The Canadian National Newspaper: Toronto Votes 2006, Sonali Verma

Crime: We should focus on reducing violent crime by providing social programmes that help young people find alternatives to joining gangs or becoming single teenage mothers. Young people need mentoring and role models, and they need programmes to be delivered in their backyards.

Public Spaces: Most of the homes in our ward are immaculately maintained - but most of the public spaces, such as sidewalks, parks and community centres, are a picture of neglect. The City must set a higher standard for beauty and maintenance by cleaning up public spaces and keeping them in good shape.

Subsidised Housing: Subsidised housing has led to the creation of slums and ghettoes in Ward 1. The City should, instead, subsidise the rents of low-income families, allowing them to live wherever they wish. This would act as a deterrent to crime and prevent the standard of living at entire housing complexes from deteriorating.

Public Buildings: We need to use existing private and public facilities, such as schools, churches more effectively to provide community services. Cooperation between community centres and any institution that uses tax dollars should be mandatory.

Public Transit: Ward 1, on the margins of northwestern Toronto, needs to be better connected to the downtown core by public transit. Albion Road, the main artery of Ward 1, should have a direct bus to Wilson Station. We also need better connections from east to west, along the northern edge of Toronto, and better coordination between transit services through the GTA. Many Ward 1 residents rely entirely on public transit -- and many more would if there were a reliable system. We must also review routes and scrap those that are seldom used by commuters.

Garbage: I want to initiate a litter-reduction campaign that is geared to a 365-day clean-up, rather than a one-day, 20-minute clean-up. This campaign would include educating newly arrived immigrants about recycling and littering. It would also entail placing garbage cans at regular intervals along roads such as Albion Road and at frequently used places such as bus stops and having them emptied as often as necessary. We must enforce laws against littering and having dumpsters on public property. The City has to set a good example when it comes to cleaning up.

Keeping People Involved: The Councillor's office must keep residents informed of all relevant matters before they come up for discussion at City Hall so that citizens have an opportunity to provide their feedback on where their tax dollars are being spent.

Electoral Reform: Councillors cost the taxpayer far too much money. For example, the city gives individuals a 60 percent to 75 percent rebate for councillors' campaign donations. We should make it cheaper to run for office. This would entail banning lawn signs, except in certain designated areas, where every candidate would be encouraged to put up a sign. Councillors should use the Internet to discuss achievements, instead of sending out a newsletter to every home in the ward. In addition, councillors should receive less money for office expenses, particularly in an election year, when there are no Council meetings in August, October and November.

Trees: We must protect our ravines from the Asian Long Horned Beetle by launching an immediate programme to introduce a greater diversity of trees, so that if one species is affected, there are plenty of non-affected species remaining. At present, our forests are too uniform for comfort.

Waste Disposal: Toronto is facing a garbage disposal crisis. Export of waste to Michigan is already being curtailed and will be eliminated by 2010. We must consider incineration of waste, based on the European model, which could also generate significant amounts of electricity to meet our energy needs.

Waste Reduction: We must focus on waste reduction, rather than simply considering disposal. The producers of waste, and in particular producers of packaging material, should pay for its disposal. The target should be based on a zero-waste philosophy. A good example are the Beer Stores, which have long built in the cost of re-using their product into their costs and have an almost 100% re-use rate.