PRESS RELEASE: Congratulations To New Mayor Rob Ford, Now What Happens Next In Toronto?

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PRESS RELEASE: Congratulations To New Mayor Rob Ford, Now What Happens Next In Toronto?

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Vijay Sarma - 2010 Mayor of Toronto Hopeful

1512-C Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M6K 1T5

Vijay.Sarma@gmail.com | 647-857-5755

http://WhatYouWantToBelieveIn.com

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October 27, 2010

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Dear Friends in Toronto,

First of all, I'd like to sincerely thank the 2,264 people who voted for me, Vijay Sarma, for Mayor of Toronto, despite the supposedly close campaign between Rob Ford and George Smitherman. Since polls of 2000 people in total determined how many of us thought about the elections, it was great to get so many votes for my platform, which is similar in ways to Mayor Ford's. I'd also like to thank Mayor Ford for his many, many promises and guarantees to "Stop The Gravy Train" and finally clean up City Hall. We can use them.

As a journalist and political activist, I ran on an anti-globalization mandate because of how everyone in Toronto is affected. No more G20 "martial law" type situations; stop big corporations from poisoning us as we see in the news; stop government "waste" which is really "theft" by the people who get the money; people spending an hour a week to help City Hall resist corporate lobbyists; and men taking care of more serious issues on behalf of women, children and the elderly. These ideas have traction in our City. We can use it.

Since over 2000 people supported me, plus others who may have chosen to strategically vote, I think I have a clear "official" mandate to continue working on these issues in Toronto along with everyone who wants to. After unofficially starting to campaign in April 2009, I noticed how nearly everyone agreed with what I was saying, but nearly everyone worried about what other people would think. So, nearly all of us agree, we just need to have confidence in ourselves and each others' abilities to handle it. We'll feel better if we do.

To help put things in context, with 5.5 million people in the GTA, Mayor Ford received 383,000 votes, or less than 10% of us voted for him. Online, his Facebook group has just 572 members, his YouTube channel just 200 subscribers and his website "Issues" section just 2 comments. Part 1 of his "Fiscal Plan" on YouTube has 307 views. Part 2 has 234. While many people were excited, many of us didn't get quite as inspired. We can support Mr. Ford, Councillors and Trustees while also recognizing that we're not quite "happy" yet.

Below are 5 simple ideas to help us deal with the "anger" that many people in Toronto feel towards a "system" that everyone knows is corrupt. If we deal with it well, we probably won't be angry. If we don't, we might be even angrier. Politicians often credit for how they "play the game", but after giving 45 people guaranteed 4 year jobs paying $100,000 of our tax-dollars a year during a recession, we should make sure we get what we want. It won't be hard to do in our friendly, tolerant, intelligent and empathetic City. We can do this.

1) Talk To Each Other To Get Our 21st Century Facts Straight

We don't discuss it much, but most of us know a bit about "globalization", or how big corporations and others work together worldwide to get richer while the rest of us worry about our future. Their influence on our health, wealth and relationships can be resisted if we choose to understand and act on it. Fortunately, Toronto has a great market for "truth" the corporate media doesn't discuss much, or stories that are reported but not repeated. We don't need to focus on it much, but we can practically share good info to get the results we want.

2) Figure It Out: If It's Stupid, Laugh At It, If It's Smart, Appreciate It

Great places to learn more include the Toronto Street News paper sold for 12 years by the homeless for their income; the Conspiracy Culture Book and DVD store often praised by our press; the dynamic Press For Truth film and journalism company; the Toronto Truth Seekers weekly outreaches at Dundas Square; plus radio shows and many other places on and offline in our vibrant culture. Most of us know about "organic" and other healthier options, but not why we need them. People have made the explanations easy, so check them out.

3) Men Want Power, Women Want Security, So We Should Handle It

Individuals vary, but this is generally how we work best. Men can give women more personal space when passing on sidewalks (etc.) and generally respect how they may feel threatened on some level by bigger strangers. Women can respond by feeling better, smiling and subtly thanking men, which empowers and validates them. Our busy culture can find time for chivalry that pays big dividends as many small good interactions can lead to having a good day. It works and will put all of us in a much better mood to handle anything we want.

4) Keep Your Family, Friends And Favourites And Fight For Your Future

People sometimes think getting "political" means they have to change who they are and what they like. It's not true. If we spent one hour a week taking care of business, that's all it would take. If we use practical ways to reach many people with simple messages to affect specific changes, then we don't have to bring it up much. If we use good info to help improve each others lives instead of just arguing about what reality is, then we can move on to other subjects. People can only think for themselves if they have the options to think about.

5) Remember: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

History reveals corrupt people are often in charge and ordinary people often resist their influence. Today, things are no different. We also have access to more info about them than ever, including their plans for the future. While we're not encouraged by governments and corporations to look into it, millions of people worldwide have, so we can trust that it's worth looking into. Before supporting any heavily promoted causes, it's a good idea to look into the big picture to make sure they're worthwhile. Once we do, we can get what we want.

Finally, the great City of Toronto has a proud history of respecting a rich diversity of thought, opinion and expression, so we should be open to helping each other figure out our problems, reactions and solutions. While wedge issues can divide us, common threats like 40% of us expected to get cancer from the toxins in our daily environments can unite us and help us work with our newly elected City officials on dealing with them. We can all get inspired by our favourite artists, spiritual leaders and others to help us achieve a better tomorrow today.

I think us being able to do this is What You Want To Believe In.

Thanks again for being open to this campaign for Mayor.

My best wishes to the people of Toronto.

Warm regards,

Vijay

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Vijay Sarma - 2010 Mayor of Toronto Hopeful

1512-C Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M6K 1T5

Vijay.Sarma@gmail.com | 647-857-5755

http://WhatYouWantToBelieveIn.com

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