tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65936917679161038202024-03-05T16:19:46.166-08:00Elect Michael Laxer - Ward 6 City Councillor 2014A Socialist Alternative to Cutbacks & Austerity—Build a Better Toronto
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-81091495626100923072014-10-24T11:38:00.000-07:002014-10-24T11:38:15.963-07:00Join Michael for a Coffee, Tea & Discussion! We are campaigning hard right up to election day for living wages, defending public services, fare free transit, tenant rights and landlord licensing, affordable housing, democratic reform, police accountability and a platform centred around social and economic justice for our community.<br />
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Michael will be canvassing between now and Monday but will also be at the campaign office between 2-4 p.m. Saturday and 12-4 on Sunday to talk to anyone who would like to meet him, has any last minute questions or who would like to discuss issues or concerns they have in our neighbourhood or the city.<br />
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So drop by for a coffee or tea and a chat!<br />
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<b>Where: Michael Laxer Campaign Office, 2858 Lake Shore Blvd. W. (at 5th St.) </b><br />
<b>When: Saturday, October 25 2-4 p.m. & Sunday October 26 12-4 p.m.</b><br />
<b>Contact: 416-251-5576/electmichaellaxer@outlook.com </b><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-52597229424681375332014-10-20T13:07:00.001-07:002014-10-20T13:07:55.037-07:00Strategic Voting: Always a Mistake!This past Sunday I was in the Toronto Star standing up against the "dangerous logic" of so-called strategic voting:<br />
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"<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.2999992370605px;"><b>Michael Laxer, a self-described socialist candidate running in Etobiocke’s Ward 6, is also disturbed that voters, especially those inclined to support Olivia Chow, now plan to vote for John Tory because recent polls place him as the frontrunner.</b></span><br />
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<b>“John Tory has become the strategic, all embodying alternative to Doug and Rob Ford<a data-councillor="Rob Ford" data-img="/councillors/Rob.Ford.9x2.jpeg" data-position="Mayor" data-ward="Mayor" href="http://www.thestar.com/content/thestar/news/politics/policard.html#councillor/robford" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #0072bc; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(open Rob Ford's policard)</a>. He’s seen as the person you have to vote for if your apparent objective is to stop the Fords and their agenda,” Laxer said.</b></div>
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<b>But Laxer says there is a “dangerous logic” in strategic voting for those wanting a progressive alternative to the Ford brothers when Tory’s politics are not all that much different — minus what Tory refers to as the “chaos and division.”</b></div>
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<b>“John Tory is presenting himself now as a centrist, but he’s not. He was the head of the Conservative Party. He is blue-blood Bay Street as it gets,” Laxer said. “He is the embodiment of the corporate and right-wing agenda in Toronto and I believe he will be a very strong, fierce and very effective opponent of unions, workers and public services and programs in the city.”</b></div>
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You can read the full article here:<a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/toronto2014election/2014/10/19/strategic_voting_a_troubling_factor_in_torontos_race_for_mayor.html#"> http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/toronto2014election/2014/10/19/strategic_voting_a_troubling_factor_in_torontos_race_for_mayor.html#</a></div>
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This interview was based around an article I wrote for rabble.ca on why strategic voting is not just wrong in this case, but generally:</div>
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"<span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 15pt;"><b>Voting for John Tory means enabling the very worst logic of "strategic voting". The liberal "left" has brought this on itself by its embrace of the logic of getting "better" people elected "strategically", and the sheer anti-democratic stupidity of the idea is now being proven.</b></span></div>
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<b>The false, dangerous and profoundly self-defeating idea that voters should be "realistic" and embrace the "best" alternative to the worst option is coming back to haunt the many among the Liberals and New Democrats who have so often and so misguidedly advocated for it in different circumstances when it seemed to their benefit.</b></div>
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<b>It is an idea that has empowered the right and facilitated the left's defeat.</b></div>
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<b>Now that "strategic voting" is being used to advocate John Tory's election, one hopes that the cynical notion itself will be abandoned.</b></div>
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<b>Realism in the electoral arena is a game the left simply cannot win, as Chow's campaign has again shown. There will always be a more "realistic" option.</b></div>
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<b>Perhaps it is time to once and for all abandon the right wing farce of "realism" and start to actually advocate openly and avowedly for the principles we allegedly believe in."</b></div>
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You can read the entire piece here: <a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/10/john-tory-and-dangerous-logic-strategic-voting">http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/10/john-tory-and-dangerous-logic-strategic-voting</a></div>
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Strategic voting...it is ALWAYS a mistake! </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-56912336550673270822014-10-13T13:37:00.000-07:002014-10-13T14:01:03.132-07:00Fare Free Transit in Toronto & Etobicoke: Video from the Fare Free Transit Forum in Ward 6Video from the Fare Free Transit Forum held jointly by my campaign and the Greater Toronto Workers' Assembly on September 28 is now available online.<br />
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Both videos can be found on the Socialist Project website:<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%C2%A0http://www.socialistproject.ca/leftstreamed/ls234.php"> http://www.socialistproject.ca/leftstreamed/ls234.php</a> and are embed directly below.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">"Presentations by:</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Kamilla Pietrzyk of the <a class="relay" href="http://www.workersassembly.ca/transit/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: blue; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; text-decoration: none;">Greater Toronto Workers' Assembly</a>'s Free and Accessible Transit Campaign</li>
<li>Ward 6 Socialist city council candidate <a class="relay" href="http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: blue; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; text-decoration: none;">Michael Laxer</a>, who is campaigning for Free Transit</li>
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Topics of discussion included:</div>
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<li>Is fare free transit possible in Toronto?</li>
<li>What would be the social benefits of such a transit policy?</li>
<li>How would free transit benefit the suburbs and Etobicoke?</li>
<li>What can we learn from the free transit experiment in Tallinn, Estonia?"</li>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/xYElo-dW6og" width="560"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/8iy9XssE6w4" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-59578855439023171822014-10-01T05:41:00.000-07:002014-10-21T11:09:14.799-07:00My Answers & Responses to the Ward 6 TV Debate!Join the Fight!<br />
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You can see all my answers & responses at the Ward 6 TV debate: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=918533998164750&set=vb.737358249615660&type=2&theater">https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=918533998164750&set=vb.737358249615660&type=2&theater</a><br />
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You can view the entire debate on the Rogers TV website: <a href="http://rogerstv.com/page.aspx?lid=237&rid=16&gid=216231">http://rogerstv.com/page.aspx?lid=237&rid=16&gid=216231</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-88148035246192348902014-09-26T15:30:00.001-07:002014-09-26T15:30:53.929-07:00Get your sign October 2nd & Join the Fight!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_ytz65xqyAYqw9kGPX2w3WaPxEyawYwIHYjddpTKF4alVKLMStEGFrjRponkdZsW7sBXub0-R0gZme9Nzmett5BZDhcW4Ps92l_068YMEjI_VterfnkWPtYDtOnoCm65Fhuxu8M/s1600/1-lf_photo_000591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_ytz65xqyAYqw9kGPX2w3WaPxEyawYwIHYjddpTKF4alVKLMStEGFrjRponkdZsW7sBXub0-R0gZme9Nzmett5BZDhcW4Ps92l_068YMEjI_VterfnkWPtYDtOnoCm65Fhuxu8M/s1600/1-lf_photo_000591.jpg" height="400" width="277" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>The signs have arrived! You can have one in your window or on your lawn October 2nd and show your support for a real alternative to cutbacks and austerity.</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>Each sign has a message and you can pick yours: Higher Wages, Free Transit or Public Services!</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>Email us at electmichaellaxer@outlook.com or call 416-251-5576.</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><b>Join the Fight!</b></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-59457512877580217262014-09-02T10:24:00.000-07:002014-09-12T16:42:52.679-07:00Two Exciting Upcoming Campaign Events in September! <b style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">Two exciting upcoming campaign events in September!</b><br />
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<b style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">The Fight for Fare Free Transit in Toronto: A Coffeehouse & Forum of the GTWA Free and Accessible Transit Campaign & the Michael Laxer Ward 6 Campaign</b><br />
<b style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br /></b><span style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"></span><b style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">Where: The Big Guy's Little Coffee Shop, 2861 Lake Shore Blvd. W.</b><br />
<b style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">When: Sunday, September 28, 2:30 p.m.</b><br />
<b style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br /></b><span style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px;">Join us in heart of South Etobicoke for a public discussion forum about the fight for Free Transit in Toronto. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px;" />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.9200000762939px;">Kamilla Petrick of the Greater Toronto Workers' Assembly's Free and Accessible Transit Campaign & Ward 6 Socialist City Council candidate Michael Laxer, who is campaigning for Free Transit, will be speaking and moderating the discussion. Kamilla Petrick is an activist and academic living in Toronto and has contributed to the growing Toronto public transit movement as a member of TTCRiders and the Free Transit campaign.</span></span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px;">We will look at:<br />-Is fare free transit possible in Toronto?<br />-What would be the social benefits of such a transit policy?<br />-How would free transit benefit the suburbs and Etobicoke?<br />-What can we learn from the free transit experiment in Tallinn, Estonia?<br /><br />As well as other related topics.<br /><br />The event is free to attend and everyone is welcome. Some refreshments will be available for free and coffee/tea and other refreshments will be available for a charge from the coffee shop.<br /><br /><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=377721500128" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Big-Guys-Little-Coffee-Shop/377721500128" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">The Big Guy's Little Coffee Shop</a> is a fully accessible venue.<br /><br />Links:<br />The <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=737358249615660" href="https://www.facebook.com/electmichaellaxer2014" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Elect Michael Laxer - Ward 6 City Councillor 2014</a> campaign website:<a href="http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>electmichaellaxer2014.blogs<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>pot.ca/</a><br />The GTWA website: <a href="http://www.workersassembly.ca/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>www.workersassembly.ca/</a><br />The GTWA Free and Accessible Transit Campaign on Facebook:<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/nofareisfair/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>groups/nofareisfair/</a><br /><br />Related readings:<br />Herman Rosenfeld on the fight for fare free transit: <a href="http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1016.php" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>www.socialistproject.ca/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>bullet/1016.php</a><br /><br />Michael Laxer on how fare free transit is possible: <a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/04/free-transit-three-reasons-it-idea-whose-time-has-come" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://rabble.ca/blogs/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>bloggers/michael-laxer/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>2014/04/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>free-transit-three-reasons-<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>it-idea-whose-time-has-com<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>e</a><br /><br />For any further information email us at: electmichaellaxer@outlook.<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>com or call (416) 251-5576</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px;"><br /></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px;">Get updates on the event on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/310689159135850/">https://www.facebook.com/events/310689159135850/</a></span><br />
<b style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br /></b><span style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"></span><b style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br /></b><span style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"></span><b style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">Canvass for a Socialist Candidate! </b><br />
<b style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br /></b><span style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"></span><b style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">Where: Campaign Office, 2858 Lake Shore Blvd. W., Etobicoke.</b><br />
<b style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">When: Sunday, September 14, 11 a.m.</b><br />
<b style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br /></b><span style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px;">Earlier this year, Seattle elected socialist Kshama Sawant to council and she spearheaded a campaign to introduce a $15 minimum wage to the city.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px;">If you think Toronto could do better with a socialist candidate who will also fight for a $15 minimum wage in Toronto (as well as many other important issues), come out to h</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px;">elp us canvas for Michael Laxer, who's running in Etobicoke-Lakeshore (Ward 6)<br /><br />More campaign details here: <a href="http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/2014/01/michael-laxer-for-city-councillor-ward.html" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>electmichaellaxer2014.blogs<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>pot.ca/2014/01/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>michael-laxer-for-city-coun<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>cillor-ward.html</a><br /><br />We'll be heading out for about 2 hours of canvassing - you can either choose to just drop off pamphlets or if you're the talkative type, do some doorknocking.<br /><br />The campaign office address is at 2858 Lake Shore Blvd. W. (at 5th St.).<br /><br />It is on the 501 Queen Streetcar line and there is a 5th st. stop). It is two blocks east of Islaington for those who take the subway (they would take the subway to Islington & the 110 Islington South bus to Lake Shore & walk east).<br /><br />The phone number is 416-251-5576</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px;">Get updates for the event on Facebook: </span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1519678931601091/">https://www.facebook.com/events/1519678931601091/</a> </span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px;">Afterwards, if you want to join us, we will be heading down to the Parkdale March to Freeze the Rent! </span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.920000076293945px;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/351799591645856/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">https://www.facebook.com/events/351799591645856/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular</a></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-70085832204450588942014-08-28T10:42:00.000-07:002014-08-28T12:27:51.718-07:00Toronto Needs to Take Action on Poverty!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5bSQxAFFablu8xo-Jtt6xUGK4HYjz_eGgWrB5q3Q3g_zaFbOxflH884wpClDjnleZL4FYmuevP32d3iKrmft2FLQYJPXISavEWKFFTRvsaFAVUoPuWPSK5LnLlDFqJMeUstgvCg/s1600/001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5bSQxAFFablu8xo-Jtt6xUGK4HYjz_eGgWrB5q3Q3g_zaFbOxflH884wpClDjnleZL4FYmuevP32d3iKrmft2FLQYJPXISavEWKFFTRvsaFAVUoPuWPSK5LnLlDFqJMeUstgvCg/s1600/001.jpg" height="400" width="290" /></a></div>
<b>Toronto needs to take serious steps to deal with our growing levels of poverty and inequality and its politicians need to stop paying mere lip service to doing something about it. <a href="http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2014/08/27/toronto_must_stop_rise_in_child_poverty_editorial.html">Shocking and shameful statistics</a> released recently show:</b><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;">After gradually declining to 27 per cent in 2010 from a high of 32 per cent in 2004, the city’s child poverty rate has increased once again.</span></b></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;"></span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;">In some areas it’s much worse: 15 of Toronto’s 140 neighbourhoods have child poverty rates of 40 per cent or more, while 40 have poverty rates of 30 per cent or more.</span></b></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;"></span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;">In fact, among Canada’s 13 major cities, Toronto tied with Saint John, N.B., as having the highest poverty rate, according to the analysis of new Statistics Canada data by a coalition of social agencies.</span></b></blockquote>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>A municipal living minimum wage, a serious affordable housing strategy and landlord licensing, fighting for fare free transit and to eliminate user fees; these are just a few of the initiatives Toronto needs to really do something to change this unacceptable situation. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>What Toronto does not need is more platitudes, studies and committees! It needs action.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>As part of my campaign for real change and action at City Hall, on August 28, 2014 I signed the "Action on Poverty Candidate's Pledge" of the Alliance for a Poverty-Free Toronto.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Together, we can end poverty in our communities and neighbourhoods! </b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-68858928897313812332014-08-21T12:03:00.000-07:002014-08-21T12:03:57.577-07:00FREE & Better Transit! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvUvyVlBv5icHZ5JSkl8ZW9umP-WtDyOtmcqPjD8Gl4iWWQ-4UwNbmsV3A-GX72Hgk_M2dgSkP1uc26mtAIoShdG0_iWqrXHtLw6sWbZsTIKMtbOP_Y8WoHVJ0g1rihMmv8uMIv0/s1600/001+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvUvyVlBv5icHZ5JSkl8ZW9umP-WtDyOtmcqPjD8Gl4iWWQ-4UwNbmsV3A-GX72Hgk_M2dgSkP1uc26mtAIoShdG0_iWqrXHtLw6sWbZsTIKMtbOP_Y8WoHVJ0g1rihMmv8uMIv0/s1600/001+(2).jpg" height="397" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;">FREE & Better Transit!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;">As your City Councillor I will fight to see the Waterfront West LRT plan brought back to connect our neighbourhood with Toronto's downtown in a faster and easier direct route. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;">I will work to integrate GO Transit an</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;">d TTC routes within the city so that people can use the Lakeshore GO line as if it was a subway. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;">I will also fight against any agenda to raise fares and will work towards FREE transit, which should be the environmental and social goal of any government.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;">If Tallinn (the capital of Estonia) and other cities in the world can have FREE or truly affordable transit, so can Toronto!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;">-Another preview from our main campaign leaflet coming this fall!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;">For more information on my transit plan, check out my transit page: </span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/p/transit.html">http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/p/transit.html</a></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20px;">Join the Fight!</span></span></span></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-42024076019557751572014-08-12T13:53:00.000-07:002014-08-12T14:06:53.845-07:00We are Torontonians NOT taxpayers! Say NO to the corporate agenda of service & wage cuts!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipYHHP61kul2D7dVsTO4IMtkfg_vgZuRWLgVSA7_svb6jmHYV856aEJ882vKX2JHHTgc5dO3gGvBKShWW0ggp6iUXff8lKh3zb54hsZop3ToGKl6jM_ZoXTgAzSsRju0_9uKOBVI/s1600/city+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipYHHP61kul2D7dVsTO4IMtkfg_vgZuRWLgVSA7_svb6jmHYV856aEJ882vKX2JHHTgc5dO3gGvBKShWW0ggp6iUXff8lKh3zb54hsZop3ToGKl6jM_ZoXTgAzSsRju0_9uKOBVI/s1600/city+hall.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
A large part of the corporate agenda of service cuts, privatization and stopping government from taking action on issues like poverty and inequality is the myth that taxes are too high and that our governments have a spending problem as opposed to what they really have, which is a revenue problem!<br />
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By constantly pushing to cut taxes or to keep taxes low for corporations or the rich, the right-wing hopes to rob governments and the people of the ability to build new programs and a more just and inclusive Toronto.<br />
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Unwilling to stand up to the corporate tax cutting agenda, "mainstream", do-nothing politicians use slogans of "fiscal responsibility" to claim that important programs like free transit, building affordable housing, living wage ordinances, ending user fees and so many others are not possible, even though they ARE possible and exist elsewhere!<br />
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But they are not possible if we continue to pander to the business community, the wealthy and their lobbyists.<br />
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Today I received a survey from the Toronto Taxpayers Coalition, a group whose website speaks for itself as to what they wish to accomplish and where they stand: http://www.torontotaxpayer.ca/<br />
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I made it clear that that is not where I stand, and responded with answers that reflect my belief that we are Torontonians and a community and that this is not defined by the word "taxpayer"!<br />
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I share my answers with you here now:<br />
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<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.719999313354492px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<b>1. Do you support a property tax cap ensuring future hikes are no greater than the rate of inflation?</b></div>
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<b> No. This is a terrible idea given the many programs and infrastructure needs facing the city. I do, however, support mitigating property tax hikes by working for the implementation of a city progressive income tax, creating a property surtax on the luxury homes of the wealthy and through the imposition of road tolls on non-residents entering the city by car, among other things. </b></div>
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<b>2. Where, specifically, do you advocate finding savings in the current city budget?</b></div>
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<b>I do not regard this as a priority. Rob Ford's gravy train turned out to be a myth, as I predicted in 2010, and searching out so-called "waste" really usually means cutting programs. </b></div>
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<b>3. Do you support reducing the size of Toronto City Council? Do you believe this would improve how Council operates?</b></div>
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<b>No. Reducing the size of City Council means reducing political representation and power for Torontonians and our diverse local communities and neighbourhoods. Why would anyone support this? </b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.719999313354492px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<b>4. Will you support contracting out garbage collection east of Yonge Street? Are there other services you feel contracting out would give taxpayers a better deal?</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.719999313354492px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<b> No. To quote my campaign <a href="http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/p/fighting-austerity-agenda.html">website:</a></b></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A fundamental part of the right wing austerity agenda is to make public services private. Eventually they would like to see all government privatised and run for the profit of corporations and Bay St. instead of for the needs of the community. They want to drive down wages and make the people pay for what should be free services.</span></span><span style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If elected to council I will fight not only against the further privatization of any public services, including garbage collection, but also to put back into public hands all services that have been privatized.</span></span><span style="background-color: #fff0ee; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"> </span></b></blockquote>
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<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.719999313354492px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<b>5. What are your thoughts on the Municipal Land Transfer Tax - will you support reducing it or eliminating it?</b></div>
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<b> I support it. </b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.719999313354492px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<b>6. Toronto's unemployment rate is much higher than the provincial rate. What are your ideas to create job growth in Toronto?</b></div>
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<b>We need a job creation plan centred around the building of new infrastructure and transit (both of which would create many new, good-paying jobs), new city programs and services and the stimulus to the local economy that would result from bringing in a municipal minimum wage of $15 an hour and a Living Wage Ordinance. Workers, unlike the well-to-do and the wealthy, spend most of their income on food, services, entertainment, etc and do so in their local communities.</b></div>
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<b>The is no better job creation stimulus plan than living wages for all! </b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.719999313354492px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<b>7. It seems City Council has been debating public transit forever with little results to show. How would you fund new transit projects to ease congestion for everyone? Do you feel we need to change the current transit planning process?</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.719999313354492px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<b>I believe in using dedicated revenue streams such as the ones listed above to fund transit expansion as well as a universal fare reduction strategy with the goal of free transit as exists in Tallinn, Estonia. I will fight to get the province and federal government to pay their fair share of this, in part by diverting funds used to subsidize car usage. </b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.719999313354492px;">I also believe that LRTs provide better service for far less money for most (though not all) neighbourhoods and I would support reverting to the original plan for a Scarborough LRT. </span></span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.719999313354492px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<b>8. Labour negotiations will be a big part of the next council term. What advice do you have for the city's negotiating team to get the best deal for taxpayers?</b></div>
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<b>I am opposed to the disgraceful race-to-the-bottom wage cutting agenda of Bay St. City workers work hard and deserve fair and regular wage and benefit increases. No one in the community benefits when wages are cut and money is taken out of the economy. </b><b> </b></div>
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<b>9. Do you see opportunities for public-private partnerships (P3s) involving the City of Toronto? Where, specifically?</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.719999313354492px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<b> No.</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.719999313354492px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<b>10. What is the top issue of concern for residents in your ward? What will you do as Councillor to address the issue?</b></div>
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<b>Transit. As Councillor I will work to bring back the Waterfront West LRT plan for our community and for an affordable transit fare agenda for the TTC whose goal would be free transit. </b></div>
Needless to say, I do not anticipate their endorsement.<br />
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Toronto needs a new agenda for the city. An optimistic agenda centred around community and collective goals and that does not accept the destructive agenda of corporations or the do-nothing excuses of the well-payed "mainstream' politicians or want-to-be politicians.<br />
<br />
This agenda is the opposite of the cruel and ugly agenda of constant cutbacks and accepting poverty wages and poverty in our communities that we have now.<br />
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Together we can do better!<br />
<br />
(For more information on why I feel that tax cuts hurt people and help the rich and the corporations, please see the following links:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/08/aiding-and-abetting-austerity-social-democratic-rhetoric-retrea">http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/08/aiding-and-abetting-austerity-social-democratic-rhetoric-retrea</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2013/08/its-still-time-adult-conversation-about-taxes">http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2013/08/its-still-time-adult-conversation-about-taxes</a> )<br />
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<i>photo courtesy of wikimedia commons</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-42080804596005000272014-07-31T07:00:00.000-07:002014-07-31T07:00:02.776-07:00Campaign Office @ 2858 Lake Shore Blvd. W.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFn9iKiBgBlKJxnYjAfJyrBOYKKicuzPyg8Dyq1Qiw6Auf3JFm0mo7FI-BXdRehm2kiKcmd-tzNbnuM4DajEFjPtLzyyzgUmKmnnCCMHnd8FA2LpDBmKbFS5-KC0UjVCg3_bM5xi8/s1600/sign2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFn9iKiBgBlKJxnYjAfJyrBOYKKicuzPyg8Dyq1Qiw6Auf3JFm0mo7FI-BXdRehm2kiKcmd-tzNbnuM4DajEFjPtLzyyzgUmKmnnCCMHnd8FA2LpDBmKbFS5-KC0UjVCg3_bM5xi8/s1600/sign2.jpg" height="245" width="400" /></a></div>
Our campaign office is up and running at 2858 Lake Shore Blvd. W.! We are at Lake Shore and 5th St.<br />
<br />
Drop in any time for a coffee or tea, to talk about the issues, to volunteer or donate, or to sign up to get a small or large election sign for your window (pictured here) after October 2nd!<br />
<br />
We can also be reached by phone at (416) 251-5576, by email at electmichaellaxer@outlook.com, or via the "Contact Us" field on the website's sidebar.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-42643655947600794602014-07-27T10:00:00.000-07:002014-07-28T09:32:06.479-07:00Which side are YOU on? Living wages in Toronto...or poverty wages?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPu3m_0bB8FLJ-mj_mB6Pf8-sBXq0bjxkXLBedYJvj-_D_4_I8zKP_28SgDmBSjsdAuOzSjJdaVzhsW-QAN3kvHUJxv_An8qPahTlO4avoL5oWEQMI3F09YOipRp64PvXg72bxrYY/s1600/meme1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPu3m_0bB8FLJ-mj_mB6Pf8-sBXq0bjxkXLBedYJvj-_D_4_I8zKP_28SgDmBSjsdAuOzSjJdaVzhsW-QAN3kvHUJxv_An8qPahTlO4avoL5oWEQMI3F09YOipRp64PvXg72bxrYY/s1600/meme1.jpg" height="400" width="355" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;">So...which side are YOU on?</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;">Living wages or poverty wages? We know the answer...you want workers in your community to earn a living wage, not a poverty wage, for their work.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;">But Toronto's politicians don't want to talk about a real living m</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;">unicipal minimum wage.</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;">A $15 an hour municipal minimum wage.</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;">They want to tell you it can't be done...even though it can! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;">They want to continue with business as usual..which means business paying poverty wages to many Toronto workers!</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;"><br />Ask your candidates for Council or Mayor which side they are on. Poverty wages or living wages?</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;"><br />And when they say it is not a municipal issue...tell them that YOU are going to make it one!</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/</a><br />
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<a href="http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/p/economic-justice.html">http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/p/economic-justice.html</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-22102820419884227332014-07-24T06:32:00.000-07:002014-07-27T09:46:12.361-07:00Michael Laxer Campaign Summer Get-Together!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxxbHuG07tOwau5AG0iwEy9ep6jc5SKZ1Zu-vTPSXFae4pL3JFWkv90a8PVYL6r-AB6lB5w0Fs0OvYl4rUh9VAgMnQkjgT4l35XWZUcgQFKAkNkOr1_EMjS2cIDMd_OzCiUkMOb8/s1600/1-summer12+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxxbHuG07tOwau5AG0iwEy9ep6jc5SKZ1Zu-vTPSXFae4pL3JFWkv90a8PVYL6r-AB6lB5w0Fs0OvYl4rUh9VAgMnQkjgT4l35XWZUcgQFKAkNkOr1_EMjS2cIDMd_OzCiUkMOb8/s1600/1-summer12+003.JPG" height="320" width="315" /></a></div>
<span class="fsl"><b>Where: The Big Guy's Little Coffee Shop - 2861 Lake Shore Blvd. W.</b></span><br />
<span class="fsl"><b>When: Sunday, August 17th, Social Begins @ 4:30 p.m. (optional canvass begins at 2 p.m.!)</b></span><br />
<span class="fsl"><b> </b> </span><br />
<span class="fsl">Mark the date!</span><br />
<span class="fsl"><br /> Sunday, August 17th join us in the
heart of New Toronto & Ward 6 at The Big Guy's Little Coffee Shop at
2861 Lake Shore Blvd. W for a campaign buffet & social.</span><br />
<span class="fsl"><br /> Michael will be serving up BBQed meat & veg, sandwiches, drinks & more<b> i</b>ncluding many of his faves from his <a href="http://leftyfoodblog.blogspot.ca/">food blog!</a> There will be vegetarian & vegan options. </span><br />
<span class="fsl"><br /> </span><br />
<span class="fsl">The first part of the even<span class="text_exposed_show">t
starts at 2 p.m., when we will be heading out to drop/canvass local
streets with our message of higher wages, public services & free
transit!</span></span><br />
<span class="fsl"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> But this part is optional. </span></span><br />
<span class="fsl"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> The social starts at 4:30
p.m. Everyone is welcome (whether you were able to canvass or not) so
join us for terrific food & discussion. Bring the kids!</span></span><br />
<span class="fsl"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> The
event is free to attend, as is the food (although campaign donations
& donations towards the food will, of course, be welcome! ). </span></span><br />
<span class="fsl"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> Drinks & coffee will be available for purchase.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="fsl"><span class="text_exposed_show"><b>Please RSVP if you plan to attend by calling us at 416-251-5576 or by emailing us at electmichaellaxer@outlook.com. You also also RSVP and get updates on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/622918477823688/?source=1">https://www.facebook.com/events/622918477823688/?source=1</a></b></span></span><br />
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<span class="fsl"><span class="text_exposed_show"><b>If you are unable to attend but would like to contribute to the campaign, you can do so at this link: <a href="http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/p/donate.html">http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/p/donate.html</a></b></span></span><br />
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<span class="fsl"><span class="text_exposed_show"><b>See you there! </b> </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-57932031111831949752014-07-20T10:29:00.000-07:002014-07-20T10:29:05.140-07:0099 days to go!<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">99 days to go until the election! </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; line-height: 20px;">Since January 3rd we have been campaigning on a platform of real change and optimism and on ideas like free transit, municipal minimum wages, landlord licensing & more! </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Together we can build and work towards these real alternatives and changes, despite what the do-nothing politicians say...and we know this because it is happening elsewhere!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #37404e;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can read my opening campaign statement </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">here:</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1620563971" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </a></span></span></span><span style="color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/2014/01/michael-laxer-for-city-councillor-ward.html">http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/2014/01/michael-laxer-for-city-councillor-ward.html</a></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;">To find out about my free transit policy and how it is achievable you can visit my transit page here: <a href="http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/p/transit.html">http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/p/transit.html</a> </span><br />
<span style="color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;">To read about my $15 an hour municipal minimum wage and how other cities are doing it, check out this page: <a href="http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/p/economic-justice.html">http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/p/economic-justice.html</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Want to know about my housing policy and landlord licensing?: <a href="http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/p/housing.html">http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/p/housing.html</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or about my income pledge and my plans to work for a more democratic city hall?: <a href="http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/p/a-more-democratic-city-hall.html">http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/p/a-more-democratic-city-hall.html</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of my other platform ideas can be found at the top of this webpage, and if you have any ideas or questions you can contact me at any time or come out to one of my monthly events.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">99 days to go! Let's use them to fight together for a Toronto built on economic justice and comprehensive public services!</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-51101766688448961982014-07-09T04:59:00.000-07:002014-07-13T05:05:44.351-07:00In the Fight Against High TTC Fares We Need a Universal Fare Reduction Strategy!Yesterday, Toronto City Council voted to "study" the idea of a separate "low-income" "fare equity" plan for the TTC.<br />
<br />
But I believe that this is the wrong way to go and wrote an article saying why and outlining why means test based programs like Toronto's "Welcome Policy" are not an alternative to actually working to lower fees and fares for all, even for those they are supposed to help. From <b>"<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/07/torontos-transit-woes-are-fare-equity-policies-real-alternative">Toronto's transit woes: Are 'fare equity' policies a real alternative to universal fare reduction strategies?"</a></span></b><br />
<br />
"<span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Given the depressing context of our empty political discourse and the self-imposed "limitations" placed on our options by our "mainstream" politicians, one can understand why many on the left and many liberals in Toronto are embracing this idea as a real step forward....</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 15pt; list-style: none; padding: 5px 0pt;">
The problem with rising TTC fares is not simply or only that some are being left behind by their increase, it is that they keep rising! The political will to fight fare increases simply does not yet exist and politicians act as if the increases are inevitable and need to be mitigated when they are not inevitable and only need to be mitigated because they have risen for a generation and have assumed an absurdly large role in financing the system. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 15pt; list-style: none; padding: 5px 0pt;">
The fares are not affordable because they are too high. Exempting some portions of the Precariat, those living in poverty and those who fall under some arbitrary line drawn up by city officials will not change the fact that the fares are too high! </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 15pt; list-style: none; padding: 5px 0pt;">
While one has to be sympathetic to those fighting for this idea, one also has to ask, would not the money, time and political effort simply be better spent on an across the board fare reduction strategy that does not require any administration, means tests or fare policing and that would then fit into a broader strategy of working towards the goal, already achieved in cities like Tallinn, Estonia, of <a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/04/free-transit-three-reasons-it-idea-whose-time-has-come" style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 15pt; text-decoration: none;">free and affordable transit for everyone</a>?"</div>
<div style="background-color: white; list-style: none; padding: 5px 0pt;">
<span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 15pt;">You can read the full article here: </span><a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/07/torontos-transit-woes-are-fare-equity-policies-real-alternative"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/07/torontos-transit-woes-are-fare-equity-policies-real-alternative</span></span><span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 15pt;"> </span></a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 15pt;">You can read an article about why Free transit is an idea whose time has come here: http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/04/free-transit-three-reasons-it-idea-whose-time-has-come</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 15pt;">You can check out Michael's transit page here: http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/p/transit.html </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-38834940187716471952014-06-23T13:45:00.001-07:002014-07-13T05:06:07.244-07:00A $15 an hour Minimum Wage...Can Toronto Do It? <b>From: </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><b><a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/06/three-reasons-15-hour-municipal-minimum-wage-possible-toronto">Three reasons a $15 an hour municipal minimum wage is possible in Toronto</a></b></span><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;">"Is a $15 an hour municipal minimum wage possible in Toronto as City Councillors in American cities like Chicago, New York and Seattle have been fighting for, or is it true, as John Tory says, that it is a provincial issue?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;">It is possible. The reality is that almost all municipal politicians simply want to pass the buck.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;">How can a municipal minimum wage be achieved? There are at least three ways"</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 20px;">Find out how by reading the rest of the article here!: </span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><b><a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/06/three-reasons-15-hour-municipal-minimum-wage-possible-toronto">http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/06/three-reasons-15-hour-municipal-minimum-wage-possible-toronto</a></b></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-75878785507834951072014-06-20T09:59:00.000-07:002014-06-20T09:59:07.385-07:00Free Transit, Municipal Minimum Wages, Affordable Housing...Can Toronto Do It? Meet Ward 6 Candidate Michael Laxer & Discuss the Issues!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIY8a3JQ3jCat8Z5wWKacMRikNNjWttuftJ3CwbmIV3Rg0mPKTGbqwzP8F-VpIeEMtWX4GynjE0q6UVR_F5ipC4Eso-vcM8WiJDEuaQGJi2i9cNQhSx3JiAJhcXmC-mKNeYN7kg4/s1600/004+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIY8a3JQ3jCat8Z5wWKacMRikNNjWttuftJ3CwbmIV3Rg0mPKTGbqwzP8F-VpIeEMtWX4GynjE0q6UVR_F5ipC4Eso-vcM8WiJDEuaQGJi2i9cNQhSx3JiAJhcXmC-mKNeYN7kg4/s1600/004+(2).jpg" height="230" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Join the Fight! For Free Transit & Higher Wages!</td></tr>
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<strong>Where: Community Roots Bookstore - 2858 Lake Shore Blvd. W. (at 5th St.) Etobicoke</strong></div>
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<strong>When: Saturday, July 5th, 2014, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.</strong></div>
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Politicians tell us that initiatives that would change our city and people's lives like Free Transit, a $15 an hour municipal minimum wage, a comprehensive affordable housing strategy and a real alternative to cutbacks and austerity are not possible.</div>
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Is it true...or are they saying this because in reality they don't wa<span class="text_exposed_show">nt to do it?</span></div>
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On Saturday, July 5th, come out anytime between 1-4 p.m. for an informal drop-in for coffee, refreshments and discussion and to meet Ward 6 City Council candidate Michael Laxer and find out where he stands on these (and other ) issues and how he thinks we can do it!</div>
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Find out about his income pledge to, if elected, make no more than what the average Torontonian does and his ideas for a more democratic City Hall and police accountability. </div>
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Get answers to any questions you have about, Michael's campaign, and the fight for higher wages, public services & a real alternative to cutbacks and austerity.</div>
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See you there!</div>
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For further details call 416-251-5576 or email us. </div>
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</span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-6800147041788754342014-06-14T12:01:00.000-07:002014-06-14T12:01:20.966-07:00Couldn't Find What You Were Looking for in the Provincial Election? Join the Fight in Ward 6! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbrQrkIwrwO0_vy0KOPjbLLPXNefy2pTsVchHkvDLOASUmKlqgog53QqXvYFC9_w-b0UoHMrTvm6PGMQ-hLOZ_JUE3PjDsQ5UxjkZD_VzidRvGXmBsOVfgGPSz8vwqMYwF8pmEs4/s1600/004+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbrQrkIwrwO0_vy0KOPjbLLPXNefy2pTsVchHkvDLOASUmKlqgog53QqXvYFC9_w-b0UoHMrTvm6PGMQ-hLOZ_JUE3PjDsQ5UxjkZD_VzidRvGXmBsOVfgGPSz8vwqMYwF8pmEs4/s1600/004+(2).jpg" height="230" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Join the fight! And get the button too! </td></tr>
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Now that the Ontario election is over, are you looking for a campaign that you can really get behind; one that is directly and openly fighting for the polices you were looking for in the platforms of the parties but couldn't find?<br />
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Policies that would impact people's lives in direct and actually meaningful ways? <br />
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Policies like:<br />
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- A $15 an hour municipal minimum wage<br />
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- FREE transit & fighting for the expansion of LRT, bus & subway routes<br />
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- Landlord licensing & an affordable housing strategy<br />
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- Police accountability<br />
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- Democratic reform at City Hall<br />
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There is one! The Michael Laxer Ward 6 Campaign for City Councillor!<br />
<br />
Between now and October 27th we will be fighting for a real agenda that is a real alternative to cutbacks and austerity and we need your help!<br />
<br />
Volunteer,<a href="https://www.paypal.com/ca/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=Y-YBXZY8DaNFLkHKRU1tOmiTbDEsuPrd4qtrAmhfEmAHUAxV6xtEWpoOdGq&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d6cdb53fcfca2b5941339e576d7e42259"> donate</a> (and you can donate if you live anywhere in Ontario), take a lawn sign (for after October 2nd)....anything you can do to help would be greatly appreciated! <br />
<br />
Join the fight! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-35644714247752800442014-05-20T21:39:00.001-07:002014-05-20T22:02:04.542-07:00The fight for full LGBTQ rights is one of the central human rights struggles of our time. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJPGRVZz91dcTGBuLXAU_x8RpTA7s3uAHKyKCQ2soWDuW-5ZIPcSV0cf_fxwfH5EVlmHgeLmWJXUzEOL3l7NADKDj1W5O-XxRp59gJjlfHUhFmnTR1aiRe-LXs8KXGZQs5awyISE/s1600/lgbt1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJPGRVZz91dcTGBuLXAU_x8RpTA7s3uAHKyKCQ2soWDuW-5ZIPcSV0cf_fxwfH5EVlmHgeLmWJXUzEOL3l7NADKDj1W5O-XxRp59gJjlfHUhFmnTR1aiRe-LXs8KXGZQs5awyISE/s1600/lgbt1.jpg" height="400" width="395" /></a></div>
My partner Natalie, my kids and I were proud to to be able to take part in the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LakeshoreLGBTQ">Lakeshore LGBTQ </a>solidarity initiative #LS4Love recently.<br />
<br />
To me the fight for equality rights and against intolerance in our own
communities, as well as expressing solidarity with the LGBTQ
community in countries like <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=111559695526620" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Russia/111559695526620">Russia</a> and <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=106029926094101" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Uganda/106029926094101">Uganda</a> is one of the central human rights struggles of our time.<br />
<br />
Initiatives like Lakeshore LGBTQ and <a href="http://equalitytoday.ca/">Social Action for Equality</a> make our community a better and stronger place through their actions for LGBTQ rights and for human rights locally and around the world.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Links about LGBTQ issues in our community:</b><br />
<b><br /></b><a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/09/16/residents_rally_in_restaurant_dispute.html">http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/09/16/residents_rally_in_restaurant_dispute.html</a><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1610385249"><br /></a>
<a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2013/09/love-time-homophobia-right-lgbt-couples-to-be-couples-public">http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2013/09/love-time-homophobia-right-lgbt-couples-to-be-couples-public</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://dailyxtra.com/toronto/life/food-and-drink/day-at-the-lakeshore">http://dailyxtra.com/toronto/life/food-and-drink/day-at-the-lakeshore</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/4502772-lakeshore-lgbt-community-launches-ls4love-media-campaign-to-combat-homophobia-in-russia-uganda/">http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/4502772-lakeshore-lgbt-community-launches-ls4love-media-campaign-to-combat-homophobia-in-russia-uganda/</a><br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-87717092289611019462014-05-01T08:12:00.001-07:002014-05-01T08:12:26.320-07:00Rob Ford: The misogyny, bigotry & conduct have to end.<b>From: <a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/05/breaking-very-bad-rob-fords-season-four-finale"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Breaking very bad: Rob Ford's season four finale.</span></i></a></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b> </b></i></span><br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Ford has now taken a "leave of absence" from being mayor in name only
and from his campaign. Presumably this is a last ditch effort to try to
stay in the race at all. Presumably it seeks to distract, at an early
stage, from the appalling behaviour, misconduct and criminal activity.</b><br />
<br />
<b>
</b><b>We must ensure that it does not. Quite apart from civic policy, where
Rob Ford's agenda is profoundly reactionary, his personal misconduct is
a political issue of tremendous import.</b><br />
<br />
<b>
</b><b>If a wealthy white male with many political connections is never held
to account for misogyny, homophobia, racism, intimidation of opponents,
self-admitted criminal activity and obviously outrageous and
unacceptable behaviour "on the job" that would get any other worker
doing any other job fired, then one has to think that the political and
judicial system that we live in now is just as corrupted and compromised
as it ever was. Maybe it is.</b><br />
<br />
<b>
</b><b>Stepping "aside" to supposedly get "help" is not enough. Ford's
conduct is not wrong because he has "problems." It is wrong because of
who he is and what he represents. Rehab will not change the fact that he
is an abusive bigot. </b><br />
<br />
<b>
</b><b>That was what he always was and is intrinsic to not only his
politics, but also the politics of those who support and supported him.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Read the full article here: <a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/05/breaking-very-bad-rob-fords-season-four-finale">http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/05/breaking-very-bad-rob-fords-season-four-finale </a></b><br />
<b><br /></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-75688362554145326932014-04-12T07:04:00.001-07:002014-04-12T07:04:19.110-07:00Free Transit: Can we do it?Often when the idea of Free Transit is raised people like it, but wonder, understandably, if it is possible.<br />
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It is!<br />
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Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, has had it for over a year and the Free Transit movement is growing worldwide.<br />
<br />
On April 11, 2014 I wrote in rabble.ca about how Free Transit is not only possible, but is a truly important environmental and social goal:<br />
<br />
You can read that full article here:<br />
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<a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/04/free-transit-three-reasons-it-idea-whose-time-has-come">http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/michael-laxer/2014/04/free-transit-three-reasons-it-idea-whose-time-has-come</a><br />
<br />
For many other transit related articles and ideas, check out our Transit Issue Page here: <a href="http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/p/transit.html">Transit</a><br />
<br />
Free Transit is achievable, is environmentally and socially just and is the right thing to do!<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-50976109872267707882014-03-27T06:13:00.002-07:002014-03-27T13:36:13.954-07:00Public Services Must Be Put Back into Public Hands! In yesterday's mayoral debate all of the candidates affirmed their support for either the "status quo" or the further privatization of garbage collection in Toronto. <br />
<br />
This is wrong. Garbage collection is a public service that should be in public hands and that should be operated solely for the public and environmental good, not for profit.<br />
<br />
A fundamental part of the right wing austerity agenda is to make public services private. Eventually they would like to see all government privatised and run for the profit of corporations and Bay St. instead of for the needs of the community. They want to drive down wages and make the people pay for what should be free services.<br />
<br />
If elected to council I will fight not only against the further privatization of any public services, including garbage collection, but also to put back into public hands all services that have been privatized. <br />
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Public services must be in public hands and operated in the public interest, not for corporate profit and greed. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-66233447546952955892014-03-14T13:10:00.001-07:002014-03-14T14:17:44.086-07:00Bringing an anti-austerity program of social justice, public services & higher wages to Ward 6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3oucFFY2phQtX2-edXNdKuZ7ZglzmKmql3cVghfNKL7HHpWu_ddufdsAarGymsmLQIX61cLnx8DTGgIRJHUGyG1uPYnwtpHXHAvxo9phwq8MgEIBiy08QHResBJDRkWYj4JWms_o/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3oucFFY2phQtX2-edXNdKuZ7ZglzmKmql3cVghfNKL7HHpWu_ddufdsAarGymsmLQIX61cLnx8DTGgIRJHUGyG1uPYnwtpHXHAvxo9phwq8MgEIBiy08QHResBJDRkWYj4JWms_o/s1600/004.JPG" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
Our first election leaflet is in! I am very proud of this first campaign piece and want to thank all of my friends and supporters for their input, corrections and advice in the process of putting this together. <br />
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It would not hav<span class="text_exposed_show">e happened without you!<br /><br /> We want to get the first batch of these out to Ward 6 over the next few days and then print another round. </span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">Bringing directly to the community an anti-austerity message of hope centred around:<br /><br /> - Public services, higher wages and fighting for a $15 an hour minimum wage<br /> -The expansion of transit and the fight for FREE transit<br /> -Housing and landlord licensing<br /> -Police accountability<br /> -Democratizing City Hall<br /><br /> And much more!<br /><br /> You can read the campaign manifesto here:<br /><a href="http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/2014/01/michael-laxer-for-city-councillor-ward.html" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/2014/01/michael-laxer-for-city-councillor-ward.html</a><br /><br /> I also need your help to get this message out. If you can distribute the piece where you live in the ward or can come out to help distribute it...please let me know! And if you can make a financial contribution to help pay for this and future pieces it will be greatly appreciated and put to immediate use. Any amount helps. $25, $50 or whatever is possible. <br /><br /> Contributions of $25 or more are eligible for a rebate. Contributions of less than that can be made, but are not eligible. <br /> For full details on donating please visit:<br /><a href="http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/2014/01/i-need-your-help-to-get-our-anti.html" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://electmichaellaxer2014.blogspot.ca/2014/01/i-need-your-help-to-get-our-anti.html</a><br /><br /> Thanks to everyone who has donated and thanks again to everyone for their help and input.<br /><br /> I am looking forward to our campaign over the coming months!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-37774686373787311482014-03-12T13:15:00.000-07:002014-03-12T13:15:31.462-07:00Join us for drinks and discussion at our first Ward 6 campaign social - Monday, March 31! Come out Monday, March 31, 2014, for our first Ward 6 campaign social. It will be an informal evening of drinks and discussion at Sloppy Joe's. <br />
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Everyone is welcome! Meet or catch up with me, other friends and supporters and members of the community. <br />
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<strong>Where: Sloppy Joe's, </strong> <strong>3527 Lake Shore Blvd W. (It is on the 501 Queen Streetcar line, and is in between Kipling and Brown's Line).</strong><br />
<strong>When: Monday, March 31st, 7 p.m.</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
I also think Sloppy Joe's has the best chicken wings in the city. I even went for some with Irish Socialist leader Joe Higgins when he was in town. I wrote about it:<br />
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<a href="http://leftyfoodblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/going-for-torontos-best-chicken-wings.html">http://leftyfoodblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/going-for-torontos-best-chicken-wings.html</a><br />
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This will be your chance to let me know if I am right...about this or any other issue! <br />
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There is no charge or donation required to attend this event. Sloppy Joe's is fully licenced with a full menu but drinks and food are not provided. Children are welcome at Sloppy Joe's, but only until 9 p.m. <br />
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Please email with any questions! <br />
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<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-71805488836225061162014-01-25T07:53:00.000-08:002014-04-02T14:44:44.204-07:00I need your help to get our anti-austerity message out to the people of Ward 6!<div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed">
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Our first piece is soon to go to print...and we need to raise money to pay for it and find volunteers to distribute it so that we can start to take an anti-austerity message door-to-door. A message centred around expanding public services, improved and free transit, a comprehensive housing strategy and higher wages! </span></div>
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">If you might have some time over the coming weeks to help us take the message door-to-door to the people of Ward 6, please email us at electmichaellaxer<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">@outlook.com</a> and we will get in touch! We have lots of doors to knock on and mailboxes to drop, so your help can allow us to get the message out!</span></div>
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">If you can help out with a donation, it will be greatly appreciated and put to immediate use!<br /><br /> Any resident of Ontario can donate, and is eligible for a rebate. Contributions may only be made by individuals, not corporations, businesses or unions.<br /><br /> The donation can be sent via<span class="text_exposed_show"> cheque or money order to:<br /><br />Michael Laxer Campaign<br /> c/o 2858 Lake Shore Blvd. W.<br /> Toronto, Ontario<br /> M8V 1H9</span></span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"></span></span><br /></div>
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Or you can donate via Paypal or credit card by using the Donate button on the side.<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> Any contribution of between $25 - $300 will be eligible for a 75% rebate from the city. Contributions over $300 to a maximum of $750 are also eligible for rebates. Please email us for any further information or details regarding the rebate program.<br /><br /> Please note that contributors who contribute over $100 will have their name and address posted on the City's website.<br /><br /> Help me advocate for and bring to City Hall a Socialist alternative to cutbacks and austerity, an alternative that will allow us together to build a truly better Toronto.</span></span><div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593691767916103820.post-61120914063942714682014-01-15T15:27:00.000-08:002014-01-15T15:30:49.860-08:00Elect Michael Laxer 2014 Candidate Card!This is our first Elect Michael Laxer Candidate Card. Let me know what you think! <br />
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We will be going door-to-door starting within the next week or two. If you have time to help out...please email us at <a href="mailto:electmichaellaxer@outlook.com">electmichaellaxer@outlook.com</a> <br />
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Watch for our first consultative planning meeting announcement shortly. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0