Hello and welcome to my Ward 4 election website.
I am Michael Madej, a first generation Canadian...the son of a post-war union of a Polish submariner father and a British schoolteacher mother.
I spent the first 30 years of my life in Toronto (Etobicoke) where I attended York University and the University of Toronto completeting a degree in Political Science, followed by a career in the financial industry. Since 1995 I have been a resident of Mississauga in Ward 4 on Mississauga Valley Blvd. In 2005-2006, I attended Lakehead University where I earned my teaching degree In 2007, I became an educator in Peel, working in K-12 schools throughout Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon.
Peel welcomes over 34,000 new residents every year and our human services infrastructure is not keeping pace. This infrastructure is as essential to neighborhoods and quality of life as our homes themselves. However, our residents face long wait lists for services like affordable housing, child care, youth programs, senior support services, and mental health / addictions counselling as well as support for victims of domestic violence. Unfortunately, funding for human services from the Ontario government runs 50 - 75% lower than the provincial average. Our population growth is the highest in the province and our tax base has increased greatly since the inception of Mississauga, but our benefits have not. For example, Peel Children’s Aid Society (CAS) responds to more than 11,500 calls each year about children’s safety, yet they receive only one third of the per capita provincial average in funding. One in 7 people in Peel lives in poverty, one in 5 in Mssissauga Cooksville -- almost double the Ontario and Canadian percentages. We need to get our fair share of Provincial and Federal funding to remedy this.
The traffic gridlock that affects Toronto also spills over to Mississauga and the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, and the solution is most definitely LRT -- essentialy above-ground subways at a third of the cost, and just as efficient and quick when properly planned and executed. The Wynne Liberals have committed $29 billion to Ontario transportation, $15 billion to the GTHA. We need to see that Mississauga is not seen as a mere satellite of the other two cities but as an equal partner with equally unique needs of our own. The next Federal government must be brought on our side, too.
The days of abundant revenue of the McCallion years are over and we must find new sources other than municipal taxes and development fees. We must plan and invest in our infrastructure wisely so that it is more self-sustaining. We need to be more critical of city expenditures and cut the waste. We need to improve services for children, youth, families and seniors. The challenges of Ward 4 are numerous and complicated. To address these challenges, a Councillor must be willing to listen to all constituents, give and receive counsel, ask tough questions and follow up with strong decisions. As your Ward 4 Councillor, I will do that.
My campaign is based upon
* Economic opportunity with tax responsibility,
* Solarization of city buildings, community centres and schools to offset city operation costs.
* Light Rail Transit NOW to link to GO and make Mississauga less car dependent,lest congested but safer and swifter.
* Fair Share of Provincial and Federal funds for social services and infrastructure.
* Protection of green space and recreational facilities in Ward 4's increasing residential density in City Centre and Valleys.
* Improved public services for families, children, and seniors.
*Invite more Fortune 500 companies to Mississauga centre to stimulate employment.
* Expansion of theatre, music, arts, art gallery, and sports to world class standards.
* Listen and meet with all residents regularly, gather consensus and mediate on their behalf.
On April 13, 18, 19 and 27, vote Michael Madej for Ward 4 Councillor, Mississauga Byelection 2015.