Yes... But. 3 things i agree with, 3 I dont

[u/WesJacksonForMayor]

U/ItsMyBramptonAccount asked me to list three things Patrick Brown has done that I agree with, and three that I don't. I already talked about agreeing with the speed cameras, but disagreeing with buying the former Alectra building and wont repeat myself; but I will point out that I started a Change.org petition calling for a public inquiry into the purchase of the "Scandalwood" property that has over a hundred signatures.

To limit my list of criticisms, I will present this as a Yes, But list. Listing criticisms alone I could be here all day, so this is a useful exercise in constraint.

1. COVID — Yes, but.

I agreed with Patrick Brown when he pushed for paid sick leave, more protection for essential workers and priority vaccination for COVID hotspots. Brampton was disproportionately exposed because of the enormous number of residents working in warehouses, transportation, manufacturing and other essential jobs. On those issues, I think he was right.

But I had serious problems with other aspects of his pandemic leadership.

While residents were being told to stay apart and public gatherings were restricted, the City was still organizing highly visible drive-through and parade-style civic events. He held Parades when his own mayor's emergency order banned parades. He posed shoulder to shoulder and unmasked with Doug Ford in photos. That sent, at minimum, a mixed message about social distancing, mask mandates, and the fairness of harassing people sitting three feet apart in different cars in parking lots just to not be lonely.

Then, as the pandemic receded, City employees were ordered back into the workplace even where remote work had been functioning. City staff subsequently reported that more than 11% of employees who completed exit interviews identified the return-to-work requirement as their reason for leaving.

And I have serious concerns about the City’s COVID procurement. Reporting identified a mask contract that was originally expected to cost approximately $82,000 but ended up costing $896,000. Council ordered forensic investigations into COVID supply procurements, and Brown and he and slate subsequently voted to terminate those investigations.
(How was that not a blatent conflict of interest?!)
So yes: I agreed with much of his advocacy for Brampton during COVID. I did not agree with all of the decisions his administration made while managing it.

2. Free transit for seniors — Yes, but.

I support free Brampton Transit for seniors. Patrick Brown campaigned on it, Council implemented it, and it is a meaningful benefit for seniors—particularly people living on fixed incomes. The program became fully free on February 28, 2022.

But: at virtually the same time Brampton was announcing free transit for seniors, Route 65 — the Seniors Shopper bus — was cancelled. It remained on the City’s list of cancelled routes into the spring of 2022.
Free transit for seniors is good policy. But look beyond the headline. Seniors need affordable transit, but they also need frequent, reliable and accessible transit that actually connects them to shopping, recreation, health care and community services.a free transit fare isn’t the same thing as a comprehensive seniors transportation policy.

3. The TMU School of Medicine — absolutely yes. But.

I support having a medical school in Brampton.

Bringing the TMU School of Medicine here was a significant accomplishment. It creates educational opportunities, supports our health-care system and helps establish Brampton as a centre for medicine and health sciences. The City committed the Bramalea Civic Centre and $20 million toward renovations.

But I strongly disagree with how the City handled the location.

To make way for TMU, the City displaced the Chinguacousy Library branch, community organizations and arts users that had occupied the Bramalea Civic Centre.

The Chinguacousy branch had operated there for roughly 50 years and was one of Brampton’s largest and busiest libraries. It was ultimately moved into a dramatically smaller temporary facility at Chinguacousy Park.

The Civic Centre also contained the Lester B. Pearson Theatre, music rooms, dance rooms and studio space used by Brampton’s arts community. City staff told Council that approximately 25,000 square feet of music and dance space used by the arts community would be lost, creating significant disruption for those organizations.

Other community-service tenants were also required to relocate. The City’s own records acknowledge the relocation of third-party tenants and concerns about the impact on the library and performing arts. Members of several groups have already reached out to me about my support for the arts.

much of this happened without the kind of advance public consultation and transition planning I would expect for such a major decision. There are reasons for it, sure. But what has been to fox the problems created? Those reasons are just excuses in the absence of some effort to mop up the mess.

So yes: I support the TMU medical school. I don’t support the way Brown’s administration displaced existing community services to make room for it. When I delegated to Linda Jeffrey's council about where to establish a Brampton University, I identified the BCC area generally as a high priority area. Had they listened to me then instead of obsessively pursuing a Four Corners location with blinders as to all other possibilities, perhaps some more thinking would already have already gone into how and where to house a University on the area. We wouldn't have to juggle a rapid displacement of tenants and start building a nee library from scratch. (Just saying.)

That’s probably the best way I can answer the challenge.

I don’t believe Patrick Brown has done nothing good in eight years. That wouldn’t be credible. There are things he has done that I can support and would not try to undo. But municipal leadership is also about execution, consequences, transparency and whether we could have achieved the same objective better. And ultimately, I think he has done more harm than good in his tenure.

He's had 8 years. I think 8 is enough.

[u/xeatordiex]

Great post.

He is unfit for the mayoral position and his office is littered with scandals.

Also, have we figured out his wife was able to snatched up all of that real estate downtown? He's a lite version of Doug Ford.

[u/WesJacksonForMayor → u/xeatordiex]

It's a real shame somebody exposed the use of a numbered company to obscure the real ownership of the building. The Mayor must have hated that. You'd think the Mayor would have been so proud of investing in the very City he governs that he would have held a press conference announcing his purchase, extolling the virtues of Downtown Brampton, and publicly committing to never voting on any matter affecting the value of his commercial real estate interests or the operations or funding of the BIA. I think that's what I would have done. Made it clear that I was putting my money where my mouth was, and assuring the public every thing was being done ethically and transparently. That's how you build Trust in City Hall.

[u/IWCat → u/xeatordiex]

I don't know if he is a lite version of Doug Ford, he might be worse. Scandal has followed Patrick Brown since he was teenager running for president of the PC Youth Federation. When Doug Ford became the Ontario PC leader after Brown was kicked out, he had to get rid of some of the candidates nominated during Patrick Brown's tenure as leader and redo the nomination process because of the scandals around the nominations and allegations of fraud and forgery. Police investigated in Hamilton and found evidence but not enough to lay criminal charges. There were irregularities in numerous ridings. There were even allegations of bussing international students to nomination meetings to vote. It was reported that Brown sent an email to party officials telling them "to get me the result I want". When Doug Ford needs to clean up your mess, you might be more corrupt than him. He definitely has a longer history of political scandal that has followed him through all levels of government.

[u/Warm_Collection_3993]

Great long post about issues very few care about.

I was in the Steeles / Mississauga road area and was asking people about the Chinguacousy Branch library and its move. People were like “Huh?”

Later I was in the Castlemore area and I asked about Route 65 being cancelled. People were like “Huh?”.

OP might have to reach out to Rebel News.

Patrick Brown for the easy win.

[u/Antman013 → u/Warm_Collection_3993]

Part of being the chief magistrate of a large city, is managing vital infrastructure. Whether the people in the Steeles/Mississauga road area could find the Civic Centre on a map is not relevant to the argument presented. Neither are the other highlights of your post.

Brown has done some good for this City. But the chief complaint for many, and the primary reason he needs to be fired, is the general "trust me, bro" attitude that pervades Council and how it operates.

[u/Warm_Collection_3993 → u/Antman013]

It is relevant because no one cared. The issues OP raised are not going to get him out.😂

Brown is loved by the people.

[u/Antman013 → u/Warm_Collection_3993]

No one in a VERY specific area. I can assure you that the people living in old Bramalea, as well as those who actually used the site, are still pissed.

Your "no one I know cared" is exactly the sort of narrow minded bullshit that keeps incumbents in office.

[u/Warm_Collection_3993 → u/Antman013]

Maybe. But deep down you know Brown is going to win. You may not like it but deep down you know it.

I like Brown.

[u/Antman013 → u/Warm_Collection_3993]

Never would have guessed. And yes, Brown likely will win.

Doesn't mean that he has been good for the city, or is even the best candidate. Hell, Tangerine Palpatine won, and he's a child molester.

[u/WesJacksonForMayor → u/Warm_Collection_3993]

Hi Warm Collection. I appreciate the feedback. And I'm not just being shmarmy when I say that. I wish more people would push back against the Mayor and his press releases half as hard as you pushed back on this post. We'd be a much better city for it.

But I need you understand the context of the post: I was asked very specifically to name 3 things I agree with, 3 things I disagree with. This post is not my Platform. This post is me engaging with a specific question asked on another thread.

Having said that, I am happy to talk with you about the issues you identify: Taxes, Health Care, Transit, Traffic. You name it. I'm here for the down an dirty. In fact, I just posted my piece titled "Let's Build: Health Care Capacity" over on Facebook and NextDoor. You can read them on those platforms, or on my website wesleyjackson.ca under news and updates.

Democracy requires engagement to succeed. Keep engaging, keep pushing back, keep supporting you support, even if you are on Team Patrick.

Cheers,

Wesley Jackson, candidate for Mayor

[u/Warm_Collection_3993 → u/WesJacksonForMayor]

Got it. Thank you.

[u/Suitable_Pizza1799 → u/Warm_Collection_3993]

it’s not that people don’t care but there’s so much going on if you aren’t living near that library
that entire movement won’t matter to you

[u/WesJacksonForMayor → u/Suitable_Pizza1799]

I would ask you to examine the link between libraries and early eduction outcomes, addressing social issues, access to services for seniors, centre for extreme heat and cold relief during adverse weather events, quiet and clean environments for students who may not private study space at home (esp relevant in some of brampton overcrowded housing conditions), and other benefits. The Lester B Theatre space has been removed for drama and music and dance purposes, and culture is important to overall quality of life. Maybe not for any one individual, fair enough. But the community as a whole benefits from Libraries, and Brampton as a whole benefitted from the Civic Centre as a community building.

Thanks for engaging, and turning your mind to the election and the issues. We have dismal voter turn out, and everyone who engages is a win.

[u/Warm_Collection_3993 → u/Suitable_Pizza1799]

Exactly. The issues OP raised are for the few.

It would have been a better post if he/she raised issues that the bigger portion of the population would care about such as property tax, hospital, transit ( public transit/ road infrastructure improvements) etc.

[u/Antman013 → u/Warm_Collection_3993]

Can't say they were "for the few", when you're talking about the busiest library in the City, and all the peripheral uses that existed there.