Videodrome
Senior Member
I wouldn't be upset if Crisanti won and we had a Ford free council.
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2018 Municipal Election: Toronto Council Races
- Thread starter animatronic
- Start date
King of Kensington
Senior Member
One reason to side with Matlow over Mihevc:
https://twitter.com/JoshMatlow/status/1043974688073027584
https://twitter.com/JoshMatlow/status/1043974688073027584
Midtown Urbanist
Superstar
Such a hypocrite.
Crying about housing being a crisis and then doing everything in his power to block development of new housing in his (my) Ward (or former Ward, under the 25 model as it would happen).
What's that you say? He supports subsidized housing? How great that he wants my tax dollars to go to subsidizing housing for the bottom 5% of the population, while fighting every development in the neighbourhood that is looking to supply housing for the remaining 95% of us. Just a wild thought here, but maybe housing would be slightly easier for the lower income quintile if the remaining 95% of us weren't in bidding wars over 400sqft bachelors.
I'll fully admit that I would prefer Matlow over Joe "we don't need a Relief Line, we need to optimize existing TTC service" Mihevc when it comes to the transit portfolio, but I am not going to overlook Matlow's nimbyism and anti-housing militantism.
But like I said, I am now in Don Valley West. So instead, I look forward to taking down the Queen of NIMBYism and anti-housing champion, Jaye Robinson.
Rufus8
Active Member
Regarding Chris Moise, his only claim to fame prior to getting on TDSB in 2016 was as a pet shop owner - he tried getting the public to embrace pet ownership as a social and political movement but realized he could get elected doing the "children are our future" crap, he's an opportunist and blows with the wind. The fact that he was elected is hilarious! As for Lisi on TDSB, why not? It appears to be the d-bag's plan B. Furthermore, it's important that the little darlings in North Etobicoke are taught to do their master's bidding regardless of personal integrity/accountability/morality. Also, that you can deal drugs in high school and still end up premier.
P.S I don't know if you have seen the results from the TDSB 2016 election but it's not much of a victory - out of 42, 719 eligible voters only 3,349 actually voted.
P.S I don't know if you have seen the results from the TDSB 2016 election but it's not much of a victory - out of 42, 719 eligible voters only 3,349 actually voted.
steveintoronto
Superstar
lol...I'm sorry, what is you point again? Are you Dougie's man in hiding? Here's a test question for you: 'Build in the Greenbelt, yeah or nay?'
https://www.thestar.com/news/city_h...-review-definition-of-affordable-housing.html
Do you actually have some substance to your barbs @WislaHD, or is your agenda sub-factual? Seriously, I'm perplexed at the source of your angst. I've searched a fair degree, and can find no basis for your claims. In fact, what's showing is quite the contrary. The more I read, the more I like the guy.
Is he 'left of my centre'? Yes, I believe in laissez faire solutions where possible, and housing markets in many nations and jurisdictions don't respond well to depressing the supply side by heavy handed intervention. But that's not really what has you upset from what I can discern.
You just don't like him, and are looking for reasons to justify it.
Post Edit: Still searching...and here's as neutral as I can find:
https://tvo.org/article/current-aff...lection-could-be-all-about-affordable-housing
Do you hold Kismet to the same test of pulling the sword from the cured concrete?
Post-Post Edit:
Is this your beef?
https://www.thestar.com/business/20...ashes-sidewalk-signs-littering-sidewalks.html
He's well to the Left of me...but I like the guy, a lot, and I like his activism. And so do many voters which is why he did so well in the (soon to be) former Ward 22. In fact, I'd offer to help him clear the clutter on the sidewalks. They're meant for pedestrians. What a concept...
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Avenue
Active Member
I guess Fords have run out men in the family so they are making the driver run for stuff now? He should have followed Michael's example and changed his last name to Ford as well. For all we know he might be the eventual mayor or future Conservative Premier.
Midtown Urbanist
Superstar
@steveintoronto Matlow is a known quality around here, he has been one of most talked-about city councillors on UrbanToronto (and elsewhere online) for the last 8 years. In addition, he has been my city councilor for the past 8 years, and my school board trustee for the decade before. I have voted for him in the past, and have had the pleasure to meet him a half dozen times. He is overall a great city councillor for all his faults.
This is not a left vs right wing thing (fun fact, Josh Matlow used to identify as a libertarian back when he was a school board trustee). Matlow is probably one of the more centrist city councilors in Toronto city council (one of the reasons why in his first term as councillor he did not have any allies until opposition around Ford crystalized) and in the political centre is where I reside myself. My issue with Matlow is not personal, ideological or political, but purely policy-based (and at that, only partially as I take issue with him only around housing).
Matlow talks good game when it comes to affordable housing as you pointed above in the articles. He also talks good ground game when he supports every NIMBY group in Midtown against housing developments, vocalizing their outrage using political and planning language at every statutory public meeting and vowing to fight each and every development in the area. He did so dishonestly over the years, knowing that he could direct council to reject every application and appease the NIMBY groups that vote for him, then shrug his shoulder and publish "I tried but..." in his community newsletters when the OMB inevitably overturns the council's rejection of the development application.
More often then not however, he succeeds in reducing developments heights and densities by a good 10-30% even at the OMB. Which I find gravely disappointing because that means during our ongoing housing crisis, that translates to thousands of residents and families who could have called Midtown their home (as should happen at the intersection of two major rapid transit lines) now being shut out of our neighbourhood, resulting in higher housing costs.
He is so transparent about his desire to prevent development in our neighbourhood that he is quite proud of the fact that he listed 258 buildings in our area on the heritage registry as a blatant anti-development measure.
And of course, his most crowning achievement as councillor (despite it being all the work of the provincial Liberals) and the one that I am sure he is probably personally most proud of, is his effort in demolishing the OMB. I know that topic is contentious amongst urbanist circles, but I for one was quite pleased that the OMB existed to overrule city councillors playing NIMBY to developments. Criticisms of demolishing the OMB can be found articulated in the appropriate UrbanToronto thread.
So you see, my issue with him is that he talks a good game but is a dishonest nimby-ist anti-development politician. Which, should be pointed out, hardly makes him unique among our city councillors, or make him an overall poor councillor. I am merely calling things out as it is.
Keesmaat? Her affordable housing strategy is an absolute farce and any urban planner or person involved in development industry knows it is an empty election promise. That being said, so was SmartTrack and I still ended up voting for Tory. This time around I will likely vote Keesmaat despite her farcical housing strategy, but that is a discussion for the other thread.
This is not a left vs right wing thing (fun fact, Josh Matlow used to identify as a libertarian back when he was a school board trustee). Matlow is probably one of the more centrist city councilors in Toronto city council (one of the reasons why in his first term as councillor he did not have any allies until opposition around Ford crystalized) and in the political centre is where I reside myself. My issue with Matlow is not personal, ideological or political, but purely policy-based (and at that, only partially as I take issue with him only around housing).
Matlow talks good game when it comes to affordable housing as you pointed above in the articles. He also talks good ground game when he supports every NIMBY group in Midtown against housing developments, vocalizing their outrage using political and planning language at every statutory public meeting and vowing to fight each and every development in the area. He did so dishonestly over the years, knowing that he could direct council to reject every application and appease the NIMBY groups that vote for him, then shrug his shoulder and publish "I tried but..." in his community newsletters when the OMB inevitably overturns the council's rejection of the development application.
More often then not however, he succeeds in reducing developments heights and densities by a good 10-30% even at the OMB. Which I find gravely disappointing because that means during our ongoing housing crisis, that translates to thousands of residents and families who could have called Midtown their home (as should happen at the intersection of two major rapid transit lines) now being shut out of our neighbourhood, resulting in higher housing costs.
He is so transparent about his desire to prevent development in our neighbourhood that he is quite proud of the fact that he listed 258 buildings in our area on the heritage registry as a blatant anti-development measure.
And of course, his most crowning achievement as councillor (despite it being all the work of the provincial Liberals) and the one that I am sure he is probably personally most proud of, is his effort in demolishing the OMB. I know that topic is contentious amongst urbanist circles, but I for one was quite pleased that the OMB existed to overrule city councillors playing NIMBY to developments. Criticisms of demolishing the OMB can be found articulated in the appropriate UrbanToronto thread.
So you see, my issue with him is that he talks a good game but is a dishonest nimby-ist anti-development politician. Which, should be pointed out, hardly makes him unique among our city councillors, or make him an overall poor councillor. I am merely calling things out as it is.
Keesmaat? Her affordable housing strategy is an absolute farce and any urban planner or person involved in development industry knows it is an empty election promise. That being said, so was SmartTrack and I still ended up voting for Tory. This time around I will likely vote Keesmaat despite her farcical housing strategy, but that is a discussion for the other thread.
Allandale25
Senior Member
Joe vs Josh battle update (update: sorry, just realized the link to the tweet had already been posted).
steveintoronto
Superstar
Then post some actual reference or links. At some point, your personal view, or anyone else's counts for nought, save your personal vote.
I've Googled, evidence of your claims may exist, they're not showing, so the onus is on you to find them and link them.
Evidence based discussion.
What an odd contention. I work with architects, some very noted ones...and her views may be contentious, but none of them make claims anywhere near as reactionary as yours.
But then again, you didn't (gist) "hear of the Notwithstanding Clause until third year university". I leave it at that, I guess I'm a lot older and more worldly...
Edit to Add: On the topic of architects, and some amazingly diverse views amongst them, one holding a strong hand is to *not densify at all*! The far right is leaning so far it meets the far left on this.
Part of that may be driven by the distaste many of them have for high-rise developments. I'm not in a position to deconstruct their rationale, but continue to be fascinated by it. It's counter-intuitive. And it's about preserving and reinforcing existing neighbourhoods.
Some in the "development industry" hate that. Keesmaat makes sense to quite a number of them in terms of using brownfield instead of greenfield, or ripping down neighbourhoods to put up high-rise. Those who favour the latter overlook the need to increase services exponentially. I leave it at that, save that Keesmaat makes a lot of sense to people well referenced, educated, experienced and connected.
And *most* (not all) "developers" hate that...
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Avenue
Active Member
Her name is not 'Kismet'.
steveintoronto
Superstar
No kidding. Glad you got it. It's a literary licence, somewhat poetic, but with a dash of lemon juice for the acidic afterbite:
kis·met
ˈkizmit,-ˌmet/
noun
- destiny; fate.
"what chance did I stand against kismet?"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kismet
Anyone care for the Nederlander origin?
Just doing some background checks on what Stintz has written. Highly entertaining retrospect here:
Scarborough subway plan is the right decision, says former TTC chair
By KAREN STINTZOpinion
Tues., Dec. 5, 2017
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/con...the-right-decision-says-former-ttc-chair.html
Wow...
Addendum: Just up
Doug Ford’s bombshell has left Toronto’s mayoral race in neutral
By DAVID RIDERCity Hall Bureau Chief
Sun., Sept. 23, 2018
https://www.thestar.com/news/toront...as-left-torontos-mayoral-race-in-neutral.html
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Midtown Urbanist
Superstar
Not everyone has the luxury of time to pull source after source, Steve. Here is Matlow celebrating the end of the OMB.
Keesmaat has neither the land nor the money to build 100,000 units of affordable housing. If she even manages to build 1/10th of that, I would consider it a success.
I'll ignore the personal jab and merely point out that just because university curriculum in the liberal arts may not be what they used to be, it does not mean that young minds are left idle.
Videodrome
Senior Member
I am still not happy with my councillor for supporting the 25 ward thing, but otherwise, he does a good job, so I might just vote for him.
steveintoronto
Superstar
And so he should. Almost every municipality in Ontario did, for good reasons that seem to escape you.
Very first paragraph of the article you link:
From the Association of Ontario Municipalities, even before the legislation was tabled:
https://www.amo.on.ca/AMO-Content/Policy-Updates/2016/OMBReview
The OMB arguably had a role as it was (albeit very dated), but the vast majority of elected bodies affected praise the changes. Matlow is in very good company.
And you lambaste him for that...and oddly keep expounding the case of Doug Ford et al, where the Province runs roughshod over municipal democracy and sense of community which was exactly the fault of the OMB.
adma
Superstar
Maybe even more so if the only Ford remaining is Tiffany.