Lazy Doug Ford will never learn on COVID-19, so let's kick him out in 2022!

Ontario's not so great premier

As an Ontarian over the age of 18 whose second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine was now five months ago, today I'm eligible to get a booster shot to try to ward off the Omicron mutation and do my part to try to get my province and country beyond this pandemic.   

But true to Doug Ford's crappy government, I was on hold for over an hour today on their 1-833 phone line and was just told there are no available booster shot vaccine appointments anywhere in my district anytime soon.  And that I'll instead likely have to call them back later or call up individual pharmacies and beg for an appointment, in addition to being on their wait lists.  

I'm on my own.  Just like every single Ontarian living in Doug Ford's Ontario. 

There are of course more than enough booster shots available for everyone who wants one.  The province despite being almost 2 years into this seems to again have fallen asleep at the switch mid-pandemic, and again downloaded all responsibilities for fighting this virus to overworked, underfunded local authorities or pharmacies.   

Doug Ford has this down to a fine art: deny and ignore the science advice as it bubbles up for weeks, until it again turns into the major crisis he can't ignore, and then enact half-measures and PR stunts to make it seem he's doing something, hold another press conference and pretend to care.  Then go back to his privileged life and keep on enjoying the perks of power.   I'm sure Dougie has a big family gathering exceeding 10 people in the works for this Christmas weekend. Dougie's elite, don't you know?  The rules don't apply to him and his family.   Ask his anti-vaxxer daughter.   

For the rest of us, we're back to the hunger games of trying to get boosters or rapid tests.  This is last April & May all over again.   

For a province as rich as Ontario, this is shameful.  And pathetic.  We get what we vote for.  Was humiliating a woman named Kathleen Wynne really worth this gross incompetence?  

At every step managing this pandemic, Doug Ford's immutable, thoughtless instincts have let us down.  He's forced the most vulnerable to put themselves in danger and go to work throughout this pandemic.  He refused to grant sick leave to Ontarians when they needed it.  He's gone to bat for the richest big box stores and giant corporations.  

His instincts are simply the wrong ones to get us out of this.   If you don't know that by now, you're living in a conservative delusion.   

It's time for change in Ontario.  The provincial election on June 2, 2022 can't come soon enough.    

I must say that I do have confidence in Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca as a replacement.  He wasn't my choice as Liberal Leader, but he has been performing well lately.  His unflappable personality, his focus, intelligence and experience, would stand us well going forward, not only on fighting COVID-19, but on most policy issues facing Ontario.  I will be hoping that Del Duca continues to nominate decent candidates and put forth more compelling, progressive policy proposals for Ontario.    

I hope for Del Duca because I have little confidence in Andrea Horwath and the NDP of ever mounting a serious challenge to the PCs.  Sadly, the NDP will simply once again at best divide the opposition vote and give the Conservatives a fighting chance to slither back into power. Instead, I'm hoping that Del Duca can do well, and win over the lion's share of anti-Ford voters.  

I have to hope.  Because Ontario can't take four more years of Doug Ford's incompetence and laziness.