Next Mayor of Toronto?

[SunriseChampion]

I don't want a centre-left candidate to win. We had enough of that with Miller. Ford is worse. Hopefully we land more in the centre.

I'm with ya. Compromise or Gtfo . I'm tired of hyper-partisan politics. I've only been voting for 10 years (age) but if politics in this country don't get a bit more reasonable and compromissory, I think I'll have a hard time with it all in another ten years.

Fanaticism of any kind is an illness of the mind.

 

[ttk77]

Except that from all information we've heard so far Chow's campaign is going to be all about healing the rift between downtown/suburbs, left/right in this city. That hardly sounds like the place for partisan politics. I think she will surprise us over the coming year.

 

[SunriseChampion]

I'm OK with her if she's reasonable.

Maybe I'll run for mayor. If I was serious enough I could get the financial connections to mount a visible and very serious campaign.

I should run for council, at least. Watch out Cllr Bailão!

 

[CapitalSeven]

"Olivia Chow has good strategists but still represent's Toronto's elite"

It's not so much that she represents the elite, as that they support her. But that's not really all that true, either. A lot of the elite, to the extent that we could figure out what that means, are more Liberal and Conservative supporters than NDP.

I am by no means a fan of Chow, at least not without a few reservations. But I think it's a sad commentary on the state of our political life that a hard-working, self-made immigrant is thought of as elitist, while the wastrel, wasted, stunted and stupid son of an establishment politician and business owner, who's achieved little beyond making himself into a populist myth through pandering and lying, is the hero of the little guy.

 

[SunriseChampion]

Well said.

It's the sad generalising talk of "taxpayers" vs "elitists", which doesn't make sense to anyone who cares to even think about thinking about it; not to mention actually thinking about it.

 

[SunriseChampion]

In fact, any talk of "us vs them" within a society is self-defeating.

 

[King of Kensington]

It's not so much that she represents the elite, as that they support her. But that's not really all that true, either. A lot of the elite, to the extent that we could figure out what that means, are more Liberal and Conservative supporters than NDP.

I am by no means a fan of Chow, at least not without a few reservations. But I think it's a sad commentary on the state of our political life that a hard-working, self-made immigrant is thought of as elitist, while the wastrel, wasted, stunted and stupid son of an establishment politician and business owner, who's achieved little beyond making himself into a populist myth through pandering and lying, is the hero of the little guy.

If Olivia Chow represents "the elite" how come John Tory is the favored candidate of high income earners?

 

[Glen]

Settle down.

Who else would you send to represent Toronto in China? She's well-versed in Toronto city affairs and she's fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese. And trying to lure foreign exchange trading to Toronto doesn't strike me as particularly socialist in its agenda.

If she really had the welfare of Torontonians at heart she should have been pressuring China to stop manipulating its currency. Facilitating its use dose us more harm than good.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Glen:

Yes, as if she holds that much power against Chinese fiscal policy. Let's get real here.

AoD

 

[Glen]

Glen:

Yes, as if she holds that much power against Chinese fiscal policy. Let's get real here.

AoD

She cannot change China's monetary policy, but she should not be supporting it. If people like you cannot apprciate that and have no expectations of her to do otherwise, she is not powerless. Having no expectations empowers her to use her media exposure to further her own ambitions. At others expense. Her whole comment was nothing but spin. I.E. if council is unable to address the issues facing the city, they have noone but themselves to blame.

 

[innsertnamehere]

and piss off the very investors she is trying to attract? good joke.

 

[adma]

If Olivia Chow represents "the elite" how come John Tory is the favored candidate of high income earners?

Relative to Rob Ford, they both represent different versions of "elite". Just like Miller and Tory in 2003.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

She cannot change China's monetary policy, but she should not be supporting it. If people like you cannot apprciate that and have no expectations of her to do otherwise, she is not powerless. Having no expectations empowers her to use her media exposure to further her own ambitions. At others expense. Her whole comment was nothing but spin. I.E. if council is unable to address the issues facing the city, they have noone but themselves to blame.

Yes, Glen - buying products from Chinese factories is supporting their monetary policy - did you ever, ever check and see if every single product that you consume during your daily life - directly and indirectly, contain, however little, Chinese made materials? What about the companies you deal with, directly or indirectly - did they do business with China that enables their monetary policy? If not, you are just as much an enabler.

I have no expectations on her ability to influence policy in this regard - it does not equate to not having expectations on her trip as more than a jaunt for personal good - just because someone doesn't complain about a beef that YOU have doesn't automatically make that individual's actions self-serving by default.

AoD

 

[Glen]

I have no expectations on her ability to influence policy in this regard - it does not equate to not having expectations on her trip as more than a jaunt for personal good - just because someone doesn't complain about a beef that YOU have doesn't automatically make that individual's actions self-serving by default.

AoD

If you cannot make the distinction between enabling, which is often inadvertent or unavoidable, and promoting then there really is nothing to talk about. Here is what she said.......... "I also had a mission to push to have Toronto designated as a trading hub for yuan, which is the Chinese currency".

Perhaps if could explain to me how facilitating the trading of Yuan, which is purposely undervalued, benefits us. Does it benefit Chinese workers whom have their purchasing power reduced? Does it benefit those in the West that work in manufacturing?

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

If you cannot make the distinction between enabling, which is often inadvertent or unavoidable, and promoting then there really is nothing to talk about. Here is what she said.......... "I also had a mission to push to have Toronto designated as a trading hub for yuan, which is the Chinese currency".

That's rather convenient - just how does promoting Toronto as a trading hub for Yuan "enables" the undervaluing of the currency by the government, exactly? Whether it is traded here would have zero impact on that.

Perhaps if could explain to me how facilitating the trading of Yuan, which is purposely undervalued, benefits us. Does it benefit Chinese workers whom have their purchasing power reduced? Does it benefit those in the West that work in manufacturing?

Let's put it this way, the Chinese are not going to undervalue their currency regardless of whether there is a trading hub in Toronto or not - do you rather not derive any benefit from having a hub here (direct and indirect jobs from trading activity) and insisting on changing the channel and pretend that somehow by rejecting the hub you will benefit those who work in manufacturing. Your call.

It's like calling on the TSX to refuse trading of any company with oil sands business because Alberta oil raises the Canadian dollar and decimates our manufacturing sector. Sorry, some things are just beyond your control - and I don't consider cutting the nose to spite the face good policy.

AoD