M II A II R II K
Senior Member
Hume: Toronto the Progressive? Not so much
May 01 2010
By Christopher Hume
Read More: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/803161--hume-toronto-the-progressive-not-so-much
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Toronto likes to think of itself not just as progressive, but as one of the most progressive cities in the world, certainly in North America. Is that true? The answer, sad to say, is no. True, we are diverse and politically correct to a fault, but is that the same as being progressive? To be progressive means to be open to change. It implies a willingness to take risks and be bold. On all these counts, Toronto finds itself wanting. Our fear of change has reached the point where the city can tie itself up in knots over the prospect of a few bicycle lanes on Yonge and Jarvis Sts. A proposal to change several one-way streets into two-way thoroughfares sets off talk of a War on Cars.
As obvious as the need to accommodate non-vehicular forms of transportation — even walking — may be, many Torontonians remain adamantly opposed to anything that isn’t the same old, same old. Just last month, the provincial government got away with cutting $4 billion from its belated $11.5 billion commitment to public transit. At city council, some representatives declared themselves relieved at such a turn of events. But then, municipal councillors have built whole careers on pandering to every last NIMBY impulse local residents can muster. Indeed, in some neighbourhoods residents seem convinced they have the right to decide who lives next door.
And speaking of city council, where are the faces of diversity? For a city so fond of passing itself off as the most multicultural on the planet, they are conspicuously absent. In fact, more than ever, recent immigrants to Toronto find themselves consigned to those parts of the post-war suburban city that no one cares about, where services and opportunities are minimal. Even the most highly educated newcomers — doctors, engineers, accountants — are kept out by professional bodies that use credentials to protect their turf at the expense of immigrant practitioners. And as the current election has made painfully clear, there’s no shortage of mayoral wannabes who would have us believe that government is a socialist conspiracy intent on separating us from our hard-earned money.
Just ask the Rob Fords, the Rocco Rossis, those nattering nincompoops of nonsense: Government bad, business good, they bray. Me Tarzan, you Jane. It makes as much sense. Let’s not forget that before them there was Mel Lastman, whose great contribution to Toronto was to leave the budget in tatters and embarrass the city on network television at every chance. Of course, there’s a context for all this, a provincial government terrified of being seen as progressive lest it anger or upset the populace. Premier Dalton McGuinty’s recent change of heart about sex education was an example of his deep-seated fear of leadership.
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May 01 2010
By Christopher Hume
Read More: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/803161--hume-toronto-the-progressive-not-so-much
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Toronto likes to think of itself not just as progressive, but as one of the most progressive cities in the world, certainly in North America. Is that true? The answer, sad to say, is no. True, we are diverse and politically correct to a fault, but is that the same as being progressive? To be progressive means to be open to change. It implies a willingness to take risks and be bold. On all these counts, Toronto finds itself wanting. Our fear of change has reached the point where the city can tie itself up in knots over the prospect of a few bicycle lanes on Yonge and Jarvis Sts. A proposal to change several one-way streets into two-way thoroughfares sets off talk of a War on Cars.
As obvious as the need to accommodate non-vehicular forms of transportation — even walking — may be, many Torontonians remain adamantly opposed to anything that isn’t the same old, same old. Just last month, the provincial government got away with cutting $4 billion from its belated $11.5 billion commitment to public transit. At city council, some representatives declared themselves relieved at such a turn of events. But then, municipal councillors have built whole careers on pandering to every last NIMBY impulse local residents can muster. Indeed, in some neighbourhoods residents seem convinced they have the right to decide who lives next door.
And speaking of city council, where are the faces of diversity? For a city so fond of passing itself off as the most multicultural on the planet, they are conspicuously absent. In fact, more than ever, recent immigrants to Toronto find themselves consigned to those parts of the post-war suburban city that no one cares about, where services and opportunities are minimal. Even the most highly educated newcomers — doctors, engineers, accountants — are kept out by professional bodies that use credentials to protect their turf at the expense of immigrant practitioners. And as the current election has made painfully clear, there’s no shortage of mayoral wannabes who would have us believe that government is a socialist conspiracy intent on separating us from our hard-earned money.
Just ask the Rob Fords, the Rocco Rossis, those nattering nincompoops of nonsense: Government bad, business good, they bray. Me Tarzan, you Jane. It makes as much sense. Let’s not forget that before them there was Mel Lastman, whose great contribution to Toronto was to leave the budget in tatters and embarrass the city on network television at every chance. Of course, there’s a context for all this, a provincial government terrified of being seen as progressive lest it anger or upset the populace. Premier Dalton McGuinty’s recent change of heart about sex education was an example of his deep-seated fear of leadership.
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