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Next Mayor of Toronto?

TonyV said:
Yup, in this morning's online Star, sources say Tory won't run. If these reports turn out correct, this can only be good news. I just have the feeling deep in my bones (no real proof) that Tory would have played to the suburban pro-car, pro-highway crowd. In other words, dull, dull, and more dull, and more than a tad careless with our environment.
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I felt the same way. The danger is that we have traded the probability of a centre right mayor in Tory for the possibility of a hard right mayor such as Minnan-Wong.
 
SimonP said:
I felt the same way. The danger is that we have traded the probability of a centre right mayor in Tory for the possibility of a hard right mayor such as Minnan-Wong.
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I read you well, SimonP, but I haven't yet grasped Toronto (as a whole) endorsing a hard-right mayor. The city is basically centrist. I also believe that someone from that particular camp will have a challenge raising the dough for a run. A centre right mayor ... I'll have to put my mind to who may be a candidate to fit that description.
 
Roy G Biv said:
I've heard the same from similar friends. Everyone who's worked for him apparently hates him. He's a bully.
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Re: Smitherman -- I am anxious to hear how he will approach his kick-off. I am hearing the same things as you are hearing, but I still can't help but think that a hardass (as someone else called him) might be terrific in City Hall at this time ... council is ridiculously willy-nilly and perhaps Smitherman is the type that will either preach "collective goals" ... or give them all a frikkin' lobotomy.

I am waiting for a mayoral candidate with leadership qualities. One who will tell the electorate, before the election takes place, to think about 'city at large' issues.
 
Without Tory or Murray in the race, I think Smitherman has things pretty close to sewn up, though I would not discount Giambrone at all.

I worry about Smitherman for a bunch of reasons, but his reputation as a bully isn't one of it. Miller's greatest failing may have been that he tried too much to be nice.
 
I can't imagine a councillor being intimidated into acting a certain way. They have giant ego's and pride as well. I thought Tory would have been a nice compromise between Miller's pebble balls and Smitherman's watermelon balls.
 
What I can see, however, is that Smitherman will provide carrots in a quasi-legal manner to induce compliance with his agenda, and the city will find itself in another MFP somewhere down the road.

AoD
 
Downloading.. remember that? A good way to make Smitherman uncomforable is to bring back the issue -- get him to talk about it, since the public wants to see what he's like under pressure. This might be a good way to smoke out some of Smitherman's personality traits.

Smitherman served a Premier (McGuinty) who once decried the evils of the Harris government's downloading of social service costs to cities. McGuinty has done very little to offset downloading... promising to phase it out over several years. In fact, I think Dalton actually likes the downloading now.

Smitherman wants to be mayor of Canada's largest city, and downloading hurts cities. Would he publicly make nasty with the premier that got him his ticket into the big dance of politics?

I'd love to see what happens.
 
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TonyV said:
Yup, in this morning's online Star, sources say Tory won't run. If these reports turn out correct, this can only be good news. I just have the feeling deep in my bones (no real proof) that Tory would have played to the suburban pro-car, pro-highway crowd. In other words, dull, dull, and more dull, and more than a tad careless with our environment.

I'd like to see someone who will continue Miller's work on the waterfront, and who takes an even stronger pro-transit attitude. Miller's Transit City is smart to a large degree, but I'm still of the opinion that more high capacity transit is needed.
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In other words the only candidates you want running or deem interesting are the ones who support anything and everything that comes from the south of Bloor crowd. You can bet there's plenty of votes to be had in the suburban pro-car, pro-highway crowd. Just run ads showing the other guy voting to demolish the Gardiner and watch the reaction in Scarborough.

This election will be won in the rest of the 416. You can bet the rest of city is none too happy with Miller's legacy. They got stuck with all the fees but no huge improvements in services (improved bus service is the only big one that stands out).

I'd be happy with a candidate for once who does not pick sides. I am tired of the south of front Milleristas. But I do not want a mayor with an entirely suburban agenda either. I want a mayor who looks at the big picture and leads accordingly. That's what I am holding out for.
 
kEiThZ said:
In other words the only candidates you want running or deem interesting are the ones who support anything and everything that comes from the south of Bloor crowd. You can bet there's plenty of votes to be had in the suburban pro-car, pro-highway crowd. Just run ads showing the other guy voting to demolish the Gardiner and watch the reaction in Scarborough. ....
.
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You're wrong about me. I want a city-at-large mayor too. Reducing pollution and increasing high capacity transit are city-at-large issues that affect the economy, quality of life, and health.
 
kEiThZ said:
This election will be won in the rest of the 416. You can bet the rest of city is none too happy with Miller's legacy. They got stuck with all the fees but no huge improvements in services (improved bus service is the only big one that stands out).
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How many Transit City lines are south of Bloor? This will be by far the largest and most expensive part of Miller's legacy and it is almost wholly in the suburbs.
 
SimonP said:
How many Transit City lines are south of Bloor? This will be by far the largest and most expensive part of Miller's legacy and it is almost wholly in the suburbs.
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The average Torontonian (particularly of the suburban breed) knows nothing about transit city, but knows all about the car registration fees, garbage fees, land transfer taxes, etc. And I can assure you that there is no real appreciation of these fees given that most people have not perceived any signifcant improvement of public services in return.
 
kEiThZ said:
The average Torontonian (particularly of the suburban breed) knows nothing about transit city, but knows all about the car registration fees, garbage fees, land transfer taxes, etc.
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People south of Bloor had to deal with all these things, too. Perhaps there is a somewhat lower percentage of car owners, but that would be the only difference I can imagine. Miller didn't do the core any special favours, if a victimhood complex such as the one your talking about exists in the outer city, it would be irrational.
 
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