Have you ever wondered if politicians are truly listening to the voices of their constituents, or are they just playing to their loyal base? Watch as we uncover the growing disconnect between the people and their leaders, focusing on figures like Montreal's Mayor Valérie Plante and Toronto's Mayor Olivia Chow. We'll explore how decisions have ruined cities and countries chasing votes rather than what voters need. Politicians seem to be more interested in securing reelection than genuinely addressing regional concerns.
Reflecting on these issues is just the beginning. This episode invites you to engage with your community by considering how you would interact with a politician if given the chance. We challenge you to shake off the negativity and think critically about the impact political decisions have on your daily life.
00:00:02.823 --> 00:00:05.187 Hey everybody, it's a Friday edition of the RUN Network.
00:00:05.187 --> 00:00:06.769 I'm David Sullivan flying solo today.
00:00:06.769 --> 00:00:14.925 But, folks, my talk today is simple why are politicians not listening to voters?
00:00:14.925 --> 00:00:20.472 Or are they going to wait to get to the ballot box and realize I can't believe we lost.
00:00:20.472 --> 00:00:30.859 I don't understand what happened, but it's enough is enough, because it seems like politicians have distanced themselves more than ever from you and me, and it's time to get rid of some of them.
00:00:30.859 --> 00:00:32.884 Everybody, welcome back to the Rent Network.
00:00:32.884 --> 00:00:33.807 As I said, I'm David Solomon.
00:00:33.807 --> 00:00:36.344 Stuart Brasgel is off today.
00:00:36.865 --> 00:00:47.125 This is a platform where we provide you an unedited, unfiltered and uncensored platform to talk about what you want, to talk about the issues that bother you.
00:00:47.125 --> 00:00:57.786 We get into news, pop culture and so much more where we give you a chance to express your opinions, your thoughts, ideas and hear from a variety of perspectives from a couple of guys who are not media people.
00:00:57.786 --> 00:01:02.063 But boy, do we do our homework way better than the folks sometimes in the media.
00:01:02.063 --> 00:01:05.572 So sit back as we get into today's topic and listen.
00:01:05.572 --> 00:01:10.167 You know what got me this week?
00:01:10.167 --> 00:01:13.253 As I was traveling, I was in Toronto.
00:01:13.253 --> 00:01:30.802 I came back listening to politics in different cities and reading about what's going on in American election in 11 days and what the theme that was consistent was politicians are not listening to you and me.
00:01:32.465 --> 00:01:46.875 So what started this thought process was on Wednesday morning, the mayor of Montreal announced she wasn't seeking a third term and of course, the reaction has been well, women, you know mayors, they're being threatened.
00:01:49.605 --> 00:01:51.168 They can't take it anymore.
00:01:51.168 --> 00:01:54.001 It's not fair, it's wrong, and so on and so forth.
00:01:54.001 --> 00:01:56.489 And to that I find that the violent, disgusting.
00:01:56.489 --> 00:01:57.871 It should be eliminated.
00:01:57.871 --> 00:02:04.674 And people who have the power of anonymity on X on Facebook, on Instagram, you name it, it's violent.
00:02:04.674 --> 00:02:10.137 Anonymity on X on Facebook, on Instagram, you name it, it's vile.
00:02:10.137 --> 00:02:10.819 But that's not my point.
00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:16.090 See, the problem with Valerie Plante over the last seven years of her being the mayor was she didn't listen to the voters.
00:02:16.090 --> 00:02:21.104 She paid attention to her base and what they wanted, but not what was best for the city of Montreal.
00:02:21.104 --> 00:02:23.128 She got elected twice.
00:02:23.128 --> 00:02:35.587 She beat the incumbent the first time, she beat him out again the second time, and the reality is that Valérie Plante, to some, many called her the greatest mayor of all time.
00:02:35.587 --> 00:02:44.567 Of course, those are people in her party and as she's stepping down in a year from now, the accolades are going to come out, because that's what we do in politics.
00:02:45.639 --> 00:02:48.545 What made Valérie Plante such a lightning rod?
00:02:48.545 --> 00:02:50.229 Why was she so hated?
00:02:50.229 --> 00:02:52.334 Because she didn't listen.
00:02:52.334 --> 00:02:56.668 She didn't listen to the people in the city of Montreal.
00:02:56.668 --> 00:02:59.854 For example, she destroyed downtown.
00:02:59.979 --> 00:03:16.757 Her decision to turn downtown into this, you know, pedestrian walkway, ignoring the businesses along the major arteries here, ignoring the fact that her impact on downtown Montreal was destroying the fabric that made downtown amazing.
00:03:16.757 --> 00:03:19.848 Yes, she was the mayor through COVID.
00:03:19.848 --> 00:03:27.894 Yes, downtown disappeared, but instead of reviving and revitalizing the downtown core, she went ahead and killed it even further.
00:03:27.894 --> 00:03:34.013 Her ideas have cocked more bike lanes instead of helping cars get around.
00:03:34.013 --> 00:03:43.473 The idea that she had to appeal to her left wing base that climate change is the only thing that matters in the city of Montreal, not its development, not its international reputation.
00:03:43.473 --> 00:03:44.634 Didn't matter.
00:03:44.634 --> 00:03:48.931 Businesses closed, restaurants that were there for many years disappeared.
00:03:48.931 --> 00:03:53.306 People stopped coming downtown and what does she end up doing?
00:03:53.306 --> 00:03:59.025 Increasing parking spaces, not increasing, sorry, not increasing.
00:03:59.025 --> 00:04:02.001 Increasing the time when you have to pay for parking spaces downtown.
00:04:02.001 --> 00:04:06.129 So we're not attracting people and now we're making it more expensive for them to come.
00:04:09.926 --> 00:04:37.749 She didn't care and since October 7th 2023, she's ignored her constituents even further by permitting hateful riots in Montreal, destruction of property, montreal has become an international symbol of hate and yet she said we're not doing anything because we're not a police state and a police has said she handcuffed them.
00:04:37.749 --> 00:04:39.415 They can't do anything.
00:04:39.415 --> 00:04:42.124 I've spoken to police officers myself who have told me this.
00:04:42.124 --> 00:04:44.951 It's sad, ladies and gentlemen.
00:04:44.951 --> 00:04:45.593 It's sad.
00:04:45.593 --> 00:04:50.447 That is a woman who didn't want to listen to her constituents.
00:04:50.447 --> 00:04:52.031 By the way, she's not the only one.
00:04:52.031 --> 00:04:54.245 Olivia Chow in Toronto is doing the same thing.
00:04:54.245 --> 00:05:00.632 Other mayors have done the same thing, whether it's for hate purposes or for crime or for whatever.
00:05:01.334 --> 00:05:07.101 These politicians have an agenda that has nothing to do with you and me, but to get reelected.
00:05:07.101 --> 00:05:17.970 There's a base out there, a somewhat powerful base out there, that is creating havoc and anarchy, and that's what they're appealing to in order to get voted in.
00:05:17.970 --> 00:05:22.223 So the ideas that they've come up with have been so half-cocked it's unbelievable.
00:05:22.223 --> 00:05:25.906 So we're not talking about really great policies.
00:05:25.906 --> 00:05:39.273 What we're talking about is misleading voters on real intent, and that's what they've done, and we have to wait until the next election to do something about it.
00:05:39.273 --> 00:05:44.247 But again, it's not limited to just these mayors.
00:05:45.249 --> 00:05:46.892 Take a look at federal politics.
00:05:46.892 --> 00:05:54.091 Take a look at you have a federal government that is not listening to its constituents.
00:05:54.091 --> 00:06:09.086 I mean, imagine, if you will, chrystia Freeland goes to Prince Edward Island to talk about why public transit is the greatest thing in the world and that they should all embrace public transit, in a province that just doesn't really have the infrastructure for that.
00:06:09.086 --> 00:06:13.069 She embarrassed and insulted constituents in PDI.
00:06:13.069 --> 00:06:13.821 They don't.
00:06:13.821 --> 00:06:16.250 They're like have you any idea what we're about?
00:06:17.660 --> 00:06:22.052 Justin Trudeau, melanie Jolie, all the rest of these liberal lunatics have done the same thing.
00:06:22.052 --> 00:06:24.865 Melanie Jolie wants to get reelected.
00:06:24.865 --> 00:06:33.586 Her policies per reports are per her constituents and not per Canadians, because her constituents want to.
00:06:33.586 --> 00:06:35.512 A lot of them want to see Israel falter.
00:06:35.512 --> 00:06:39.867 She is butching that way so she can get re-elected.
00:06:39.867 --> 00:06:42.016 But is that the best for Canada?
00:06:42.016 --> 00:06:43.901 Is that the best for Canadian constituents?
00:06:43.901 --> 00:06:45.504 Look what happened in India.
00:06:45.504 --> 00:06:46.526 Same thing.
00:06:46.526 --> 00:06:54.047 Justin Trudeau and Melanie Jolie have both looked and said how do we get re-elected, not do what's best for Canadians?
00:06:56.209 --> 00:06:59.915 Now, if there had been a better opposition leader, then this would not be happening.
00:06:59.915 --> 00:07:04.177 But unfortunately, canadian politics, municipal politics none of the politics is fun.
00:07:04.177 --> 00:07:08.944 People don't want to get in here.
00:07:08.944 --> 00:07:12.132 But finally there is a pivot, there is a movement to change.
00:07:12.132 --> 00:07:17.723 And now Trudeau realizes oh my God, if I want to get elected, I got to do something.
00:07:17.723 --> 00:07:24.826 So he now reduces immigration numbers by 20%, but he doesn't talk about vetting people, because that looks bad.
00:07:24.826 --> 00:07:27.774 The media is going to crucify him as being a racist.
00:07:27.774 --> 00:07:30.043 That looks bad.
00:07:30.043 --> 00:07:31.745 My base will be upset.
00:07:32.567 --> 00:07:38.601 Come on, are you not listening to the voters In the United States?
00:07:38.601 --> 00:07:39.283 This has gone on.
00:07:39.283 --> 00:07:41.009 This is like this is steroids, folks.
00:07:41.009 --> 00:07:44.163 This is like the great game in steroids.
00:07:44.163 --> 00:07:55.961 The United States election that we're currently seeing, as I said, in 11 days in the US, has gone so far off the rails that it doesn't matter, has gone so far off the rails that it doesn't matter.
00:07:55.961 --> 00:07:59.004 Take a look at what the polls say.
00:07:59.004 --> 00:08:08.593 The important topics for American voters are crime, immigration and the economy, not necessarily in that order.
00:08:08.593 --> 00:08:10.915 But what do the Democrats do?
00:08:10.915 --> 00:08:12.797 How do the Democrats run?
00:08:12.797 --> 00:08:22.000 How do they disperse their minions of Obama and Hillary Clinton and Tim Walz and the rest?
00:08:23.021 --> 00:08:23.444 Lies and misdirection.
00:08:23.444 --> 00:08:25.490 Kamala Harris can't get a policy out of her mouth.
00:08:25.490 --> 00:08:36.962 She just talks about yeah, but Donald Trump, even if we don't vote for Donald Trump and we vote for Kamala Harris.
00:08:36.962 --> 00:08:37.524 So what are you going to do?
00:08:37.524 --> 00:08:38.285 She's lying to people.
00:08:38.285 --> 00:08:39.609 She lied about her past.
00:08:39.609 --> 00:08:41.011 The media has covered it up.
00:08:41.011 --> 00:08:43.488 She's lying.
00:08:43.488 --> 00:08:47.884 She's ignoring the fact that you are smart enough to listen to know.
00:08:47.884 --> 00:08:50.090 Hey, she said these things and now she's changed her mind.
00:08:50.090 --> 00:09:07.706 She's flipped Insults from Barack Obama, who has to insult the hell out of Donald Trump, to Hillary Clinton and others, to go as far as to call him a fascist and, yes, that is the term that they have used.
00:09:08.528 --> 00:09:09.552 Donald Trump is Hitler.
00:09:09.552 --> 00:09:12.802 I mean, talk about insulting the population.
00:09:12.802 --> 00:09:15.629 Donald Trump is Hitler.
00:09:15.629 --> 00:09:17.033 He's authoritarian.
00:09:17.033 --> 00:09:19.288 He wants to bring in the military in case he doesn't win.
00:09:19.288 --> 00:09:21.347 Like on and on, and on and on and on.
00:09:21.347 --> 00:09:29.455 I mean Hillary Clinton said that the rally in Madison Square Garden she's not the only one will be like a Nazi rally in 1930s.
00:09:29.455 --> 00:09:33.407 How much more can they insult you?
00:09:33.407 --> 00:09:36.823 This is the woman who called voters deplorables because they didn't vote for her.
00:09:38.826 --> 00:09:47.556 We've ranted about this that the Democratic Party, instead of bringing out platforms, is insulting and trying to demean you in order for you to vote for them.
00:09:47.556 --> 00:09:48.808 You don't vote for Democrats.
00:09:48.808 --> 00:09:49.272 You're an idiot.
00:09:49.272 --> 00:09:51.048 You don't vote for Kamala.
00:09:51.048 --> 00:09:53.373 You're a racist, a woman hater.
00:09:53.373 --> 00:09:57.328 No policies, because you don't need them.
00:09:57.328 --> 00:09:58.854 Trust us.
00:09:58.854 --> 00:10:00.710 We know what's best for you.
00:10:00.710 --> 00:10:05.707 You ever heard that Politicians again and again and again say the same thing?
00:10:05.707 --> 00:10:07.833 We know what's best for you.
00:10:07.833 --> 00:10:09.557 You ever heard that Politicians again and again, and again say the same thing?
00:10:09.557 --> 00:10:10.120 We know what's best for you.
00:10:10.120 --> 00:10:10.299 Trust us.
00:10:10.299 --> 00:10:18.206 So how are we doing here, folks, the Canadian economy is the worst it's been in God knows how long, but we'll blame Harper from nine years ago.
00:10:18.206 --> 00:10:21.333 The Americans are doing lousy.
00:10:21.333 --> 00:10:25.322 We'll blame Trump from 2016 to 2020.
00:10:25.322 --> 00:10:29.129 I mean, are you kidding me?
00:10:30.350 --> 00:10:39.994 Kamala Harris has been asked time and time again You've been in the White House for three and a half plus years why now she can't answer?
00:10:39.994 --> 00:10:46.625 Because her answer is yeah, but donald trump, again and again, bring up the border wall.
00:10:46.625 --> 00:10:48.188 I'm gonna do a better job.
00:10:48.188 --> 00:10:49.331 Donald trump screwed up.
00:10:49.331 --> 00:10:51.414 Donald trump screwed up.
00:10:52.476 --> 00:11:02.370 You know it's fascinating to consistently say is you know, if I ask you a question and say to you you know, tell me about you, know your life, how?
00:11:02.370 --> 00:11:07.620 And I meet you and you say to me my life is good, but let me tell you about my friend's life and how crap it is.
00:11:07.620 --> 00:11:08.989 And that's not what I asked you.
00:11:10.833 --> 00:11:19.836 That's what she's done and she's insulted your intelligence by consistently and repeatedly ignoring the real questions that you want to hear.
00:11:19.836 --> 00:11:23.301 So you can know that we are insulting Donald Trump.
00:11:23.301 --> 00:11:29.638 Look at this person who hated Donald Trump and said hey, it was this, it was this, it was this.
00:11:29.638 --> 00:11:32.354 And you're saying this is the right way to play.
00:11:32.354 --> 00:11:34.327 This is the insults.
00:11:34.327 --> 00:11:37.135 You need Policies.
00:11:37.135 --> 00:11:39.734 That's what we want to hear in an election.
00:11:39.734 --> 00:11:42.917 We want to hear what you're going to do for us.
00:11:42.917 --> 00:11:45.668 Don't tell me what the other guy is like.
00:11:45.668 --> 00:11:47.633 Don't tell me what the other candidate is like.
00:11:47.633 --> 00:11:50.546 Tell me what you're going to do, but they can't.
00:11:50.546 --> 00:11:52.269 They can't.
00:11:53.111 --> 00:12:03.083 In the debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz, we got a sense of what real politics should be Policies and when they tried to insult Donald Trump, they brought it back to policy.
00:12:03.083 --> 00:12:04.547 It was one of the only times.
00:12:04.547 --> 00:12:05.208 It was refreshing.
00:12:05.208 --> 00:12:09.817 But since then, trump's insulted Kamala Harris.
00:12:09.817 --> 00:12:13.975 But he talks about policies and Kamala says oh, I've talked about policies.
00:12:13.975 --> 00:12:14.736 Check my website.
00:12:14.736 --> 00:12:20.794 No, tell me, I don't want to read your policy, tell me, but she's not there.
00:12:20.794 --> 00:12:22.558 None of them are.
00:12:22.558 --> 00:12:25.926 What policy?
00:12:25.926 --> 00:12:26.086 Tell me?
00:12:26.086 --> 00:12:26.567 But she's not there.
00:12:26.567 --> 00:12:26.948 None of them are.
00:12:26.970 --> 00:12:31.686 Ladies and gentlemen, the elections that are going to happen in the United States, and it happened in the UK and it's happened in France.
00:12:31.686 --> 00:12:34.331 And whatever is divisive politics?
00:12:36.134 --> 00:12:38.346 It's demeaning and degrading politics.
00:12:38.346 --> 00:12:44.339 The left and the hard right are absolutely, categorically crazy about this.
00:12:44.339 --> 00:12:45.806 I'm right.
00:12:45.806 --> 00:12:46.868 They're wrong.
00:12:46.868 --> 00:12:47.910 You're stupid.
00:12:47.910 --> 00:12:48.792 Vote for me.
00:12:48.792 --> 00:12:51.899 Enough of this, enough.
00:12:51.899 --> 00:13:00.568 The policies in the US are clear what people want to hear and want to know about and, yes, abortion might be up there.
00:13:00.568 --> 00:13:09.495 And yes, we will address you have to address these things Healthcare, other things, sure, but they're not talking about it.
00:13:09.495 --> 00:13:13.509 It's not there, and the media has helped to make create this environment.
00:13:14.472 --> 00:13:16.236 How do we position Donald Trump?
00:13:16.236 --> 00:13:20.894 I mean, joe Biden this week said we should incarcerate Donald Trump.
00:13:20.894 --> 00:13:22.859 That's a policy.
00:13:22.859 --> 00:13:27.951 That is what you, what Americans, want to hear.
00:13:27.951 --> 00:13:30.899 Americans don't trust the judicial system.
00:13:30.899 --> 00:13:37.432 The Americans don't trust so many of the government departments and instead of addressing that, they're insulting.
00:13:37.432 --> 00:13:39.778 No different.
00:13:39.798 --> 00:13:43.835 In Canada, if you didn't agree with Justin Trudeau, he threw you out of cabinet.
00:13:43.835 --> 00:13:45.509 He threw you out.
00:13:45.509 --> 00:13:47.294 He excommunicated you.
00:13:47.294 --> 00:13:51.909 Because, king Justin, you need to listen to King Justin, because he knows best.
00:13:51.909 --> 00:13:58.817 He would have been better as a 17th century monarch than he is as a leader in Canada, because he doesn't want to listen to you and me.
00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:01.726 The carbon tax that's going to make all the difference in Canada.
00:14:01.726 --> 00:14:04.974 Really, all it did is raise the cost of my driving.
00:14:04.974 --> 00:14:06.437 He didn't do anything.
00:14:06.437 --> 00:14:11.616 We're not changing the climate here, but that's what he wants to make you believe because you're stupid.
00:14:11.616 --> 00:14:16.272 He's raised your cost of living like you can't imagine.
00:14:16.272 --> 00:14:17.836 You're stupid to figure it out.
00:14:17.836 --> 00:14:19.226 What are you going to do about it?
00:14:21.491 --> 00:14:23.696 Americans are lucky that in 11 days they get to vote.
00:14:23.696 --> 00:14:25.139 They get to make a change.
00:14:25.139 --> 00:14:28.332 Whether you believe in the Democrats or the Republicans is not my problem.
00:14:28.332 --> 00:14:28.854 That's yours.
00:14:28.854 --> 00:14:29.596 That's your decision.
00:14:29.596 --> 00:14:31.591 Who you want to live with is who you want to live with.
00:14:31.591 --> 00:14:33.149 But for God's sakes, challenge them.
00:14:33.630 --> 00:14:36.551 Challenge Congress people, challenge your elected officials.
00:14:36.551 --> 00:14:37.749 What are they going to do?
00:14:37.749 --> 00:14:41.331 And stop insulting and telling me the other guy is bad.
00:14:41.331 --> 00:14:44.759 And stop insulting and telling me the other guy is bad.
00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:46.322 What are you going to do for me as a voter?
00:14:46.322 --> 00:14:47.827 What are you going to do for me as a person?
00:14:47.827 --> 00:14:48.791 That's what I want to hear.
00:14:48.791 --> 00:14:54.803 Stop insulting my intelligence, stop insulting other voters' intelligence.
00:14:54.803 --> 00:15:04.784 Enough is enough, and I wish in Canada we were going to vote sooner at the federal level, but we'll probably wait until mid to late 2025.
00:15:05.245 --> 00:15:06.586 So here's the deal, folks.
00:15:06.586 --> 00:15:08.870 It's time to write your elected officials.
00:15:08.870 --> 00:15:10.451 Enough with the insults.
00:15:10.451 --> 00:15:12.333 Get with the program.
00:15:12.333 --> 00:15:17.660 Fix the problems that you consistently push and defer and create other ones.
00:15:17.660 --> 00:15:20.105 Listen to what we really want.
00:15:20.105 --> 00:15:28.090 Don't be Valerie Plante, who now has turned Montreal into a village and not into a city, not into a metropolis that people want to come and live in.
00:15:37.715 --> 00:15:43.457 We do appreciate you tuning in and listening to the Rant Network, whether you're watching us on video or on an audio podcast.
00:15:43.457 --> 00:15:45.158 Hope you gain some valuable insights.
00:15:45.158 --> 00:15:48.400 I'd love to hear your comments on what your feelings are towards politicians right now.
00:15:48.400 --> 00:15:50.522 Yes, I know what you're going to say, david.
00:15:50.522 --> 00:15:56.346 They're all garbage, I know, but how would you address it If you could have a chance to sit down with one politician?
00:15:56.346 --> 00:15:57.347 What would you do?
00:15:57.347 --> 00:15:58.548 Love to hear about it?
00:15:58.548 --> 00:16:00.490 We're on Monday, wednesday, friday noon, easter.
00:16:00.490 --> 00:16:01.390 That's when we broadcast.
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