More from Doug Ford

William Lyon Mackenzie was a rebel, a writer and publisher and Toronto’s first mayor.

As a “provincial” politician he was expelled from the legislature five times - not just for the day but for good - until the voters sent him back.

Mackenzie was a nasty man, at least when it came to calling political opponents names.

And yet it was Mackenzie's strong belief that information should be available to the people.  He put considerable effort into this by publishing written documents and transcripts of debates in the Colonial Advocate and at public gatherings so that people could discuss and form their own opinions on issues.

I wonder what he would have made of today’s eight second sound bites and twitter politics.

This thought ran through my head as I mused about the current provincial election in Ontario.  Like Mackenzie, Conservative Leader Doug Ford is railing against the elites although arguably not the same elites who Mackenzie attacked in 1837.  Perhaps if Mackenzie was still around he would adapt to the modern person’s idea of communicating by twitter.  We thought we would try out this idea by putting out Doug Ford’s ideas in limerick form so they could fit into tweets.

Here they are with sources and but a few words of introduction.

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Doug Ford’s favourite book is How to Win Friends and Influence People.

                                           Dale Carnegie

               Just read How to Win Friends and Influence People
               It is a book that has certainly no equal
               I’ve read it from back to front
               and folks just let me be blunt
              Genuine sincerity is the key to it all.

(Source John Filion -The Only Average Guy, p 33)

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Ford engaged in a public debate with famous author Margaret Atwood when, as a City of Toronto Councillor, he was pushing to close libraries.

         

                                Power Politics

              I wouldn’t have the slightest clue
              If she walked by me, would you?
              well good luck to @MargaretAtwood
              I don’t know her, think I should?
              I fight 4 the people, what’s she do?
           
(Source: John Filion -The Only Average Guy, p 177)

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Doug Ford talks about the political platform of Ford  Nation.


        Subways, Subways, Subways

Folks we just represent the people & that’s it
We’re as grassroots as they come & you’ll have 2 admit
#FordNation stands up 2 the political elite
Gives quality service, finds ways 2 unseat
Unreachable leaders & build underground transit.

(Source:  Ford Nation p 7, 271)

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Some have compared Ford  to American President Donald Trump.

                     We Were First

         Lots of signs and big rallies for our base
         Trump did it too but just in case
         You thought it was his idea
         Cause you read the lefty media
         We put that winning formula in place

(Source:  Doug Ford - Ford Nation: Two Brothers: One Vision p 110)

                                                       ----------
Like many populists Doug Ford differentiates himself from regular politicians.

                   The Average Politician

          He is blowing the smoke where the sun don’t shine
          The average politician does it all the time.
          In front of the people
          They are always agreeable
          People aren’t stupid they see this fake line.

        (Source:  City News October 13, 2016)

Doug Ford - In His Own Words (more or less)

I’m not sure if anyone has noted that the three so-called major party leaders in this June’s provincial election all got their start as elected officials at the local level.

Premier Kathleen Wynne served one term as a Toronto District school Board trustee in 2003.  She then won the provincial riding of Don Valley West in 2003, 2007 (defeating John Tory), 2011 and 2014.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath was in her third term as a Councillor in Hamilton when she won a by- election in the riding of Hamilton East in 2004.  She was subsequently re-elected in the riding of Hamilton Centre in 2007, 2011 and 2014.

Conservative leader Doug Ford served one- term as a City of Toronto Councillor (2010- 2014), ran for Mayor in 2014 and was about to run again when he somewhat suddenly became leader of his provincial party.

It is probably fair to say that province wide Ford is the least known of the three leaders. Two books shed light on Ford’s beliefs and background.

The first was John Filion’s excellent 2015 work The Only Average Guy, Inside the Uncommon World of Rob Ford.  More recently (2016) Doug Ford’s own book was released.  It is called Ford Nation: Two Brothers, One Vision.

I’ve used those sources and others to let you know a bit more about Doug Ford mostly using his words, limerick style.

Dale Carnegie was a big influence on Doug Ford, as he told John Filion.

                                                           

                                                                   Dale Carnegie

                                        Just read How to Win Friends and Influence People

                                        It is a book that has certainly no equal

                                        I’ve read it from back to front

                                        and folks just let me be blunt

                                       Genuine sincerity is the key to it all.

                            

                              (Source John Filion - The Only Average Guy, p 33)

Vote to End Poverty

This story originally appeared in North End Breezes http://www.northendbreezes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/October-2015-NEB-publisher-file-small-FINAL.pdf)


Last month community groups across Canada set out to make poverty an election issue in the October 19th federal election.


Their campaign aims to help Canadians better understand what poverty costs us.  It will encourage voters to ask local candidates and political parties about their plans to end poverty in Canada.


The Windsor-Essex local poverty reduction strategy developed the campaign concept.
Canada has been called to take immediate action to address poverty by the United Nations, the Canadian Senate, and Committees of the House of Commons. In spite of this, there is still no national plan to eradicate or reduce poverty.


“Over four and a half million Canadians have been left behind. National action to end poverty must be a priority for all political parties," says Tom Cooper, Director of the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction.


It is hard to believe that in a country as rich as Canada 4.8 million people are fighting to make ends meet.  That is one in seven of our citizens living in poverty.


Three Quick Facts about Poverty in Canada


1.  Poverty hurts our health care system.


It costs our health care system $7.6 billion a year to not address the symptoms of poverty.  That figure comes from a study done in 2008 by the Metcalf Foundation. More recently,  a University of Toronto study of more than 67,000 Ontario adults found that food insecure households spend 121% more in health care costs than other households.
We’re treating symptoms of an issue that we could address directly.


2.  Poverty is bad for the economy.


Jobs that are part-time, precarious or low-paying are increasing. In July, for example, Statistics Canada reported that our economy lost 17,300 full-time jobs.  More part time ones were added (23,900). However, with decreasing earnings from employment, how can people put money back into the economy?  Many barely have enough to pay for rent, childcare or food.


3.  Child Poverty Rates in Canada are shameful.


Over 1.3 million children live in poverty in Canada. That's 1 in 5 children who don't get a fair start. Moreover, new research by American neuroscientists published in Nature Magazine showed that the stress of poverty can have significant effects on a child's brain development.
What You can Do?


• Learn more about the campaign by visiting VotetoEndPoverty.ca


• Put a Will Vote to End Poverty sign on your lawn or in your window.  See http://hamiltonpoverty.ca/vote-to-end-poverty-lawn-signs-now-available/ to get one.