Rob Ford's Toronto

[JWBF]

Actions as thus show Robbie's fear of the council. We have all seen the mayor's actions while in council, he does not want to answer questions, he frets, struts, and sweats like a pig. The council also is the greatest barrier to the rule of his partisan government, these actions may be legal, but when abused show that Robbie's vision of democracy is not the same as the actual thing.

... anything else?

Sorry, you have lost me, what's your point?

 

[guitarchitect]

Sorry, you have lost me, what's your point?

"he does not want to answer questions, he frets, struts, and sweats like a pig" - reminded me of the response that will probably be amongst the most memorable in his entire career, being asked time and again about the video and his habits, and all he can respond with is ".... anything else?"

 

[JWBF]

"he does not want to answer questions, he frets, struts, and sweats like a pig" - reminded me of the response that will probably be amongst the most memorable in his entire career, being asked time and again about the video and his habits, and all he can respond with is ".... anything else?"

Sorry, it appears I'm having a senior moment, and I'm not yet a senior.

 

[allabootmatt]

Exactly this. When has he shown interest otherwise on those topics? It's really all about power, obstructionism and potshots for him.

If Ford were mayor back from 2003-2010, I guarantee you that our waterfront would have still be undeveloped and transit completely unimproved.

This is a key point. Miller, for better or worse, set in motion an enormous amount of positive change--so much so that implementing it will carry us through the next few years. The city is improving significantly as a result of these decisions: getting the waterfront on track, Regent Park, the Nathan Philips Square and North Market rebuilds, new subway trains and streetcars, the Eglinton Crosstown (which I am betting is the main piece of transit infrastructure we will get for the foreseeable future).

Under Ford, virtually nothing is being initiated, and given the lag time associated with major projects these days that means there will be a vacuum of ribbon-cuttings and the like for several years from the later end of this decade.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Under Ford, virtually nothing is being initiated, and given the lag time associated with major projects these days that means there will be a vacuum of ribbon-cuttings and the like for several years from the later end of this decade.

Virtually nothing?

How about absolutely nothing.

Unless you count painting sidewalk curbs red as progress.

 

[guitarchitect]

Unless you count painting sidewalk curbs red as progress.

To be fair, he IS putting in a tonne of bike infrastructure. problem is, it's stuff that's low priority (up in the 'burbs, completely disconnected from any kind of network) and that will be used by very few cyclists. It's twisted because it lets him trumpet "We're putting in more bike infrastructure than any other mayor before!" but it's a bit like going into random fields north of the city, throwing in paved roads to connect gravel roads, and telling everyone how great you are for being the road-building mayor. I'm also not sure it's even stuff that his people developed and put into place, or if it's just some plan that was there before he arrived that he can't back out of.

 

[typezed]

I believe the off-road stuff was in the works before he became mayor. The separated Sherbourne lanes are an initiative of his administration, but they're coupled with a removal of the Jarvis lanes.

 

[guitarchitect]

I believe the off-road stuff was in the works before he became mayor. The separated Sherbourne lanes are an initiative of his administration, but they're coupled with a removal of the Jarvis lanes.

Yup, one of the most bone-headed moves. It's amazing that he can be so anti-gravy-respect-for-taxpayers on one side, and on the other he's ripping out bike lanes at a huge cost - bike lanes that are used solely by taxpayers. Sometimes I really think he doesn't see cyclists as taxpayers... actually, MOST of the time I think that.

Pretty good recap of the radio show this week

1:26: Rob takes credit for delivering subways to Scarborough, despite the fact that he had little to do with the province’s decision to build them—and also despite the fact that they haven’t been delivered. Doug goes on to refer to the proposed subway extension as “crumbs” for Scarborough. There you have it folks—the Ford administration is taking credit for delivering crumbs, which may or may not ever come. Solid messaging.

2:40: Doug, who called members of the media SOBs just over an hour ago, says he takes the high road while the media doesn’t. Oh, Doug.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Yup, one of the most bone-headed moves. It's amazing that he can be so anti-gravy-respect-for-taxpayers on one side, and on the other he's ripping out bike lanes at a huge cost - bike lanes that are used solely by taxpayers. Sometimes I really think he doesn't see cyclists as taxpayers... actually, MOST of the time I think that.

Pretty good recap of the radio show this week

The definition of taxpayer is: a person who supports Rob Ford. Everyone else is a bike riding, subway using downtown leftie elitists (because according to Ford nation elitists take subways)

 

[W. K. Lis]

Yup, one of the most bone-headed moves. It's amazing that he can be so anti-gravy-respect-for-taxpayers on one side, and on the other he's ripping out bike lanes at a huge cost - bike lanes that are used solely by taxpayers. Sometimes I really think he doesn't see cyclists as taxpayers... actually, MOST of the time I think that.

Pretty good recap of the radio show this week

Rob also voted against playground improvements. Children are not taxpayers nor are they voters, in his book.

 

[Johnny Au]

Rob also voted against playground improvements. Children are not taxpayers nor are they voters, in his book.

Rob Ford believes that children should play at home or in their backyards. He has biological prepubescent children even.

 

[typezed]

And he wanted to buy up the parkland next door to put a fence around it so his children could play there.

 

[Johnny Au]

And he wanted to buy up the parkland next door to put a fence around it so his children could play there.

...while depriving other children from playing there.

 

[RC8]

I'm also not sure it's even stuff that his people developed and put into place, or if it's just some plan that was there before he arrived that he can't back out of.

I've worked with the cycling department, and the off-road paths were in the plans before Ford came around. There is also a multitude of bicycle lanes all over the city (especially downtown) that would have been implemented without Ford.

 

[adma]

I've worked with the cycling department, and the off-road paths were in the plans before Ford came around. There is also a multitude of bicycle lanes all over the city (especially downtown) that would have been implemented without Ford.

And still to this day because, well, Ford's not the only guy on council. He's so 1 out of 44, he even votes that way more often than not. Yet because stuff he voted against "happened under his watch", he perversely takes credit for it.

Ideally, of course, he wishes for a "strong mayor system", veto powers and all.