the company store only sells gruel

[the_siobhan]

The Toronto District School Board has a continuing ed program where they host general interest courses in classrooms that are empty on weekends or over the summer. The courses are a mixed bag - not all of the instructors are professional teachers - but in general I've always found them worth taking.

I can't remember how long ago it was when I last took a class - Darrell was still alive so maybe 4 years ago? But I remember posting about it at the time, how shocked I was at the state of the building. Broken lockers, broken windows held together by tape, one washroom stall with a working door on it. No air conditioning obviously, why the fuck I thought it was a good idea to take a class in July, I don't know. But you know, you read about how the TDSB has a 10-year repair backlog and then you see it in person? Ouch.

This week I went to visit the Old Man in the hospital. It was Toronto General, and he was in one of the older wings. My reaction to the place was much the same. Peeling paint. No phones in the rooms. There was a TV, an older blocky thing the size of a breadbox, I carefully threaded the wires back into the cable connection and managed to get a display that only had the colour red. It was depressing.

I want to start giving tours. People who vote conservative because progressive politicians just "waste our money". People who only vote for the candidate that promises low taxes. I want to take them into schools and hospitals and say "this is what you are voting for".

I wonder if it would actually make a difference.

Comments

[disastrid]

I'll never forget, years ago, seeing a guy on the news who was disabled and angry that the TTC had cut the transit service for disabled people down to absolutely nothing. The reporter asked him what his political leanings were and he said "Conservative - but I didn't think they'd cut things that mattered to *me*", and that is still the single most instructive lesson in the conservative mindset I've ever had.

[elusis]

See also "He's not hurting the people he needs to be." - Trump voter

[houseof9cats]

Central Tech? Central Tech is like this. Quite literally asbestos in walls that are leaking water. I'll let everyone guess who generally gets tracked there. It is full of FINE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, I should add. The TDSB is full of amazing teachers and kids working in an administrative and leadership hellscape.

If you're a parent who happens to be a plumber or an IT person, you're not allowed to fix it for free, either.

[china_shop]

Oh my god. DDDD:

[sabotabby]

The schools are worse now. Four years ago was great by comparison. That was before they really started cutting back.

[grimjim]

Some may be convinced, but many are tribal and egocentric: so long as they get theirs, the hell with everyone else.

[the_siobhan]

There is a more than zero chance that "theirs" may one day need to visit a hospital.

[elusis]

Well, people as a whole are so good at long-term thinking, especially when living flooded with fear and anxiety that literally tends to isolate most of their brain activity to their brain stem and amygdala....

[grimjim]

If people had more foresight, there would be a lot less drama in the world.

Remember the Ontario woman on social assistance who supported Harris, becoming a face leading to the election, and was shocked that he cut social assistance benefits upon election?

[cornerofmadness]

knowing the American conservatives I've met they'd say I don't have kids/mine are grown so why should I have to pay taxes on schools. Sigh.

I do rather love you have a hookworm icon

[greylock]

Old buildings (even in hospitals) are like that, they don't get the funding to upgrade, you can't shut down wards for proper repaint, so I guess that's just normal.

It's like living in an old house, you patch what you can. That said:
I wonder if it would actually make a difference.
Conservatives don't have empathy for others, unless you make it about them.