Investing in Toronto's future

Gorick Ng.

Just under a month ago, I celebrated my eighteenth birthday. No, you won't be seeing me in bars anytime soon, but you may spot me at a polling station for the first time this October. For many young people in our city, the 2010 municipal election marks the first time their right to vote is realized. However, this doesn't necessarily tell us who they will vote for or even whether they will show up.

Prior to October, the only voting experience these teens will have had is for Student Council or Canadian Idol.

Although the mayoral race may have started out much like a student council election with Adam Giambrone's YouTube debut, it takes more than a little humour and a dab of youthfulness to win over young voters. If Toronto’s next mayor wants the support of the city’s young people, he or she will need to start listening to, and, more importantly, start acting on their concerns.

Amid TTC fare hikes, rising child poverty rates, gang violence, and a lack of employment opportunities for teens, simply focusing on youth issues could take up a candidate’s entire platform.

But as it stands, no candidate has taken a firm stance on supporting Toronto’s young people.

There have, however, been those like Giorgio Mammoliti who have already shut out teens by proposing a curfew. Rather than supporting more effective community programming, Mammoliti dismisses them for harsh measures that alienate rather than help.

Let’s engage today’s youth – not lock them up.

The problem stems not only from the candidates, but also from the organization of our government.

“The outcry always comes after the policies are implemented,” says Kamakshi Ganesan, a Grade 12 student who looks forward to voting for her first time. “Teens need to be the ones helping to draft policies. Otherwise, we’ll keep having governments that think they know what is best for us.”

With Giambrone out of the race, the average age of this year’s mayoral contenders is 49 – 31 years older than our city’s first-time voters. Although they may not be able to connect to current youth on a personal level, there is still room to include youth issues in the race.

But it’s not just about listening to youth, or using feel-good language like “consultation” or “representation.” It’s about legitimately ensuring that the needs of young people are heard and acted upon, during the campaign and especially in the next four years. Investing in youth today ensures a more prosperous city in the future. It also ensures a loyal body of voters in the next election – and the one after that.

Open your eyes, candidates: a new generation of voters is hungry for change.

About Gorick Ng

Comments

[mark.]

Coinciding post about youth involvement in their (schooling) neighbourhood:
http://spacing.ca/wire/2010/03/05/youth-and-the-spaces-around-schools/

[Michael P]

Dude. Your go get 'em attitude is commendable, but you are grossly mislead if you think that voting in a municipal election is going to affect one iota of change whatsoever.

[Orrett Morris]

After reading this article on youth and their contribution in politics, I think we are missing a key perspective. The perspective of the youth we condemn. Yes we do need to draft and form policies in government that have youth in mind, but we should be drafting and forming these policies with ALL people in mind. Government needs to be more public about its activities (this includes government organizations such as the police force). However, the reality is there are portions of our society (whole communities) that are simply ignored because they come from high risk areas. There are kids that spend hours alone, or without their families because their parents have to work extremely long hours to make ends meet. These are the realities of the areas politicians dub "high-risk". To curb violence in a city with a growing gang problem, we need to focus on our children and our young adults. We need to give them outlets that are not temporary, outlets that interest them while fortifying the lessons from their parents. We need to treat our citizens, no matter what financial bracket they fall into or region they live, like human beings! Only when we see each other with the same level of respect, and EMPATHY (not sympathy) will we actually be able to help build a unified and strong community.

[Tim Kennedy]

Any talk about a free or a prosperous society must include things that most want to ignore.

TTC fairs represent the inflation rate over a long period well A bag of chips does a better job however . When I was a child a bag of chips cost 25 cents it is now at 1 dollar . This represents a 400 % inflation rate over a 20 yrs period TTC fairs are in line with this staggering triple digit inflation of a plummeting dollar. Interest rates and the bank of Canada's loan of currency to our government at usury as William Lyon MacKenzie King pointed out removes all sovereignty from Parliament

Job agencies subvert the law by making a legal class system of non employees 33 % of the Province of Ontario now has no rights as spelled out in the meager bare bones Employment Standards Act. You can guarantee that most of those 33 % of right less workers are from Toronto are immigrants and women . The legal designation of a temporary employee is no more than the subversion of Provincal law

It charges corporations anywhere from 15 to 28 or more dollars per hour per person and pays out from 8 to 12 dollars per hour Corporations pay out insanely high prices to the middle man to establish and maintain long term 2nd class rightless persons with no right of appeal to the courts in cases of wrongful termination

If you want a prosperous society you must have a society of equals protected under the law We do not have such a society

If you want to live in a society that values it people you must have people who understand that our current monetary system and system of subversion of the laws of this Province only serve to empower and make wealthy a small group of persons who live very well off the poor

Take on the bank of Canada and demand that our money created by us be used at no interest by our government --- or end up in the same state as our American friends to the south are

End the job agencies economic exploitation and their ability to make toilet paper of Provincal laws or be prepared to live in a formalized class system that includes a sub class or workers

The choice is yours --- A rightles society of sub classes and a dollar with little purchasing power because you refused to rock the boat

Think before you choose because the wrong choice equals hundreds of years of more worse and bigger problems than we currently face

[Jim Tovey]

To Michael,
You are absolutely correct when you, as a young person say "you are grossly mislead if you think that voting in a municipal election is going to affect one iota of change whatsoever".
Simply by voting in a municipal election will not change a thing for youth, or anyone else. Becoming informed and knowledgeable on the issues, engaging your community, and voting for positive change, will make a difference.

[Sonny Yeung]

Dearest Gorick; the youngest mayoral candidate: Barton is 27 and the oldest is State, 67. YOU could join the race as the 18 year old youth!
Though the election date was moved from the second Monday in November; the 8th to the last Monday in October as the legislative work of the Liberals thus condensing the campaign period and denying those born Oct. 26 to Nov. 8 turning 18 their chance to vote...

I will be reaching out to generation X & Y.
SonnyYeung.com

[Howard Jerome Gomberg]

Hello, Gorick;

You're much better at 18 than I was. I have to correct my fellow candidate Sonny, though. I'm 71 and I'm running for mayor. And although I wish I were younger, taller, thinner, and possibly blacker, I have been yearing my whole life for dynamic and creative social change to come about.

I think there should be an alliance between those of us who have a lot of experience and a little less energy, and those who have less experience and more energy. I'd like to see youth councils, elder's councils, women's councils, to bring our collective wisdom together and harvest it for the common good.

I'd like to see a Toronto that we can be proud of, and shout our acccomplishments to the world.