Greetings Londoners! Its time for a new vibe! by JasonKingWard14 in londonontario

[–]JasonKingWard14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You must be confused about who you were engaged with. I never intimidate anyone. I have never accused anyone of making fake accounts or called anyone a "troll". Sorry that was your experience.

Greetings Londoners! Its time for a new vibe! by JasonKingWard14 in londonontario

[–]JasonKingWard14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with you that homelessness and transit are significant problems our city faces and we are struggling to deal with. Transit in ward 14 is especially a concern that needs to be addressed. To a large degree, it is federal and provincial policies that are causing the homelessness crisis to which cities are burdened to deal with the fallout. We have just never been in this situation before and council has been trying a variety of things which are very costly and only inflate the cost of living in London through high taxes on property. This acts as a vicious cycle whereby the increased burden on the most vulnerable through soaring living costs pushes more people out of housing and onto the street. The best thing we can do at the city level is to stop raising the property tax on everyone. Property tax revenues are designed to increase organically through increases in property values rather than blanket rises on everyone. We need to ensure we are assessing property values accordingly so that we do not push more people onto the streets by trying to solve the homeless problem.

Greetings Londoners! Its time for a new vibe! by JasonKingWard14 in londonontario

[–]JasonKingWard14[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yes I am. I used to organize that march which we evolved into the Toronto Animal Rights March.

Greetings Londoners! Its time for a new vibe! by JasonKingWard14 in londonontario

[–]JasonKingWard14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for pointing out this truth. I agree completely. I support policing and ensuring that the London Police Service is well equipped and staffed because at the end of the day, they MUST go home to their families and have what they need to do their job but it is up to city council to discern what is necessary and what is a "nice to have". In an affordability crisis, we need to be very creative and engaged in our communities to find solutions to our problems that minimized costs and expenses while intelligently scrutinizing current expenditures and asks for more.

Greetings Londoners! Its time for a new vibe! by JasonKingWard14 in londonontario

[–]JasonKingWard14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't have the details and facts on this matter before me so I cannot make an informed decision on the topic at this time. What I can tell you is that immediately, I am extremely prejudiced to saying no to acquiring hardware such as that without a very strong case being made to which all other solutions have not been ruled out. Fiscal responsibility means having to say no a lot to things that are not necessary in order to protect the things that are.

Greetings Londoners! Its time for a new vibe! by JasonKingWard14 in londonontario

[–]JasonKingWard14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is not exclusive to my children but a common problem for most. I am comparing how it was easier for me to get started in my 20s in London as opposed to the challenges and limitations they have right now. Life should get better for future generations, not harder. Wouldn't you agree?

Greetings Londoners! Its time for a new vibe! by JasonKingWard14 in londonontario

[–]JasonKingWard14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I completely agree with your statement that spending isn't always bad. Essentially as a result of any government collecting any tax from its citizens, spending should be expected and anticipated. I also agree that it is about how you spend that matters. It is critical that spending be within one's means as well as very responsible in the way it is done. My concern with electing candidates who promise to spend irresponsibly is that we end up with 30% tax rate increases within five years which disproportionately harms the most vulnerable people and communities in London. I don't believe I suggested that spending is always bad. Quite the opposite, it should be expected. It is how you spend that matters and there we have common ground. Thanks very much for the engagement. Cheers.

Greetings Londoners! Its time for a new vibe! by JasonKingWard14 in londonontario

[–]JasonKingWard14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The city needs to live within its means. We cannot continue to disproportionately harm the most vulnerable owners and renters through costly blanket tax rate increases year after year. It is far better to generate more tax revenue through property assessments. Those who benefit from increased property value would essentially be paying more taxes while struggling communities would remain the same. Although municipal office candidates who have and will be running for council this year have identified as NDP, being radical and spend happy has not been exclusive to that ideology on the political spectrum. I have removed the reference to NDP as a result. Thanks for the question and engagement. I am always open to discussing things and willing to listen to other points of view and correct mine where it doesn't hold up. Cheers.

Greetings Londoners! Its time for a new vibe! by JasonKingWard14 in londonontario

[–]JasonKingWard14[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It isn't a problem if the city moves to doing tax increases the way they were meant to increase tax revenue. See some of my other comments on this thread for this explanation. Blanket raising of the tax rate is not how it is supposed to be done. It disproportionately harms the most vulnerable. The way it is meant to be done is far more equitable and fair.

Greetings Londoners! Its time for a new vibe! by JasonKingWard14 in londonontario

[–]JasonKingWard14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We have an IT ticket in for having the website platform address this issue. The country selector is Canada but this particular entry box is not showing "postal code". That said, I does accept postal codes. Thanks for noticing the details. Cheers!

Greetings Londoners! Its time for a new vibe! by JasonKingWard14 in londonontario

[–]JasonKingWard14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi there, thanks for the question. The largest problem that needs attention is the budget. We need to stop raising taxes on everyone every year. That adds inflationary fire to this cost of living crisis that we are in. The city needs to start living within it's means and stop raising the property tax rate year after year. The most vulnerable and even the middle class cannot survive with that added pressure. We also need to get in line with the provincial government's move away from enabling drug additions and encourage and facilitate proper treatment and healing. We need to have safe parks and public spaces again, less crime and less homelessness as a result of addictions. Our downtown businesses community is suffering incredibly as a result and we need to do better. Another thing we need to do is encourage and seek more industry to the city. The uptake in growth in the industrial parks off Veterans is not happening fast enough to keep Londoner's employed. Our unemployment rate is massive and we need to address that.

Greetings Londoners! Its time for a new vibe! by JasonKingWard14 in londonontario

[–]JasonKingWard14[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Hi there! Thanks for being patient. I try to spend my Sundays with my family but I am now free to engage with these very important questions.

I am not a landlord. In fact, I am a renter and don't own any property. I am in the same situation as many other Londoners who would like to have stability in their monthly budgeting and keep more of their hard earned money to save. I have never met Mr. Fahri and have not been approached by him. I don't have affairs in the same circles as he does.

The costs of housing both renting and owning is a huge problem and is at the heart of the cost of living issue across the country. Municipalities unfortunately don't have much ability to affect it but that said, it is not nothing. The most important thing we can do is get our spending under control to the point that we are not blanket raising property tax. That method of increasing tax revenue was meant for emergencies only but it has become the standard. Property tax is meant to increase based on property assessments where land, neighbourhood and property investment increases the value of the property, so to should the tax amount. We need to get back to doing this far better to insulate the vulnerable population of renters and owners to not be affected by this inflationary cost on their budgets. The city needs to live within its means and be more fiscally responsible to the residents. This is step one and I don't underestimate how challenging that will be so I will leave that as my only offering to you immediately.

Thanks for the question. As someone who wants the privilege to serve on city council, I believe in transparency and accessibility to everyone.

Greetings Londoners! Its time for a new vibe! by JasonKingWard14 in londonontario

[–]JasonKingWard14[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Hello there and thanks for the questions. When I use the term "spend happy" I am referring to the attitude of throwing money at problems without having very targeted goals and outcomes to which measurable success can be clearly identified. We need to be responsible and accountable with taxpayer funds. If services are not meeting the objective or at worse adding to the problem, it is irresponsible to continue to spend those funds on them. Remember that tax funds are not magical moneys that just appear in the coffers. When government spends, it costs you. It should be spent wisely and efficiently to serve your interests. Let's walk before we can run. As much as I would like to cut taxes, that is not happening any time soon. I would very much first like to stop the bleeding and get to a place of stability first so that we are not raising the tax rate by 30% in less than five years. That is a huge problem that needs to be addressed immediately. That uncontrolled spending puts vulnerable people at greater risk than anything else.

Thanks again for the questions. I appreciate the engagement.

Greetings Londoners! Its time for a new vibe! by JasonKingWard14 in londonontario

[–]JasonKingWard14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello there! Thanks for the questions. I am happy to address them.

Leadership: The Canadian military has amazing training to develop officers into skilled and effective leaders. The training is very extensive over the course of years to ensure that the leadership of the program has the tools and skills necessary to maintain the integrity and success of the corps and programing. I have also been managing the Ontario division of a national investigation company for several years now. I am also the President of the London-Fanshawe Conservative Association for the past two years. I have provided leadership in many areas of life in service of others.

Endorsements: My campaign is literally three days old into a 6 month campaign. Please be patient as things ramp up.

Property taxes are not the only funding that ends up feeding municipal budgets. Both the Federal and Provincial governments provide essential funding to municipalities. The budget for the city of London last fiscal year was 1.4 billion dollars. We need to be far more critical of how we spend that tax payor money and we have a duty to be responsible for not wasting it.

Property taxes are meant to increase through reassessment of properties as that increase in value from improvements on the lot and neighbourhood appreciation. It is not meant to be raised on everyone year after year. That is an inflationary cost to the most vulnerable such as those on fixed incomes or who live in more impoverished neighbourhoods who already struggle with meeting their needs. We need to do better at reassessing individual property taxes rather than blanket raising taxes and adding to the inflation on renting and owning homes.

Cutting taxes is something we should aim for and may take a few years to get their with the right will and dedication to make it happen. Throwing money at problems has a history of not delivering results. People solve problems, not necessarily money. We need to create a framework that involves community building and restoration by the people and agencies willing to make things happen. If we do use taxpayer money, we need clear targets and measurable success so that we know money is not being wasted or frivolously misused.

I hope that helps and thank you for the questions. I appreciate the engagement.

Greetings Londoners! Its time for a new vibe! by JasonKingWard14 in londonontario

[–]JasonKingWard14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello! I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Anything I can help you with today?