Adam Vaughan's family was very much connected to Stop Spadina and were extremely good friends of the Jacobs.
So what? That obviously has no bearing on his own current behaviour. David Frum is Barbara Frum's son - 'nuff said.
it's assanine (your words) to say he operates not in Jacob's spirit.
Completely disagree:
...It's always "suburbanites" who cause the problem. Knowing Toronto, of course, that's as loaded a term as saying it's kids from the banlieue that cause all the problems in Paris, but the Vaughan/Barber types toss these terms around without any doubt in their minds that they're the most progressive people around. ... He's not doing it for any higher moral or even ideological reason. He's the worst kind of politician doing absolutely anything he can for a few votes, in this case, for the votes of the neighbourhood NIMBYs.
Can't say it any better than that. Please explain what exactly is Jacobsian in operation about baseless blanket statements aimed at entire demographics, wildly over the top accusations hurled at entirely legitimate businesses, potential abuse of authority in hassling said businesses from an elected bully pulpit, seemingly hoping to drive them clear out of business, and pandering, weasel-like, to constituents who were stupid enough to choose to live in clubland, and then complain about the obvious realities of clubland. Spadina Expressway redux, this most certainly is not.
And your own condescending snootery differs apparently not so much from Vaughan's:
Most "exciting cities" party scenes aren't about a big club district somewhere near downtown over-run with suburbinites. It's waaay more subtle and refined.
But perhaps I'm just not sufficiently "subtle and refined" (your words) to appreciate Vaughan's tactics on your oh-so-downtown level.
Maybe you should have gone.
Couldn't - trapped in Vancouver at the moment.
Is this because you are against his ideas about Clubland that you should make such a generalized insult?
No. I
am against his clubland stance, but it's not his stance that offends, it's his methods. His laughably overblown rhetoric re the situation down there, his unfair, petty nonsense regarding the line-ups and whatnot, and his phoney 'leadership' ostensibly emerging from an evidently astroturf-like non-uprising amongst a select local few who apparently believe, as does he, that they have the right to bully anyone they don't care for right out of 'their' downtown, are dishonest, abhorrent and completely unacceptable tactics to me.
And concerning the insult being "generalized", I completely disagree with that, as well. I don't do compartmentalization in any case. The kind of thinking that goes along the lines of, "well, he's a complete bastard in those ways, but he's pretty nice in others, so I guess it all balances out", is anathema to me. Some mooshy words on some other topics don't compensate for Vaughan's outrageous recent conduct, for me. I'll stick with Maya Angelou, thanks: "When people show you who they are, believe them, the first time." Vaughan has shown us who he is. Ignore that if you prefer.
As far as his Kensington tour goes, just how challenging is it to wax Jacobsian about the market, of all places? It practically demands such from anyone with even a bit of appreciation for urban life - it'd be weird if anyone
wasn't Jacobsian in this context. And the issues surrounding Alexandra Park? Only an idiot could
not see and point those out, so glaring are they, unfortunately. Glad everyone who went out enjoyed the walk, but whatever - it's not relevant to his political antics.
Vaughan
is an ass, in my opinion. You step into the public arena and you take your lumps - please feel free to violently disagree. Man, who would have thought that trashing
a politician would evoke such seemingly personal responses? Has he got buddies 'round here, or something? It's almost like some are feeling insulted by association.