2023 Toronto Mayoral by-election

[concrete_and_light]

Maybe I'm overblowing this as an issue in my first reaction to it, but it seems to me that staff being directed by the Mayor's office to only provide information transparency requested by councillors if it paints things in a good light is very bad and compromises the entire apparatus of City staff independence which is the foundation on which trust in the city organization and public service is built. This is a massive scandal to me if staff have become this directly an arm of the mayor's office's political direction and goals. Whatever the appropriateness of what Matlow did wrong in the details, this seems to reveal that fundamentally he is correct and we cannot trust City staff.

I want to be mindful though of not contributing to a hostile public environment for these staff and questioning their ethics and want to be clear that I am not saying the individual integrity of any member of staff is compromised.

But it seems that the entire structure of staff and its priorities exists under this overt political pressure — just seemingly an expectation — that staff will do what aligns with the Mayor's office's political interests and priorities and help support that. Not providing responsible good faith transparency with council, but specifically only providing it if it makes them look good. Under that kind of organizational pressure staff themselves are being put in an impossible position being asked to do ethically inappropriate things by the Mayor's office. This is bad for the city and trust in government and also wrong for the Mayor's office to put staff in this position.

Am I overreacting? This seems to me to be an absolutely massive issue. How can we trust anything staff reports and trust that council and the public will get transparent answers questions if the Mayor's office is privately telling them to only provide information if it's positive?

 

[ShonTron]

It also provides more context to Tory’s secret meetings with Ford during the election period prior to the Strong Mayor powers being announced.

 

[Fresco]

LOL.......Chris Sky is running too

 

[toonderly]

Whatever the appropriateness of what Matlow did wrong in the details, this seems to reveal that fundamentally he is correct and we cannot trust City staff.

If the Mayor's office is directing staff to cover up bad news what is their (staff or council's) best option?

Too bad Matlow didn't simply direct his attacks at Tory. I'll be interested in his response to the findings.

 

[adma]

LOL.......Chris Sky is running too

LOL.......Chris Sky is running too

Okay, tell me that Chris Sky "altered" that photo.

Actually, with all the names tossing their hat in the ring, it's a wonder there's been no talk of Blayne Lastman giving it a go (after all, there were rumours of his doing so in '18)

 

[Fresco]

Okay, tell me that Chris Sky "altered" that photo

Not sure its altered, I'm just surprised he even owns a suit

 

[Pacer]

Interesting polling numbers.

 

[Pacer]

2014 really brings the perspective.

 

[Northern Light]

The Star story w/the poll is here:

Olivia Chow, Mark Saunders lead in poll of potential Toronto mayoral candidates

The Forum Research survey saw Olivia Chow as the choice of 24 per cent of deciding and leaning voters and Mark Saunders with 22-per-cent support.

www.thestar.com

The full list of poll numbers (from me) is below:

Chow 24
Saunders 22
Matlow 18
Hunter 12
Bailao 11
Penlosa 8
Bradford 5

Comments:

Surprised to see Saunders that high

Surprised to see Bradford that low, that'll bruise his ego.

I assume if nothing changes substantially in the first 2-3 weeks of the campaign that Bradford will drop out.

I imagine his vote splitting mostly to Bailao but maybe a point or two to Saunders.

None of the rest are likely to anywhere in the first month.

That would seem to make it a 5-way race ( I don't think Gil is a factor here)

Hmmm

 

[adma]

Somehow, McGrath about Olivia feels a bit concern-trollish--actually, I'm surprised she's polling that *high*, though it's certainly through presumed name recognition.

As for Bradford: if he's got a game in this, it'd be in the quiet-team-assembling-behind-the-scenes way that put Miller & Tory on top in '03.

 

[christiesplits]

Somehow, McGrath about Olivia feels a bit concern-trollish--actually, I'm surprised she's polling that *high*, though it's certainly through presumed name recognition.

As for Bradford: if he's got a game in this, it'd be in the quiet-team-assembling-behind-the-scenes way that put Miller & Tory on top in '03.

I agree, my money is on Bradford being the centre-right establishment pick, meaning he will bring in big cash and grow his profile over the coming months.

 

[Fresco]

Please no Chow. She's a pinko communist!!

 

[ssiguy2]

Chow and Sauders benefit from name recognition but at the same time I think they have the least amount of growth potential. Name recognition gets you a lot of initial attention but as other become more known to the general population, that advantage quickly fads.

Chow is viewed as a sanctimonious elite who, despite her claims, really has no idea what the average Torontonians are concerned about and just lives in her little left-wing downtown enclave. Saunders may appeal to the "law & order" crowd but has no breath of knowledge about the other issues that plague the city and is viewed as a one trick pony.

Both these things will appeal to their hardcore base but elections aren't won by appealing to the converted but rather those in the mushy middle who generally just want effect and visionary leadership but without the strong ideological biases.

 

[DSC]

Chow and Sauders benefit from name recognition but at the same time I think they have the least amount of growth potential. Name recognition gets you a lot of initial attention but as other become more known to the general population, that advantage quickly fads.

Chow is viewed as a sanctimonious elite who, despite her claims, really has no idea what the average Torontonians are concerned about and just lives in her little left-wing downtown enclave. Saunders may appeal to the "law & order" crowd but has no breath of knowledge about the other issues that plague the city and is viewed as a one trick pony.

Both these things will appeal to their hardcore base but elections aren't won by appealing to the converted but rather those in the mushy middle who generally just want effect and visionary leadership but without the strong ideological biases.

If I were a 'law and order guy' I am not sure I would be too keen on Saunders. He really was not a very good police chief so why does anyone think he would make good Mayor?? Seems like a case where, if he gets elected, we will be living the Peter Principle! (The Peter principle is a concept in management developed by Laurence J. Peter, which observes that people in a hierarchy tend to rise to "a level of respective incompetence": employees are promoted based on their success in previous jobs until they reach a level at which they are no longer competent, as skills in one job do not necessarily translate to another.[1])

 

[Bayer]

Please no Chow. She's a pinko communist!!

Really? Perfect!