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Mayor John Tory's Toronto

DarnDirtyApe said:
That's because councilors are the government, and she's a government employee. She works for them and it would be completely normal for her social media presence to be shut down if she continues to go "off message" and/or directly contradict the Mayor and/or council.

At the provincial and federal levels you don't see deputy ministers tweeting, period.
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Perhaps you don't understand the role of a planner... As a planner, its her job to defend sound planning principles and evidence based decision making. Going against the mayor and council on planning matters is her job sometimes.

Defending the mayor and council IS NOT her job.

From the Canadian Institute of Planners (Which one must be a member of to be Chief Planner):

The public interest
Planners practice in a manner that respects the diversity, needs, values and aspirations of the public as well as acknowledge the inter-related nature of planning decisions and the consequences for natural and human environments.

Clients and employers
Planners provide independent professional opinion to clients, employers, the public, and tribunals as well as undertake planning services with diligence and render services with appropriate preparation.

The profession and other planners
Planners maintain an appropriate awareness of planning theory and practice by obtaining professional education throughout their planning career and act toward other Members and colleagues in a spirit of fairness and consideration.
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No where in the professional code of conduct does it state that she is to shut up and defend her employer's position. In fact, she could lose her accreditation by doing so.
 
It is indeed her job to provide independent professional opinion, but it is not her job to directly contradict elected officials in the media. Nowhere is it said that planners should have free reign to go against political objectives...
 
DarnDirtyApe said:
It is indeed her job to provide independent professional opinion, but it is not her job to directly contradict elected officials in the media. Nowhere is it said that planners should have free reign to go against political objectives...
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She doesn't serve politicans, she serves the public. If the public interest goes against a politicians interest, it is her job to provide the correct facts, even if it is contradictory. Otherwise, why would we have a chief planner? What would be the point? It may as well just be a councilor who becomes appointed in that case just like TTC Chair.
 
DarnDirtyApe said:
It is indeed her job to provide independent professional opinion, but it is not her job to directly contradict elected officials in the media. Nowhere is it said that planners should have free reign to go against political objectives...
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Given the calibre of municipal politicians we continually elect, any competent planner is bound to take a contrary position to the majority of Council on most major issues. Since the planner works for the people of Toronto, it's her duty to attempt to inject data and reasoned analysis into the public debate. Because we certainly won't get that from our Mayor and his suburban colleagues.
 
Videodrome said:
Why would Ford Nation defend carding when so many supporters are minorities who are probably treated badly by the police?
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Not all non-whites are created equal in their eyes, it depends on money, the right church/religion, how many generations your family has been in Canada, age, and carding is the opposite of libs/socialists/communists or generally anyone who enjoys freedom. You should read up on Ann Coulter and her racism/bigotry rants and books; lately she is all about white communities tainted by non-whites to undermine American culture, family values/morals.
 
Keesmaat is interesting in that as far as I know there's never been a city staff member that has garnered as much attention as she has. When she got the job she was all over the news almost as a socialite (sort of how Richard Florida gets talked about) and she embraced social media in a way not seen before for city staff. Part of the attention I think is because she got the job at the time Ford was talking about transit and the waterfront so city planning was front in centre in municipal news.

I can't really say for sure if she has really changed how the planning department is run. Planning reports from the city seem the same as they were before. I can't fully blame people to think that she spends more time self promoting than she should. It did come out that she specifically negotiated her employment contract to allow her to continue to give paid speeches. That said we never know any details about how departments at the city are run so who's the say she isn't doing a terrific job?
 
datamouse said:
I can't really say for sure if she has really changed how the planning department is run. Planning reports from the city seem the same as they were before. I can't fully blame people to think that she spends more time self promoting than she should. It did come out that she specifically negotiated her employment contract to allow her to continue to give paid speeches. That said we never know any details about how departments at the city are run so who's the say she isn't doing a terrific job?
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Planning has certainly been reorganised since she arrived and people I know who work there appear to think she is pretty good. Like Byford at TTC she is shaking things up. (Oddly, both were appointed during the Ford Years).
 
DarnDirtyApe said:
It is indeed her job to provide independent professional opinion, but it is not her job to directly contradict elected officials in the media. Nowhere is it said that planners should have free reign to go against political objectives...
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The same can be said for councillors part of the executive and how they will vote on the Gardiner. Are they all on board with the mayor? They should be then right are are they?
 
WislaHD said:
I thought Tory had to excuse himself from the Island debate due to conflict of interest with his son?
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I forgot about that. What I'm saying is that the island airport will be another contentious debate whose outcome will have a significant impact on the city, but Tory's performance so far suggests he will be listening to lobbyists and business interests rather than relying on facts. If he will have to sit out of this debate due to conflict on interest, then maybe that's not a bad thing.
 
salsa said:
I forgot about that. What I'm saying is that the island airport will be another contentious debate whose outcome will have a significant impact on the city, but Tory's performance so far suggests he will be listening to lobbyists and business interests rather than relying on facts. If he will have to sit out of this debate due to conflict on interest, then maybe that's not a bad thing.
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Oh don't doubt he will have his lapdog DMW do the dirty work for him.
 
WislaHD said:
Oh don't doubt he will have his lapdog DMW do the dirty work for him.
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You know the temperature has hit a critical point in a debate when the "lapdog" label starts getting tossed around. I've forgotten now who it was that was labeled as Miller's "lapdog", maybe there was more than one.
 
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