruel reality. Where the 2012 budget is concerned, the mayor can’t stake his claim to delivering on his election promise of Respect for Taxpayers. He’s only increased the tax burden on families when you add up the cost of cuts in services, increases in user fees being proposed.

The Fordists fancy themselves fiscal conservatives, but what is nailing people with user fees through the backdoor if not a tax increase by another name?

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