Transportation
Moscoe has long been a prominent advocate for public transit in Toronto. As early as 1979,he brought forward a motion to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities calling for senior levels of government to provide operating and capital costs for public transit in cities. [76] He recommended that Toronto take steps to improve its transit network in 1989,following the release of a report indicating that rush-hour traffic would double between 1981 and 2001. He was quoted as saying,"We can no longer afford the absolute luxury of people travelling alone and taking up valuable space on the road. The only solution is to improve public transit and increase disincentives to travel downtown by car." [77] In 1991,he argued that Metro should charge developers for transit projects. [78]
Moscoe recommended several reforms to transit policy following his appointment to the TTC in 1991. He supported lower rates for Toronto's poorer residents,arguing that transit passes could be mailed out with welfare cheques. This idea was opposed by then-TTC chair Mike Colle. [79] Moscoe also advocated lower advertising rates for small businesses,noting that a national recession was resulting in many spaces being left unused. [80] He opposed the TTC's elimination of environmentally friendly trolley bus services in January 1992,and led a successful initiative for their restoration later in the same year. [81] Moscoe also opposed a 16% fare increase in 1992,arguing that the TTC could cut expenses through administration instead. [82]
He criticized the service cutbacks introduced by the provincial government of Mike Harris in the mid-1990s,and spoke against a 43% fare increase for students and seniors in 1996. [83] Moscoe later argued that the Harris government's funding cuts were the start of a long period of decline for the TTC,from which it had not entirely recovered by the mid-2000s. [84]
Moscoe joined with other NDP councillors to support increased funding for WheelTrans,a transportation service for Toronto's disabled persons,1995. [85] After the Harris government introduced its funding cuts,however,he reluctantly brought forward a motion to scale back WheelTrans services. He described the motion as "the most difficult decision I've had to make",but argued it was necessary to prevent a total collapse in the city's transit system. [86] He recommended that WheelTrans users voluntarily limit their non-essential use of the service,so as to ensure that it remained accessible for work and school transportation. [87] He opposed further cuts in 1996,and subsequently supported initiatives to make regular buses wheelchair-friendly. [88]
TTC Chair,1998-2000
Moscoe was appointed as TTC chair in January 1998,and soon emerged as a prominent rival to David Gunn,the TTC's chief general manager. The two disagreed over policy issues,including the proposed purchase of low-floor buses to benefit elderly and disabled passengers:Moscoe supported the purchase,while Gunn argued that it was beyond the TTC's budget. Gunn also accused Moscoe of interfering in TTC management issues,particularly after Moscoe renegotiated a contract for condominium development at the TTC's Bayview station. Gunn threatened to resign in mid-1998 if Moscoe was not removed,but retracted this threat when the TTC reaffirmed its confidence in Moscoe's leadership. [89] Gunn eventually stepped down in April 1999,saying that Moscoe was "ruining his reputation". [90] His replacement,Rick Ducharme,was openly critical of his predecessor's management style and initially had a more cooperative relationship with Moscoe and other elected officials. [91]
There were several attempts to remove Moscoe as TTC chair in 1999,following a threatened strike by TTC workers. During the negotiations,Moscoe had suggested that council should reach a settlement with the workers and then consider a property tax increase to find the necessary revenues. Mel Lastman opposed this proposal,and is widely believed to have coordinated the subsequent efforts to remove Moscoe from office.
Four commissioners on the seven-member TTC board issued a statement in April 1999,indicating that they were prepared to "reconsider the position of chair". [92] Moscoe was able to retain his position at a subsequent TTC meeting with a deft procedural move that divided the opposition,and later described the attempt to dismiss him as a "kindergarten coup". [93] His opponents attempted to remove him again in May 1999,when TTC commissioners Chris Korwin-Kuczynski and Brian Ashton brought forward a motion before city council to replace the entire TTC board. Ashton acknowledged that the move was intended to replace Moscoe,whom he described as "very incompetent". [94] Moscoe again retained his position when council rejected the motion,and instead agreed to a compromise plan which saw two new members added to the board. [95]
The new appointments did not solve Moscoe's difficulties:both new members were opposed to his leadership,and their appointments led to a renewed effort to remove him as chair. Moscoe responded to the threat by introducing a legal challenge against the manner of the new members' selection:both were chosen by a simple majority of council,and Moscoe argued that a two-thirds majority was required. [96] A court ruling in late June 1999 upheld Moscoe's position and invalidated the appointments. After the ruling,Mel Lastman signalled that he was again willing to accept Moscoe as chair. [97] The controversy ended for a time.
There was another effort to remove Moscoe as chair late in 1999,when it was revealed that an employee in his office had faxed confidential documents to a company suing the TTC. Moscoe indicated that he had no awareness of the fax,but submitted a resignation notice to take formal responsibility. [98] The other commissioners planned to reject his resignation after a single day's debate,but commissioner Rob Davis unexpectedly suspended the proceedings and suggested that a broader inquiry be launched. Moscoe then withdrew his resignation,saying that the matter should have been resolved quickly to permit the TTC to return to its regular business. [99] There was a further attempt to dismiss Moscoe in January 2000,but this came to nothing. [100]
Despite these controversies,Moscoe's first tenure as TTC chair was marked by several notable accomplishments. The city purchased hundreds of new subway cars,rebuilt several buses and streetcars and maintained its "state of good repair" schedule despite provincial cutbacks. [101]
TTC Chair,2003-2006
After his reappointment in 2003,Moscoe expressed concern that the provincial government of Ernie Eves was abandoning Toronto transit services in favour of projects in the surrounding municipalities. [102] He proposed a referendum for a 1% property tax hike later in the same year,with the revenues to be targeted toward public transit improvements. [103] The city turned down the proposal.
In 1999,Moscoe began a lobbying effort to have a percentage of provincial revenues directed toward the TTC. He achieved success in 2004,when Premier Dalton McGuinty declared his support for the plan. [104] In the same period,the federal government of Paul Martin announced that it would contribute a portion of its fuel tax revenues to municipal transit,including the TTC. Moscoe welcomed a $1 billion investment over five years from the federal and provincial governments in 2004,and received a separate $90 million infusion from the provincial Liberal government in the same year to stave off a 25-cent fare increase. [105] Moscoe endorsed the Martin government's 2005 budget,which implemented the federal gas-tax plan. [106]
In April 2005,Moscoe led the TTC in last-minute negotiations with the city's transit union to prevent a city-wide strike. Published reports indicate that a shouting match between Moscoe and union president Bob Kinnear sparked the final successful negotiations. When the union accepted a tentative deal,Moscoe remarked,"I feel like a member of the bomb squad who was faced with a green wire and red one and thank God we cut the red wire". [107]
Moscoe oversaw TTC fare increases in both 2005 and 2006. The 2005 increase saw adult fares rise by 25 cents and the price of tickets and tokens rise by ten cents;the TTC attempted to mitigate the inconvenience by simultaneously introducing a $30 weekly transferable pass that could be shared among friends,family and co-workers. Moscoe was quoted as saying,"I don't like having to raise fares. We haven't had a fare hike in two years and it barely covers inflation. We've tried to make it as painless as possible." Critics nevertheless argued that the hike would hurt the city's working poor. [108] A separate ten-cent fare increase in 2006 was justified as a necessary consequence of soaring gas prices in North America. Moscoe argued that the alternative of cutting back services was not a viable option. [109]
Moscoe was a prominent supporter of the rebuild of the streetcar right-of-way on St. Clair Avenue. [110] He argued that if the project was cancelled,as some Toronto politicians had suggested,it would be costly and would worsen gridlock in the city. [111] He also called for the province to re-assume responsibility for the western section of the Gardiner Expressway,which was formerly part of the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) until it was downloaded to the city in 1998. He suggested that it be renamed the "Dalton McGuinty Expressway" if the province refused. [112]
In March 2006,Moscoe announced that he would support provincial funding for a united transit system covering the Greater Toronto Area from Burlington to Oshawa. [113] He later criticized federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's plans for a transit tax credit,arguing that it would be difficult to administer and would only benefit the most affluent transit users. [114] Moscoe has also criticized the provincial government's plan to introduce "smart card" transit passes for the Greater Toronto Area,arguing that the city could buy 400 buses with the money being spent on the program. [115]
Summer 2006
In May 2006,the Amalgamated Transit Union placed ads in local newspapers suggesting that the TTC was callously denying benefit coverage to injured transit operator Bobby Lowe. Moscoe called the union's allegations false,noting that a different agency was responsible for the payment of employee benefits. Moscoe also said that TTC workers were treated consistently with other injured workers in the province,and noted that injury pay issue was not mentioned during the last bargaining session in April 2005. ATU President Bob Kinnear responded saying that Moscoe was attacking Lowe's honesty. Moscoe apologized to Lowe during a meeting at City Hall,and promised to "sort out our procedures" to ensure that coverage would not be delayed to injured workers in the future. [116] [117]
TTC General Manager Rick Ducharme announced his resignation on June 7,2006,following a one-day wildcat strike by transit workers. He blamed political interference for his decision,saying that Moscoe had conducted direct negotiations with the union without consulting him. The Toronto Star speculated that the illegal strike might have resulted from Moscoe's negotiations,while David Shiner and other councilors said that Moscoe had a history of interfering in management affairs. [118] John Barber,a columnist for the rival The Globe and Mail,argued that Ducharme's resignation was not a reasonable response to Moscoe's alleged interference. [119] Moscoe defended his actions,arguing that he had an obligation to take part in the discussions and was attempting to ensure that a second strike did not take place. [120] He later said that management was to blame for the wildcat strike,and that he intervened in an attempt to stop it. [121]
Ducharme also criticized Moscoe for granting a non-bid contract to Bombardier for the purchase of new subway cars,citing an estimate from rival company Siemens suggesting that it would cost Toronto as much as $100 million. Ducharme and several councillors had advocated making the process open to competition,arguing that this would result in the best deal for the city. Moscoe defended his decision by noting that Bombardier plans to construct the cars in Thunder Bay,Ontario with parts-supply work in Toronto,while Siemens would have exported construction to China. He also cited a Bombardier-initiated study asserting that the contract will generate $142 million in provincial and federal tax revenues. [122] Moscoe has also defended the contracting process,arguing that non-competitive contracts are standard practice for such purchases in other jurisdictions. He later added that he initially considered an open-bid contract,but reconsidered after discovering that Siemens constructs its cars in China. [123]
Some councillors accused Moscoe of having an improper relationship with Bombardier,which had donated to Moscoe's campaign and sent out invitations to a political fundraiser for TTC Vice-chair Adam Giambrone,an ally of Moscoe,although he turned down the assistance. Moscoe had also taken part in a Bombardier-organized trip to Tel Aviv in 1998,to promote subway construction in Israel. Moscoe responded to the accusation by saying that he was the target of a smear campaign,noting that there had been "nothing secret" about his 1998 trip,which was funded by the Israeli government. He added that he had also received campaign contributions from Siemens. Moscoe said that his opponents were "trying to get to the mayor" by attacking him,and argued that the controversy was being fomented by Siemens and its lobbyists,who were in contact with a number of councillors critical of the non-bid contract. [124]
In the aftermath of Ducharme's resignation,the Toronto Star newspaper and some city councillors called for Moscoe to stand down as TTC chair. He initially dismissed these calls as politically motivated,but later said that he was thinking about resigning after the 2006 municipal election. [125] [126] [127] [128] There was another attempt to remove Moscoe as TTC chair in July 2006,but he defeated the challenge by a vote of 5 to 3. [129]
In late August 2006,an outside panel of experts judged that Bombardier's offer was a good deal for city,with one consultant saying that the proposed bid "is below most of the recent comparable North American procurements." In the aftermath of the report,councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker was quoted as saying,"if what you have told me [about the price] is true,somebody owes Howard Moscoe an apology". The TTC staff have also recommended finalizing a deal with Bombardier. Some councillors,such as Karen Stintz,have continued to oppose the contract on procedural grounds. Stintz has said,"it's not about Bombardier. It's about a process we didn't follow",noting that other city departments require competitive bids on contracts of this size. [130]
The TTC unanimously endorsed purchase of the subway cars on August 30,2006. After the vote,Moscoe told reporters,"We got a fair deal. We got a good deal. And we've got a first-class set of subway cars. [...] I have no apologies to make". [131] The purchase was subsequently approved by council in late September 2006,by a vote of 25 to 18.
Late 2006
Moscoe announced in late October 2006 that the TTC was considering the installment of electronic signs,to show bus and streetcar riders how long they would have to wait for the next vehicle. [132] The following month,he announced that the TTC would introduce new tokens to combat counterfeiting. [133] He has also proposed shifting Toronto to an automatic train system to increase service capacity,and introducing a station master at each stop to handle upgrades and customer complaints. [134]
One day after the 2006 municipal election,the federal government of Stephen Harper announced that it would provide the TTC with $1.4 million for anti-terrorism measures. Moscoe described the announcement as a "slap in the face",far below the $35 million the TTC had requested for security upgrades. He declined to participate in a photo opportunity with federal officials,and asked the Harper government to reconsider its proposal. [135] Moscoe has also rejected the Conservative government's suggestion that Toronto consider public-private partnerships for transit services,saying "In transit we call them public-pirate partnerships. All the experience has been bad." [136]
In a surprise move,Moscoe declined to seek renomination as TTC chair after the 2006 election. [137] He is currently seeking appointment to the Greater Toronto Transit Authority,a new regional body. [138] [139]
Taxis
Moscoe has long promoted safety concerns in the taxi industry,and has often championed the interests of taxi drivers against perceived exploitation from owners. [140] He himself trained as a cab driver in 1990,in an effort to learn more about the industry. [141] He once described taxi drivers as "the most vulnerable people in town" due to threats from belligerent passengers, [142] and called for a Metro taskforce on driver safety after attending the funeral service of a cab driver killed by a customer in 1998. [143] He later encouraged the installment of cameras in taxi cabs. The council adopted his suggestion and mandated security cameras in taxi cabs. As a result,the crime rate against cab drivers dropped by 70%.
Moscoe supported a pioneering unionization effort for Toronto cab drivers in 1993. He later spoke out against abuses in Toronto's taxi licensing system,drawing attention to cases in which wealthy owners purchased plates that were rented to drivers at exorbitant rates. In 1998,he collaborated with Denzil Minnan-Wong to pass reform legislation granting "Ambassador" plates for licence holders who drive their own cars. [144]
Moscoe defended a taxi fare increase in 2003,arguing that it was first such increase in seven years and was necessary to cover rising insurance and gas prices. [145] In 2005,he argued that drivers deserved a further fifty-cent increase per ride to cope with soaring fuel costs. [146] He has supported a motion to have all Toronto cabs painted the same colour,arguing that this measure will help crack down on illegal drivers. [147]
Following the murder of a taxi driver by a passenger,Moscoe commented that drivers "live a very dangerous existence",adding "I would venture to say their job is more dangerous than a police officer". [148] According to a Toronto Star report,some members of the police force found this comment offensive. [149]
His 2006 appointment as chair of the Licensing and Standards Committee gives Moscoe direct authority over the city's taxi industry. He has acknowledged that owners and brokers disapprove of some of his ideas,but says that most drivers support him. [150]
Police
Moscoe has often called for reforms in the Toronto Police Service,particularly as regards the force's relations with racial minority groups. Following the 1990 shooting of a black teenager by Toronto police,he introduced a motion at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities calling for police officers to be trained with "the information they need to deal sensitively with racial and ethnic minorities". [151] He was a founding member of Metro Toronto's Council Action Committee to Combat Racism but resigned in January 1991,saying that it had rendered itself ineffectual by declining to make police issues a priority. Metro Chairman Alan Tonks,who established the committee,argued that an emphasis on police issues would duplicate the work of the Metro Police Commission and reduce police morale. [152] Moscoe sought an appointment to the Police Commission in late 1990,but withdrew his name after failing to win Tonks's support. [153]
Moscoe criticized the tactics of the Toronto Police Association during Craig Bromell's tenure as union leader. In 1999,he argued that TTC advertisements by the union portrayed Hispanics as criminals. Bromell said that the ads were not meant to be offensive. [154] The next year,Moscoe accused Bromell of having "crossed the line" by hiring private investigators to probe city councillors critical of the police force. [155] Moscoe had his own office swept for bugs as a precautionary measure. Some councillors,including Tom Jakobek,derided this as a publicity stunt. [156]
Moscoe described a 2004 proposal for police helicopters as "pure testosterone",and sarcastically suggested that the helicopters should be equipped with Sidewinder missiles to ensure maximum effectiveness. He said during a council debate,"Do we need a helicopter to track down drug dealers in Parkdale? It's tough to land a helicopter on a doughnut shop." Rival councillor Rob Ford said that Moscoe's comments were insulting to the police force. [157] Some current and former members of the Toronto police,including Julian Fantino,have criticized Moscoe's approach to police affairs. [158]
