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Rob Ford - Why the Supervillian?

Mystic Point said:
Running a discount department store and a theater, or getting along with people is all fine and well. Over-seeing a 6 billion dollar budget in a city that is spiralling down the drain is another thing. I imagine even Honest Ed would agree.
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Where is this drain that you speak of? Perhaps we could incorporate it into Ontario Place.
 
tkip said:
I don't think that cities/nations that have experienced massive population increases have gotten off that lightly. In Toronto's case, we're a very young city and only in the last generation has our population exploded.

There are more than a few people out there that think in the long term, huge population increases whether in citites or nations is simply not sustainable. Looking at the beginning of the oil age that allowed the kind of large scale agricultural techniques that enabled populations to grow fast you realize that without endless cheap energy and fertile land, that we have a serious problem on our hands.

If you pay more carefully to what's been reported the last several years, you'll realize that topsoil erosion around the world is accelerating, fresh water is in decline, fish stocks are serioisly depleted and oil production has apparently peaked. And the world's population just gets bigger and bigger. At some point with resources being strained past their breaking points, governments are going to have more difficulty providing for their populations.

This includes Canada and cities that have a population that number in the millions like Toronto and the GTA region. And immigration only temporarily offsets a declining birthrate. You can't count on it forever to supplement your own population having fewer and fewer children. But that's another topic. It might look like we have unlimited resources but look south and you'll see the states and how it's own huge population demands with affect us.

I'm more of a pessimist and I tend to see problems down the road for a host of reasons linked with population in our future. Things might look rosy now but in a few decades I suspect it's going to be a different story.

Whew! That's it. I've said the word population too many times and time to get back on track to our topic. Ford and his taking over of the world...... All bow before his majestic majesty and greatness..........
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What does any of this have to do with anything being discussed here. Changes in the population of Toronto have no relation to changes in global population, or the global resource base. Our birthrate is at or slightly below replacement levels. Growth here is not true growth, but merely a shuffling of people between regions.
 
I don't understand why there is so much talk about stopping immigration into Toronto. Don't people realize the mayor of Toronto has NO control over that? Why the hell would Ford even mention it? He's been on city council for years now, so he must know it's a Federal matter. Once immigrants come to Canada, they are free to go wherever they want and our mayor can't do a damned thing about it. I know Ford is not the smartest guy around but he must know that. Might his motivation have something to do with who he thinks his views will appeal to? How low will someone sink to appeal to the lowest common denominator? (racists) That's just slimy!
 
Ford also tried to get City Council to support bringing back the death penalty, something even further afield from municipal politics. He doesn't really have much of a clue how city governments work, despite being on council for about a decade.
 
GraphicMatt said:
Ford also tried to get City Council to support bringing back the death penalty, something even further afield from municipal politics. He doesn't really have much of a clue how city governments work, despite being on council for about a decade.
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If you ask me, he doesn't have much of a clue period.
 
If you go to Rob Ford's web site, it lists how he voted at city council, on all kinds of issues. When you read through it, you can see many of the motions brought to council were put foreword by Ford. It's clear many of his motions were put foreword only so they could be used for political gain. Whenever city council votes to give money to a cause, Ford brings about another motion saying this.

"Do you agree NOT to spend $270,000 extra to narrow Gladstone Ave. from 4 to 2 lanes and remove parking spaces?"


It's almost always motions to oppose any money council gave for different items from AIDS organizations to renovating Nathan Philips Square. He is usually the only one voting for his amendments. He's obviously grandstanding to use it for political purposes and to irritate other members of city council. It's not done to actually accomplish a goal for the city because he knows damn well what the outcome will be. He has a 100% FAILURE rate! I call it playing politics. Can people not see through the real intention here? I really thought Torontonians were more sophisticated than that. This guy is so blatantly transparent.

How much time and money is he wasting by initiating all these fruitless votes in council? How are these really constructive in any way, when council already voted to give the money? Why would they vote to give it back? If these motions never pass, Ford obviously knows he's wasting his time and ours, so the only benefit I can see from doing this, is to use it as proof that he is the ONLY one looking out for taxpayer's money, when in fact, he is just wasting it. It's so unproductive. How come the media doesn't call him on this wasteful stupidity?

Want to see more stupidity? Check out a how Ford voted and all his council motions and ask yourself what is his motivation? (I'm talking to Ford supporters here)

http://robford.ca/councilvotes.asp


I'm not posting this to promote a candidate, I just really hate hypocrisy and political BS! I'm voting for whoever has the best chance to defeat ford, it's as simple as that. (besides Rossi, he creeps me out lol)
 
Want to see more stupidity? Check out a how Ford voted and all his council motions and ask yourself what is his motivation? (I'm talking to Ford supporters here)

http://robford.ca/councilvotes.asp


I'm not posting this to promote a candidate, I just really hate hypocrisy and political BS! I'm voting for whoever has the best chance to defeat ford, it's as simple as that. (besides Rossi, he creeps me out lol)
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Without resorting to a line-by-line review, I, and a whole lot of other Toronto voters, agree with his voting record. The voting record you scorn is exactly what appeals to so many citizens, how can you not understand that?
 
urbandreamer said:
You should have dinner with Rossi sometime. Nothing creepy about him, except he's disgustingly politcally correct. And stubborn--he's an Aquarius after all. Very midtown Toronto.
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Rossi seems to have some bizarre positions though, that seem to be completely out of touch. For example removing existing bike lanes. That's just plain weird.

And then there was his funding subway expansion by privatizing Hydro. His numbers are clearly completely cooked, and make no sense. This has been pointed out, yet he hasn't corrected them.

Okay, so he's not creepy ... but his platform is very weak.

And rather odd ... such as his talk of increasing population growth from 500,000 over 20 years to 1,000,000 in 10 years. Or his plan to reduce subway construction.
 
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spider said:
Without resorting to a line-by-line review, I, and a whole lot of other Toronto voters, agree with his voting record. The voting record you scorn is exactly what appeals to so many citizens, how can you not understand that?
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You obviously missed my point. (intentionally?)

I'm not talking about his voting record. (some things I agree with him, surprisingly lol) I'm talking about the motions that were obviously written by FORD himself and which accomplished nothing but wasting time and money. I'm talking about when council supports a vote, than Ford brings forward another one, asking to overturn the one that was just passed. They fail 100% of the time, yet he keeps doing it. Do you understand the difference between actually passing a motion, you believe will pass, and accomplish something, as opposed to just grand standing or making political points? When Ford knows his motions have NO chance of passing, he obviously has other motives. For people to not see the obvious, is just amazing to me.

There is a big difference between doing things because you want to accomplish something that will actually help this city and doing things that help no one but yourself. (and that you can advertise on your web site) This guy is so transparent. When you read the motions that Ford himself, put forward at city council, ask yourself what his motivation could possibly be. (If they never pass) Why keep doing it over and over again?


I used to think that we Canadians were so much smarter than the Tea Party clan down south, now I'm not so sure. I might expect this in Alberta but not in Toronto. I guess time will tell.
 
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^^^ exactly! completely mind blowing that such attitudes and tactics could even be displayed in Canada's largest city and even more so that such antics could garner a devoted following!

p.s. - Spider - I have read your blogs / websites a couple times now. I think you may be verging on obsessive/compulsive about the 'waste' thing...
 
Redroom Studios said:
^^^ exactly! completely mind blowing that such attitudes and tactics could even be displayed in Canada's largest city and even more so that such antics could garner a devoted following!
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Reminds me of Pauline Kael after Nixon won two huge majorities when she said, "I don't know anyone who voted for him." Amazing how people are so shocked (SHOCKED!) when a large group of people has quite different views.

Ford calls on Vaughan to enter mayoral race:
http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/08/23/15112786.html
An act of desperation and deflection, or good strategy?
 
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