Rob Ford's Toronto

[nfitz]

Give the Mayor a police detail. And then tell him to shut up already and let an adult do the talking for him in high stress situations.

That could get interesting. Given how many times Ford breaks the law, what is the detail supposed to do? Do they ignore talking on cell phone while driving? What about the drunk driving? Do they ignore him when he assaults people? I can't imagine Ford being very keen at all about having the police watch him day and night!

And what happens whenever he panics after someone approaches his house? Given the police forces horrendous record of shooting people, Ford will have a hissy fit, the police will jump, and the next thing you know, we've got a dead USA Today newspaper boy.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

That's dishonest. The G&M and its editorial board and columnists (Ibbitson, Wente, et al) have been glossing over and downplaying much of the misdoings of the Harper Government (tm) for the past year. Marcus Gee has been doing much the same for Ford since he was elected. Where's Mr. Barber when you need him?

The National Post has been more balanced and honest in its coverage of day-to-day politics than the G&M has been in recent history. Who could have predicted that?

I'd have to disagree with you on this one. Andrew Coyne is 'more balanced'? I'd agree Marcus Gee has been bending over backwards trying to be fair to Ford, who he clearly thinks is whacko. But Matt Gurney (up until today) has had the mayor's back, even with the unbelievable stupidity of the man on the transit and Portlands files.

 

[js97]

I worry that the Star's relentlessly negative coverage might start to have a reverse effect - and make people start sympathizing with Ford. No one would like a major paper unfairly going after them, and my feeling is that people are more on Ford's side about this latest little incident than not.

I feel like that's what happened in the 2010 election...

 

[jje1000]

I feel like that's what happened in the 2010 election...

Depends how this all plays out. The egg is oscillating between the faces of Rob Ford and the Star.

 

[W. K. Lis]

... Give the Mayor a police detail. And then tell him to shut up already and let an adult do the talking for him in high stress situations.

Possible three police officers to be assigned to guard Rob Ford...

...on second thought, maybe not.

 

[nfitz]

Depends how this all plays out. The egg is oscillating between the faces of Rob Ford and the Star.

The Star seems to have been particularly transparent. Rob Ford less so. Clearly, they didn't know quite where the property Ford want's to buy was (it doesn't appear to be subdivided according to the City's website, just pat of the park). Clearly the Star didn't leave city parkland. Clearly the Star didn't trespass on Rob Ford's property (what, he climbed the fence??). Might he have jumped up and looked over a fence, to try and see where this phantom property was between the service building and Rob Ford's house? Perhaps. Is there anything wrong with that? No. Is there something wrong with threatening physical violence against someone who is in a city park, and making them give you their possessions? Yes. Hopefully Rob Ford does some hard jail time for mugging people in city parks.

 

[k10ery]

I'd have to disagree with you on this one. Andrew Coyne is 'more balanced'? I'd agree Marcus Gee has been bending over backwards trying to be fair to Ford, who he clearly thinks is whacko. But Matt Gurney (up until today) has had the mayor's back, even with the unbelievable stupidity of the man on the transit and Portlands files.

Coyne has certainly been slamming Harper hard over the F-35. In comparison, Ibbotson is pretty much writing Harper's press releases for him.

And Matt Gurney is no more representative of the Post's politics than is that anarchist graffiti artist who does the Toronto feature writing for them ... Kittenbrewer or something. By and large it is pretty balanced.

I think the Post is a good paper and BTW we're lucky to have so many of them in this town.

 

[nfitz]

BTW we're lucky to have so many of them in this town.

I'll give you that one. Shame about the Sun though ... it could be so much more.

 

[jn_12]

A number of people on twitter (John Moore from radio 1010, Goldsbie...) have alluded to a much bigger story that will be dropped soon that Robyn Doolittle is apparently working on. Is anyone aware of what it might be? I've heard suggestions that the reason Ford was on edge is because he knows that this story will be coming out and perhaps thought that Dale was working on the mystery story.

 

[PinkLucy]

Twitter is also reporting that at 5:40ish this evening, three police cars arrived at Ford's house. What now? More people peeking over the fence?

Re above post: this http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1172777--mayor-rob-ford-faces-yet-another-probe-into-his-conduct perhaps?

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

From Olivia Chow's Facebook & Twitter account today -

Olivia Chow
Dear journalists, the lilac tree in front of my #Toronto house is in bloom, come and take a photo by the fence, I won't call 911.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Rob Ford mugs a man in a city park for a cell phone and a voice recorder. Rob Ford should be arrested for robbery and threatening.

 

[GenerationW]

If Rob Ford is smart (insert laughter here), he should wait until the real estate bubble bursts and then remove the Land Transfer Tax as an insensitive to stop the downslide.

Exactly what we need -- more insensitivity!

 

[innsertnamehere]

disregard, wrong thread

 

[nfitz]

A number of people on twitter (John Moore from radio 1010, Goldsbie...) have alluded to a much bigger story that will be dropped soon that Robyn Doolittle is apparently working on. Is anyone aware of what it might be? I've heard suggestions that the reason Ford was on edge is because he knows that this story will be coming out and perhaps thought that Dale was working on the mystery story.

Interesting. I haven't seen Goldsbie's tweets.