Our current leadership is why we don't have nice things. #LetsFixit I'm running for mayor of Toronto and I promise you the platform we're launching tomorrow is like nothing you've ever seen. <thread> 🧵👇
stephenpunwasi.com
2/ Increasingly Canadians are telling me they can't get ahead. It doesn't matter how hard they try, it just doesn't work. A household can make double the median income and still not be able to afford housing in 🇨🇦's major cities. This isn't just a Millennial issue.
3/ Established small business owners are getting crushed. We're telling disabled people to consider MAID because housing is expensive. Our state committed senicide and glossed over it. We don't trust our government. It doesn't matter which level. It's all levels.
4/ I could go on forever, but I think you get the point. I worried everyone would be furious, but it was even worse than I thought. People felt helpless. Talk to the average person. No one thinks government can help. Many just stopped voting in ON.
5/ I always tell people the worst parts of life seem longer while they're happening. A recession doesn't last forever. It just feels that way. No one believes me, but it's true. However, I'm starting to find it harder to believe with every closed shop and new tent city.
6/ This time might be longer than usual to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Greed, corruption, & apathy are pushing us to an extreme. They won't stop until we stop them. It might surprise you, but this isn't a partisan issue.
7/ When deciding if I was going to run, I spoke to elected officials in all parties for feedback on the system and how it works. They all agreed. Partisanship won't get us where we need to be. This isn't an issue of taxes or subsidies, it's an issue of a wreckless status quo.
8/ Elected officials are saying they're being held back from working together. Once you realize they feel like they have no power, you really kind of get that sinking feeling, eh? The positive is, we all agree — incremental changes won't be enough.
9/ We need to take back the system. It's your tax money, it's your vote. Why are we letting predatory plutocrats determine how it's spent? How did we get to the point where they weaponized our own resources against us? It's time to send these predators packing.
10/ Over the past few weeks I assembled a small army to build a blueprint of the existing system. We spent 100s of hours consulting with activists, academics, gov employees, industry experts, and most important — regular people. We needed to know the EXACT pain points.
11/ We took those points and looked at how other cities solved them. We even spoke to some of the designers of these solutions. They didn't just take our call, they wanted to help. Everyone wants to see each other thrive, we just forget it sometimes.
12/ Our solutions are based on unprecedented collaboration. My goal isn't to become mayor. It's to get people working together to solve our problems. When I say it, I mean it. This is bigger than me and I'm putting my money where my mouth is.
13/ We've been approaching City council candidates for commitments on our platform. We incorporated their feedback and are excited to endorse them soon. We're not done. If you're a council candidate and our solutions sound like they'll improve your community, get in touch.
14/ We're not stopping there. We also approached mayors and candidates in other cities. Like I said, unprecedented collaboration. We don't want to just solve Toronto's problems. We want to make sure they don't happen again. Not just here, but anywhere.
15/ That's why we're adopting a radically transparent plan & want to share resources. Why do cities solve the same problems repeatedly instead of learning from each other? #letsfixit If you're running for mayor in any Ontario city, get in touch. We'd love to work together.
16/ over the next few weeks, we'll be rolling out more of our platform & updating it as we get feedback. We just need one more team member to collaborate with — you. We need you to convince your friends and family to vote. We have plans, but you have power. #letfixit </🧵>
Dang. It’s pretty encouraging how many people are up past their bedtime, pouring over our platform and offering resources. Thanks! Double thanks to all the people sharing it by email and on messenger. It’s pretty darn hard to bring up politics these days with friends & fam.
