News   Jul 12, 2024
199 Church Showcases Heritage Facade and Artwork at Street Level
 230     0 
News   Jul 12, 2024
Six Points Plaza Redevelopment Advances With 36-Storey First Phase
 380     0 
News   Jul 12, 2024
Trading Spaces: Can Real Estate Conversion Help Boost Housing Supply?
 221     0 

Rob Ford's Toronto

Status
Not open for further replies.
We all know that Ford is a terrible Mayor as well as a man with serious personal and psychological issues but I was thinking that while some people here feel that Ford represents an indictment of voters or a voting segment or a political ideology, I feel he may represent an indictment of our entire political establishment.

First let me say that the issues were are dealing with are first world problems. Everything is generally OK and Ford's politics aren't even that extreme drawing from both right-wing and left-wing arguments. Ford is on the one hand THE DEFINITION of political establishment and insider and a career politician himself but on the other hand I feel that Ford's black sheep image actually gives him traction. He is like the Tommy Boy of the Conservative party, a party that is itself not particularly popular as demonstrated by the fact that Tim Huddak can't even win the Provincial election when it should be like slam-dunking on a Fisher-Price basketball net.

We already have OK government by international standards but I think voters are flailing around for a solution to good government and finding no answers or options within our current political system. For a certain segment of the voting population Ford has the right kind of bull-headed irrational dedication that is at least kind of safe. That safe haven status is not really dammaged by the continuing verification that he is personally and psychologically disturbed because these qualities are actually desirable to the extent that they keep him from being a credible foot soldier for a political master. It is the political parties, their brain-trust and their leaders that have no credibility in general across all parties.
 
inyyz said:
Where does this new desire to better our music industry originate? Ford doesn't strike me as a music aficionado. Nice that the Austin papers are well aware of Rob's foibles. Sigh

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201..._mayor_rob_ford_welcomed_to_austin_texas.html
Click to expand...

I guess someone has finally told Robbie that Sam's was a huge promoter of Canadian music, and as such he should get off the fence due to his Toronto music claims.

Mayor Rob Ford says Ryerson should reinstall Sam the Record Man sign
A closed-door meeting Monday on the famous spinning-records sign brought together musical community members, heritage staff and Ryerson president Sheldon Levy.

As a side note... it is fortuitous that Robbie and Dougie will be out of the country if this situation goes sideways, and that it kinda mirrors Harper heading south to sidestep the Senate scandal, hoping it would blow over.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...should_reinstall_sam_the_record_man_sign.html
 
Last edited:
The homicide detective who's responsible for Lisi's arrest is also the detective who interviewed 5 of the Mayor's staff back in May. This came to me via that highly reliable source inside Ford's office so I'm confident that this is accurate. According to other sources, Detective DeGiroux is also leading the obstruction of justice investigation that I talked about some few weeks ago.

A senior detective like DeGiroux isn't put on small drug beats like this one. It's clear to me that these events are all related to the same obstruction case. If so, then Lisi was arrested on a minor drug charge in order to get him formally under police investigation and enable them to question him. We're getting closer to the top.
 
tariqata said:
And he's going to Texas to lower Toronto's unemployment rate more, and that's what's important; besides, Lisi's a good guy that he's never seen take a drink, and he doesn't throw his friends under the bus. Anything else?

It was as though he decided to trot out every one of the deflections that has worked for him in the past. I think the entire performance was disgraceful, even for Ford.
Click to expand...

At this point Ford has become pretty confident that he can keep repeating the same BS he always does and there will be no price to pay. Ford Nation demands very little of him. He can cavort with criminals and known drug dealers and they don't question his lack of accountability, ethics or even his judgement. They accept him worts and all, as long as he tows the right agenda. Things like professionalism, competence and even respectability fall to the wayside when compared to lower taxes. I just think this whole Ford era is a huge embarrassment and will continue to be for years to come, when all the books come out detailing all the stupidity this fool is getting himself, and the city, involved in. It's so sad to think that so many people don't think this great city deserves better than Ford and his antics.


As for sending Ford to Texas, to research/study their music industry, it's pointless. The man doesn't have the ability to understand the simplest things. What makes anybody think he is the right person to do anything that requires deep thinking? Why not send down a few smart people who understand the music business, inside and out, and let them formulate a plan. Ford and his posse will contribute very little to this research trip. Let's face it, this is just a vacation for this group and that's all it is. We are being duped. They are all going to party, get drunk and have fun. Very little will come out of this except maybe the flimsiest of reports, that will sit on a shelf somewhere.
 
Last edited:
PinkLucy said:
So let's recap. The issue is not Lisi being arrested, it's the press coming to Ford's front door. Will no one think of the children?
Click to expand...

you should read mark toohey piece yesterday about the Rob Ford playbook before you discredit this little bit.

you would be surprised at how many people in canada value private property rights.
 
My point is how he turns things around and tries to deflect. He loves to bring his children into it -- at the time of the press conference, they should have been at school so would not have been exposed to any unsavoury media folk.
 
TheTigerMaster said:
I've never heard about [the Ron Taverner - Ford] relationship. Can you go into details?
Click to expand...

Seriously? Peepers writes about it in 50% of his posts. Okay, lemme see what I can find...

1. For one thing, if you google "Rob Ford" + "Ron Taverner" you get a stunning number of stories in which arise from various aspects of RoFo's misbehaviour (i.e. not just the "main" ones you would think of). Taverner's voice is heard in stories about the re-routed TTC bus, Project Traveler, the push for the downtown casino, the various 911 calls and domestic violence incidents,

2. Before the crack news came out, the media references to the Taverner/Ford relationship were relatively open. An example from around the time of one of the wife-beating incidents: "Toronto Police Supt. Ron Taverner, who heads the neighbouring Etobicoke police division and has known the Ford family for many years, said the mayor receives no special treatment."

3. I just found Ed Keenan's piece from June which details the foregoing and has more, including some older Taverner quotes from the shot-in-the-face sister, as well as this: "Taverner, who has worked in the division for 10 years and knows the family personally..."
 
voxpopulicosmicum said:
Seriously? Peepers writes about it in 50% of his posts. Okay, lemme see what I can find...

1. For one thing, if you google "Rob Ford" + "Ron Taverner" you get a stunning number of stories in which arise from various aspects of RoFo's misbehaviour (i.e. not just the "main" ones you would think of). Taverner's voice is heard in stories about the re-routed TTC bus, Project Traveler, the push for the downtown casino, the various 911 calls and domestic violence incidents,

2. Before the crack news came out, the media references to the Taverner/Ford relationship were relatively open. An example from around the time of one of the wife-beating incidents: "Toronto Police Supt. Ron Taverner, who heads the neighbouring Etobicoke police division and has known the Ford family for many years, said the mayor receives no special treatment."

3. I just found Ed Keenan's piece from June which details the foregoing and has more, including some older Taverner quotes from the shot-in-the-face sister, as well as this: "Taverner, who has worked in the division for 10 years and knows the family personally..."
Click to expand...

Dixon Road post-raid project led by “old friend of the Fords”

http://www.thegridto.com/blog-post/dixon-road-post-raid-project-led-by-old-friend-of-the-fords/
 
TheTigerMaster said:
You have to be kidding me.

Can someone please pull out the article where Ford said that Lisi was "clean as a whistle".
Click to expand...

“He’s a friend,†Ford said of Lisi. “He’s a good guy and I don’t throw my friends under the bus. I’ve never once seen the guy drink. I’ve never seen him do drugs. I’m surprised.â€

[...]

The mayor’s exact relationship with Lisi—who has a prior criminal record, including an assault conviction—is unclear. In August, Ford told the Toronto Sun in August that Lisi is “a great guy and he is straight as an arrow.â€
Click to expand...

http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/10/02/rob-ford-roundup-toronto-mayors-sometimes-driver-arrested/
 
MetroMan said:
The homicide detective who's responsible for Lisi's arrest is also the detective who interviewed 5 of the Mayor's staff back in May. This came to me via that highly reliable source inside Ford's office so I'm confident that this is accurate. According to other sources, Detective DeGiroux is also leading the obstruction of justice investigation that I talked about some few weeks ago.

A senior detective like DeGiroux isn't put on small drug beats like this one. It's clear to me that these events are all related to the same obstruction case. If so, then Lisi was arrested on a minor drug charge in order to get him formally under police investigation and enable them to question him. We're getting closer to the top.
Click to expand...

why are homicide detectives handling a situation where the charges are "trafficking marijuana, possession of marijuana, possession of the proceeds of crime and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence"? (http://o.canada.com/news/sandro-lisi-arrested/)
 
http://www.thestar.com/news/city_ha...sandro_lisi_charged_with_pot_trafficking.html


Rob Ford frequently visited friend Sandro Lisi, who is charged with drug offences

Peck [neighbour] says she often saw the mayor park his Escalade in front of Lisi's home on Madill Street in Etobicoke, before Lisi would come out of the house and lean in to the driver's side window for a few minutes.

“There's a side door on the Lisi residence and Lisi comes out, walks across, leans in and back he goes,” Peck told the Star.
Click to expand...

I'm sure its an innocent transaction. You know, constituency stuff and all that.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Back
Top