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请不要把多伦多中产房产主当成摇钱树(观点,中英对照)

Opinion (Chinese-English) Toronto’s Middle-Class Homeowners Deserve Support, Not Exploitation
来源: 大中网/096.ca 南茜(Nancy Jin)

邹智慧就任多伦多市长以来第二次提高房产税,该决定引发广泛争议。根据2024年市政预算,9.5%的税收增幅中部分资金将用于为22万名学生提供学校膳食,而2025年预算则计划再增6.9%,以将膳食计划扩展至额外的8,000名学生。尽管该计划看似善意,却引发了其公平性的质疑,尤其是对本已面临房价下跌、生活成本上升和按揭利率上涨压力的中产阶级房主而言。

Olivia Chow’s second property tax hike since taking office has sparked debate. The 2024 budget allocates part of the 9.5% increase to fund school meals for 220,000 students, while the 2025 budget proposes a 6.9% hike to expand the program to 8,000 more. Though well-intentioned, the plan raises concerns about its fairness to overburdened middle-class homeowners already facing declining home values, rising living costs, and higher mortgage rates.

提高房产税的决定对房主来说实在太不合时宜了。自2022年以来,多伦多房地产市场持续下滑,导致许多房主的房产价值缩水。同时,生活成本因通货膨胀和按揭利率上升而大幅攀升。对于许多家庭而言,这意味着他们的家庭财政已捉襟见肘,面临着前所未有的经济压力。更为雪上加霜的是,特朗普政府实施的关税政策将进一步推高美国进口商品的成本,加重本已不堪重负的中产阶级家庭的经济负担。更有甚者,安省省长福特警告说川普关税将导致安省50万人失业。

The timing of this decision could not be worse for homeowners. Since 2022, Toronto’s real estate market has experienced a decline, leaving many homeowners with reduced property values. Meanwhile, the cost of living has skyrocketed, driven by inflation and higher mortgage rates. For many families, this means that their financial cushion has worn thin, and they are now facing unprecedented economic pressures. Furthermore, tariffs imposed by Donald Trump’s administration have increased costs for imported goods from the US, adding financial pressure to already strained middle-class households. Ontario Premier Doug Ford warns Trump's tariff could cost Ontario 500,000 jobs.

与其为这些在经济困境中苦苦挣扎的中产家庭提供缓解,市政府却要从他们身上榨出更多油,置房主在缓解多伦多人口泛滥危机中所发挥的重要作用而不顾。这些房产主中很多人在为新移民提供住房,让那些无家可归的难民居有定所。没有这些向新移民敞开大门的房产主,市政府该如何解决多伦多因住房危机导致的收容所和公共服务实施的巨大困境,多伦多又如何能应对汹涌而来的移民潮?

Rather than providing relief to these struggling families, the city has opted to squeeze them further. This approach fails to recognize the vital role these homeowners play in supporting Toronto’s broader community. Many of them are housing newcomers, including refugees who would otherwise face homelessness. Toronto’s housing crisis has already placed enormous pressure on shelters and public services. Without the generosity and resilience of middle-class homeowners, the city would be ill-equipped to handle the influx of newcomers seeking a safe and stable place to live.

与其增加房产主的额外负担,市政府应寻求其他方案来资助学校膳食计划,例如重新考虑资源分配或与私人捐助者及社区组织的合作等。同时更值得质疑的是,邹智慧所提议的为学生提供食品补助计划是否能真正解决学生吃不起饭的问题?那些"子女吃不起饭"的家庭,能不能学一点财务管理技巧,精打细算,勤俭持家的本领?上世纪80年代末,我先生作为新移民来到加拿大,当时生活拮据,他每月仅花80元吃饭,却依然保证营养充足。一顿简单的早餐,包括鸡蛋、稀饭和黄瓜,就能提供必要的营养,且成本极低。即便在今天食品价格上涨的情况下,通过精打细算依然可吃的均衡且营养,根本无需依赖他人提供的大量的资金援助。

Instead of imposing additional burdens, the city should seek alternative ways to fund school meal programs, such as reallocating existing resources or exploring partnerships with private donors and community organizations. At the same time, it’s worth questioning whether the proposed school meal programs truly address the root causes of food insecurity. Many families struggling to afford meals might benefit more from promoting prudent family budgeting. In the late 1980s, when my husband arrived in Canada as a newcomer, he lived frugally, spending only $80 a month on food while still eating well. A simple breakfast of eggs, rice porridge, and cucumbers provided essential nutrients at minimal cost. Even with today’s higher grocery prices, careful budgeting can still ensure balanced, nutritious meals without the need for large-scale new funding programs.

请不要将多伦多的中产阶级房主视为取之不尽的摇钱树,对他们的贡献置若罔闻。他们是这座城市的中流砥柱,为包括最脆弱群体在内的多伦多人提供稳定的住房,奠定了城市发展的基础。目前,多伦多要做的不是进一步加重中产阶级经济负担的政策,而是支持和帮助他们的举措,例如维持或降低房产税,或为收留难民的房主提供有针对性的补贴等。在日益严峻的经济环境下,目前正是为他们提供支持、而非对他们进一步盘剥的时刻。

Toronto’s middle-class homeowners deserve recognition for their contributions, not policies that treat them as an endless source of revenue. They are the backbone of our city, helping to provide stability and opportunity for everyone, including the most vulnerable. What Toronto needs now is not policies that exacerbate the financial strain on the middle class but initiatives that support and empower them. This could involve freezing or reducing property taxes and providing targeted subsidies for those who house refugees. Now is the time to support them, not exploit them, as they navigate an increasingly challenging economic landscape.

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