PLATFORM
LIST OF ISSUES
Transit
When I said the bar was low on my election signs, I wasn't talking about the Ward 9 incumbent in particular. Every current council member that voted in favour of the current rapid transit plan, while ignoring the opinions of their constituents, needs to be held accountable.
As a life long Londoner and west side juggernaut, I feel like this is the time to step up and vote if you care about the City Of London. I am running for council to keep not only Byron, Lambeth and Riverbend amazing, but our city as a whole too.
The current transit plan will rip our infrastructure apart, at a massive cost and at little to no benefit. Here's an idea - let's buy some more buses and add a dozen more routes for starters. I feel like there are a lot of politicians looking to 'make their mark' with this project, and as such it has been made much more complex than it actually has to be.
Safe Injection Sites
Some people use drugs. Some don't. Both statements have held true for thousands of years, and will continue to be for the forseeable future. I'd like to minimize the harm associated with intravenous
drug use as effectively as possible.
I like the idea of safe injection sites in theory, much more than I do in a practical sense. While no one can argue the efficacy of these sites in preventing disease transmission among admitted patients, it's hard to determine if the bulk of the addicted community would actually use it. If anyone has ever smoked a joint and tried to order a pizza, you can probably guess the difficulty level of going through a heroin withdrawal and having to get across town to feel okay again. I'm not saying safe injection sites aren't a good idea - they are. If we're going to roll them out let's do it properly and with police presence to keep pushers away.
Fiscal Responsibility
I've said countless times that I'm all for being taxed - provided that the money we pay goes towards where our politicians say it is going. Remember when tolls were suggested to raise money to fix the Gardiner Expressway? Not wanting to upset voters in the GTA, the last provincial government instead opted to simply pull money from the Carbon Tax fund instead. To me, any account that you can dip into at your convenience to secure votes sounds more like a Slush Tax than anything else.
There is SO MUCH WASTE at every level of government. The public sector has lagged behind the private sector forever, due to the fact that there is little to no accountability when it comes to the books. Can you imagine what our city would look like if our politicians handled tax money as if they themselves had earned it?
Social Housing
This topic is near and dear to me due to my experiences on the job as a Toronto firefighter. I've seen firsthand the mentality that can develop when one is subjected to substandard conditions in the community.
The bottom line is that when we fail our system's most vulnerable, we also fail the majority so it is in everyone's best's interest to maintain a quality standard of living for all
7 Day Garbage Pickup
Seven days in a week. Seven deadly sins. Seven dwarves. Seven Minute Abs!! What the hell is going on that I don't know which damn day it is that I should put my garbage out?
Does anyone know what nine bags of diapers smells like in August after they've been out in the bin all week? My Grandpa didn't fight in the war so that I would have to endure 11 day old baby stink for no reason other than to hold a few tax dollars back. Nuh-uh. We can do better.
Environment
If any of you know me from walks in the community, you'd know that I'm out daily in our parks and conservation areas with my dog Reggie. We have to keep these amazing areas clean, safe, and above all FREE for our community.
Business Climate
London is a world class city in my opinion, and we need to be actively promoting investment from our neighbours to the south and beyond. Land is still relatively cheap, and we're perfectly nestled between Toronto and the border providing easy transportation access. It's also a gorgeous city to live and work in. Digging up roads and putting concrete barriers everywhere will not spur economic growth, it will deter it - especially when the plan is to populate the 'new' lanes with archaic technology...buses!
Law and Order
Policing is one of the most difficult jobs on the planet, probably today more than ever. I have nothing but support and respect for my brothers and sisters in blue.