But the most costly of the former premier's legacies might be that for which no inquiry will hold him accountable.
As the old year ended and the new one began, what many see as the further bloody fallout of his Common Sense Revolution continued to play out on the streets of Toronto. And no one can say we weren't warned.
As the Star's Jim Rankin reported recently, Toronto's brewing social problems were expressed with customary lucidity by Stephen Lewis in a 1992 report on racism in Ontario. ``It is black youth that is unemployed in excessive numbers, it is black students who are being inappropriately streamed in schools, it is black kids who are disproportionately dropping out, it is housing communities with large concentrations of black residents where the sense of vulnerability and disadvantage is most acute.''
Mike Harris was not buying. In his opposition days, blacks were just one of the minorities he derided. ``We're getting too many, not just black, I mean we're getting too many from other countries, too, that are coming here for a free ride,'' he said.
In 1995, Harris campaigned as if middle-class property owners were his only concern. He saw little value in the work of the public sector, few votes in the notion of the public good. He came to power unleashing what no less a commentator than longtime Progressive Conservative insider Hugh Segal has called ``the tyranny of the simple idea.''
In fact, his government's first acts were to undo supports, and make circumstances more difficult, for the very communities that Lewis and others had identified as being most vulnerable. He repealed employment-equity legislation. He cut social assistance by 21 per cent. He abandoned social housing, eliminated social programs.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1136242214642&call_pageid=968256289824&col=968342212737
[Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on January 3, 2006]
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Mike Harris And The Rage On Toronto Streets
Posted on Tuesday, January 03 at 12:27 by BC MaryContributed By
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These are the failed tribulations of trickle down economics. We now have the largest gap between rich and poor we have ever had in Canada. The rich have benefited, but the vast majority have not. Almost two million Canadians live in poverty as a direct result of policies that fail to address the root cause.
Crime has a direct link to poverty, and all the cheerleaders of the failed trickle down theory cannot refute that, but they certainly refuse to acknowledge it as they push for more.
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If there was ever a time for Canadians to become pushy - now is the time - for time is running out on this nation called Canada.
The policies the Conservatives are advocating are designed to enrich the wealthy even more and create even larger inequalities. That is because they have rejected progressive ideas, which are designed to assist access to the opportunities that the top 20 per cent want to limit to their own class. They believe that by dismantling much of the federal government this top 20 per cent will gain far more control over society.
The theory is basically anti-democratic because it postulates that power should be determined by control over the marketplace not by politics. We can gripe and complain about government but at least we can theoretically fire politicians at the next election. We cannot fire the corporate magnates that control our lives.
Only Liberals scare others into voting for them. As if they were any better! If for some reason you're afraid of the Conservatives, that's fine. Vote NDP for God's sake!!!
You should check your history books, this "Fiscal Imbalance" and "more provincial power" blah blah blah has existed since confederation - go ahead, check it out, we've been dancing around these issues for over 100 years through both Liberal AND CONSERVATIVE governments.
The topic of this thread has nothing do do with the financial status of Ontario, it has to do with Mike Harris, his racist attitudes, and indifference to poverty or even issues that don't involve his buddies in the gated communities. If the water was bad in the clubhouse on his golf course, or if someone was trying to build a warehouse next to his 4-Level estate home I'm sure he would have been much more motivated to care. Fact remains, the guy couldn't give a shit about anyone else but himself and his rich buddies. But then, that's how consevatives work - give them easy talking points to continue to spit out like a mantra and soon they will believe it, even though the policies are most likely to their detriment. You know what they say, ignorance is bliss.
you. Good for Quebec!
You're right, there's a lot to be learned from the way La Belle
Provence has done things, starting with Day Care facilities.
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RickW
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Dave Ruston