DEPUTATION TO CITY BUDGET 2013 By Miguel Avila December 10 and 11 2012

Dear Budget Members:

Thank you for the opportunity to speak again on this important matter today! Yes I am exercising my right to be allowed to speak first due to my disabilities physical and mental and the fact I am register to speak today at the T.P.S Board in connection with their budget for 2013. Lets get to the greedy and dirty of the business: There are four (4) reasons I am here to speak .Services that are dear to me in the following priority: 1.- T.P.S Budget 2013 2.- T.T.C 3.- Housing and Shelter 4.- The Toronto Zoo

This deputation varies from the original made yesterday at City Hall yesterday. Adding that yesterday the Board made the following recommendations to the City Budget:

What we know is that in 2012 there will be a surplus of $8-million that will come to the service through a budget surplus, Mr. Thompson said. We are asking that $6.7-million of those funds be utilized in balancing the 2013 budget. Mr Budget chief I provided you with an amount that could be utilize to help the Housing Support in the realm of $10 million dollars. I believe this amount is very conservative considering that we have a waiting list of 6,000 individuals suffering with mental illnesses and addictions. Knowing that the Police Budget has a surplus that could well fit the need to help these individuals find Supporting Housing as stated yesterday to you the Taxpayer will find relief since money is not going to be spend on placing individuals in Jail cells or hospital beds where the cost are ten times higher than to keep an individual in public housing..

By taking nearly $10-million out of our budget, I dont think itll be possible to actually pay their salaries, he said. So thats one of the things Im going to have to look very seriously at as to whether its possible to put that class forward.

Reading the quotes on the media that Mr Thompson made in regards the cuts to the T.P.S Budget Mr Budget Chief here are the $10 million that you have requested of me to provide to the budget for consideration and now my expectation is that you will take that amount and added to the budget for consideration. Moving on to the T.T.C Budget . Last week there were motions made in regards a report to come to City Council in regards the project to pay cash for the L.R.T trains in view of that cant not say much at this point until further reports are available to the public. As mention Housing and Support can utilize the money found yesterday that is suppose to be return to the City, to meet the shortfall and the cuts to Housing. I am more concern at this point in time to secure capital to increase for additional sites for Supporting Housing.

And finally my favorite of all , the Toronto Zoo and their Panda project. This project is expected to be secure with a signature of the City to guarantee and ensure that the Pandas five (5) year stay in Toronto is secure. I take you back to the day when the Prime Minister Harper travel to visit the pandas in China and high level government negotiations took place. The picture attached shows Mr Harper and Mr Joe Tracoqna the C.E.O of the Toronto Zoo signing the agreement.. Was there any agreement between the City and Ottawa to secure the lease payments before the Pandas departure China to the Toronto Zoo? Was there any consultation with Toronto Taxpayers? We Torontonians should not be put on the hook to cover for the expenses made by Mr Harper? If the P.M wanted to get the Pandas .. Well where is the money? The Zoo has to knock on the door of Mr Harper to get the loan secure by Ottawa not Toronto taxpayers. My recommendation: Get the P.M on the phone to get the money from Ottawa.. We have more important priorities that need attention. We can not be put on a ridiculous position to cover the Pandas in my opinion.

Sincerely Yours, Miguel Avila

HARPER PANDAS!! Not A Toronto Project!