[URBAN NOTE] "What is Doug Ford doing for Ward 2?"

[rfmcdonald]

Doug Ford, Jr. is Toronto mayor Rob Ford's older brother and a city councillor in his own right, representing Ward 2 in northwesternmost Toronto (or, north Etobicoke). He has frequently appeared as his brother's lieutenant, doing his best to advance city-wide policy. But what, asks constituent Rahim Ladra at blogTO, has Ford been doing for the district he represents?

Whenever Doug Ford opens his mouth, he seldom (if ever) talks of solving issues in Ward 2. I hear dialogue of Port Lands development, or monorails, or shutting down libraries that are in supposed industrial areas, or subways for Sheppard. I hear him speaking of ambitions for running as an MPP in the next election, and looking ahead to the future without actually paying attention to the now, with pie-in-the-sky notions of building casinos at Woodbine as one of the few public statements with regards to anything in Ward 2 of recent memory.

I don't hear a single tangible idea of how he would stimulate employment in this chronically under-employed area. I don't hear him speaking of creating any community initiatives to clean the Humber River, or to the building of more affordable housing in Ward 2. I do not hear any active initiation upon the vague notions which he campaigned upon. I hear nothing. When I listen to other councillors (regardless of their political leanings) I at least hear of dialogue involving their own Wards.

[. . .]

The worst offense to a Ward 2 citizen at this present moment is the radio show that the Fords are involved in on CFRB 1010 every Sunday. I'm not going to fault the Mayor for this - he's the Mayor, and if the Mayor of the city wants to be on the air for a couple of hours every week, I wouldn't care what his name is - I'm fine with it.

[. . .]

Doug Ford is a rookie councillor. Instead of going on air, why is he not in Rexdale actively working on issues that matter to the citizens of his Ward? That is one entire day he has committed to being elsewhere that serves absolutely no purpose when it comes to serving in public office. There is nothing being solved here by his participation in that show, and to fail to even recognize that he could best spend that time working on behalf of the citizens of his ward instead of talking about the Toronto Maple Leafs not only shows the worst kind of judgment, it tells the citizens of Ward 2 that he has no interest in their welfare.

Ford was elected with about 72% of the vote in the last municipal election. Will he get re-elected? Someone in the comments suggests that he's planning to run for the Ontario Provincial Parliament. Joy.