“I was clear during the…

“I was clear during the campaign. I listened to the people and we are not touching the Greenbelt. We will protect it and all its beauty.” — Doug Ford @fordnation 5:28 p.m. 07 Dec. 18 (deleted tweet)

First off: These proposed amendments go directly against an election promise made by Ford.

But really, here’s the thing: Folks in Ontario didn’t create the Greenbelt for beauty. They created it because it is the natural version of weeping tile installed by nature (for free) around the foundation of this very large house we call “The City of Toronto” where millions of taxpayers and voters have their own individual homes.

Building *anything* in the Greenbelt is the equivalent of going out into your yard with a shovel, digging up your weeping tile, and punching holes in it.

Anyone in the housing and construction industry should understand that basically *that is a bad idea*. Same goes for whoever is in charge of making sure the basement doesn't flood during persistent heavy rain.

The flood protection for that house will be toast. Just like the flood protection for the City of Toronto and the existing housing within the city will be toast. And the same will be true for any new houses built on that land. It's a cascading problem.

That’s why this is a bad idea. That’s why putting land aside somewhere else does not erase the problem. It’s not about keeping a balance of greenspace. It’s about keeping the value that we already have in free, continuous flood protection for city infrastructure, rather than punching holes in it.

No business would ever make this decision to destroy its own value.

I recommend rejecting this set of amendments.