On The Next Mayor

Robert Ford got elected mayor on Monday, in retrospect I have to admit, much as I find the man detestable I can see why so many people voted for him. I wrote the following in a comment in the Globe and Mail web site, I think it sums things up nicely.

I live in Toronto, but would never vote for Ford, as an avid cyclist and firm believer in the importance of immigration into the city I would never want a man like that running things. But I suspect the reason a lot of people did vote for Ford was frustration, salaries are stagnant, debts are increasing, the cost of living is only going up, the value of homes is expected to go down.

In this personal financial disaster, garbage men go on strike so that they can keep bankable sick days [In 2009 city workers all went on strike for about a month], city councillors (mine, although I didn't live in the beach when she got elected) are using my property taxes to sue people, and general waste on the part of council (who voted themselves a raise during a recession and major strike). Well anyone who wasn't promising to hurt those who would go on strike, or even better those who voted for a raise whilst the rest of us were hurting, couldn't possibly expect to do well.

I have to admit, I am not keen on my choice of language, "anyone who wasn't promising to hurt those" is quite a bit more violent than I like, but on the other hand that does seem to embody the spirit of the Rob Ford revolt. Still I have to wonder, all of this talk, reducing taxes, cutting waste, finding new efficiencies. What will Ford do when he realises that he cannot possibly save more than a percent or two from the city budget without really making those less fortunate among us, those who need city services like public transit, really start to suffer? Somehow I suspect the Ford years are going to be marked by a new level of stratification.

I hope I am wrong.