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Waldo710
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Name: Thomas
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Birthday: 7/10/1900
Gender: Male
Interests: Blading, skating, skiing, badminton, reading, playing piano, karaoke, writing, hiking, hockey, basketball, biking, eating, reading, drinking, golfing, chattin' w/ friends, ...movies, movies, movies, listening to music............. and many others
Expertise: Sleeping
Occupation: Retired
Industry: Nonprofit
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
ICQ:  1034422
AIM:  Waldoscius
Member Since:
12/2/2003
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| The Toronto Mayoralty race is under way and we're inundated with "information" about the candidates. Municipal elections from what I know,tends to have very low voter turnout; especially amongst younger voters. And no wonder. Without going into the candidates' individual websites, all I've heard from their own mouths, as well as from the pens and voices of the media, is whywe SHOULDN'T vote for these candidates.
You shouldn't vote for Rob Ford because he's a liar, andbecause he's a bull in a china shop You shouldn't vote for George Smitherman because of the E-health debacle You shouldn't vote for Rocco Rossi because he doesn't haveexperience in municipal governance You shouldn't vote for Joe Pantalone because he's DavidMiller Jr. You shouldn't vote for Sarah Thomson because...well... quitefrankly... no one seems to have ever really heard of her previously.
Listening to all the bashing from ALL sides of thiselection, I'm more inclined not to vote for ANYONE than pick from this lot. Is this the way we're running campaigns now? Vote for me because I'm the best ofthe worst? Vote for me because you shouldn't vote for them?! Vote for mebecause the other guy is bald/overweight/doesn't drive a hybrid/walks with abunnyhop while whistling BlueMoon on a Friday afternoon?! Ladies and Gentlemen!This is an ELECTION. Not a popularity contest!
I haven't read their websites in depth, but at first glance of their websites, I STILL do not know the positions these candidates are taking. I'm not saying that the platform isn't there, but is it the voters' JOB to go and hunt this information down? I thought the candidates are supposed to SELL us. Even after watching the debates, the only person I know that stands forsomething? Is Rob Ford. But even he hasn't stipulated what his visionfor Toronto will be. We know that he will slash and cut as much of the excessfat from municipal government as possible. We know that there are severalbullet points he's made. But I fail to see that as a platform.
As much as I disagree with much of what David Miller has done, he was very clear in what he was about. A cleaner, greener Toronto thathas no cars. HAHA. Agree or disagree, it's a vision. Something that people can buy into. Maybe I'm the only one missing the message, but after reading The Star, The Sun, The Post, The Globe, and listening to all the Talk and News radio stations in Toronto (including the radio station that employs the other 'wouldbe' candidate), I still haven't a clue what vision these candidates have for the City of Toronto. We want a leader. We keep hearing we're a "World Class City". Not only do I want to know what broken things they're going to fix, but what they're going to do to catapult us towards finally BEING a world classcity. What steps and measures will they take to make that happen? Give us a vision to latch on to. We're a city of Leaf fans for crying out loud! We'll believe anything! But give us something to believe in! =)~ | | |
| So Ontario's Environment Commissioner is strongly recommending that there be Toll Roads in Ontario to help fight climate change. I'm all for it. But only after they have efficient and effective means of alternate transportation. London, Hong Kong, New York, all have an EXTENSIVE subway system. Toronto does not. The big mistake that is the Sheppard line notwithstanding, Toronto has all of 2 subway lines. Count'em. One, Two. True, you do have the GO Transit lines, but if you're traveling anywhere within the city, they're pretty useless. As the subway system is very limited in where it will take you, you're limited to taking the bus; might as well drive.
Toronto is saying that between the three levels of governments, they will be pouring billions of dollars into creating a "transit city". Brilliant! Except for the fact that they're going about it all the wrong way. They're building LRT lines. They are cheaper, and they are faster. But it's a stop-gap measure that's inefficient and has a very real possibility of being made irrelevant due to over-capacity.
Until the government stops WASTING money and allocate the usage of our dollars in an efficient, responsible way, I cannot agree with the creation of new taxes, or raising of old.
~Cheers.
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| In Canada, and in most of the civilised world, we have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty before that person is incarcerated and put in jail. Innocent until proven guilty. I have no problem with that. What I DO have a problem with, are the ex-convicts that have perpetrated seriously heinous crimes that are walking amongst us simply because they have "done their time". They walk amongst us despite being unrehabilitated pedophiles or unremorseful murderers. They walk amongst us because the parole board deemed them a "reasonable risk".
I believe in second chances. I believe in rehabilitation. And I believe that people should have the opportunity regardless of what they have done to redeem themselves. That being said, I don't believe that murderers, rapists, and pedophiles should be set free simply they are considered a "reasonable risk"! We already proved beyond a reasonable doubt that they were dangerous and a menace to society. We already proved that they were guilty of heinous psychopathic and sociopathic crimes. I think those guilty of perpetrating such dire crimes need to make the same effort to get out as we did to get them in. I think those that we have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that they were indeed murders, rapists, and pedophiles need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they are not JUST a reasonable risk; but that they are no longer a threat to society.
~Cheers. | | |
| Growing up, I always had a need to understand things. My brain refuses to accept things that it cannot understand. I've thus asked a lot of questions and I've tried to keep an open mind. I understand that while I might see a lot of things, there is likely even more that I don't yet understand and don't yet know. By doing this, I've been able to become a perpetual student, always looking for information, always looking to understand and comprehend.
I like getting to know people. I like hearing their stories. The more I hear people's stories, the more I realise how much cause and effect there is in people's lives. While there are intricacies in every situation, there are only finite options as to how to deal with situations. By opening your mind to the myriad of possibilities of how a person might react to events in their lives helps us to understand why someone has gotten to where they are today. I don't judge people. It's not in my position to judge. Who am I to judge anyone? I'm no better than that other guy. I'm not perfect. I have flawed.
As I said in a February 20, 2008 entry:
We are but a patchwork of our memories. Lessons gleaned from our experiences and learned from those of others. Through trials and tribulations, failures and success, we come to realisation the person we are and perhaps the one that's yet to be. Every step we take is a step taken in choice. Choices that come with consequence and responsibility. And while it is easy to blame others, it is when we look upon ourselves with the same scrutiny that we learn and grow.
Everything we do. Every choice and action we make has a consequence. Looking at a person's past, you come to understand their present. Why this person is who they are today. And looking forward, you can see a glimpse of the possibilities of where they will go tomorrow. A person wielding a gun demanding your wallet, didn't always have that gun. Necessary steps HAD to have taken place to get them there. If you were made to walk in their shoes, there would be a different outcome. Maybe better, maybe worse. This person, chose to wave that gun. It is THEIR responsibility alone. Not someone else, not society. Theirs and theirs alone. And it is thus their responsibility too, to face all consequences of their choices.
~Cheers.
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