福特大幅消减政策大失前支持者民心

当道格•福特于2018年6月乘安大略民粹主义浪潮夺下省长宝座后，我写了一篇 “为什么不再是福特的支持者”一文，表达了在他领导下安省政府将大幅消减开支以伤害安省百姓的前景的担心。

In June 2018, after Doug Ford campaign claimed an overwhelming victory by riding the populist wave in Ontario, I wrote a column "Why I am no longer a Ford Nation supporter," expressing concerns that his government will engage in deep cuts that hurt Ontarians.



“道格•福特当选为省长会给安省经济带来动荡……将导致未来政府大幅消减开支，拉大安省贫富差距。其结果会让越来越多像我这样的平民百姓不堪经济重负而陷入财务困境。”

"That Doug Ford has become Premier would only cause uncertainty to the economy and hurt the province…It will force the future government to engage in deeper spending cuts, creating more significant gaps between the rich and poor. As a result, more and more little guys like me would be left behind, struggling with financial hardships. "

福特以其民粹主义议程以及他的“处处为民”的口头禅当选。他在其竞选演说中不断重复其“人民第一”的宗旨。他的反精英、并主张紧缩政策不但赢得了福特阵营的支持，还深获少数族裔和移民社区的人心。他让那些厌倦了脱离大众的上层人士，并在贫困线上挣扎的百姓们看到了希望和曙光。在抱怨“食品价格越来越高，生活越来越困难”的同时，他们认为“福特可以让他们的生活重上正轨。”

Ford won the election campaign mainly on populist agenda and his For the People mantra. The government will put people first, said Ford on his campaign trail, routinely mentioning "the people" in his speeches. His anti-elite, austerity message is appealing beyond the Ford Nation, expanding to visible minorities and immigrants.  It had touched the heart of those who fed up with out-of-touch leaders and who were struggling on the poverty line. "The food prices are going up, and it's more and more difficult to make ends meet," they say. "But Ford promised to get things back on track."



但是“保护人民利益”和“大幅消减支出”在某种程度上说是互相矛盾难以同时并存的。在福特政府执政一年后，他采取了一系列眼花缭乱的削减措施，大刀阔斧地砍掉了安省低收入人士最需要的项目和服务。

However, it is tough and even impossible to eliminate the deficit and maintain for the People mantra simultaneously. Now, one year into his majority government, Ford government has made a dizzying array of changes, cutting services and programs needed most by low-income people in the province.

福特的大幅削减政策会从从医疗保健到教育支出到环境保护等多方面给安省人士带来影响。大学生得不到学费津贴；25岁以下年轻人不再享受免费处方药。学生与教师比率增加，同时贫困学生免费早餐被取消。前自由党提供的精神疾病医疗资助项目也被取消。

Ontarians will be affected by his cuts in many ways – from healthcare to education to the environment. University students will lose their tuition grant; Youth under 25 will no longer enjoy the free prescription medication. Children's school breakfast programs will be canceled while class sizes to be increased. Mental health programs funding promised by the former Liberals are wiped out.



将水灾管理基金砍掉一半将增加安省水患危险，大大增加安省近湖边地带闹水灾可能。更为严重的是，安省政府对多伦多公共卫生项目的资金削减会对每一名多伦多市民造成伤害。削减餐馆卫生检查的开支会给去餐馆就餐的顾客，特别是那些对中餐情有独钟的顾客们造成食品安全隐患。因为以往曾有大批华社餐馆因难过市政食品健康检查而被勒令关门。

The slash of 50 percent of flood management funds will increase flood disaster risks, with the threats proliferating in lake area across the province. Furthermore, cuts to Toronto Public Health will have a more devastating impact on every Torontonians. The reduction in restaurant inspections may cause a food safety hazard to patrons – particularly those who fancy Chinese cuisines, as a flood of restaurants in the community had failed safety inspections over the past and were ordered to close by authorities.

同时，据《环球邮报》报道，福特政府向乡镇社区提供大手笔无偿拨款$2亿元，其中 71%拨给保守党议员所在选区。新民主党领袖霍华兹（Andrea Horwath）称，福特政府的这一手事实上是给那些乡镇地区领导们一笔封口费，让他们在开支削减运动中三缄其口。

Meanwhile, the Ford government spent $200 million as a free handout to rural communities, 71 percent of which goes to ridings represented by the Tory MPPs, according to the Globe. The NDP Leader Andrea Horwath labeled it as hush money that tries to keep rural municipal leaders quiet amid the cost-cutting.



福特政府公布了削减政策之后，我在早期文章中表达对福特政府的不满和担忧情绪在安省不断飙升。尽管在多伦多市政府对其削减政策猛烈抨击后，福特政府取消了某些削减措施，但许多前福特支持者们表示这种无情的杀戮焚烧政策像是一场突然袭击，让他们猝然无妨，并对当时投票保守党政府的决定后悔不迭。据CBC民调分析师的信息，最新民调显示，对安省保守党政府的支持率已降低了30-35%。

The concerns expressed in my column seems soaring in Ontario after the Ford government announced the cuts. Despite Ford's reversal on the program cuts – following the backslash from the city of Toronto, many of his former supporters feel his slash and burn politics blindsided them, saying they were feeling buyer remorse. New polls have shown support for the Ontario PC has dropped significantly by between 30 to 35 percent, according to CBC polling analyst.

对政治高层的不满和不信任导致了让福特政府入主皇后公园的民粹热潮。但是，目前这种民粹热潮在安省已逐渐消退。《环邮》的一名专栏作者表示：“按照惯例”从政是有其道理的。毕竟，“破坏正常秩序的疯狂从政方式既非进步也非保守，而是具有破坏性的。”

The feeling of insecurity and distrust over the political ivory tower had sparked the populist sentiment in Ontario that had paved Ford’s path to office. However, the populist wave has waned and faded. "We do ‘politics as usual’ for a reason,” said a Globe columnist. “The frenetic politics of wrecking-ball governance, after all, is neither progressive nor conservative – it's merely destructive," said a Globe columnist.