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w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, Ju ly 12 ,2 01 8 | 8 Waterloo Chronicle 630 Riverbend Dr. Kitchener, ON N2B 2G1 Phone: 519-886-2830 Fax: 519-579-2029 Web: www.waterloochronicle.ca Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 200 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Delivery For all delivery inquiries, e-mail customerservice@metroland.com or call 519-894-3000 CONTACT US VP, Regional Publisher Kelly Montague Regional General Manager Nelson Parreira nparreira@metroland.com Regional Advertising Director Bill Ford bford@metroland.com Sales Lead Michelle Stevens ext. 795062 Advertising Representatives Cassandra Dellow ext. 795066 Zach Peters ext. 795068 Jan Bodanka ext. 795072 Editor Bob Vrbanac Reporters Adam Jackson Bill Jackson Namish Modi WHO WE ARE The Waterloo Chronicle, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 100 community publications across Ontario. The Waterloo Chronicle is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the newspaper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca editorial@waterloochronicle.ca waterloochronicle @wlchronicle ABOUT US ® Chronicle.WATERLOO $1.00 CONNECTED TO YOUR COMMUNITY WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA OPINION • EDITORIAL • Doug Ford was sworn in as this province's newest pre- mier at the end of June facing as many challenges, trials and tribulations as any Ontario premier in living memory. What makes his load especially burdensome, however, is the inconvenient fact that many of these challenges, trials and tribulations are of his own making. Consider first the storm winds barrelling down on Onta- rio from all directions - winds the premier cannot control. After 15 long years out of government, Ford's Progressive Conservatives have taken power just as a trade war with the United States is breaking out. Donald Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum represent a clear and present danger for Ontario manufacturers, workers and consumers. And if they come, President Trump's threatened tariffs on our auto sector, which employs more than 100,000 Ontar- ians, would plunge this province into recession. Meanwhile, Ontario is buried under a provincial-debt mountain that tops $310 billion and represents a danger- ously large proportion of its economy. As if all this weren't bad enough, for most of this century the province has been unable to pay for the programs peo- ple need and expect without running deficits. This is the dog's breakfast Ford inherited. Here's the mess he created for himself. Ford was elected in large part thanks to his very expen- sive but often impractical promises. Now he must find billions of new dollars to pay for the better health care, expanded highway system and new public transit infrastructure he campaigned on. While he does this, he has to somehow keep his promise to find $8 billion in provincial budget savings without lay- ing off any civil servants or cutting essential services. He has to lower income taxes, gasoline taxes and elec- tricity costs - which will cost the treasury billions. How he will simultaneously cut government spending while increasing it and still manage to eventually balance the budget is a magical feat worthy of Houdini. We can't guess how Ford actually plans to square this fiscal circle - and we suspect he can't. There is real strength in Ford's cabinet: selecting Chris- tine Elliott as deputy premier and health minister, former interim leader Vic Fedeli as finance minister, Carolyn Mul- roney as Attorney-General and Rod Phillips as environ- ment minister were wise choices that could make for a capable, intelligent front bench for the Tories at Queen's Park. Ford should seek and heed the counsel of Progressive Conservatives such as these. In addition, he should keep his options open as he awaits the results of his promised outside audit of the province's budgetary books. If he can say Ontario's finances are shaki- er than he expected, he could revise his agenda, again with the help of Elliott, Mulroney, Fedeli and Phillips. This isn't the time for rash, ill-thought-out change. It is the time for a reasoned, carefully planned way forward. Doug Ford should take his time and govern wisely In an industry like the news business you're usually only as good as your last byline or your last column. You're lucky if people pay attention to who is ac- tually writing a story, or if reading a column makes an impact longer than when the reader turns to the next page. I've seen people come and go from this calling of keeping the public in- formed and engaged, and it seems they are quickly forgotten for the contri- butions they've made. I expected nothing less from my imminent depar- ture on July 13, and that I will be quickly placed in the dustbin of local histo- ry. Bob Who? will be my naming going forward. But I have to admit that I've been pleasantly sur- prised since I announced my departure from 21 years in journalism. It seems people did notice my efforts to provide a lit- tle levity, share a charm- ing family story or two, or offer my views on impor- tant local issues. Some of them have even encour- aged me to keep writing in some way and to stay engaged in the communi- ty if at all possible. That's a promise I would love to keep as well. I didn't realize how long a reach this career can have and the people it has touched along the way, and I am humbled that a lot of you thought I've made a contribution in some small way to the local community. For those kind words, I say thank you. I've been joking that people don't usually hear such nice things until they are six feet under and dearly departed. I guess we should all have the chance to be there at our own end to hear what people really think. I'm blessed to hear I will be missed as much as I will miss all of you. These are great com- munities we live in with people doing amazing things everyday that should be celebrated. I was happy to put the spot- light on them during my career, and I appreciate you letting me bask in some of that reflected glo- ry. Cheers. - Managing editor Bob Vrbanac is an award- winning columnist. Thanks for all the kind words and sentiments You never know if you've made a difference, but it's great to hear when you did, Bob Vrbanac writes BOB VRBANAC Column