I’ve asked my friends on FB why they’re voting for the PCs under Ford. A couple were amazing enough to answer but I still can’t seem to shake my intense “flight” response.
I don’t always read NOW Magazine but I stumbled across this article.
There’s so much I want to say but don’t really know how. I’ve crossed paths with Doug (and I mean literally, I was going in one direction, him another, across NPS plus other general public in-the-same-place-at-the-same-time kind of thing that happens in a major city) and even just crossing paths in downtown Toronto was one of the very few times in my life that I felt physically unsafe. And the interaction, if you can even call it that, was fleeting.
Toby was saying that maybe I should try and put myself in someone else’s shoes and see that they remembered how the last NDP government was SO VERY BAD for the economy and Horwath is not personable. And basically that Horwath and Doug are both incompetent.
Okay, first, the NDP was in power in 1990 to 1995. 23 years ago. That is almost exactly half my lifetime ago. WTF?!? Harris was in power from 1999-2002 and I’m bitched at for going that far back to complain about off loading of public transit and public housing to the city? The economic problems of the 1990s started long before Rae took power, he was just the effing premier who got the shaft for them.
Second, assume A and B are both equally incompetent AND everything else is exactly the same. And now assume A is racist. And homophobic. And almost never showed up for work. Which would you pick? B right?
But now you’re told everything is the same as above BUT A is male and B is female. Hmmm. Did you change your answer? Well, there’s a whole other issue to work on then.
And others are saying the NDPs will run too many deficits! But all of the media – including the right wing Toronto SUN! – say the PCs platform, such as it is without details or costing etc, will actually cost the most and run the highest deficits. $1 beer sure sounds good until it’s balanced across from closing hospitals and libraries, homes for people with autism, and increasing racist and homophobic police practises.
What’s the last thing you remember about the Fords that came out in the press/media and was later found to be false? I’ll wait. Seriously. Let me know okay?
Before the Ontario PCs even take power we have:
- a lawsuit from his sister-in-law calling into question his business dealings (and acumen)
- a data theft investigation regarding the 407
- a candidate under investigation for immigration fraud (misleading new immigrants)
- at least one candidate under investigation for professional misconduct by his professional body (and he’s a freaking police officer! who allegedly threatened a constituent)
And then we have reports of PC signs being put on lawns without permission; a PC platform without any costing information at all. A man who, as a city counsellor, referred to female journalists as “little bitches,” and responded to going against two women opponents for the PC leadership with “I live with five women at home.” Think about that. How is that any different than “what?! I have a gay friend?” “I’m not racist, I work with a black guy.” I can “handle” them. Oh and that woman with two masters degrees? “nice smile.” FFS! Oh and he’ll get back to us on whether he’ll attend Pride.
Everyone has examples it seems of candidates they’ve never met or seen. “The NDP candidate is a no show in my riding” “I don’t even know who it is?” Maybe they missed them? My door has only been knocked on once. At 2:30 on a day I happened to be working from home. No flyers or calls or anything from anyone else at all. BUT I called the others to ask about their platforms, what they stood for. The PCs never called back. The Libs answered when I called and we had a nice chat. The NDP? They were the ones who came to my door. Otherwise for formal debates over 20 PC candidates didn’t bother. Including many Ford didn’t attend.
We’ve lost manufacturing jobs – but don’t lie (as Trump has done) and say “we’re going to get them back.” Bring in something better. Some manufacturing is never gonna come back.
How are taxes going to fall by 20% and yet services NOT get cut? Maybe he’ll just print it up? at his barely functioning company? Instead, what I fear, is that public services – from help for the elderly, disability support, child care – will all be hollowed out. Carding will come back, anti-immigrant sentiment will rise, “fear of the other” will lead to greater and greater insulation.
Someone told me this is all just “fear mongering.”
I said no, it was just fear.