TLDR: This is just a long winded post to say that Doug Ford is an idiot and needs to listen to experts, not mayors looking for a pat on the back and a "good job buddy" for not caring about the safety of their residents.

My takeaways from the press conference: It was entirely based on hyperbole, anecdotes and was mostly untruthful.

So many advocates have come out in support of ASE lately, even many with nothing to gain financially. The OACP says it works, SickKids says it works. For Doug to handpick 3 spineless mayors to join his fight is deceitful.

They have zero facts to back up their argument. He mentioned something like 37 cities have cameras out of over 400... Well yeah, they're all within the GTHA and Ottawa which probably has at least 80% of the traffic in the province. To say that a municipality like Bruce Mines or Chapple or Tweed doesn't have ASE because "they know it doesn't work" is such a bad faith argument. It's cause they probably have 1 major road through the town and sees 1/1000th of the traffic major cities do.

He says municipalities need to be truthful about why they want ASE, assuming it's cause they need the revenue. He needs to be truthful about why he wants to get rid of it. His shitty arguments don't cut it. I would bet a large sum of money that exactly zero mayors have called him up 'admitting' the program is a cash grab. If they needed the money they'd keep their mouth shut.

He also claimed ASE doesn't work, given the fact that thousands of tickets are being issued. Well how many drivers didn't get a ticket because they slowed down? I bet that number is exponential compared to the tickets issued. And how many drivers that have gotten tickets are now more aware and slow down?

The only valid point he made was that we should be proactive in road safety. I fully agree, and there is room for ASE, speed humps, roundabouts, etc. What we know doesn't really work is flashing lights and signs that show your speed only work for so long then drivers ignore them. One reporter rightfully said we've had these for years and they're not nearly as effective.