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Gossip about Glenn
Setting the record straight
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Dear Neighbour,
It’s come to my attention that at least one of my opponents has been saying things about me that are false and misleading.
One opponent even claims to know what I might do in the future! As far as I can recall, I’ve never met the candidate who is telling people what he thinks my future actions might be and I’ve certainly never discussed with him what I was planning to do if re-elected, so I don’t know how he can tell you what’s going on in my head. I can tell you that there’s a lot of inaccurate information being circulated about me.
Below are some examples of the myths and misconceptions and my responses:
1) Glenn, someone told me you’re going to fine me $5,000 for parking in my driveway! Is that true?
2) Glenn, one of your opponents says the current council voted to raise their own salary by $20,000. I’m confused ... does that mean you did?
3) Glenn, one of your opponents says you might double the vehicle registration fee. Is that true?
4) Glenn, one of your opponents says you might increase the shopping bag fee. Is that true?
5) Glenn, one of your opponents says you might expand the land transfer tax to include first-time homeowners. Is that true?
6) Glenn, one of your opponents says you might put a twenty-cent surcharge on disposable coffee cups. Is that true?
7) Glenn, why would someone spread misleading information about you?
1) Glenn, someone told me you’re going to fine me $5,000 for parking in my driveway! Is that true?
That’s not true! No one at the city – least of all me – is going to stop you from parking in your driveway as you always have.
To cut to the chase, this by-law is a historical left-over from the past and is not being enforced! This antiquated by-law slipped through the cracks and was unanimously and unknowingly approved by ALL members of council (including mayoral candidates Rob Ford and Joe Pantalone) when the city was trying in one fell swoop to harmonize hundreds of conflicting by-laws that exist across the mega-city. Just before council adjourned for the election, I was working on getting the driveway by-law changed to reflect our modern lifestyle, but we simply ran out of time. What I was trying to do was protect your right to park in your driveway without creating loopholes that would allow absentee landlords to turn their front yards into parking lots or allow people to park in front of their living room window. If re-elected, I will continue working on this issue to protect your rights and the quality of our neighbourhoods. So please keep on parking in your driveway – worry-free!
2) Glenn, one of your opponents says the current council voted to raise their own salary by $20,000. I’m confused ... does that mean you did?
Absolutely not! Just the opposite!
I twice voted AGAINST a pay increase for city councillors and voluntarily froze my own salary to show leadership in tough times.
3) Glenn, one of your opponents says you might double the vehicle registration fee. Is that true?
That's not true! I have NEVER proposed increasing the car tax, and in fact, I have decided to support CANCELLING this tax after hearing from the residents of my ward! Currently, the vehicle registration fee raises roughly $50 million a year for tansportation projects such as repaving roads, rebuilding bridges, fixing sidewalks and improving transit in places like Scarborough. However, I have heard loud and clear from the residents of my ward, many of whom feel this tax is not fair. If re-elected, I will support cancelling the car tax when the issue is re-opened after the election.
4) Glenn, one of your opponents says you might increase the shopping bag fee. Is that true?
That’s not true! No one that I am aware of – certainly not me – is planning on increasing this fee.
The current fee has already achieved its intended effect: reducing plastic bag usage by seventy per cent, which in turn means less litter on our streets and in our parks. The five-cent fee does not go to the government, but to retailers, many of whom are donating the proceeds to charity. For example, Shoppers Drug Mart is donating all proceeds to cancer research and Loblaws is donating net proceeds to the World Wildlife Fund. To avoid paying the fee, you can simply switch to re-usable bags.
5) Glenn, one of your opponents says you might expand the land transfer tax to include first-time homeowners. Is that true?
That’s not true! I have never heard of anyone – certainly not me – that has advocated expanding the tax to include first-time homebuyers. In fact, I proudly voted in favour of exempting first-time homebuyers from the tax and I stand on my record.
6) Glenn, one of your opponents says you might put a twenty-cent surcharge on disposable coffee cups. Is that true?
That’s not true! I have not heard of any city councillor – certainly not me – who is proposing a twenty-cent surcharge on coffee cups. Rather than a tax, I have argued in favour of forcing restaurants to make their cups recyclable.
Recyclable coffee cups would:
| • | save taxpayers money – In Toronto, we use one million coffee cups a day! As taxpayers, we foot the bill for collecting and taking them to the dump. |
| • | clean up the environment – Recyclable coffee cups would help divert 350 million coffee cups a year from being dumped in a landfill. |
| • | generate revenue for the city – The sale of paper fibre and other recyclables from our blue bins currently generates over $5 million a year for taxpayers – money we can use to repair and run our city. |
7) Glenn, why would someone spread misleading information about you?
I can’t speculate about what motivates others. I can only say that I prefer to focus on a positive message about my work in the community rather than a negative message about others.
Sincerely,
Glenn De Baeremaeker
To find out what Glenn is really doing,
please click here to see his new photo gallery.
After all, a picture’s worth a thousand words!
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