2014 Municipal Election: Toronto Mayoral Race

[evvabeing]

Turnout Toronto 2014

In the spacious first floor of the CSI building, an engaged crowd mingled around different booths including those from The Awesome Foundation, Spacing, Better Budget Toronto, No Jets Toronto, and the Ranked Ballot Initiative of Toronto. Interspersing the conversation were short speeches by politicians including Olivia Chow, Mayoral candidate Richard Underhill, and Councillor Mike Layton.

http://spacing.ca/toronto/2014/01/20/turnout-toronto-2014/

 

[jje1000]

Turnout Toronto 2014

http://spacing.ca/toronto/2014/01/20/turnout-toronto-2014/

It's no small doubt that the chattering classes will mostly be opposed to Ford, but I think that the real battle lies in getting the support of the working class and ethnic vote, which is where Ford has chosen to shore up his support.

 

[evvabeing]

even though this isn't exactly about the election, it does show how politics can effect great ideas... and we've been talking about a downtown relief line for over 100 years! wow.

The five greatest ideas Toronto never built

Toronto’s history is filled with grand ideas killed by politics, economics and petty parochialism, ideas now buried in history books and boxes at the Toronto Archives.

[...]

4. Downtown relief line

When you’re elbow deep in an inadvertent game of Twister on an overcrowded downtown streetcar, consider the downtown relief line.

The elusive subway that weaves through the city’s planning history has been a “persistent vision†not yet realized because of decades of “wasteful dithering,†transit consultant and historian Ed Levy writes in his 2013 book, . Rapid Transit in Toronto: A Century of Plans, Progress, Politics and Paralysis.

The first time you see a wisp of it is 1910.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/01/26/the_five_greatest_ideas_toronto_never_built.html

 

[evvabeing]

2014: The Year of the Idea at the Toronto Star

We declare 2014 to be the Year of the Idea. It’s not a United Nations declaration, or even a formal zodiac designation — in fact, there is absolutely nothing official about it at all. But 2014 is a municipal election year in Toronto and that’s the perfect backdrop for a discussion about big ideas.

What if we dreamt some dreams for this city of ours — our transportation, our architecture, our communities, our libraries? What if we solved gridlock, or public housing, or the waterfront, or the Gardiner? What if we found new ways to address poverty and achieve a socially just community?

Or more simply: What if you had a city-enhancing idea and it was heard by those vying for the leadership of our city?

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/01/01/toronto_star_declares_2014_the_year_of_the_idea.html

 

[tiffer24]

Yes, let's hear about more than just potholes and customer service, please.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

even though this isn't exactly about the election, it does show how politics can effect great ideas... and we've been talking about a downtown relief line for over 100 years! wow.

The five greatest ideas Toronto never built

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/01/26/the_five_greatest_ideas_toronto_never_built.html

The makeover plan was on the ballot at election time. The voters defeated it by 2,000 votes and elected Wemp as mayor.

“The campaign to arouse outer districts against downtown had its success,†the Star wrote.

Heh....

 

[christiesplits]

It's no small doubt that the chattering classes will mostly be opposed to Ford, but I think that the real battle lies in getting the support of the working class and ethnic vote, which is where Ford has chosen to shore up his support.

Bingo. I love Spacing, CSI etc. but the "chattering classes" need to take their conversations to the temples in Scarborough and legions in Etobicoke. Preaching to the converted will do little to reach the multi-faceted coalition needed to topple Ford.

 

[adma]

Bingo. I love Spacing, CSI etc. but the "chattering classes" need to take their conversations to the temples in Scarborough and legions in Etobicoke. Preaching to the converted will do little to reach the multi-faceted coalition needed to topple Ford.

Bear in mind that AFAIK Miller did exactly that in 2003. (At least, so it seemed.)

The worst thing said chattering classes can do is to engage in excessive "attaboy" re Richard Underhill's mayoral campaign.

 

[Johnny Au]

even though this isn't exactly about the election, it does show how politics can effect great ideas... and we've been talking about a downtown relief line for over 100 years! wow.

The five greatest ideas Toronto never built



http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/01/26/the_five_greatest_ideas_toronto_never_built.html

I posted exactly that in the existing University Avenue thread in the Buildings, Architecture, and Urban Design thread.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

The makeover plan was on the ballot at election time. The voters defeated it by 2,000 votes and elected Wemp as mayor.

“The campaign to arouse outer districts against downtown had its success,†the Star wrote.

Heh....

Yup. The Annex really stuck it to those downtown elitists.

 

[evvabeing]

Replace Rob Ford? First, endure the Festival of Dithering

The 2014 Festival of Dithering is upon us. On the main stage this week, Olivia Chow and John Tory have stepped up to think very publicly about running for mayor. It is not an especially good show.

[...]

These are early days. Toronto’s mayoral races are longer than they should be, and we’re still in the informal primary period. Rob Ford didn’t even enter the 2010 race until the end of March. This year, anything could happen. John Tory could catch fire, even though that’s not really the kind of thing John Tory does. Olivia Chow, on the other hand, might not catch fire, proving to be less engaging on the campaign trail than polls say she is in the abstract. Rob Ford might turn up at midnight at a Dairy Queen, stoned on Quaaludes and speaking in a thick cockney accent, finally winning everyone over. At least we know he’s running.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...re-the-festival-of-dithering/article16505323/

 

[Johnny Au]

Replace Rob Ford? First, endure the Festival of Dithering



http://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...re-the-festival-of-dithering/article16505323/

So funny, yet plausible.

Rob Ford can dance on a poster of Olivia Chow's face and draw horns on John Tory's head and still have a chance of being re-elected.

 

[themarc]

So funny, yet plausible.

Rob Ford can dance on a poster of Olivia Chow's face and draw horns on John Tory's head and still have a chance of being re-elected.

I'm not so sure. Calling the Police Chief a "c*cksucker", the possible future PM a "f@ggot" and his old football team "f&cking minorities" if replayed on a loop running up to election day should be a good reminder why this guy shouldn't even be a City Councillor...

 

[evvabeing]

Every week until election day, the Star is asking residents in neighbourhoods around Toronto to tell us what they hope for, want and need for the city. Results will be mapped and compiled in the Star and on thestar.com.

http://www.thestar.com/news/city_ha..._voters_from_don_valley_west_to_rosedale.html

 

[evvabeing]

Toronto election to be a referendum on Rob Ford

No one needs to convince me that Ford is not the right person to run this city. But the reasons for that go beyond character. His strategies haven’t worked. His ideas — when he’s had them — have been misguided, sometimes even dangerous.

I’d be happier if this election could serve as an opportunity to talk about that — to have a conversation about better ideas, new leadership and ways we might actually be able to make this city better.

http://metronews.ca/voices/urban-co...onto-election-to-be-a-referendum-on-rob-ford/