Rob Ford's Toronto

[Chuck_Last]

My take on the Ford's is they are just a couple of fucked up idiots that think they are big time but play like a couple of high school bullies, nothing more.

Alpha Dawg / Alpha Doug: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEYfVgdVaNU

 

[Oriana]

Aaaaaaaaaand stop. I don't need to hear your 8 other reasons because you are too stupid to exist.

The question was asked how we counter this. I have no clue other than to out-vote them. It would be like trying to be a trainer for someone who wants to lose 20 pounds but won't exercise and will only eat fudge. Or Rob Ford's sobriety coach.

I had a long chat with a candidate from Ward 1 and this is what I learned:

1. Any negative publicity of Ford makes his base stronger and more passionate.
2. Immigrants feel that without Ford, they will experience a sort of "slavery" reminiscent of their home country.
3. Services are very bad in this Ward and as a result, property taxes are a huge issue.
4. Middle to upper class not so supportive of Ford.
5. A school was promised to be built, but has still not been completed (not sure how long they've been waiting). Long commute for students.
6. Potholes are VERY bad, hundreds and hundreds of them, and have not been fixed for a year now.
7. Ghettoized parts of Ward 1 are rife with gun violence, prostitution, drugs, etc. TPS patrol and cameras have been refused. No funding for extra services.
8. Anyone who will come along and deal with these issues (there are more of course) will steal the vote from Ford.

ETA: sorry wasn't exactly in direct response to fiscal responsibility or subways, but thought it would be interesting to share.

 

[kaboi]

Ok if he's not baked right now...
http://twitter.com/neicey_neverson/status/495598764904972289/photo/1

....and wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Shirt and pants both look baggy and saggy and, well, gross. Someone stayed up partying all night again!

today:

yesterday:

 

[casita]

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[Oriana]

I had a long chat with a candidate from Ward 1 and this is what I learned:

1. Any negative publicity of Ford makes his base stronger and more passionate.
2. Immigrants feel that without Ford, they will experience a sort of "slavery" reminiscent of their home country.
3. Services are very bad in this Ward and as a result, property taxes are a huge issue.
4. Middle to upper class not so supportive of Ford.
5. A school was promised to be built, but has still not been completed (not sure how long they've been waiting). Long commute for students.
6. Potholes are VERY bad, hundreds and hundreds of them, and have not been fixed for a year now.
7. Ghettoized parts of Ward 1 are rife with gun violence, prostitution, drugs, etc. TPS patrol and cameras have been refused. No funding for extra services.
8. Anyone who will come along and deal with these issues (there are more of course) will steal the vote from Ford.

ETA: sorry wasn't exactly in direct response to fiscal responsibility or subways, but thought it would be interesting to share.

I would also like to add:

We should never make the assumption that these people won't vote. They are vehemently passionate about Ford and it's a war for them, a fight for survival. The negative publicity around Ford just keeps fueling the passion more and more. I believe they will vote.

 

[cgwalnut]

I had a long chat with a candidate from Ward 1 and this is what I learned:

1. Any negative publicity of Ford makes his base stronger and more passionate.
2. Immigrants feel that without Ford, they will experience a sort of "slavery" reminiscent of their home country.
3. Services are very bad in this Ward and as a result, property taxes are a huge issue.
4. Middle to upper class not so supportive of Ford.
5. A school was promised to be built, but has still not been completed (not sure how long they've been waiting). Long commute for students.
6. Potholes are VERY bad, hundreds and hundreds of them, and have not been fixed for a year now.
7. Ghettoized parts of Ward 1 are rife with gun violence, prostitution, drugs, etc. TPS patrol and cameras have been refused. No funding for extra services.
8. Anyone who will come along and deal with these issues (there are more of course) will steal the vote from Ford.

ETA: sorry wasn't exactly in direct response to fiscal responsibility or subways, but thought it would be interesting to share.

The thing being: Ford and the other like minded councillors from these "suburban" wards have been in office/power for decades and have done next to nothing to solve any of these persistent problems (in fact, their indifference and incompetence both now and pre-amalgamation are why such problems exist). Magnets, handshakes and selfies will never get the job done. This has to be explained to the residents of these wards. Over and over and over.
It's frustrating as an observer to see people vote against their own interests - it must be insanely frustrating for some of the good opposition candidates in these wards.

 

[adma]

.
2. Immigrants feel that without Ford, they will experience a sort of "slavery" reminiscent of their home country.

I don't know what this "slavery" thing is all about...unless it's a generic distrust t/w *all* higher government as corrupt, predatory, evil, etc, the kind of oppression over which they opted for Canadian "freedom", only to discover that things weren't as "free" as they rather cartoonishly hoped. So, RoFo reawakens faith in the cartoon.

For people from all around the world, they sure aren't very "worldly". Or at least, they are to their homelands what Torontonians-who-fled-for-Barrie-or-Calgary are to Toronto...

 

[CJan]

S/he lost me at the Joe Killoram-was-a-setup part.

She lost me at "Whether he was drunk or sober, his thinking was affected by drugs and alcohol. If this sounds like an excuse, you’ll have to forgive me. I’ve listened to too many people like Ford to believe otherwise. I’ve spoken to doctors, lawyers and business executives who have uttered similar slurs while under the influence."

Drunk or sober, Ford's actions never change. Now that he's supposedly recovered enough to continue as mayor, did his thinking change when he refused to stand up and acknowledge World Pride workers? No. Has he seen the light and realized that it's subway construction that causes traffic chaos and not LRTs that run on a dedicated lane? No.

It might be more accurate to say that his thinking is affected by whether or not he's awake and walking around.

 

[Oriana]

The thing being: Ford and the other like minded councillors from these "suburban" wards have been in office/power for decades and have done next to nothing to solve any of these persistent problems (in fact, their indifference and incompetence both now and pre-amalgamation are why such problems exist). Magnets, handshakes and selfies will never get the job done. This has to be explained to the residents of these wards. Over and over and over.
It's frustrating as an observer to see people vote against their own interests - it must be insanely frustrating for some of the good opposition candidates in these wards.

Yup, exactly what I thought. Ford gives the impression that he cares... or, they are just siding with the "underdog", because they "relate" on some level. This candidate kept stressing how much the negative media publicity is having the exact opposite effect. Supports Ford's statement yesterday that people keep telling him not to talk to the media.

 

[animatronic]

She lost me at "Whether he was drunk or sober, his thinking was affected by drugs and alcohol. If this sounds like an excuse, you’ll have to forgive me. I’ve listened to too many people like Ford to believe otherwise. I’ve spoken to doctors, lawyers and business executives who have uttered similar slurs while under the influence."

Drunk or sober, Ford's actions never change. Now that he's supposedly recovered enough to continue as mayor, did his thinking change when he refused to stand up and acknowledge World Pride workers? No. Has he seen the light and realized that it's subway construction that causes traffic chaos and not LRTs that run on a dedicated lane? No.

It might be more accurate to say that his thinking is affected by whether or not he's awake and walking around.

To be fair (unless you were his grade 5 buddy) none of us know what Rob is like when he's not using.

 

[Oriana]

I don't know what this "slavery" thing is all about...unless it's a generic distrust t/w *all* higher government as corrupt, predatory, evil, etc, the kind of oppression over which they opted for Canadian "freedom", only to discover that things weren't as "free" as they rather cartoonishly hoped. So, RoFo reawakens faith in the cartoon.

For people from all around the world, they sure aren't very "worldly". Or at least, they are to their homelands what Torontonians-who-fled-for-Barrie-or-Calgary are to Toronto...

I didn't quite understand it myself, although I think you nailed it.

 

[casita]

"Among my many mayoral accomplishments, I also freed the slaves:"
https://twitter.com/TOMayorFrod/status/495200699790413824

 

[khris]

I didn't quite understand it myself, although I think you nailed it.

Yup. Definitely nailed it.

 

[Greg Banks]

Waiting for a school that was promised...It is a little difficult to fufill a promise in a Ward with a stagnant school age population
1996...13,455 2001...14,265 2006...13,325 2011...13,405

 

[stoobiedood]

Waiting for a school that was promised...It is a little difficult to fufill a promise in a Ward with a stagnant school age population
1996...13,455 2001...14,265 2006...13,325 2011...13,405

Also hard for city councillors to get schools built what with having no responsibility for them. See also: "Toronto District School Board" and "Government of Ontario".