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Building a “Better” Politician

Politics has always interested me and I have watched it closely over the years.   My observations of politicians and how the system works, here in Canada and around the world, has led me to believe that we need a new way of “doing government”.   But, before we make changes to the political system we need a better politician.   Here are some of my ideas that would make for better politicians.   First of all, a better politician would be someone who is self-aware.   A true leader should know who they are, what they value, and why they do what they do.   They have examined their thoughts and emotions and are mature enough that they do not govern from a place of fear and hurt.   They are not sexist, misogynistic, or racist nor do they rely on stereotypes to make their arguments.   Politicians should genuinely want to be of service to their country and want to do the best thing for all of their constituents and their country. We need to elect leaders who are polite and kind.   It is
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I Don’t Want to Vote Liberal. But…

I really don’t want to vote for Kathleen Wynne and the Ontario Liberals this June.   The Liberals have been in power too long in this Province and I truly believe that it is time for a change in leadership.   Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that there are any good options.   Especially since Doug Ford has just been elected leader of the Ontario Provincial Conservatives in a whirlwind leadership race and a close and messy vote.   Roughly half of the PC party members who voted do not think Ford will make a good leader and a recent poll suggests that 48% of Ontarians feel the same way. One reason I cannot bring myself to vote for Doug Ford is because of Donald Trump.   As a polarizing figure with a populist platform, Doug Ford represents himself as anti-establishment, anti-intelligence and anti-elitist even though he comes from family money; just as Trump does.   While Ford tries to distance himself from the comparisons to Donald Trump, some of his supporters have been tweeting out
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Dear Prime Minister Trudeau: What are You Doing to Ensure Canada Does Not End up like the United States?

Dear Prime Minister Trudeau,   I just wanted to let you know that I am concerned about the fate of our country.   As a Canadian who has been unable to look away from the train wreck that is Trump in the United States, I am wondering what you are doing to protect us from something like that happening here in Canada. For instance. You have recently apologized to the LGBTQ2 population on behalf of all Canadians (which I whole-heartedly approve of) but how can we be sure that these gains will not be rolled back?   Mr. Scheer, the leader of the Conservative Party, opposes gay marriage and voted against Bill C-16 which would expand the Canadian Human Rights Act to protect against discrimination based on gender identity and expression.   I worry that the Conservatives, if elected, will roll back the gains that LGBTQ2 and others have made in recent years.   What protections can be implemented to prevent that from happening? One of the biggest problems in the American election was
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We Need to go Beyond Sponsoring Syrian Refugees

We Need to go Beyond Sponsoring Syrian Refugees I just want to clearly state I have no problem at all with Canada helping Syrian or any other refugees.   My heart breaks for all the families whose lives have been torn apart and changed forever by the violence in Syria and in other countries.   Living in a refugee camp is not really living at all.   But I believe that we need to go beyond sponsoring refugees in order to solve the refugee problem. First of all, we need to carefully look at our own government.   Are our own governments’ policies helping to cause the crisis?   Nations, like Canada, Great Britain, and the United States, must stop acting on our ethnocentric views and begin to act with integrity.   We must stop interfering in these countries national policies.   We must stop selling arms to countries such as Saudi Arabia who support terrorist groups.   Providing weapons and other supports enables these despots to start civil wars on their fellow countrymen or se
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Do the Right Thing...Use Your Manners

I have been thinking a lot about good manners lately and how important they are.   Manners tell us how we are supposed to conduct ourselves in social situations which in turn allows for the smooth functioning of society.     They train us to be aware, or mindful, of the social transactions that we are involved in by having us look for situations in which to express gratitude or be of service to others.   Consistently using our manners is good spiritual practice because consciously choosing to use our manners means that we are choosing to do the right thing. We become more mindful and reduce stress levels when using our manners.   For example, when going into a store good manners would dictate that you be aware of others and your surroundings. Because you are present and aware, you may notice that someone is following you into the store and instead of just opening the door and entering the store, good manners would dictate that you stop and hold the door open for the other person
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Ways to Make Camping at Provincial Parks Even Better

My husband and I have been camping at Provincial Parks for over 25 years now.   In fact, we have visited more than 25 different parks, some of them many times over.    We enjoy the Provincial Parks for the recreational opportunities and the natural environment they provide.   Their beaches, playgrounds, hiking trails, visitor centers, naturalist programs, and biking trails have made our summer vacations memorable and enjoyable.   But lately it has been harder to get reservations at our Park of choice, especially if it is in Southern Ontario, and especially if it is last minute.   Unfortunately, while we struggle with getting campsites in Southern Ontario, 7 Provincial Parks have been closed for camping in Northern Ontario in recent years.   Ontario has about 280 parks covering over 7 million hectares or approximately 10% of the surface area in Ontario and receives over 9 million visitors each year.   Approximately 65 parks are deemed “recreational class” and welcome campers.   I
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Fiscal Responsibility Needed By the Township of Wellesley

Every tax payer in the Township of Wellesley should be up in arms over the passing of the proposed Greenwood Hill Trail plan at the September 6, 2016 council meeting by council.  The residents affected by this trail still have many questions that have not been answered or even addressed by council and Township staff. However, the most important issue, not surprisingly, is one of money.    Even though we have repeatedly asked Township staff and councilors for a budget to put in the trail and the costs of maintaining the trail we have still not been given any concrete information.  When pressed at the September 6, 2016 council meeting, Township staff stated that they have already spent about $30,000.00 on engineering fees and figure it will cost another $100 000.00 to complete the trail.  The cost of paving the trail next year has not been laid out either. Nor has council/Township staff disclosed what it will cost to maintain the trail in future years. At the September 6, 2016 council
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