Next Mayor of Toronto?

[GraphicMatt]

Libertarianism is a fairly worthless political philosophy, especially the Randian stuff. Waste of time. Go through your teenage Libertarian phase and then move on.

I think 'fiscally conservative' is a pretty empty term as well. People tend to use it as they would 'fiscally responsible.' Which any politician of any stripe would claim to be. Somebody who is truly a hard fiscal conservative will oppose investment in things like infrastructure because it comes with risk ("Investing 10 billion in this subway should bring a billion dollars a year in revenue or a recession could hit and we'll be left with ten billion dollars of debt!").

 

[Simple Man]

Moderates are a kid with a ball sitting between two ball-less soccer games and everyone's promising sweets for the ball instead of just beating him up.

I think we have seen if you go to either side you get huge problems and great positives.

I myself am a centrist who is fiscally conservative but quite progressive socially. Is that being a coward or just having some common sense??

 

[Eug]

but rather the liberals be fiscal conservatives, i'd rather they be fiscally responsible. fiscal conservatism isn't always responsible in the sense that many times it contradicts its self. you don't save 1 dollar today only to lose 10 tomorrow. you need to be smart with money and not let ideology, heated emotion or symbolic gestures shape your financial policy. decisions need to be made on real analysis that take into consideration the big picture, the long term & the benefit. and in the end, society should be better off because of those decisions.

I'd agree that "fiscally conservative" does not necessarily equal "fiscally responsible". Unfortunately, too many on the left use that as an excuse to overspend, at least in Ontario.

 

[Name]

Libertarianism = Classical Liberalism, the father of which was John Locke, whose fingerprints are ALL OVER the U.S. Constitution.

Your premise is flawed. John locke is known as the 'father of liberalism', not libertarianism. Basic stuff.
Your high school diploma should be revoked.

 

[Automation Gallery]

Well here is my experience.


A lot of friends in University who supported George and Joe pants, not even one of them came out to vote.

The people I know who like Rob Ford, all came out to vote and were watching the vote closely.

There was not a clear suburban-urban divide. A lot of them who supported George live near the Northern edge of the city, but it appears George support was very very weak.

Yeah...Quite the opposite or similar to the 2003 municipal elections when most David Miller supporters came out to vote for him while John Tory suporters took the day off.

 

[Torontovibe]

Has anybody seen Hudak on TV today, talking about stopping the "gravy train"? I wonder where he got that from? Are we gonna be driven nuts by hearing the gravy train shit over and over for the next year? I also saw a TV ad from the Conservatives and it's all about the Liberals stealing money from your wallet. I guess they figured if it worked so well for Ford, why not. It's gonna be a long year. Sheesh!

On another note, we all want more subways but how do we raise the money to pay for them in this climate of "I don't want to pay more taxes" and if you even consider tolls, people freak out? How are subways going to help congestion, if they funnel more people downtown but add no new subways to the downtown core? I only see it making things unbearable for anyone going south of Sheppard. (If it isn't already) With all the new huge condos going up, we are so screwed unless we get a DRL, which Ford is not even considering. I predict public transit will only get much worse and we will not see much of a difference in subway building, except for a few stations to extend the line.

 

[Eug]

Tolls make for underutilized toll roads and congestion on other roads IMO. Basically, it's a two-tiered road system, something I'd think the left would want to rally against.

 

[lafard]

Has anybody seen Hudak on TV today, talking about stopping the "gravy train"?

He's also playing "When I was a child growing up in Fort Erie, we didn't have much money".

He's trying to play the "I'm not urban elite" card too. McGuinty's a lot like smitherman, the vaguely out-of-touch with the common man, Big City Liberal.

Toronto's screwed.

 

[nfitz]

Pick a house in the heart of a burb vs. a similar house in the heart of Toronto. Taxes are usually higher in Toronto.

Right in the heart of Toronto? Hardly a fair comparison, ... a million-dollar 1,500 square foot house at Bay and Queen isn't comparable.

When you compare the average price of single detatched homes in Toronto to the same in other cities, taxes are comparable; Toronto isn't the highest, but it isn't the lowest. I know what I pay, and it's lower than what I know people pay in Markham and other cities. And yet I get much better services, more libraries, better transit, better snow removal ... and good grief, when you phone about a road problem on a Saturday night, someone actually answers the phone, and something happens straight away. Try doing that in most cities!

I was really surprised when I moved to Toronto 6 years ago, at how much better the services were here!

 

[nfitz]

"A bigot is a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, especially one exhibiting intolerance, irrationality, and animosity toward those of differing beliefs. The predominant usage in modern American English refers to persons hostile to those of differing race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, various mental disorders, or religion."

See above. Rob Ford is not a bigot. Your characterization of him as one is actually rather offensive.

Ford is intolerantly devoted to his own prejudices regarding sexual orientation. This has been documented several times in major media outlets. Therefore by definition he is a bigot. Not sure why your challenging this, everyone knows Rob Ford is a bigot. The question is, why did so many people think it's okay to vote for a bigot?

 

[nfitz]

The depths of your delusion never cease to amaze me. You have done nothing but post ad nauseum throughout this campaign that anybody who votes for Ford is a racist, pure and simple.

I have not said this. I have said they are bigots. Not sure why you are bringing race into this - my primary complaint is that he does not support same sex marriage.l

Anyone who speaks out against same-sex marriage is, by definition, a bigot. Not sure why this a difficult concept.

 

[nfitz]

"A bigot is a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, especially one exhibiting intolerance, irrationality, and animosity toward those of differing beliefs. The predominant usage in modern American English refers to persons hostile to those of differing race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, various mental disorders, or religion."

See above. Rob Ford is not a bigot. Your characterization of him as one is actually rather offensive.

Ford is intolerantly devoted to his own prejudices regarding sexual orientation. This has been documented several times in major media outlets. Therefore by definition he is a bigot. Not sure why your challenging this, everyone knows Rob Ford is a bigot. The question is, why did so many people think it's okay to vote for a bigot?

The depths of your delusion never cease to amaze me. You have done nothing but post ad nauseum throughout this campaign that anybody who votes for Ford is a racist, pure and simple.

I have not said this. I have said they are bigots. Not sure why you are bringing race into this - my primary complaint is that he does not support same sex marriage.l

Anyone who speaks out against same-sex marriage is, by definition, a bigot. Not sure why this a difficult concept.

 

[mangasparky]

I need to say, I support same sex marriage, but you're an idiot. People have the right to support whatever they want. They have the right not to support gay marriage. That does not make them a bigot. Calling all of Ford's supporters bigots because of an over reaction to something he said is really stupid.

By definitition, you're an idiot.

 

[Eug]

Right in the heart of Toronto? Hardly a fair comparison, ... a million-dollar 1,500 square foot house at Bay and Queen isn't comparable.

There are no houses at Bay and Queen.

And yes, a million dollar 2000 sq. ft home in Toronto is most definitely comparable to a $400000 house in Markham for basic services, because it doesn't cost more to pick up the garbage from that million dollar house.

 

[nfitz]

There are no houses at Bay and Queen.

My point exactly ... but there is a short walk away. Queen and Soho perhaps.