junctionist
Senior Member
If those buildings were better maintained, one could mistake that scene for somewhere in North York perhaps 
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Next Mayor of Toronto?
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Fresh Start
Banned
You need to go back and look at Mr. Ford's platform rather than listening to your NDP contacts. Mr. Ford is investing in the TTC and public housing. He is simply not interested in paying for programs with no other results than keeping a bunch of bureaucrats on the payroll. Your comments show that you are not really paying attention. The E-Health billions of dollars could have been spent on curing AIDS.
Remarks by councillors unqualified in the subject at hand to give legally expert testimony remain personal opinions (anecdotal) and must be assessed as such. When the Ministry of Health makes uninformed medical claims, for example, then there is a justified blameworthy problem of error. A clarification and apology from Rob Ford for any unintentionally caused emotional suffering from his opinions would further demonstrate the informed maturation needed to be mayor of a diversity of voters.
It's up for interpretation as to whether Mr. Ford is racist, homophobic or a wife beater since his spouse recanted the allegations and they're still raising a family happily together. Making occasional verbal gaffs is a part of being human. I can forgive a few insensitive remarks made years ago. Actions mean far more than words. I think he clearly lacks an Obamaesque speechwriter - as a lot of the other candidates appear to have at their disposal - which is why he may sound like a simpleton to you. But you know what, I'm voting for a relatable person not out to dazzle me with impressive words that lack any credibility (SEE: Rossi on job creation or Smitherman on just about every issue).
Move along pundits please, to real matters of substance, not rhetorical tricks.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Yes, while making a series of gaffles in any sector is liable to get you fired from the job - especially jobs that requires dealing with the public. We demand decorum from TTC employees - why should politicians be any different? Would any one tolerate public drunkedness and verbal abuse from our police chief, for example? Or our mayor? Why should we one go easy on Rob Ford when everyone else can do so but he can't?
Perhaps that would include the wild claim that somehow selling air rights can pay for subway lines? And just how has Mr. Ford invested in the TTC and public housing? A few nice fuzzy lines about how he would care about "customer service" in public housing in the campaign speech glosses over the fact that he voted AGAINST spending money on housing. If that's investment, it's the first time i'd heard of it.
And on top of that, what platform? All he got is a few bullet points with absolutely no concrete plan on the efficacy of the ideas nor the impacts. Geez, like that little pesky thing called designating TTC as an essential service - make those angry folks feel good, right...but does he actually realize what doing so will do, vis-a-vis the bargaining process and labour laws, neither of which he controls?
First, it's nowhere near a billion, much less billions; second, there is no cure for AIDS.
AoD
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GraphicMatt
Looking forward to a FRESH START for Toronto
Ford's biggest problem isn't his lack of social grace and continued borderline offensive comments - those are mostly just kind of a fun and hilarious diversion - but that his priorities are, essentially, 1) spend less money, b) lower and remove taxes, c) repeat.
His views regarding actual investment into infrastructure and services are vague and noncommittal. He says he'd like 'more subways' but where? And how are we going to pay for them? "The private sector" is not an answer. It's a dream. He wants to cut the city's affordable housing budget by subsidizing market rate rentals for low income people, but, again, how? How do you stop this from just being a big boon for slumlords?
It's no vision aside from saving money. Is that the kind of city we want?
His views regarding actual investment into infrastructure and services are vague and noncommittal. He says he'd like 'more subways' but where? And how are we going to pay for them? "The private sector" is not an answer. It's a dream. He wants to cut the city's affordable housing budget by subsidizing market rate rentals for low income people, but, again, how? How do you stop this from just being a big boon for slumlords?
It's no vision aside from saving money. Is that the kind of city we want?
adma
Superstar
He's as politically "relatable" as design/build McMansions are architectually "relatable". How's that for a rhetorical trick, dear political philistine...
GenerationW
Senior Member
You're right. We should give them all a fair trial and then shoot them.
SimonP
Active Member
I was out last night with Joe Pantalone, I signed up to help him hand out flyers to the crowd at Ashbridges before the fireworks. It was my first time meeting him, and I was pretty impressed. The crowd was very friendly too.
What endeared him most to me, was that after the event, when Joe needed to get home from the Beaches, he didn't consider driving or taking a cab. Instead I walked him over to Hambly and left the deputy mayor waiting for the Main St. bus to take him up to the subway.
What endeared him most to me, was that after the event, when Joe needed to get home from the Beaches, he didn't consider driving or taking a cab. Instead I walked him over to Hambly and left the deputy mayor waiting for the Main St. bus to take him up to the subway.
voxpopulicosmicum
Senior Member
I'm something of a pacifist, so I'll pass on this one. Not sure even Colin Powell could make a credible case for shooting all wingnuts as an act of self-defence by the sentient.
It may have been genuine (who knows), but is more likely to be construed as pandering/grandstanding. We're far too cynical. Miller has been taking the freaking subway for decades and he's cast as an elitist by many detractors.
Gulp. Not sure where to start...although it's is very tempting, I'll avoid addressing your thesis that George Smitherman is solely responsible for failing to cure AIDS (but bravo for saying so -- that's thinking outside the box).
Instead, I'll implore you not to start a post instructing me to "stop listening to NDP contacts" and finish it dismissing criticism of Ford as "rhetorical tricks". It's not constructive and it doesn't reflect reality. I have no NDP contacts, and what you call "rhetorical tricks" seem to me to be "premises" and "conclusions" -- "rhetoric" to be sure, but the fact that you call it "trickery" speaks volumes.
I believe in the power of redemption more than most people, but the trouble is I am frequently burned by my optimism. Still, even I know better than to bet on Rob Ford's metamorphosis into a fully functioning adult human being.
If you and the other Team Ford workers want us to stop treating Ford like a joke, Rob Ford needs to acknowledge having spent the last decade as an understudy to both Ricky and Randy from the Trailer Park Boys. How long will it be until Rob cracks under the pressure of his newfound pleasant facade and does something truly awful? Do you hear that sound, Fresh Start? That's the sound of the shithawks fleeing ahead of the shitstorm. A great shitrain is coming for you. Ford won't make it through the summer without threatening to doff his pants and fight someone.
"Unintentionally caused emotional suffering"? Now who's the rhetorical trickster? ("Geez, I didn't know people whould get upset if I ridiculed and blamed them for their terminal illness.")
Maturation? He's a shiterpillar growing into a shit moth.
saveyorksouthweston
New Member
Only Councillor Nunziata is quoted as supporting Rob Ford for Mayor. This is very telling.
SimonP
Active Member
Most of the hard right councillors have yet to endorse anyone, I wonder if any will opt for Ford with his promise to cut their number in half?
Here is a full list of who incumbent councillors are supporting so far:
Rob Ford (2):
*Rob Ford (Etobicoke North)
*Frances Nunziata (York-South Weston)
Giorgio Mammoliti (1):
*Giorgio Mammoliti (York West)
Joe Pantalone (12):
*Maria Augimeri (York Centre)
*Sandra Bussin (Beaches-East York)
*Janet Davis (Beaches-East York)
*Glenn De Baeremaeker (Scarborough Centre)
*Paula Fletcher (Toronto Danforth)
*Mark Grimes (Etobicoke-Lakeshore)
*Adrian Heaps (Scarborough Southwest)
*Joe Mihevc (St Paul's)
*Howard Moscoe (Eglinton-Lawrence)
*Cesar Palacio (Davenport)
*Joe Pantalone (Trinity-Spadina)
*Gord Perks (Parkdale-High Park)
George Smitherman (3)
*Pam McConnell (Toronto Centre)
*Case Ootes (Toronto Danforth)
*Kyle Rae (Toronto Centre)
Rossi, Thomson, and all the rest don't yet have any councillors supporting them.
Pantalone definitely has the largest confirmed support on council. This is mostly representatives of councils left, but there are some suprising names supporting him like centre right councillors Mark Grimes and Cesar Palacio.
hbl33
Active Member
Source plz? Thanks.
nfitz
Superstar
A lot of these seem to be listed on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_mayoral_election,_2010 - some with references.
SimonP
Active Member
Yes, they all come from there, with the exception of Ootes backing Smitherman, but their alliance has been well known for ages.
Torontovibe
Senior Member
What a little prick, that Ford is. Why doesn't he keep his nose out of wards that aren't his. People who live in houses have garage sales all the time, so why can't the people in St. Jamestown do the same thing in their own neighbourhood? Would he rather see this junk go into a landfill site? I think it makes the neighbourhood more colourful, friendly and interesting. (safer too, putting more eyes on the street) I quite enjoy it, which is more than I can say for Rob (shit-disturber) Ford!
By Joe Fiorito
City Columnist
There is a floating flea market in St. James Town where, on any given day, you will find knick-knacks and gewgaws piled next to the flotsam of electronica and the jetsam of fashions past.
It is, in a word, fun.
But some poor anonymous grind wants to stop this impromptu souk; I don’t know why, and no one I know does, either.
The market is spread out, on tables and on blankets, to the east of 200 Wellesley, running north along a breezy pedestrian walkway; believe me, it is the only breezy thing about St. James Town. It is not strictly legal, according to the bylaws.
The bylaws are an ass.
I met a fellow there who was selling vinyl record albums: Donovan, The Nylons, The Ink Spots. While I browsed, he told me of the recent troubles.
He said City Councillor Rob Ford had shown up in St. James Town recently to see about some issue or other; commendable of Ford, to take such an interest in matters outside his ward.
While he was there, an anonymous axe-grinder apparently put a bug of complaint in Ford’s ear, and the councillor apparently whipped out his cellphone.
According to one of the people in the market, “Six minutes later, the cops show up. Ford said he wasn’t trying to be a prick. He said our stuff could be confiscated. He said we could be fined.”
Pish-tosh.
A woman named Sue said, “Rob Ford spoke to me directly. He said we had to leave. I said, ‘Can we finish?’ He said we had to leave.”
Hiss, boo.
If no fines were levied that day, my friends, it is because the market got packed up in a disappearing hurry. But it has come trickling back in recent days. And while it may not be strictly legal, here’s why the market should be allowed to flourish:
Gordon: “I suffer from borderline personality disorder. I come here twice a week if I’m up to it; keeps me from going crazy.”
Ali said, in front of a tangle of cords and cables and other things too diverse to characterize: “We spend the whole winter cooped up in there. This is about socializing.”
Sue: “I do this for the fresh air. Some of these people” — she nodded to her fellows — “it’s the only time they get out. They’re not making a lot of money. I feel I have a right to do this without being harassed.”
I’m with her.
Just so you know, a vendor’s permit would cost more than $500. No one at this bazaar makes enough money to justify that expense.
And then a guy named Phil passed by and said, “I’m retired. I’ve lived here 25 years. I never knew my neighbours when I was working. Now that I come out here, I know everyone.”
That’s it, right there.
Let the market be the market.
And then Gordon said — pay attention now — “When we’re here, we don’t get crack dealers.” Because crack dealers do not like to be seen plying their trade. In other words, the market makes the city safe.
I have been in and out of St. James Town for a long time. I have seen the rotting apartments, and I have written about the bugs, and also about the people who have died in squalor, and I have seen the bullying and the neglect; St. James Town is a hard place to live.
But when I saw the flea market on that cool and sunny day, and when I heard Phil talking about knowing his neighbours, that is the only time I have felt any optimism there.
Back off, councillor.
Or find a way to help.
Joe Fiorito usually appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Email :jfiorito@thestar.ca
By Joe Fiorito
City Columnist
There is a floating flea market in St. James Town where, on any given day, you will find knick-knacks and gewgaws piled next to the flotsam of electronica and the jetsam of fashions past.
It is, in a word, fun.
But some poor anonymous grind wants to stop this impromptu souk; I don’t know why, and no one I know does, either.
The market is spread out, on tables and on blankets, to the east of 200 Wellesley, running north along a breezy pedestrian walkway; believe me, it is the only breezy thing about St. James Town. It is not strictly legal, according to the bylaws.
The bylaws are an ass.
I met a fellow there who was selling vinyl record albums: Donovan, The Nylons, The Ink Spots. While I browsed, he told me of the recent troubles.
He said City Councillor Rob Ford had shown up in St. James Town recently to see about some issue or other; commendable of Ford, to take such an interest in matters outside his ward.
While he was there, an anonymous axe-grinder apparently put a bug of complaint in Ford’s ear, and the councillor apparently whipped out his cellphone.
According to one of the people in the market, “Six minutes later, the cops show up. Ford said he wasn’t trying to be a prick. He said our stuff could be confiscated. He said we could be fined.”
Pish-tosh.
A woman named Sue said, “Rob Ford spoke to me directly. He said we had to leave. I said, ‘Can we finish?’ He said we had to leave.”
Hiss, boo.
If no fines were levied that day, my friends, it is because the market got packed up in a disappearing hurry. But it has come trickling back in recent days. And while it may not be strictly legal, here’s why the market should be allowed to flourish:
Gordon: “I suffer from borderline personality disorder. I come here twice a week if I’m up to it; keeps me from going crazy.”
Ali said, in front of a tangle of cords and cables and other things too diverse to characterize: “We spend the whole winter cooped up in there. This is about socializing.”
Sue: “I do this for the fresh air. Some of these people” — she nodded to her fellows — “it’s the only time they get out. They’re not making a lot of money. I feel I have a right to do this without being harassed.”
I’m with her.
Just so you know, a vendor’s permit would cost more than $500. No one at this bazaar makes enough money to justify that expense.
And then a guy named Phil passed by and said, “I’m retired. I’ve lived here 25 years. I never knew my neighbours when I was working. Now that I come out here, I know everyone.”
That’s it, right there.
Let the market be the market.
And then Gordon said — pay attention now — “When we’re here, we don’t get crack dealers.” Because crack dealers do not like to be seen plying their trade. In other words, the market makes the city safe.
I have been in and out of St. James Town for a long time. I have seen the rotting apartments, and I have written about the bugs, and also about the people who have died in squalor, and I have seen the bullying and the neglect; St. James Town is a hard place to live.
But when I saw the flea market on that cool and sunny day, and when I heard Phil talking about knowing his neighbours, that is the only time I have felt any optimism there.
Back off, councillor.
Or find a way to help.
Joe Fiorito usually appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Email :jfiorito@thestar.ca
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T.O.Fanatic
Active Member
This is exaclty why Rob Ford should never be Mayor......he is essentially trying to get the rest of the city to conform to his model of 1950's suburbia. Have you heard his comments about how Toronto is 'dirty'?