Let the Games Begin

The campaign's been running all summer, and yesterday it finally officially kicked off.  Who will win? How will they tackle the key issues? Both questions will be answered over the next month.

Right now I'm predicting a minority government.The Liberals on the surface are running a surprisingly strong campaign.  Scratch below the surface though, and I find myself following the money; how are they going to afford it all?  They're promising tuition credits for students in middle-class families, tax credits for companies hiring foreign workers, and to build or expand new hospitals as well as building 3 new campuses in the G.T.A. alone.  All with a deficit sitting somewhere in the $15-20 billion range.  Their positive is McGuinty himself.  By mocking himself as one of the most unpopular people in the country, he's taking the sting out of it.  He's coming across as natural in some of their commercials; gone is the almost wooden behavior he displays in the media.

While the Liberals are running a strong campaign, the P.C.'s are running a weaker one.  That kind of surprises me because their platform does have substance, and the McGuinty government doesn't have the best record to run on.  The P.C.'s message is too negative now- all summer I've been hearing about McGuinty the taxman. We all know that; we've lived through it, and still paying for it  Now tell us how you plan to reverse that; a cut to the H.S.T. across the board would probably do more good for more people than the targeted elimination on some products and services.  Hudak wants to eliminate the Local Health Integrated networks (L.H.I.N.), and invest the money saved form it into front-line health care.  How much would that save exactly? Where specifically would invest it- would it be in building more, and expanding hospitals?  Hudak has been labelled "Mike Harris Light" by the Liberals and has done nothing to get out in front,and neutralize it.

The N.D.P. is a wild card.  Andrea Horwath is a clear communicator; she made no bones about wanting the job.  It's quite likely she may be a king-maker in the case of a minority.  She's clear about the party's beliefs, and where they stand on the issues.  Such clarity could see her come up the middle between Hudak and McGuinty; while they're sniping each and either win the election or become leader of the opposition.  I believe people are still looking for a change and so far she seems to capture it.

It's early in the campaign, and I don't think the latest poll showing McGuinty in the lead nearing majority territory doesn't matter much.  There's a lot of a campaign to be run- mistakes to be made, and points to be won. Let the games begin.


   
 

Ready for A Change

I've struggled for the last week trying to think of some lasting way to remember Jack Layton, and one word keeps popping into my head: Change.  Change the way you behave; change the way you think about things; change your attitudes- all of it for the better. And that's what I take away from Layton's death, and his final message to Canadians.

I've been writing a couple of pieces on the provincial election and I've come to the realization that I'm ready for change; probably not in my voting preferences- but in the way this election is conducted.  I'm ready for a change to a civil election campaign based on ideas.  I'm ready for the P.C.'s to drop that "Taxman" Label for McGuinty, and I'm ready for the Liberals to drop the "Mike Harris" label for Tim Hudak.  I'm ready for McGuinty to stand on his record, admit that yes he's messed up, but he intends to improve.   And I'm ready for Mr. Hudak, and Ms. Horwath, and Mr. Schreiner, to present well-thought out alternatives to Mr. McGuinty's ideas.

I'm ready  for the party leaders to knock my socks off with their visions for Ontario.  The province is facing some serious challenges over the next few years; it's up to you to apply creativity to them.  It's up to you to come up with new ideas.  I'm ready for a government that realizes the right thing, isn't necessarily the popular thing but does it anyway.  I'm ready for a government that realizes it might not have all the answers; one that works with its opposition sometimes in the name of a better Ontario.

The sad thing is I know I'm likely dreaming about all this.  It's the easy way out to label someone a promise-breaker; to sling mud, and cast someone in his disliked predecessor's image.  But I am hopeful, that it can change.  I'm optimistic that if I write these thoughts down; other people who perhaps agree with me will read them, and maybe just maybe we can make change.  Because I don't know about you, but I'm ready for it.

Milton gets a Hospital Expansion, or Will it?

So we've got our badly needed expansion.  I know, I should be jumping for joy- so happy I should be bursting.    But I'm not; instead I'm in the cynical camp on this one.  I've often used the saying: Be ware of politicians making promises for it is election time. Promises are  meant to be broken.

I know I'm being such a Debbie Downer.  I know I'm bursting the balloons of many friends on Council, and involved with the Friends of Milton Hospital.  But all I can see here are political ramifications that beg the question: Will we really get the hospital expansion?

A couple of months ago I would've predicted Ted Chudleigh had this one in the bag.  On name recognition alone he'd win.  Couple that with the fact he was positioning himself as a man of action on the Hospital- probably the #1 campaign issue, and I would say victory was a sure thing.  Thursday's funding announcement made it an even race.   Now Chudleigh gets to take partial credit and say he, along with numerous councilors, and the Friends of Milton Hospital fought hard for it, and got it done. Flip it over, Liberal candidate Indira Naidoo-Harris gets to go out and take credit saying it was a Liberal government who gave permission for it, and a Liberal government who will help fund it if re-elected.  It can be viewed as vote-buying.
And I don't trust it. I think all these promises of hospital expansions are linked to polling numbers.  Do a poll in any of the ridings, and I bet you'll find the Liberals running second or lower to one of the other parties prior to the announcement. Do one afterwards and you'd see a surge of support.

Right now it's great- we've got exactly what we wanted- what we've been fighting for for years.  But what happens if the Liberals are re-elected and Milton gets lost in the shuffle of all the other expansions/new facilities/ and new funding? What happens if Hudak is elected and finds there's little left in the cupboards for hospitals? Will we really see an expansion at Milton Hospital?

I hope so.  I don't know if there's another community more deserving- I don't know if there's another community where it's more justified.  But I have to wonder if the funding announcement on Thursday was a little more opportunistic than good policy; that maybe this was more about getting elected than giving a badly-needed expansion to a community. 

Rest In Peace Jack Layton

I've been applying for jobs with various media outlets in Ottawa.  In July, when Jack Layton announced he would return in September after fighting his battle with cancer I allowed myself to imagine meeting him.  I usually disagree with the N.D.P. so we would probably argue, maybe get into a heated debate.  At some point he'd say something that would make me look at the world a little bit differently- maybe make me smile.  And we'd part, prepared to do a similar battle all over again some other time.

Now my imagined meeting with him won't happen.  Jack Layton died today at 4:45 am, and Canada at least is  poorer for it.  All I know of Jack I've seen or heard on television, or read in newspapers and online.  I never met him, but he had a sincerity, and a strength of his convictions that transcends all media.  It showed most recently in the election campaign.  While Ignatieff, and Harper were busy going after each other with faked anger over a coalition, or the G.S.T., or the purchase of military jets- there was Jack Layton and the N.D.P running their election-  their pace slow, and steady promoting their platform, spreading their message of change, and meeting Canadians across the country.  The little party that could; the little party that did.

And their message resonated loudly with all Canadians.  When Layton talked of a better Canada, and of bringing civility to Ottawa I believed him. I wanted the status quo to change- the two front runners Iggy and Harper just weren't doing it for me anymore.    When election day ended the little party that could with its tireless leader became Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition- a position made more vital by having to check a Harper-led majority government.

It's one of life's tragic ironies that Mr. Layton isn't able to enjoy that massive success- that he barely tasted it before having it torn away by fate.  Like everyone else I was heartbroken when I watched the press conference.  The energetic man seen raising his cane in celebration was now skinny with a sallow complexion, and a voice that sounded like it belonged to a man decades older. I highly doubted then he would make his goal to return to Parliament, and yet I was rooting for him thinking Cancer had found itself a worthy adversary that would end up kicking its butt.  I was sadly wrong about that. 

Canada doesn't just mourn a political leader today.  We mourn a good man, whose belief in himself, and passion for his country stretched beyond all boundaries.  We mourn a man whose optimistic spirit, and positive message makes us believe we can build a better country and a better world.  He believed Canadians could change the world, and said so in a final statement that ends with these words:  My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world.    Now it's up to us to justify his belief.

Rest in Peace Jack... I hope we'll meet someday.

While Washington fiddles, the American Economy burns

In 1997 Canada was downgraded to an AA+ rating just as the United States is right now.  It took us 9 years, and our government had to make some tough decisions in order to regain the triple A status. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney introduced the much maligned Goods and Services Tax (G.S.T.), and it cost him his job in 1993.  Then Liberal Finance minister Paul Martin cut transfer payments to provinces that impacted health care, and made such cuts to our military spending, and introduced tax reforms  They were lean times for a while, but it had to happen.  The G.S.T. is still hated now, but in hindsight it has probably has helped a lot more than it's hurt.  It's  created a constant stream of revenue- whether you have a job or not, you have to buy things- so you'll have to pay it.

The United States has a problem; it's not as bad as the markets would have us believe, but it is a problem.  And it seems nobody is getting the message.  It can't be blamed on Barack Obama- he's just the guy who happens to be in charge when it call came tumbling down.  This whole mess has been decades in the making, and he shouldn't be blamed for it.  Both Republican and Democratic Presidents have pushed the limit  without a thought of how to pay it off; now the country is over $1 trillion in debt, with huge unemployment numbers, trying to rebound from a sub-prime mortgage crisis, and avoid yet another recession.

Obama needs to acknowledge the problem; and he has.  However, he doesn't have some kind of solution (anything really).  He could toughen up, and promise cuts in government spending- wage freezes for public servants- maybe tell the Army they're going to have to go without new equipment for a year.  He could've told us he was going to lock his Republican counterparts and himself in a room- and they  won't come out until they reach a deal.  Or even, be the President who would dare to talk about tax reform, or adding some kind of consumption tax.  But he didn't; and that begs the question: does he really get it how serious a problem this could be?

But he won't do any of it because the Obama Administration, is going to an election year and they have to play it safe.    Just like the Republicans feel the need to attack them over everything while trying to make themselves look good.   While playing politics,  both parties lost touch with reality and forgot about the American people they represent.  They forgot it "is" about the economy stupid.  Not just the American economy, but the world economy too.   The American economy is slowly burning- and the politicians are doing nothing right now to put out the flames.

More Shameless self promotion

Another post full of totally shameless self promotion- a link to my work with the Halton Compass, and Milton Today. 

Milton's Issues this Provincial Election

It's summer- the days are lazy, filled with heat, sunshine, pools and patios.  Nobody wants to think about politics, but here we are two months out from another election and it may be time to start thinking about who to vote for.  Inspired by a thread on the Hawthorne Villager, Here are What I believe to be Milton's issues?

1. Hospital Expansion: Ironically it's also the one issue the Town has little control over.  As spelled out in the constitution, the Province are the ones with the power to decide how to allocate resources- including hospitals.  Without a provincial government's permission the shovels won't go into the ground.  The Progressive Conservative (P.C.'s) M.P.P. Ted Chudleigh has fought hard for the hospital, and will continue to do so; and his leader Tim Hudak has promised to get rid of the controversial LHINS (Local Health Integrated Networks), and use the money for front line health care

The Liberals have made hospital expansion a part of their platform, but in a vague way- and with the phrase "should fiscal capacity allow, (if they have the money)."  Council continues making a convincing case based on growth any chance they get; sending copies of approvals for new subdivisions straight to the offices of Cabinet Ministers.

2. Infrastructure: There has been much talk lately of the Greater Toronto Area (G.T.A.) west corridor.  This would include widening the 401 to 8-12 lanes through Milton, and adding the interchange at Tremaine Road. I'd like to see them move ahead with this project.   While we're at it, how about transit? I'd love to see GO finally add full-day train service to the Milton Line.  When I last asked about it, someone told me they'd put the study on it on hold, to do environmental assessment on electrifying the whole system.

3. Trust/ Accountability: Should probably have a higher ranking than third.  But it is an issue.  Can we trust these characters who are applying for the job of Premier? For his part McGuinty's record is rife with broken promises, and scandals: the $1 billion eHealth scandal, the O.L.G.C. scandals, the Green Energy deals, the health tax, the HST.  He has admitted even if he wins, he may not hang around for another full term, and that just gives his whole campaign a completely defeatist attitude.  Long-time Liberals are deserting the party among those David Caplan, and Greg Sobara are among the names not running.

Even though, I identify with the most with the P.C.'s policies,  I find myself surprisingly underwhelmed by Tim Hudak.  He has allowed the Liberals to define him negatively, and hasn't really done too much to stop it.   I have to wonder if he'll connect well enough with voters- I've met him a few times through work, and didn't have a very flattering first impression- he looked down a lot, and seemed to make little eye contact.  It's gotten better each meeting.   Andrea Horwath is an unknown quantity; she comes across well, and has strong qualifications.  

4. Education: Specifically the Milton Education Village  (M.E.V.) Universities and colleges are expected to overflow in this part of the province.  The Liberals have said they want the final decision on where satellite campuses are located.  The P.C.'s want to add 6,000 new spots in post-secondary education and want the institutions to compete with each other for them.  All-day kindergarten will be fully enacted in 2014-2015; something that's impossible to stop even if a possible future Premier wanted to.

These are just four of the issues I feel are facing Milton.  I'm sure there are more- if you can think of any more simply leave a comment.