Next Mayor of Toronto?

[kettal]

That is GREAT news, I'm so unsatisfied with the current crop I was considering spoiling my ballot. Tory rules

 

[MetroMan]

I'm an early Miller supporter and even though Tory was his opponent, I'd love to see him become Miller's successor. We need a good financial manager and a politician at the centre that's able to collect support from either side. John Tory is all that. If he decides to announce his candidacy this week, I'll join his campaign as a supporter that same day.

I've prepared my requirements and from the chat I had with my Tory insider, he'll hit it out of the ballpark on most points and remain within acceptable range on the others.

What I'm looking for in the next Mayor:

• Establish a long term budget balancing strategy. Selling off assets might fix the problem in the short term but sooner or later we'll run out of stuff to sell.
• Continue to value the public realm: clean streets, beautiful architecture, waterfront development, cultural festivals and venues.
• Put the unions in check. They're the reason we're broke.
• Find a logical balance on Transit City. I agree that LRT is the fast track to city wide transit but build subways where they'll be a proven success: Eglinton, SRT, DRL.
• Fix the TTC's PR problem. Ensure that front line employees are excellent customer service reps first. This may require a younger generation of hires. Let the veterans drive vehicles but train the rookies in customer service and make them the face of the TTC.
• Continue to be a world leader in urban green development. It didn't seem to make sense when Miller first raved about it. After all, environment didn't sound like a municipal jurisdiction. In hind sight, it was a brilliant move as it's made Toronto a leader and an example to follow in this field, just like the TTC did generations prior.
• Make Toronto proud of our new Mayor as the face of the city.

 

[nfitz]

I know this is being discussed a lot in the media so my little "insider info" isn't exactly breaking news but John Tory is all but ready to announce he's entering the race. His people conducted a survey this weekend so he'll be making a decision by Wednesday, announcing by Thursday.

Given that John Tory has been clearly saying for months that he won't run, it seems surprising that he'd run after all. The first question would be if that he has been lying to us for months, how do we trust him now?

The next question would be will he keep his promise to build a garbage incinerator in Toronto, and how many people will that kill?

I'd say the day when all the G20 madness starts would be a poor day to announce, given that the media will be preoccupied, but given John Tory's history of making poor choices, that shouldn't surprise me!

 

[PinkLucy]

Tory recently said something along the lines of "a politician never says never", leaving the door open for changing his mind, as politicians are wont to do.

 

[SimonP]

My feeling is that if it looks like Rob Ford has a chance to win, Tory will get in it towards the end of the summer. Tory is just as terrified of Ford as other Torontonians. Ford has also surrounded himself with the ultras of the Conservative Party, the same people who spent years trying to bring down Tory when he was leader.

I think it's unlikely that Tory would enter now.The longer he stays out the more the media paints him as a legendary hope on the horizon. Once he enters the muck of the campaign will lose much of that luster. Staying out as long as possible is in his interest. Entering the race would also mean giving up his radio show. Right now he gets 3 hours of prime time advertising for free. It'd be crazy to give that up before he needs to.

The other reason I see Tory waiting is that Sarah Thomson's campaign manager is Tory's son, John Tory Jr. Entering now, just when Thomson seems to be gaining some traction, would be a cruel blow. Better to wait. In a couple months we should know if Thomson is a contender or not, and in the likely event that she isn't it will make it much easier for him to justify himself at the family dinner table.

 

[MetroMan]

My feeling is that if it looks like Rob Ford has a chance to win, Tory will get in it towards the end of the summer. Tory is just as terrified of Ford as other Torontonians. Ford has also surrounded himself with the ultras of the Conservative Party, the same people who spent years trying to bring down Tory when he was leader.

I think it's unlikely that Tory would enter now.The longer he stays out the more the media paints him as a legendary hope on the horizon. Once he enters the muck of the campaign will lose much of that luster. Staying out as long as possible is in his interest. Entering the race would also mean giving up his radio show. Right now he gets 3 hours of prime time advertising for free. It'd be crazy to give that up before he needs to.

The other reason I see Tory waiting is that Sarah Thomson's campaign manager is Tory's son, John Tory Jr. Entering now, just when Thomson seems to be gaining some traction, would be a cruel blow. Better to wait. In a couple months we should know if Thomson is a contender or not, and in the likely event that she isn't it will make it much easier for him to justify himself at the family dinner table.

Great analysis. We shall see how things pan out.

So far, Thomson is edging in on my vote. She has the management capacity sorely needed to get us out of an infinite loop of budget shortfalls and the lack of testosterone that'll help her keep a cool head in council and bring both sides together.

 

[Glen]

Does a mayor really need to know all this stuff to be a good mayor?

That is a good question. I am less troubled by Ford's lack of knowledge regarding design and architecture than I am by Miller's dubious fiscal handling of the city budget. He is a trained economist after all. If ford was an architect then his lack of knowledge would be an issue.

 

[SimonP]

The next question would be will he keep his promise to build a garbage incinerator in Toronto, and how many people will that kill?

With all the Tory love in the media, it's easy to forget that if Tory's 2003 platform had been implemented it would have been disastrous for Toronto. He called for a resumption of Mel Lastman's tax freeze. The city is only now recovering from the fiscal mess caused by Lastman's tax freeze. Imagine where we would be with four more years of that.

This was combined with some very expensive spending plans, most notably his call for 400 new police officers. (He needed the new cops for his Arizona style plan of hunting down all the illegal immigrants in Toronto.)

 

[Tewder]

Didn't he want to publicly fund private schools based on religious grounds too? Bad idea! It pretty much told me all I need to know about Tory. Nice guy though.

 

[MetroMan]

Didn't he want to publicly fund private schools based on religious grounds too? Bad idea! It pretty much told me all I need to know about Tory. Nice guy though.

I think that was Tory being a Tory. He was probably ill advised to push that in an attempt to ascertain his standing as a Conservative and therefore gain the support of those voters.

I'm willing to give him a chance at selling his policies and from what I've heard and seen so far, I'd be happy to vote for him, even though I'm generally a left leaning liberal.

 

[js97]

Can i just say that Metroman... I hope for the city's sake that Tory won't be just about platitudes, but real substance

What I'm looking for in the next Mayor:

[*] Establish a long term budget balancing strategy. Selling off assets might fix the problem in the short term but sooner or later we'll run out of stuff to sell.

Does that mean cutting services/layoffs? The dreaded 'Rae Days'? - I still think was one of the greatest ideas ever to get Ontario out of a rut.

I think people have to get comfortable with parting with certain city assets. It's the only way right now to bring you back to Par, and plan for a more sustainable budget going forward.

FYI, the city already sells schools/lots to developers.

I think most Torontonians are smart enough to know that resources are going to have to come from somewhere Province, Feds? The other option for a more balanced budget is to cut salaries/layoffs... something a Mayor would be willing to do?

[*] Continue to value the public realm: clean streets, beautiful architecture, waterfront development, cultural festivals and venues.

I think every Mayor is for this right?

[*] Put the unions in check. They're the reason we're broke.

Outsourcing / the dreaded 'privatization' word? or can we say, 'Managed bidding, for the opportunity to serve Toronto'

Find a logical balance on Transit City. I agree that LRT is the fast track to city wide transit but build subways where they'll be a proven
success: Eglinton, SRT, DRL.

Which I think ROSSI has a plan

[*] Fix the TTC's PR problem. Ensure that front line employees are excellent customer service reps first. This may require a younger generation of hires. Let the veterans drive vehicles but train the rookies in customer service and make them the face of the TTC.

I don't believe it's a PR problem, more so an actual SERVICE problem.
I think it's true when they say 'attitude' reflects Leadership... and I think the TTC heads , all the way up to the Chairman, have done a lousy job.

[*] Continue to be a world leader in urban green development. It didn't seem to make sense when Miller first raved about it. After all, environment didn't sound like a municipal jurisdiction. In hind sight, it was a brilliant move as it's made Toronto a leader and an example to follow in this field, just like the TTC did generations prior.

Isn't develpment and Green oxymorons?

From an environmental perspective, how can you develop and still be 'environmentally friendly?


All that being said, I do have to say that it's been great to have much of the rhetoric debunked/challenged by all these debates....


Puts these politicians on the hot seat.

I think this election will be decided on by Truth, and not Rhetoric. That's probably why Ford has resonated so well with voters.

 

[MetroMan]

Just running out the door but want to reply to this:

Originally Posted by MetroMan
[*] Continue to be a world leader in urban green development. It didn't seem to make sense when Miller first raved about it. After all, environment didn't sound like a municipal jurisdiction. In hind sight, it was a brilliant move as it's made Toronto a leader and an example to follow in this field, just like the TTC did generations prior.

Can I ask which specific 'Green' initiative this will be?

The aquarium on waterfront? (Will go through as much power and resources as any of the bank towers)

I'm referring to Miller's apartment tower renewal, green roof requirements, and encouraging LEED status in new towers to name just a few.

 

[that_girl_there]

Didn't he want to publicly fund private schools based on religious grounds too? Bad idea! It pretty much told me all I need to know about Tory. Nice guy though.

Nice guy who was also responsible for the slanderous attack ads on Jean Chrétien's lisp way back when.

I dunno, Tory has a lot of baggage that could easily be used against him were he to actually run.

That being said, sadly, he would be the best candidate out of the list so far if he did throw himself in. And that's sad...

 

[Fresh Start]

Nice guy who was also responsible for the slanderous attack ads on Jean Chrétien's lisp way back when.

I dunno, Tory has a lot of baggage that could easily be used against him were he to actually run.

That being said, sadly, he would be the best candidate out of the list so far if he did throw himself in. And that's sad...

Um, the best candidate out of the list is Sarah Thomson, she's baggage-free. Copying someone else's subway map, forgeting election results from over a decade ago and getting endorsed by Conrad Black is the worst things the media can say about her. Why we're looking towards a three-time loser like John Tory to save Toronto is beyond me. To say that he's a Rob Ford-type candidate without the colloquial uncouthness is a gas. Wow. Desperation rears its ugly head. Let's throw John Tory to the lions. Anything to stop Rob Ford, who might, just might bring this City back from the dead. Toronto Star is pushing this because it will split the center and right and give us Slitherman.

 

[urbandreamer]

Introducing the next mayor of Toronto: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/tor...he-other-rocco-was-ready-to-quit-mayoral-race

edit: just noticed his birthday is on december 25th. You know what that means....