This is a pretty bad election for Toronto. We’re faced with three name candidates. A city councillor from Etobicoke who has been making Council a living hell for those who try to make legislation; the former Deputy Premier of Ontario, who as Minister of Health fucked up beyond belief; and the Deputy Mayor.
During this campaign, all three candidates are looking backwards, rather than forwards. Not a single one of them is providing a vision for Toronto, their campaigns are focused on Mayor David Miller, not Toronto.
While Ford and Smitherman’s campaigns are about how Miller did everything wrong, Pantalone’s campaign has been to say that David Miller did no wrong, and we must blindly carry on his legacy. Unfortunately, none of these reflect reality.
So we can evaluate Ford’s campaign, and we see grand gestures criticizing Miller, and using “facts” which can’t stand up to criticism. His plan is to dismantle any good work done by Miller, such as Transit City, and has ideas which will turn Toronto’s horrible gridlock to a nightmare. He plans to cut a few million here and there, while cutting taxes that bring in much larger sums, while claiming to not cut services.
Then we have Smitherman, who’s track record in running large organizations leaves something to be desired. He has a lot of political clout, which he can wave, to help gain support in council. He’s also pandering to the right, to win the support that Ford has won effortlessly.
I can’t vote for either of these candidates. They’re proposing to dismantle this city, and ruin what an incredible city this has become. It will help continue the urban sprawl that has been going on for decades, and now sees people commuting into Toronto from Barrie, or worse.
Pantalone is the only other option. While he’s not campaigning on any grand ideas, and he just seems to want to continue Miller’s work, I feel he’s the closest option to a sane and working government.
Sigh.