Information AboutDavid Miller |
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David R. Miller (born December 26 , 1958 ) is a Canadian politician. Elected in 2003, he is the 63rd mayor of the city of Toronto , Ontario , and second of the merged Megacity . He is the first Toronto mayor to be formally affiliated with the left-wing New Democratic Party (other mayors have had ties to the NDP, but have never been members). He succeeded former North York and Toronto mayor Mel Lastman . BACKGROUND Miller was born in San Francisco , California , USA . His American father, Joe Miller, died of cancer in 1960 , at which time his English mother Joan returned with her son to Thriplow , south of Cambridge . Miller spent his formative years in England, and returned to Canada with his mother in 1967 . He attended Lakefield College School on a scholarship at the same time Prince Andrew was a student. Miller completed a four-year undergraduate degree at Harvard University , where he graduated '' Magna Cum Laude '' in Economics. He then earned a Bachelor Of Laws degree from the University Of Toronto Law School. Before entering political life, he was a partner at the prominent Toronto law firm Aird & Berlis for ten years, specializing in Employment and Immigration Law and shareholder rights. He married fellow lawyer Jill Arthur in 1986 , and the pair have two children. Miller is well known as a social activist and for being on the left-wing of the political spectrum. He supports the New Democratic Party (NDP), and has a picture of Tommy Douglas upon the wall of his office. He finished a distant fourth in the riding of Parkdale—High Park as a federal NDP candidate in 1993 Election , and narrowly lost a provincial By-election in York South—Weston in 1996 as a candidate of the New Democratic Party Of Ontario in a bid to succeed the departing Bob Rae . The winner on the latter occasion was Liberal Gerard Kennedy , who later became the provincial Minister Of Education . COUNCILLOR Miller first ran for the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto council in 1991 , but lost to rival candidate Derwyn Shea . He ran again in 1994 after Shea's retirement from council, and was elected. One of his opponents on the latter occasion was Tony Clement , later a provincial and federal Cabinet Minister . He was elected to the new City of Toronto council in 1997 , and was returned for Ward 13 (Parkdale-High Park) in 2000 over fellow city councillor Bill Saundercook , a Mel Lastman ally who would later take over Miller's seat in the 2003 election. In the November 2000 issue of '' Toronto Life '' magazine, he was given an A+ in a list of Toronto city councillors, described as "the best of the bunch, hands down." Although a relative unknown in Toronto until his candidacy for mayor, Miller led the push to expose Toronto's MFP Computer Leasing Scandal . Major city committees and agencies he served on include the Administration Committee, the Humber York Community Council, the Ethics Steering Committee, the Immigration and Refugee Issues Working Group, Labour Relations Advisory Panel, the Oak Ridges Moraine Steering Committee, and the Toronto Transit Commission . MAYOR In the 2003 Mayoral Election , Miller's primary campaign promise distinguishing him from his competitors was his pledge to block a proposed $22 million bridge to replace ferry services to the Toronto City Centre Airport . He argued that the bridge was symptomatic of a political culture at City Hall that put the interests of developers and lobbyists ahead of the public. Miller used a Broom as a prop in this campaign, symbolizing his commitment to cleaning up Toronto both literally, in terms of litter, and metaphorically, referring to the shady dealings at City Hall. Miller's campaign organization in the 2003 election was diverse. Although he received support from New Democrats and social activists, his top campaign strategists included veteran Conservatives such as John Laschinger and Liberals such as Peter Donolo . He has described himself as a political centrist. Miller commanded very strong levels of popularity throughout 2004, and was listed as having 82% support in the spring of that year. Following increased media scrutiny throughout 2005, a Strategic Council poll issued on November 9 , 2005 showed him with a 69% approval rating. Bridge and airport policy Soon after his election, Miller led council to reverse its previous support for the Toronto City Centre Airport bridge. He argued that the bridge was detrimental to the regional environment, was unwanted by most local residents, and would prevent a more comprehensive renewal of the waterfront economy. He also argued that it could be cancelled without additional financial costs for the city. Supporters of the bridge argued that it would make airline service more efficient, and would provide a financial benefit. The vote, held on December 3 , 2003 , was 32-12 in favour of withdrawal. There were subsequent threats of legal action against the City by the Toronto Port Authority and developer Robert Deluce, but these were settled in 2005 when the federal government agreed to pay $35 million in compensation. The cost of the federal payout was controversial for both supporters and opponents of Miller's administration. Liberal Member Of Parliament (MP) Tony Ianno defended the settlement as providing fair compensation to legitimate claimants, and argued that it invalidated Miller's promise that the bridge could be cancelled without further expense. Miller's allies, including NDP leader Jack Layton , argued that the federal payout was overly generous, and did not reflect the true costs of cancellation. Shortly after the settlement, Miller announced that he would seek the repayment of $27 million in back taxes from the Port Authority to the city. Deluce announced plans to construct up to twenty planes in the Downsview area of Toronto in early 2006, in an apparent bid to expand island airport service and possibly the airport itself. This plan is extremely controversial in the city. Opponents of expansion argue that increased flight services will result in greater Noise Pollution for downtown residents, as well as preventing other economies from flourishing in the waterfront region. Miller has argued that the city may soon have to face the choice of "an industrial or revitalized waterfront". Some supporters of expansion have suggested this is a False Dichotomy , and have argued that expansion can be integrated with a larger revitalization plan. Deluce's proposal has won support from both business interests and Canadian Auto Workers leader Buzz Hargrove , who has argued it will create new jobs for workers in the region. A '' Toronto Star '' report from early February 2006 indicates that most Toronto residents oppose expansion. The bridge and airport debates are reflective of a more general division between Miller's supporters and the Toronto Port Authority, a federal body created by Liberal MP Dennis Mills , who is widely considered an opponent of Miller. The city has no direct control over the Port Authority, and can do little to block its airport policy. In early 2006, longtime Miller ally Olivia Chow called for the newly-elected Conservative government of Stephen Harper to turn control of the Authority to the city. Police issues (2004) After assuming office, Miller became involved in the long-standing and polarizing debates over Toronto's police budget. Previous councils had approved large increases, and the force's 2004 request was for $691.4 million, an increase of $57 million from the previous year. After a lengthy and sometimes heated debate, the council approved $679.1 million on April 21 , 2004 . In the course of these discussions, police chief Julian Fantino argued that the city's initial budget plans (later revised) would jeopardize essential services. Apart from the budget debate, the content of Miller's police policy was also controversial. His plans for community outreach programs in neighbourhoods affected by crime were opposed by some police and councillors as ineffective against serious criminals. Fantino, whose relationship with Miller was cool at best, apologized to the mayor after discovering that an article criticizing his policies had been posted to the official police service website. A separate controversy developed later in the year. A police corruption scandal unfolded in April 2004, in which a small number of officers were charged with aiding figures connected to the Hell's Angels biker gang. On April 29 , Miller was overheard saying "Is your police force in jail? Mine is" in a private aside to the Lord Mayor Of London , who was in Toronto to announce a new partnership between the cities. Miller later explained that he was introducing the scandal to his guest after an awkward press Scrum , which the Lord Mayor left following several questions about the local controversy. He also apologized for his comment, saying " {Link without Title} he allegations are serious and I shouldn't have referred to them with humour". After the mayor's initial comment, Julian Fantino was quoted on the CablePulse 24 program ''The Chief'' as saying, "I feel like someone has driven a stake through my heart". He later accepted Miller's apology, and issued a press release on April 30 saying, "The matter is now over". In June 2004, the deadlocked Toronto Police Services Board voted not to renew Fantino's contract as chief. The next month, city council rejected a motion from Fantino's supporters which could have overturned the decision. After Miller turned down calls for a formal debate, some Fantino supporters on council accused him of acting in an undemocratic manner. The mayor's position was that such a debate would have violated the Police Services Act. Some journalists have speculated that Miller played an influential role in the board's decision to remove Fantino, notwithstanding the mayor's official denial. Ontario Finance Minister Greg Sorbara was also critical, saying that Miller "has to assume officially the responsibility" for Fantino's contract not being renewed, and should "not keep pretending that he has nothing to do with it". Some of Fantino's supporters tried to establish a protest movement in support of the dismissed chief, though this was largely unsuccessful. When the council voted to uphold Fantino's removal, the conservative '' Toronto Sun '' tabloid ran a cartoon comparing Miller to Adolf Hitler over his handling of the issue. Miller described the cartoon as "despicable", and it was also condemned by a representative of the Canadian Jewish Congress . The paper's editor refused to apologize. Police issues (2005) In March 2005 , Miller asked of the Police Services Board that he be granted a participatory role in the selection of the next police chief. He argued that he could provide "a voice that represents all Torontonians rather than that of a particular stakeholder", and claimed he would recuse himself from formal deliberations and the final decision. Board member Case Ootes argued that it amounted to political interference, and said there was "some contradiction" between the request and Miller's earlier refusal to engage in public debate over Fantino's removal. The Board turned down Miller's request. Fantino was replaced on a temporary basis by Mike Boyd , a retired deputy chief who had worked closely with Miller when the latter was still a councillor. In April 2005, the board chose Bill Blair as Fantino's permanent replacement. There was some media speculation that the mayor's office favoured the more left-leaning Boyd for the position, though Miller has denied this. Miller awarded Fantino, who had been appointed Ontario's Commissioner of Emergency Management, with the Key to the City on April 14, 2005. Many journalists interpreted this as an attempt to bury previous hostilities. Miller described Fantino at the ceremony as "a man of integrity who has done tremendous work to help keep Toronto safe". Miller announced in August 2005 that Toronto would hire an additional 150 police officers in 2006 . This announcement followed an increase in shooting fatalities throughout the summer of 2005, and occurred against a backdrop of increased concern about gang-related violence in the city. In making the announcement, Miller also called on the Toronto business community to create more job opportunities for disaffected youth. Some councillors, including Michael Thompson , criticized Miller as waiting too long before reacting to reports of increased violence. Case Ootes praised the initiative to hire more officers, but expressed doubt that Miller would follow through on it. Later in the same month, Miller dismissed an idea from Thompson to allow city police officials to stop young black men in areas of high violence. Thompson, who is himself black, apologized and withdrew the proposal soon after suggesting it following criticism from Canada's Association of Black Law Enforcers and other groups. The Police Services Board's initial strategy for hiring new officers was strongly opposed by the Toronto Police Association. The board, led by Pam McConnell , wanted to raise the necessary revenues by clawing back existing rates of retention pay and eliminating lunch-hour pay for officers on inactive duty during compressed shifts. The police association argued that the proposals would cause an exodus of officers and result in lower pay for officers working compressed schedules; the board disputed both claims, and the association accused the board of misleading the public. After a series of acrimonious meetings, negotiations broke down in late 2005 and the association entered a Work-to-rule campaign, refusing to patrol or hand out fines. During the course of this dispute, the association printed full-page advertisements in the '' Toronto Star '' and '' Toronto Sun '', asking the mayor to become personally involved through his role as a board member. They also issued an open letter asked if he wanted to be remembered "as the mayor who was tough on crime, or the mayor who was tough on cops". On October 31 , Miller informed the media that he was working to bring both sides together. A tentative deal was signed in early November, with reports indicating that the board had compromised on retention pay. One published report suggests that Ralph Lean, a leading Miller fundraiser, played an instrumental role in ending the dispute through private negotiations with former association head Craig Bromell . A poll taken by Ipsos-Reid in October 2005 showed that the mayor, council, police and judges all received low grades from the Toronto public in their handling of increased gang activity. The poll gave Police Chief Bill Blair and the Toronto Police Services a C average grade, followed by community leaders (C-), Miller (D+), city council (D), The Attorney General of Ontario (D), and the judges and justices of the Peace (D). Transit policy Miller is a strong supporter of the Toronto Transit Commission , the city's public transit system. He has endorsed the creation of a controversial streetcar right-of-way through St. Clair Avenue, a six-lane arterial within the city. Supporters of the proposal argue that it will make public transit more efficient, and set an important precedent for public transit expansion in the city. The plan has been opposed by local businesses, as it will reduce customer parking and potentially harm stores that rely upon affluent customers for revenue. Other opponents, including the Canadian Automobile Association have argued that the right-of-way will increase automobile congestion, as the proposal bans a left-turns and will likely divert some traffic to neighborhood streets. Supporters have questioned this claim, pointing to the success of a previous right-of-way implemented on Spadina Avenue.. A group called Save-Our-St. Clair (SOS) took the case to the Ontario Superior Court, and won a panel ruling in October 2005 which forced a halt to the project. The city subsequently cited a potential bias on the part of one of the judges, and asked that the ruling be discarded. The panel voted 2-1 to recuse themselves at a meeting in early November, and so overturned their previous decision. The Ontario Divisional Court ruled against the SOS on February 21 , 2006 , giving the city authority to proceed with the project. Miller was more successful in his push to implement the Ridership Growth Strategy, a plan which aims to increase ridership and reduce overcrowding on the TTC. Phase One is currently in implementation, while later phases will have to wait until funding is allocated. Miller also took part in negotiations with the federal and provincial governments in 2004, which saw one billion dollars in additional funding allocated for the cash-strapped TTC over five years. Fiscal policy In late 2005 , Miller endorsed a policy which shifted a portion of the property tax burden in Toronto from businesses and commercial operators to homeowners. Acknowledging that this was a difficult decision, Miller argued that it was necessary to prevent an exodus of jobs from the city. The decision was endorsed by the Toronto Industry Network. Miller clashed with Toronto Board of Trade President and CEO Glen Grunwald at a February 2006 budgetary consulation meeting, after Grunwald presented a number of policy measures designed to cut Toronto's budget expenditures, to solve a budget shortfall of around $212 million. The Board of Trade's presentation was one of only three out of thirty-seven at the consultation meeting to advocate spending cuts. Grunwald's recommendations included reducing spending on non-priority items, increasing user fees, privatizing some services and implementing approximately 800 recommendations from the auditor general. Miller criticized the suggestions as "poorly researched", and said that the Board of Trade presentation "didn't befit they role the have as city builders." ''Toronto Star'' columnist Royson James criticized his response as disproportionately harsh, and potentially alienating to some business interests. Miller has argued that cost downloads implemented by the Mike Harris government in the 1990s have burdened his government with disproportionately high costs for housing and social services, and has asked the provincial government of Dalton McGuinty to re-asumme responsibility for some of these expenses. McGuinty has shown some sympathy to this position, but has also argued that Toronto has not taken sufficient responsibility for its own shortfalls, being slower than neighboring municipalities to raise residential property taxes or implement user fees. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation, a conservative organization promoting lower levels of taxation, has criticized Miller for his spending policies. Jane Pitfield, Miller's only declared opponent for 2006, has promised to hold off on future tax increases and has adopted the slogan, "Always think like a taxpayer". Garbage disposal policy When Miller was elected mayor, Toronto's garbage had for several years been shipped to a landfill in Michigan , USA through a contract with the firm Republic Services. This arrangement has been criticized by politicians in both Michigan and Ontario, and opponents of the contract have argued that it may not be sustainable. Some politicians in Michigan have attempted to block the garbage shipments through legislation. Miller opposed John Tory 's alternate proposal for local incineration during the 2003 election, citing both cost concerns and a threat to the environment. In 2005, he led the city in renewing its contract with Republic. Some municipal politicians from smaller communities in and around the Greater Toronto Area have expressed concern that they could be required to store Toronto's garbage. In 2004, Miller met with a group of small-town mayors known as the Southwest Ontario Trash Coalition, and assured them that the city's contract with Republic guarantees against this option. A newspaper report of the meeting indicates that if the Michigan site becomes inaccessible, Republic is required to find alternative American locations. Toronto has also expanded its Green Bin recycling program under Miller's watch, a composting project designed to reduce the amount of waste that Toronto ships to landfills. The project was initiated in Etobicoke in 2002 , Scarborough joined in June 2003, and the other areas of Toronto have been added since Miller's election as mayor. Green Bin became city-wide in October 2005 when North York was included in the program. In marking the achievement, Miller described Toronto as "a North American leader in recycling and composting programs".
ELECTORAL RECORD Municipal politics For full results, see Results Of 2003 Toronto Election . Electors could vote for two candidates in the 1997 election. The percentages are determined in relation to the total number of votes. The 1991 results are taken from a '' Toronto Star '' newspaper report on November 13 , 1991 , with 192 of 196 polls having reported. The final results were not significantly different. All other municipal results are taken from official summaries made available by the City of Toronto. Provincial and federal politics The provincial electoral data is taken from Elections Ontario , and the federal data from Elections Canada . NOTES AND SOURCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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