评论：我为什么不再是福特的支持者

 

在道格•福特欲乘民粹浪潮登上安省省长宝座之际，我很荣幸地宣布，我没有成为这一浪潮的一份子。

As Doug Ford is trying to ride a populism wave to Queens Park, I am proud of not joining that wave.

几年前，当前市长罗伯•福特乘民粹浪潮入主市政厅时，我曾是一名福特王国的坚定支持者。与大多数华社人员一样，我对福特市长干掉肥油列车的口号举双手赞成，也对他炮轰市府浪费税款的行径倍加赞赏。我对这名前市长爱戴有加，钦佩他为小民做主的仗义，敬重他为草民说话的慷慨。

Several years ago, I was one of staunchest Ford Nation supporters who formed the populist wave that took Rob Ford to mayor’s office. Like many of the Chinese community members, I supported Rob Ford’s slogan of ending the gravy train and his attacks against the government’s abuse of taxpayers’ money. I shared the public’s outpouring affection for the former mayor, who stood up for the working class and gave a voice to those left behind. 

但我却无法向罗伯的兄弟道格献上同等程度的爱戴和钦佩。尽管道格•福特也高喊要维护平民利益之口号，但他却似乎缺乏其胞弟那种善待他人的天性，更重要的是没有主管加拿大最大省府的能力。在新一轮民粹浪潮席卷安省之际，我出于对其人格，性格及能力的担心，不愿随大流成为他的一名跟屁虫。在我看来，他是一名缺乏内涵却能说会道的老道说客，用他妈妈的话说，“为达目的，什么话都说得出来。“

But I can hardly pour out the same love and trust to his brother Doug Ford. Despite his slogan “For the People” which contains sentiment that echoes of Rob’s campaign, he seems lacking the persona charisma that allows him to naturally connect with people, and moreover, the capability to run Canada’s largest province. As another wave of populism sweeps through Ontario, I, concerned about his personality, character, and competence, refuse to succumb to the herd mentality of becoming his follower.  He seems to be more of a shrewd politician than a substance guy, who, being a schmoozer, “could talk his way out of almost anything”, according to his mother. 

他的胞弟之妻向他发起的法庭诉讼可谓骇人听闻，如果这起诉讼被法庭证实，它将撕破道格•福特“成功商人”外衣，摧毁他脚踏实地的私人企业家之炫耀光环。诉讼指控说，道格和他另一名兄弟兰迪毁掉了其价值数百万元的家族生意，因过度侵吞工资，在七年内让企业损失500万元！

A shocking lawsuit from the wife of his late brother Rob Ford challenges Doug Ford’s image as a successful businessman, with a no-nonsense, back-to-basics private-sector expertise. The lawsuit, which has not been proven by court, alleges that Doug and his brother Randy ran family business Deco – a multi-million-dollar enterprise into the ground, paying themselves overly generous salaries while amassing $5-million in losses over a seven-year period.

他的民粹招牌的一个重要信息就是削减税款，缩减政府规模及缩减省府债务。但他已经多次食言而肥、言而无信，而他的数项计划只能让省府背上更高的债务，其财务政绩还不如台上的自由党。他保证说要向选民提供一份具有明细造价的竞选计划，但至今该计划都杳无音讯。他扬言要在不解雇一名政府官员的前提下削减$60亿政府浪费支出，但在最近推出的保守党竞选计划中却对此只字未提。他保证一系列减缩开支的措施及税款改革，但却未曾规划任何具体时间。在没有任何权利触动安省电力高层人士安排的前提下，道格所谓要解雇该企业高管的誓言不过是哗众取宠的政客说辞而已。

As part of his populist message, Ford has vowed to slash taxes, reduce the size of government and tackle the provincial debt. But he has already broken his promises on several fronts and his plan would only put the province deeper into debt than the Liberals. He promised a fully costed platform, but he failed to deliver it; He assured to slash $6 billion in waste without anyone “losing their jobs, but didn’t mention it in the latest party plan. He promised a slew of spending cuts and rate reductions, but provided no timeframe. And without any power to fire Hydro One CEO, Doug’s vow of kicking out the top brass of the company is a populist politics at its best. 

他提供的数字根本经不起推敲。他向安省选民派送的糖果只会造成数百亿的财务缺损，让安省选民怀疑他们是否能“闻”到这些糖果的味道。他推出的削减省民电费的计划将会让政府每年增加8亿3300万的支出，他的减少收入纳税计划，包括削减次低收入档次20%税款，免去最低工资人士税收等政策将为财务预算增添22亿6千万的支出；其砍掉10%的汽油税政策将给省府带来10亿1900万的负担。

His numbers don’t add up. The sweets and goodies he dished out would only add up to tens of billions of holes in the budget, raising skepticism of whether Ontarians would ever be able to taste them.  His 12 per cent hydro bill reduction plan would cost the government about $833-million annually, his income-tax cut proposal for low income people – including cutting the second income tax bracket by 20 per cent and ending income taxes for every minimum wage earners -- add $2.26-billion annually, and 10-cent-per-litre cut to gasoline taxes would be at an annual cost of $1.19-billion.

显然，道格福特担任省长将给安省经济带来灾难，让安省受难。在目前安省经济出于良好状态的情况下让省府背上沉重的债务将会让其在预计两年后的经济危机来袭的情况下腹背受敌，不堪重负。在那种情况下，政府不得不进一步缩减开支，并大幅苛税，增大贫富差距，并让那些包括我这样的小民们在内者更加入不敷出，甚至面临财务危机。

Apparently, Doug Ford becoming Premier would only cause uncertainty to the economy and hurt the province. Increasing debt load while the current economy is in great shape would leave the province more vulnerable to economic downturn and recession – which is predicated to hit the province in two years. It will force the future government to engage in deeper spending cuts and raise more taxes, creating bigger gaps between the rich and poor and leaving the little guys like me far more behind or to face future financial hardships. 

一项CBC在妇女中展开的投票调查将道格•福特评为四位主要领导候选人中声誉最惨的一名，而我就是其中一名对他产生质疑者。我们深度怀疑道格•福特领导的政府将如何运作，不知他将把安省带到何方！

A CBC's Vote Compass survey ranked Ford as the least trustworthy of the four main party leaders among women, and I am one of those who are concerned, skeptical and apprehensive about what a Doug Ford government looks like and whether he would guide the province down the right path.