None of the candidates in the election represent my future

October 17, 2014 · 0 Comments

With regard to the political campaign under way, I find, after reading all the articles and flyers currently available, that they would like to encourage and attract more business, more residents, strengthen the Chamber of Commerce, cut bureaucratic red tape, embrace new highways as well as traffic calming measures (the last two being contradictory to one another), create jobs and pat themselves on the shoulder for the new equestrian facility. In fact, there is no shortage of self praise as to how wonderful they all are.
What I did not see addressed by anybody is a mention of the quality of life for regular down-to-earth residents, except a scant acknowledgment of trailways which are being used by a few walking their dogs.
The prime responsibility of government is to govern, not to create jobs.
Similarly Pierre Elliott Trudeau once told Saskatchewan farmers “I am not selling your wheat,” thus emphasizing that he was a politician and not a Fuller Brush man.
Why should we, the residents, need more business establishments? We can easily get our litre of milk, loaf of bread and pair of socks, shoes or frying pan.
A new east-west highway is suppose to attract more business. Why then is it that Canadian Tire, with their current facility near Highways 7 and 407, and Airport Road are re-locating onto a farmer’s field?
The equestrian facility, which serves but a few “horse people,” was allegedly a bargain because other levels of government helped pay for it. And just where did the other levels, Ontario and Ottawa, get the money spent on this extravagance? Denmark perhaps or Bulgaria?
I live but five minutes walking distance from that place. But like thousands of others, it means absolutely nothing to me.
And what is the purpose of these international games? To put a city on the proverbial map? So a Sherpa in Nepal knows about Calgary; an Aborigine in the outbacks finds out about Vancouver and a Mongolian horseman is raving about Caledon?
Any politician suggesting we apply for an international event such as the Olympics, the Pan Am Games or soccer championships should be thrown into jail for life.
Traffic calming means making more citizens run afoul of the law by aggravating motorists with speed bumps and ridiculous 40 to 60 km-h signs where there is no house in sight and no pedestrians around.
One candidate suggested that Caledon is the best town in the world. I am not qualified to comment on that because I have not yet seen all of the other 195 nations of the world to make this comparison, but I suppose people of Switzerland, French Polynesia or New Zealand might argue with that.
I just hope that candidate used his own and not taxpayers funds to visit all these nations to come to that conclusion.
I remember Bolton, when it was a community of about 2,000, did not have a single traffic light and the only supermarket in town (IGA) was closed Sundays and Mondays. But still people came flocking here to live.
Certainly not because it may someday become a Metropolis such as Brampton. But such is the road we are on if our candidates have their way.
Business will perpetually complain because there are always some who want to make a go of something before a community can sustain it. The way we are destroying our agricultural lands is totally unconscionable and pure madness.
There are so many places on earth and in this province which do not lend themselves to food production. That’s where communities should be built.
If politicians, developers and business people like the big city scene so much, why don’t they live and stay in the likes of Toronto and Mississauga? Why come out here and mess things up?
Just what is perceived to be wrong with the status quo? Development charges should be so high to discourage anyone from building just an outhouse.
From what I have read so far, I shall be doing my civic duty voting day, go and register at a polling station and then reject my ballot, because there is not a one whose philosophy represents my future.
Wulf Graunitz,
Palgrave