Ontario Municipal Elections: Winner = Harper, Loser = The Public

In Ontario, we all seemed to want change, but we’re definitely waking up with a hangover this morning that will last at least 4 painful years.

Local municipal politicians grossly benefited from the exorbitant waste that originated from Parliament Hill and trickled all the way down to every nook and cranny at the local level.

The Canadian Economic Action Plan reminded every Canadian that their funds were being wasted and spent by local governments that couldn’t afford to pay for the activities like road repaving and door-knob replacements, but who also couldn’t resist the spectacular opportunity to gorge themselves on federal funding for these inane projects.

As a result of the federally-imposed largesse, municipal incumbents were on the defensive over the last several weeks, defending bullshit infrastructure programs that lined the pockets of local gravel suppliers and landscapers, but did nothing to give us better schools, hospitals or basic services that we all need.

They were cut off from any opportunity to say that they had vision because all of the vision was blindfolded by greed.  Innovative programs related to recycling, bike lanes, renewable power and so on were put on the back-burners so that the Feds could get the stimulus spending out and, quite literally, on the roads.

Most incumbents didn’t stand a chance.  The rising swell of anxiety and frustration about spending was amplified at the local level and the key beneficiaries were racists and traditional politicians that pretended that they were all about change, but what they’re really about is keeping the old boys network going strong.

I’m appalled by what’s happened to most Ontario cities, but the reality is that most of our mayors and councilors had it coming.  If they had any sense about them, they would have stood firm and rejected the federal stimulus money and avoided the bills that we’re all going to have to start paying.

I’m more appalled that Ontario voters still believe politicians when they say they won’t raise taxes and they won’t have to cut services.  The garbage lines like ‘going through budgets line by line’ and ‘cutting councilor waste’ simply mean that our public representatives will lose the tools they need to engage the public.

Within 4 years, we won’t recognize municipal politics in Ontario.  It’ll be a cesspool of waste and corruption like we’ve never seen before and we’ll only have ourselves to blame.

Good job, Steve.  You’ve turned national politics into a local disaster.