PLEASE COME TO TORONTO

The pitch is on to attract tourists to my fine city of Toronto, and I would certainly like to add my assistance to the effort.

No one else here may be honest about this effort, but I will be. WE NEED YOUR MONEY.

If you come here - from elsewhere in Canada, or the U.S., or wherever - and spend whatever you can afford in pursuit of whatever turns you on, you are doing us all a big favour (or favor, if you're here from America). Others won't admit that, but I will.

More than half of whatever you spend here will ultimately go to the government - federal, provincial or municipal - but that's quite all right. Every dollar of yours which goes to the government here, is one less dollar I have to contribute, and I appreciate it.

Will the money you contribute to our government be well spent? You decide.

Up here, we have a croak-while-you-wait medical system. Each year more money goes into our medical system, and yet each year it seems that the lineups for medical services lengthen. Many people in line wind up in a box before they ever receive the medical care they need. There certainly are Canadians who do in fact receive medical attention which is prompt and effective - in Canada, no less - but that is not the situation with most Canadians.

Up here, we have a revolving door criminal justice system. If you murder someone - in Canada - the maximum sentence you can receive is 25 years. An 18-year-old who murders someone - and does the full 25 years - is going to be only 43 years old when he comes out. Such a person still has plenty of good years ahead of him - perhaps to murder again.

If you think 25 years is a bit excessive - even for murder - let me quickly point out the fact that few murderers actually serve 25 years. Parole sees them back on the street well before that.

Any police officer up here will tell you that many people - most of them Canadian citizens - who are arrested, are back on the street before the paperwork is done on the arrest. Most of these people - admittedly - are people who have been arrested for minor crimes, but that's not always the case. Sometimes, people who have been arrested for more serious crimes involving violence - even gun play - have been granted bail promptly.

The chances are very good - when you're in Toronto - that you will run into one of these people who are out on bail. Downtown Toronto is an especially good place to run into one of these people. The fellow approaching you with his hand out may very well be awaiting trial for some crime of violence.

While we're on the subject of panhandlers, let me point out the efforts made here to deal with them. On the assumption that the people panhandling are homeless and hungry, the folks in charge in Toronto have poured millions of dollars into feeding and housing the folks on the street. Buildings are being purchased - with my tax dollars (and whatever contribution you can make) - to provide accommodation. Soup kitchens are to be found all over the downtown area. Best of all, there is curbside service - sleeping bags, food and drink - available to those people who do not want to come in off the street.

As a side note, let me add that the studies which have been done - on the subject of panhandling and homelessness - which included surveys of the panhandlers themselves, have found that the panhandlers and the homeless are not the same people. Most panhandlers are not homeless - most are on public assistance of some kind - and are augmenting the money they receive from the taxpayers with their panhandling revenue - a good location can bring in $90.00 in two hours. Also, apparently, there are homeless people who do not panhandle.

Will you be surprised if I tell you that my city's efforts have not effected a reduction in panhandling or homelessness?

With a little embarrassment - as a final note - let me say that you will not find Toronto to be as clean as you maybe remember, or perhaps have heard. Money which once upon a time might have gone into keeping the city clean, is now going into the black hole which is the spending on panhandling and homelessness.