Rob Ford's Toronto

[zang]

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/1202-na-kidnapping

Long before he kidnapped a bureaucrat, Lutczyk had a reputation for oddity. He served as a city and regional councillor on and off for 10 years in 1994-2010, earning headlines for unusual ideas, like annexing the Turks and Caicos Islands, and erratic behaviour, including a long, quixotic battle over the name of the local university.

The man's obviously mentally ill, but this is the prime example they use to defend that argument? Canada's been in talks at the federal level with the Turks and Caicos on and off for decades about doing exactly that. Personally, I love the idea. We (hopefully) get to bring the standard of living up of the country, and in return get a vacation spot that doesn't come with the heavy taxation and tariffs of international travel and a chance to break the idiotic idea that Canada's the place for skiing and parkas in the summer. That's not to mention a national source for tropical fruit and sugar production that doesn't require import fees.

Addendum: apparently talks of this started with Robert Borden in 1917; so this has been going on for nearly a century.

 

[the lemur]

The man's obviously mentally ill, but this is the prime example they use to defend that argument? Canada's been in talks at the federal level with the Turks and Caicos on and off for decades about doing exactly that. Personally, I love the idea. We (hopefully) get to bring the standard of living up of the country, and in return get a vacation spot that doesn't come with the heavy taxation and tariffs of international travel and a chance to break the idiotic idea that Canada's the place for skiing and parkas in the summer. That's not to mention a national source for tropical fruit and sugar production that doesn't require import fees.

Addendum: apparently talks of this started with Robert Borden in 1917; so this has been going on for nearly a century.

I'd be in favour of this provided their corruption (administrative and commercial) were cleaned up. We'd also have to figure out what to do about citizenship (most locals are eligible to become full British citizens) ... maybe also make them drive on the right

As for tropical fruit and sugar, it's never been a source of the latter and they export only a little bit of citrus. The main exports have traditionally been salt and seafood. It's one of those places where almost everything is imported.

 

[the lemur]

The best bits by far involve Doug, who turns out to dumber and meaner and more self-serving than we've ever even imagined here. Just one example: He literally believed that, should Rob die in office, he should become mayor…since the people of Toronto had voted for the Ford family to lead them.

Well, we do live in a one-party state ruled by a family dynasty, right?

 

[Huge Seagull]

David Potts, the Oshawa city solicitor, disappeared from his driveway more than three years ago, snatched at gunpoint after a city council meeting in an incident as frightening as it was bizarre.

On Tuesday, Potts watched from the gallery as Robert Lutczyk, a former city councillor, admitted in Ontario Superior Court to the kidnapping, putting an end to perhaps the strangest story in Canadian municipal politics this side of Rob Ford.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/1202-na-kidnapping

Evva, your prodigious research skills often come in handy, but I'd suggest that not every single glancing reference to the Fords that pops up in your google news alerts or twitter searches needs to be posted to this board. Can you try to keep things on-topic here?

 

[YPQ]

If this doesn't get a rise out of the big guy then it's safe to assume he's in extremely rough shape. This is a big floater right in his wheelhouse. He's gotta swing at this.

Don Peat ‏@reporterdonpeat 14m14 minutes ago
BREAKING Mayor John Tory proposing 0.5% tax hike for 5-years starting in 2017. "City Building Fund" will pay for transit & housing projects

 

[Videodrome]

Yeah, I expect a strongly worded statement from the ex-mayor at the very least.

 

[salsa]

Yeah, I expect a strongly worded statement from the ex-mayor at the very least.

We also need to hear from the Neil Fagg constituency on how they feel about John Liberal's new tax hike.

 

[the lemur]

We also need to hear from the Neil Fagg constituency on how they feel about John Liberal's new tax hike.

Whoops.

 

[the lemur]

Yeah, I expect a strongly worded statement from the ex-mayor at the very least.

'I woulda paid for that with the generosity of the private sector! And magic beans!'

 

[evvabeing]

https://twitter.com/reporterdonpeat/status/672099003299987456

 

[evvabeing]

https://twitter.com/aymanfadel/status/672074382898933760

 

[evvabeing]

https://twitter.com/MHause/status/672113309307510785

 

[evvabeing]

rob and doug?

Rona Ambrose, Conservatives' Interim Leader, Seeking Advice From Former Tory PMs

Ambrose said she's been busy talking to potential candidates for the leadership, including a pair she said don't come from inside the party.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/1...-to-ambrose-on-leadership-race_n_8696014.html

 

[EagleEye]

rob and doug?

Rona Ambrose, Conservatives' Interim Leader, Seeking Advice From Former Tory PMs

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/1...-to-ambrose-on-leadership-race_n_8696014.html

After what happened with the Fords and Harper right before he election, I doubt it.

 

[JWBF]

We also need to hear from the Neil Fagg constituency on how they feel about John Liberal's new tax hike.

His Worship John Liberal's Official Opposition
3 hrs ·
JOHN TAXMAN TORY Guess who wants to raise our taxes...again?
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/tory-tax-1.3347144

Neil Flagg - Go to Paris and never come back.
1 · 3 hrs