Harry Shannon
Background: This letter to the Toronto Star followed their editorial outlining some of the problems with how Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been handling the pandemic. I thought the analogy with sports players would resonate with Ford himself, as well as others. The letter was published in the January 22 edition of the paper.
Re Don’t blame the workers, Editorial, Jan. 15
Many would-be professional athletes practice and train almost endlessly to achieve their goal. Yet in most cases, hard work is not enough. They don’t have enough skill and competence to make the team.
Doug Ford has been telling us that he has been working late nights to deal with the pandemic. I don’t doubt his sincerity. Yet he doesn’t have the skill and competence to get it right. Your editorial noted many limitations in how Ford and his government are dealing with COVID-19 in long-term care homes.
As well, we all have heard how confusing the new rules are for the general public. Just one instance: Slide 26 of the province’s information package refers in the top half to “[c]losure of all indoor and outdoor sports and recreational fitness facilities” with some exceptions. But the bottom half lists 17 types of “[o]utdoor recreational amenities permitted to open.”
It’s clear that, despite his work, Ford is unable to come up with a coherent and effective plan. Like the athlete whose hard work isn’t enough, he simply doesn’t have what it takes. If he really wants to save lives, he should move aside and let someone competent take over.