Candidate for City Councillor

Tom Cai

Ward 13 Toronto Centre

Candidate details

Email: tom.cai@tomforward13.com

Issue answers

What's the most important thing you'd act on as a City Councillor, and what experience or strengths would help you make it happen?

My experience in quantitative analysis allows me to pore through vast spreadsheets of individual city spendings and that allows me to micromanage and find exactly where the bureaucracy is causing backlogs.

Housing

Housing costs weigh on Torontonians whether they rent or own, access to subsidized housing is limited, and a growing number of people have no home at all. What would you prioritize on the next City Council to help people find and keep a secure place to live?

I will implement a 25% vacant homes tax that is applied after 6 months of vacancy. This will force housing developers and speculators to put their vacant homes on the market which will inevitably cause a crash in housing prices.

Cost of Living

The cost of daily life keeps climbing — housing, transit fares, city fees, etc. What is one thing you would prioritize on the next City Council to make Toronto more affordable, soon enough to matter to residents?

Fiscal irresponsibility at City Hall means your tax dollars aren't going to the services you need, but instead to vanity projects no one can afford. I will audit the city's budget and ensure that there is minimal waste of tax dollars.

Safety in Public Spaces

Some Torontonians don't feel safe in parks, on transit, or on certain streets, even where reported crime is low. What would you prioritize on the next City Council to help people be and feel safe in the city's public spaces?

We need to bring back community policing, where policemen are out on the streets interacting with the local populace. It's accountability for us and outreach for them, without the need to increase the police budget.

Getting Around the City

Getting around the city is a source of frustration for many Torontonians, whether people drive, take transit, cycle, or walk. What would you prioritize on the next City Council to improve how people move around the city, however they travel?

I will prioritize speeding up the 506 and 505. They are currently in a shoddy state and desperately need signal reform like what's on King St.

Confronting Hateful and Hostile Behaviour

Many Torontonians are concerned about hateful and hostile behaviour, which can disproportionately affect newcomers and members of racialized, marginalized, and equity-deserving communities. What would you prioritize on the next City Council to respond and keep Toronto safe and welcoming for everyone?

We need to stop the pillarization of Torontonian society. We've created ethnic bubbles due to planning failures and that makes multiculturalism a lot more difficult. I will follow the Singaporean model to minimize hateful and hostile behaviour.

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