Columnists
Spring (into elections) time
On a scale of one to ten, I’d give the Provincial Conservatives a two for the circus that unfolded in Markham on the weekend. Seriously? Has the entire world gone mad? The Provincial Conservatives have chosen a bully, who just happens to have a history of drug dealing and violence, to lead their party into an election. Oh my goodness. And “bully” is probably the nicest thing I have to say about Doug Ford. “Two out of ten?” you ask. Well, I’d bestow one point for the complete mess of their balloting system. And I give one point for the notion a bunch of incompetents, who can’t run a leadership vote, could run a province. But what do I know. Hallelujah, pass the Tylenol. It’s like my old school friend Bill said, “It’ll be hard to pick the lesser of two evils in the June election.” Indeed, it will be.
But, hey, it’s 7:26 on a Sunday evening and the sky is still light. While the temperatures are still below average for this time of year, they are slowly climbing into the warm pluses we all look forward to feeling in the spring. Personally, I don’t dream of a provincial election, but do while away time planning outof- door projects around “this old house”. I can’t wait to sit on a patio and sip a glass of County wine while I enjoy the peace and quiet before the chaos that usually ensues during the summer months. This year, for sure, LOML and I have big plans to spending quality time on the bicycles, here and there. We’ve mostly put cycling on the back burner for two years due to injuries and being too busy to put a ride on the calendar. I’m sure we’ll pay the piper the first time we hit the Millennium Trail. “Hit” might be the operative word. And, camping! We’re going to dust off the tent and the 49- year-old Coleman stove and go camping again. It’s been three years since we Kumbya’d in the wilds of a Provincial Park. Yeah, yeah, I suppose we’ve got to think about voting in the Provincial election.
Ah, spring! In spite of all the lovely things it brings, I can’t help but be concerned the voters of Ontario will be sold a load of crap and be lured into a rabbit warren of deceit when it comes to how this province will be run by either of the two front-running parties. And face it, it will be either a Conservative or Liberal government on the eighth of June. Sure, we’ve got a lower rate of unemployment, but how is the rate calculated? Politicians love to toss the employment rate into the ring, and a lot of voters think it means a huge number of employable people are working in full-time jobs. Maybe some of us know better, but a lot of us just see the number and make the assumption. And many of Ontario’s workers were happy for an increase in the minimum wage. However, many were faced with fewer hours simply because small businesses can’t bear the burden. Let’s face it, much of Ontario’s work force is made up of people working in part-time jobs that pay the minimum wage. That’s minimum wage without benefits. Many of those employees can barely afford to pay for suitable accommodations, let alone deal with obscene utilities bills. Who among us hasn’t been more afraid of opening their hydro bill than they are of a natural disaster? It’s bad enough people living close to the line now find themselves living in the dark and cold without enough money to put food on the table.
In June we’ll be asked to make a choice. Make sure you’re on the voters’ list. Pay attention to all of the parties in the game, not just the party your dear old Dad supported. Send a clear message to your local MPP about the things that concern you. Find a party that’s listening and not patronizing. Urge your young family members to make themselves heard. When all is said and done, enjoy what’s left of spring.
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