Rob Ford's Toronto

[Silence&Motion]

From the National Post: “People cannot afford the taxes, that’s what it comes down to,” Mayor Ford countered. “You might want the best transit system in the world, but if the average person cannot afford it, then I’m sorry, we can’t move ahead. We have to find alternative ways of doing this.”

We have an alternative way of doing this. It's called gridlock.

I guess after years of pretending that he has a plan to expand public transit, Ford is finally getting to the point of admitting that he couldn't care less.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Actually, it's called the privately (Casino?) funded Sheppard Subway extension. Just start digging before there is a commitment for funding! Just wait for the Feds to shower us with cash! Oops, neither happened, but facts never get in the way of a good election soundbite.

One can't really move ahead when someone's posterior is in the way. Gotta love it when personal political aspirations was stated so bluntly by Towhey - over and above what's good for the city.

AoD

 

[calimehtar]

Visiting Seattle for a few days and what strikes me here is that this is a city that is small enough that people get around by car very easily but there seems to be a huge amount of political support for transportation alternatives. It feels to me like there is an amazing amount of generosity, open-mindedness, and progressive thinking on the part of voters and politicians.

Their downtown is overwhelmed with small expressways and one way streets like Richmond and Adelaide, and all of them seem to be well-used. And yet they have an amazing, and expanding, bike network and are in the process of expanding their existing, if small, surface-level tram network. They also have an LRT that runs at grade outside of the core, and underground downtown. None of these alternatives seems to be used in any significant way. Sure it's a small city but even though the weather is nice I have only seen a handful of cyclist, nothing compared to even the number of cyclists on Queen St. which has no bike lanes at all. And despite having a pretty extensive transit network, it is also relatively unpopular from what I can see.

I wish we could get to the point in Toronto where politicians and the general public - Rob Ford and the people who voted for him - can stop being petty and selfish about keeping every bit of roadway for automobiles. Yes, there's a lot of pettiness and selfishness on all sides but at this point, for areas where transit alternatives are required, ie downtown, the automobile currently dominates the usable space and will have to be the first one to give up space.

 

[JayBeeGooner]

Actually, it's called the privately (Casino?) funded Sheppard Subway extension. Just start digging before there is a commitment for funding! Just wait for the Feds to shower us with cash! Oops, neither happened, but facts never get in the way of a good election soundbite.

One can't really move ahead when someone's posterior is in the way. Gotta love it when personal political aspirations was stated so bluntly by Towhey - over and above what's good for the city.

AoD

What drives me mental about lefty politicians(I'm a lefty) is their blatant inability to make simple soundbite that sounds good in an election. The left can learn a few things from the right about running an election.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

JBG:

I am of two minds about that - you are right that the left is in general terrible at pressing emotional buttons or otherwise engage in soundbite politics, but on the other hand, I abhor emotional manipulation and dumbing down of politics.

AoD

 

[EMP1729]

From the National Post: “People cannot afford the taxes, that’s what it comes down to,†Mayor Ford countered. “You might want the best transit system in the world, but if the average person cannot afford it, then I’m sorry, we can’t move ahead. We have to find alternative ways of doing this.â€

We have an alternative way of doing this. It's called gridlock.

I guess after years of pretending that he has a plan to expand public transit, Ford is finally getting to the point of admitting that he couldn't care less.

Rob Ford was driving around in an old Chevy Venture minivan. He was reluctant to get a new, better vehicle, for whatever reasons. Then finally, his older brothers decided to buy him a Cadillac Escalade.

I guess that is what he is waiting for. Someone else to swoop in and give a better transit system for free.

 

[Torontovibe]

From the National Post: “People cannot afford the taxes, that’s what it comes down to,” Mayor Ford countered. “You might want the best transit system in the world, but if the average person cannot afford it, then I’m sorry, we can’t move ahead. We have to find alternative ways of doing this.”

We have an alternative way of doing this. It's called gridlock.

I guess after years of pretending that he has a plan to expand public transit, Ford is finally getting to the point of admitting that he couldn't care less.

I think it was clear from the beginning, that Ford had no intention to build subways or any kind of public transit. No new taxes, tolls or fees = I don't want public transit. He's just been playing games right from the start. I guess he figures that traffic is bad but it's acceptable and it will not change. Maybe he doesn't plan on living long enough to have to deal with the traffic nightmare that will be created but his children will. Either way, it's just pure selfishness and stupidity but hey, that's our mayor. (selfish & stupid)

 

[Electrify]

I think it was clear from the beginning, that Ford had no intention to build subways or any kind of public transit. No new taxes, tolls or fees = I don't want public transit. He's just been playing games right from the start. I guess he figures that traffic is bad but it's acceptable and it will not change. Maybe he doesn't plan on living long enough to have to deal with the traffic nightmare that will be created but his children will. Either way, it's just pure selfishness and stupidity but hey, that's our mayor. (selfish & stupid)

Pretty much this. Even conservatives who understand the need for better transit will admit that new taxes and fees will be needed. The only ones who still believe that subways will be free from the private sector is Ford and the Toronto Sun. The latter of which is either getting paid by Ford, being dishonest to their readers because it suits their "side," or are simply just that stupid to believe him.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Pretty much this. Even conservatives who understand the need for better transit will admit that new taxes and fees will be needed. The only ones who still believe that subways will be free from the private sector is Ford and the Toronto Sun. The latter of which is either getting paid by Ford, being dishonest to their readers because it suits their "side," or are simply just that stupid to believe him.

Thankfully, even TOSun readers are smart enough to begin seeing through Ford's transit BS (look at comments):
http://www.torontosun.com/2013/04/23/mayor-rob-fords-executive-committee-debates-transit-funding

 

[Adjei]

Rob Ford is increasingly becoming irrelevant, he can use his stall tactics all he wants but council will do what needs to be done in the end. What Ford needs to realize is that we don't live in a dictatorship, he can't impose his vision of the city without working with council. He needs to sell his ideas to other people which he fails to do. He alone does not decide for the city which is becoming more apparent as time goes on.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I think it was clear from the beginning, that Ford had no intention to build subways or any kind of public transit. No new taxes, tolls or fees = I don't want public transit. He's just been playing games right from the start. I guess he figures that traffic is bad but it's acceptable and it will not change. Maybe he doesn't plan on living long enough to have to deal with the traffic nightmare that will be created but his children will. Either way, it's just pure selfishness and stupidity but hey, that's our mayor. (selfish & stupid)

Part of Ford's campaign was to continue the Sheppard subway into Scarborough wasn't it? He explained that development & the private sector would fund the building of it didn't he? Then when he came into office he essentially killed Transit City and focused (obsessed over?) on the Sheppard subway but has never been able to show how a funding model would work to build it - because he has none.

Thankfully, even TOSun readers are smart enough to begin seeing through Ford's transit BS (look at comments):
http://www.torontosun.com/2013/04/23/mayor-rob-fords-executive-committee-debates-transit-funding

On occasion I glance at these comments and anyone can see that the tide is clearly shifting, 'Ford Nation' is still out there but in considerably smaller numbers as more and more online comments are anti-Ford from what I see in the Toronto Sun (via links), Toronto Star, The Globe & National Post. Torontoist, blogTO, NOW etc. are essentially completely anti-Ford now and pretty much free of the 'Ford Nation' types.

 

[Lansdude]

On occasion I glance at these comments and anyone can see that the tide is clearly shifting, 'Ford Nation' is still out there but in considerably smaller numbers as more and more online comments are anti-Ford from what I see in the Toronto Sun (via links), Toronto Star, The Globe & National Post. Torontoist, blogTO, NOW etc. are essentially completely anti-Ford now and pretty much free of the 'Ford Nation' types.

You look around enough and you start to notice the same names belonging to the same reactionary holdouts. But yeah, the tune is changing among people who aren't demented partisans.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I like that - "demented partisans"

I link this because I think it's a good brief read on the importance of expanding the transit infrastructure in our city, and the GTA - a very important issue to business and residents of the region but a bothersome one that seems to escape our "Mayor" -

"How does our transportation system impact our economy? The more accurate question is how does it not? All economic performance indicators, such employment, income growth, productivity, and per capita GDP, are impacted by a region’s connectivity.

In its 2010 Scorecard on Prosperity, the Toronto Region Board of Trade found that “Toronto’s transportation infrastructure is continually cited as a major impediment to the region’s global competitiveness.â€

http://us6.campaign-archive.com/?u=0094e7ae5ca4cac8dfff8b282&id=967bea8c4c

 

[PinkLucy]

Kristyn Wong-Tam offers to explain how politics works to Mayor Ford: http://www.thestar.com/news/city_ha...ain_how_politics_works_to_mayor_rob_ford.html

 

[ShonTron]

I have to believe that the conservative business community is angered and wants to get rid of this clown. The Globe and Mail is fed up, and now the National Post is too - the conservative pro-business papers. Big business in this city is pushing very hard to get the new revenue tools/taxes in place. Yes, they don't really want to pay too much to get it, so progressive income taxation and direct corporate taxes are not amongst their recommendations (sales taxes and fuel taxes are fine IMO, but they do have a disproportionate effect). You could get Mel Lastman, for example, behind it given he was part of that PC old boys club along with Godfrey and Tory.