The left has done enough for Toronto

I’ve read with interest the last two articles from Tonika Morgan and Marit Stiles, and while I enjoy and highly respect their opinions, they highlight part of the problem with this city. 

Apparently “progressives” don’t speak up enough. I must not have noticed the 30 or so, left-of-centre councillors that sit in City Hall and run the city, some of the major mayoral candidates, countless people representing left-of-centre organizations that appear on TV nightly, this newspaper at times and countless other ones across the city. These voices are speaking loudly.

If anything, this opinion is never silent and is not progressive at all. 

The cynic in me thinks this attitude in the city needs to change. I’ve always been fascinated by how a lot of people I’ve come across who are willing to label themselves as progressive are so one-sided and narrow in their thinking they will not consider or entertain a differing opinion. 

They are also quick to criticize and use old and worn-out labels like “redneck” and “hidden agenda” to denounce and condemn anything remotely to the right.

As far as I am concerned, these same people that have been labelled as “silent” have done enough for the City of Toronto and it’s time someone else with a different opinion takes over the reins at City Hall. For once it would be nice to hear and see how the “unprogressive” side would run the city. 

A city like Toronto says it welcomes all people from all backgrounds, orientations and experiences, and for the most part this is true, but if say you are conservative it’s like you have the plague and you need to be shunned. My opinion matters just as much as anyone on the left.

People will bring up the same old cliches when talking about those who have damaged Toronto: Mel Lastman, Mike Harris and Stephen Harper. 

People are quick to forget that there have been progressive right-of-centre candidates who have done, or could have done, some good - John Tory, Torontonians almost made him Mayor and Premier; Bill Davis who made transit a priority and killed highway projects in Toronto; the much hated Brian Mulroney won seats in Toronto and was once picked as Canada’s “greenest” Prime Minister.

Now, to be fair, some people on the right need to be more flexible on issues. The federal and provincial Tories would probably make greater headway in the city in their next elections if they came up with a detailed and comprehensible transit plan and restored funding to Transit City and then stopped playing this foolish political game of playing off rural and urban voters.

But people, and candidates, on the left need to realize that there are some issues the city could benefit from if implemented. 

Having a balanced budget would be a good start, we all benefit from that. Spend our tax money like it’s yours. Cutting back on services the city really shouldn’t be providing but feels it must. Building a subway on important streets like Eglinton instead of a light-rail line. Building a smart and useful bike network instead of putting one in for the sake of putting one in because everyone else in Europe is doing it. Europe is a great place with wonderful ideas and people but sometimes we need made-in-Toronto ideas to fix made-in-Toronto problems. 

These tendencies do go through cycles. Right now the city is firmly entrenched in the left-of-centre camp. That’s fine, but I detest the insistence that the left-of-centre folks in this city are being ignored.

And if the two respected bloggers feel the left is being shut out that’s actually quite unfortunate. There are many examples, some I highlighted already, that show this clearly is not the case. 

If anything, the right has a very valid case to make for feeling left out of helping build a stronger city. These are the ones who have truly been silenced by the city, most of its politicians, and some residents. 

Regardless of your opinion and political beliefs, this city would work better if people dropped silly labels like “progressive” and focused on what is best for the City of Toronto and the GTA as a whole. Toronto works better when everyone feels included and welcomed to discuss issues.

Both sides have good ideas that can be helpful in tackling the important issues in Toronto. To dismiss one outright is not constructive and only deepens the animosity between people on both sides of the political spectrum.

About Robert Kirsic

Comments

[Sonny Yeung]

The City collects a mere $3.6 billion in property taxes and has a balanced budget.
The Federal Conservatives ran a $54 billion deficit that will not beoome a surplus until 2015.
The Provincial Liberals ran a $21.3 billion deficit that will not beoome a surplus until 2017.

[Cleopatra]

The previous comment is bang on. In addition, the last line of this piece reads, "To dismiss one [side] outright is not constructive and only deepens the animosity between people on both sides of the political spectrum." And that's why Robert Pirsic entitled his column, "The left has done enough for Toronto." Oops.

[Sonny Yeung]

Letter to Cleo; the highly educated people of Toronto may have voted for Mulroney but has not elected a Conservative since 1988. They may have voted for Harris but has not since 1999. The last conservative Mayor was Lastman in 2000 and I believe he is selling furniture...
Harper should have the G8/G20 IN one place not two. Given most of the decisions have been made is a high priced photo op...

[greg]

It is true, the idea that the left is being shut out in Toronto of all places is a far stretch. Toronto is Liberal (not the party) , as liberal as it gets and can only be to the right of Montreal. The majority of councillors in city hall and MPPs who represent Toronto are very far to the left, some even go as far as calling themselves Socialists.

Toronto, by law has to balance it's budget, either if it means raising taxes or getting money from ontario. Not the case for the feds and province. That's what Shelly Carroll has said on many occasions anyway. My question to Robert is, what's up with the editing of your article, some spaces would be nice, would make it easier to read.

I do agree though that this villification of politicians who are right of centre by the media and just about every other group that has influence in the city is limiting Toronto's options and is making it more difficult for Toronto to be actually Progressive.

3 Good ideas from the so called right include:

Re-Evaluating the responsibility of the Government in society, not a bad idea, as government programs are not the answer to everything.

Getting better mileage from monies raised through taxes.

Including the provate sector in the provision of services in the city.

3 Good Ideas from the so called left:

Having the government provide essential services that are not affordable to the public if sold privately.

Consumer protection regardless of cost.

Environmental protection regardless of cost.

I would say both sides acknowledge the need for balanced Budgets but do a poor job actually acheiving it.

Both sides have many bad ideas, too many to mention.

The left hates the above 3 good ideas from the right because it may include reduction of staff often unionized and moving power from centralized government and into private hands and the right hate the 3 good ideas from the left because it pays little attention to the economic cost of these ideals.

Maybe they can come to a middle ground, but that can only happen if they listen to one another. Time to start talking.

[Sonny Yeung]

Dear greg; it's up to Robert to respond to your query.
My response is that the mayoral race is 5 right wingers & one status quo. Given the war on the bike lanes, transportation and talk of privatization, managed competition, etc...
Environmental protection should be a bigger issue given the long term nature of a growing city.

There are 15 right of center types, the Responsible Government Group plus cheapskates: Ford & Holyday.
The projection is that after the October election there will still be 15...Ford is talking customer service because he works for a Public Gov't not Private Gov't!

[lukev]

I would love to know how you decided subways are right wing and LRT is left wing? Wouldn't the lower-cost LRT option be the right-wing option?

It seems the blogger has defined left-wing as anything David Miller likes; and right-wing as the opposite.