Let’s Do The Numbers…

Let’s Do The Numbers... By Joe Ingino BA. Psychology Editor/Publisher Central Newspapers ACCOMPLISHED WRITER/AUTHOR OF OVER 800,000 Published Columns in Canada and The United States According to records... Oshawa has been growing at a phenomenal rate. The numbers don’t lie. The obvious changes to the quality of life tell a scary story as taxes keep going up. The question that remains is why is it that taxes keep going up instead of leveling off. You would think that with more people coming to Oshawa there be a surge in municipal tax revenue. That logically it would make our municipal accounts over flow with the extra cash from all the new commers. Well, it appears NOT. Ask a politician and they will quickly point out that with more people there are more costs... and in part true. But it would never offset the huge tax increases. Take a look at these numbers: Property taxes Year Change 2020 +2.64% 2021 +1.26% 2022 +1.60% 2023 +3.82% 2024 +4.04% 2025 +6.48% Now with these numbers the question that lingers is. Why must taxes keep going up? Where is the money going? One simple answer. Put a gun on a blind mans hands and they shoot at any sound in fear of threat. The blind man out of self preservation thinks he is doing good. But in reality he is missing all targets and possibly putting his own well being in further jeopardy. Municipal elect in many cases have no real business experience to run a corporation like the City of Oshawa. Most are retirees, ex-realtors and the like. Their general attitude... ‘Oh, well’. As they have no real conscious on spending. They make a mistake or a decision goes bad. They don’t care. They are accountable to no one. In order to pay for their mistakes.... they increase taxes the following year and in the name of responsible governance.... they cut service. This explains the poor quality of life in Oshawa. So what is the answer. Get rid of all municipal elect and hire a professional firm to make the decisions. Cut back the over paid staff that only real expertise is that of keeping their jobs... When faced with a serious decision they are not risk takers... so they hire expensive consultants... If I am wrong. I have a question. Who decided to build a park at a millions of dollar smack downtown Oshawa? A park that will further increase the homeless problem. The prostitution and drug trade. Yet, no one seems to care.... and they get away with it... NO ACCOUNTABILITY.