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Mayor John Tory's Toronto

M

MetroMan

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In 2010, seeing the polls favouring an up trend for Rob Ford and watching a stubborn Left sticking with Joe Pantalone even though he couldn't pull off a win — instead making it impossible for Smitherman to close the gap — it became apparent that we were heading towards 4 years of irrational city government under Rob Ford.

Today, even with 8 weeks to go, the inevitability of a John Tory win is coming into focus. Rob Ford's highest ceiling has remained solid at 30% for well over a year now and it's been again confirmed by yet another poll. He has no room to grow and cannot win with those numbers in a city that doesn't want him as Mayor. Olivia hasn't been able to connect with voters and turn on the passion that I thought she could generate. She's keeping her core voters — just as Ford has — but John Tory has become the standard barer for those who want to put their vote behind removing Rob Ford. Soknacki for his part has now polled his lowest numbers in recent months despite an apparent recent enthusiasm for his campaign. With a debt well into the 6 figures, he doesn't have the money nor the army of volunteers to fight during the prime time of the campaign. He'll either drop out before September 12th or continue a passive campaign hoping for a miracle. Nonetheless, the majority of his supporters are likely to migrate to Tory, further establishing the inevitability of a Toronto with John Tory as Mayor.

What will Toronto be like after 4 years of John Tory? Will he force ahead with SmartTrack despite experts insisting on a DRL or will it have only served as an election tool with Tory reverting to his original plan for a Yonge Relief Line while supporting the province's own preexisting plans to electrify GO? Will Mayor Tory find support in Toronto Council and Queens Park to divert funding from David Miller era Transit City LRTs on Finch and Sheppard towards the DRL or his SmartTrack?

Also of interest, is Toronto becoming more Conservative? This would be two Conservative Mayors in a row and likely 12 or 16 years with right wing Mayors in Toronto.

How do you imagine John Tory's mayoralty playing out? What will he get easily passed by City Council and where will he have to compromise?
 
Prediction: Tory's chardonnay addiction will spiral out of control and he will expire before the end of his term - either choking on a mouthful of artisanal kale at his summer house or suffocating under an avalanche of v-neck sweaters in his penthouse closet.
 
I think Tory's tenure will be very similar to Norm Kelly's. The only difference will be that Tory will have more authority to actually implement his agenda because he'll have a mandate from voters.
 
Tory is far from perfect, but the new council would actually work with him and we wouldn't have people calling in fake bomb threats for sympathy. Like a lot of people, I just want a Ford-free City Hall.
 
SmartTrack is just a map-on-a-napkin campaign promise that Tory will probably abandon since, after all, Ontario is going to electrify GO for all-day service regardless. We'll see how popular funding station construction in Markham and Mississauga will be.

I don't think Toronto's becoming more Conservative. Sure, Art Eggleton was/is nominally a Liberal, but hardly of the "progressive" sort, and it's worth remembering that he was the "pro-development" candidate against John Sewell in 1980. Next there was June Rowlands who defeated Layton, and only with Barbara Hall was a (unofficial) New Democrat elected.

Anyway, the best predictor of how Tory would perform as Mayor is how he performed as PC Leader.
 
Re Sheppard & Finch LRTs, it's understandable that there has been confusion on Tory's position, but here's the latest word from Tory, which to me is pretty clear:

“I want the LRTs to proceed,” he said. “I will move them forward. I have no problem with them proceeding.” All he meant by his “priorities” comments, he said, is that his own “work plan” would focus on the Scarborough subway first and SmartTrack second.
Click to expand...
Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/city_ha...ard_lrts_are_election_hot_potatoes_again.html
 
JGHali said:
SmartTrack is just a map-on-a-napkin campaign promise that Tory will probably abandon since, after all, Ontario is going to electrify GO for all-day service regardless. We'll see how popular funding station construction in Markham and Mississauga will be.
Click to expand...

To me it seems like the intention of SmartTrack is to have GO/Metrolinx hand over operations to the TTC and have it become part of the TTC rapid transit system including fares and showing up on the subway map.

It will be interesting to see whether the Eglinton west section goes ahead given the development happening on that (Richview) corridor. Could or would Tory cancel & destroy the townhouses being built there?

Also significant is the addition of stations which could make it more useful for travel within Toronto, such as at Spadina, which could serve CityPlace and the entertainment district to the north.

I have the feeling a lot of things will change once Metrolinx gets involved and they actually start doing design & EA.
 
Was polled earlier this evening about who I would vote for in Ward 27. Sarah Thomson was amongst the candidates. I didn't recognize the name of the pollster.
 
jaborandi said:
Was polled earlier this evening about who I would vote for in Ward 27. Sarah Thomson was amongst the candidates. I didn't recognize the name of the pollster.
Click to expand...

Wait, just how many wards is she going to run in?
 
evvabeing said:
Don't hold your breath for electric GO rail lines

A new report from Metrolinx raises questions as to the possibility of electrifying GO rail corridors over the next 10 years. That's not good news if you're John Tory, who has staked much of his transit vision, the so called SmartTrack plan, on running high frequency inner city rail service along existing rail lines.
Click to expand...

http://www.blogto.com/city/2014/09/dont_hold_your_breath_for_electric_go_rail_lines/
Click to expand...

On the contrary:

The CEO of Metrolinx has confirmed that the province’s promise to electrify GO trains within 10 years is achievable. But that doesn’t mean all seven lines will get all-day, two-way, 15-minute service in that time.
Click to expand...

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/tra...sible_in_10_years_confirms_metrolinx_ceo.html
 
ehlow said:
Re Sheppard & Finch LRTs, it's understandable that there has been confusion on Tory's position, but here's the latest word from Tory, which to me is pretty clear:

“I want the LRTs to proceed,” he said. “I will move them forward. I have no problem with them proceeding.” All he meant by his “priorities” comments, he said, is that his own “work plan” would focus on the Scarborough subway first and SmartTrack second.
Click to expand...

Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/city_ha...ard_lrts_are_election_hot_potatoes_again.html
Click to expand...

Well yea, he better focus on other things. Considering that Finch and Sheppard are approved, funded and awaiting construction, there's absolutely nothing for Mr. Tory to consider about those lines. In fact, I hope he and everyone else at City Hall forget that they exist. They'll build themselves :)
 
ehlow said:
To me it seems like the intention of SmartTrack is to have GO/Metrolinx hand over operations to the TTC and have it become part of the TTC rapid transit system including fares and showing up on the subway map.
Click to expand...

I doubt that. I think SmartTrack will be scrapped in favour of the current RER plan.

They have held small, coffeehouse-style meetings trying to attract Liberal backers to hear Tory’s pitch, one that has largely centred on his SmartTrack transit proposal. The $8-billion idea falls neatly in line with Premier Kathleen Wynne’s plans for electrifying GO rail, something Richardson said was “not done in a bubble and it was not by accident.”
Click to expand...

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/08/25/chow_tory_jockeying_for_liberal_votes.html
 
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