Change is Needed on the Danforth and for Ontario

I live on the Danforth. I love the Danforth.

Over the years I have seen large stretches of my beloved riding begin to stagnate and rot away. Small business is hurting. Local proprietors are bleeding money. Poverty and drug use are a growing concern. While still a beautiful place to live, we can do better than this.

A very good friend of mine owns a pub near Greenwood and Danforth. She is a single mother of 3 children, works 7 days every week and is one of the kindest, most energetic people I have ever had the pleasure of calling friend. But her livelihood is suffering.

Despite the amount of events and promotions she brings to the her cozy local watering hole, she has noticed the financial crunch. People have less money in the area. There are less jobs available. Heck, one of the most prominent, and busy, spots on the strip further east is the Greenwood Employment Centre...right next to the Methadone clinic.

It isn't just the languishing economy and growing unemployment that's hurting local business, it's the current Liberal governments policies into other sectors of society. The other day that same friend was almost in tears over her hydro bill: something like a 30% increase over last year (comparing both December-January bills from the previous year) with no real explanation why such massive up-shoot of service costs would be thrown upon her.

The Liberals have been wrong on energy. The NDP? Their eyes have even more green-aspirations sparkling in them- just like the massive Samsung deal for those inefficient wind turbines in Essex county that are inflating the cost of energy provincially, not to mention lowered property values.

A lot of people from Windsor, Lasalle and surrounding areas have serious doubts and concerns over the project.

The Liberals have been wrong on employment opportunities. A growing and festering bureaucratic mess of public sector jobs is no trade-off for capital-producing private sector industry careers. Revenue-generation brings prosperity across society: more jobs, more employment, more disposable income, less people on social assistance, more investment from the top earners.

Also, Hasn't Mr. Tubuns been MPP-Emperor of the Danforth for a while now? Can you honestly say Toronto-Danforth is better off now than it was 5 years ago? As harsh as this may sound, when election time comes, before you check that box, remember- Peter Tabuns is the not late, and formidable, Jack Layton. Though Smilin' Jack was once a stalwart on the Danforth, he ran Federally, not Provincially. An important distinction I think many voters tend to forget.

We need new blood, new ideas and a change in direction for my riding, my province, my home.