Ontarians Opine

People are probably getting tired of my monomania regarding the depredations of the Doug Ford government, so this will be my last post on the subject for a while. Indeed, after this, I will be taking a brief respite from blogging to recharge my batteries.

In any event, here are some letter-writers expressing strong views about the provincial government we are currently saddled with, especially their plans for urban sprawl, Greenbelt development and hefty gifts to their developer supporters, aiders and abettors.

Doug Ford’s housing bill has ‘nothing’ to guarantee more affordable housing, says report, Nov. 22

On reflection, I have to say Premier Doug Ford seems to have a gift for being able to make money for his friends on the backs of public crises.

In response to the crisis in long-term-care homes and under the guise of improving the system, he found a way to shovel hundreds of millions of dollars to the very private companies who were responsible for the majority of the deaths among the seniors in care.

Now, in response to the housing crisis, he’s found a way to divert billions of dollars to wealthy developers by eliminating development fees. In both cases, those funds come out of our pockets.

At what point will people in this province begin to understand Doug Ford’s priorities?

Robert Osborne, Toronto

 The Greenbelt grab, Nov. 19

In 2018, Premier Doug Ford told his developer friends (and donors) that he would open a “big chunk” of the Greenbelt for development. He tried to walk that back with the public, but in the premier’s own words, “promises made, promises kept.”

The stench around the purchase of Greenbelt lands by Ford’s friends is starting to become overwhelming. These developer buddies also own way too much land along the proposed route of the new and unnecessary Hwy. 413.

Abandoning his plans to build on the Greenbelt would remove some of the odour from our premier. If he is to continue with this folly, at the very least the government should expropriate these lands so Ford’s friends do not obtain hundreds of millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains.

Ken Caudle, Brampton

The final letter suggests a strategy that is already under discussion in some jurisdictions, In my view, it represents the best weapon against Ford's destructive and mendacious ways.

Taxpayers ‘are going to be hit’ by costs, Nov. 28

“Instead of debating Queen’s Park,” Mississauga Coun. Carolyn Parrish, “wants cities to emulate the union that pressured Ford into repealing the law that stripped education support workers of their right to strike and imposed a contract on them.”

That’s easy. In response to Bill 23, all Ontario municipalities should declare a moratorium on growth. In fact, it’s the only fiscally responsible thing to do, given they will no longer have the money required to finance the required infrastructure. Refusing to line the pockets of Premier Doug Ford’s developer cronies by handing the bill for Development Charge discounts to their citizens is the right thing to do.

And there’s a precedent: the Town of Collingwood used an Interim Control bylaw to pause development in that community because of the lack of “water and wastewater servicing capacity.”

Municipalities need to take a stand for democracy, the environment and sound planning principles. Bring on the moratoria!

 Susan Watson, Guelph, Ont.