Rob Ford's Toronto

[PinkLucy]

No I don't think so. It's one thing to say the media is lying and out to get him - relatively speaking, it seems to have been easy for Ford to simply deny that reality. It's a completely different thing to say the police are lying and out to get him - that will not fly with his base.

I just seeing him do a "no comment" thing, then saying "I answered that", maybe asking "anything else" and then leaving.

It's Doug who will go to CP24 and blather on.

 

[milkywaymusings]

No I don't think so. It's one thing to say the media is lying and out to get him - relatively speaking, it seems to have been easy for Ford to simply deny that reality. It's a completely different thing to say the police are lying and out to get him - that will not fly with his base.

Didn't Doug already do that?

 

[next_to_herb]

Yep, that sounds about right re: Rob's involvement. To do income-splitting properly, he would need to regularly spend some time at the company, and do some sort of task (I assumed signing cheques and attending some meetings).

Didn't know about the "shunting", nor the damage minimization - if Rob wasn't interested, it's just logical that he does something else, and if he hero-worshipped his father, politics was also a logical place for him to go.

Putting aside his mayoralty, Rob has actually been a far more successful politician than his dad ever was - he could have been the councillor for Ward 2 for as long as he lived, unlike his dad who was a one-term wonder.

 

[SFO]

http://www.thestar.com/news/city_ha...d_says_he_rescued_toronto_from_the_cliff.html

Off topic from the above, but this whole interview with Jerry Agar strikes me more and more as a pretty amazing and serious set of communications blunders---on par with "It's nobody's business what happens in my office" in terms of statements opponents could use against him. It's like he knew the whole thing would be a breeze, let his guard down, thought about what he was saying even less than usual, and spouted off a few real doozys.

Like suggesting his second term will be a rerun of his first: red meat for an opponent, but not even a good look for his supporters. He couldn't have managed to say "I'm going to work even harder for the people of Toronto" or some similar platitude? Nope, not Rob. "I'm just going to stay on cruise control."

Worse yet is "There's still so much gravy out there." So the intention is to undermine your ENTIRE EXISTENCE? The one catchphrase that was supposed to define success in your mayoralty? So you FAILED at your one big job? Great, thanks for being honest! But of course, he then goes on to be unable to name one single failure or anything he might have done differently.

Pretty mind-blowing. Winter (i.e. January, if he makes it that far) is coming, pal.

 

[the lemur]

Didn't Doug already do that?

I thought Doug at first claimed the surveillance plane was being used by 'elite people from Toronto' (by which he means 'downtowners, and we don't care for them'), then pretty much admitted that it was in fact the cops. Which seems like a real foot-in-mouth moment to me, regardless of what he's trying to say about the police.

 

[mrtinfoilsocket]

I thought Doug at first claimed the surveillance plane was being used by 'elite people from Toronto' (by which he means 'downtowners, and we don't care for them'), then pretty much admitted that it was in fact the cops. Which seems like a real foot-in-mouth moment to me, regardless of what he's trying to say about the police.

And then went on to question whether the police and Toronto Star might be working together. His stupidity is endless.

“I support any investigation that took place,” Doug Ford said. “I support the police. That’s it. I just hope the police aren’t working hand in hand with the Toronto Star.”

 

[next_to_herb]

http://www.thestar.com/news/city_ha...mayor_rob_ford_shouldnt_be_sold_parkland.html

Seems to me that he wanted both - more space for privacy, and to build a bigger house. If you take a look around Etobicoke, that describes pretty much every house owner in the area, so he's hardly unique.

He's taken a long time to make that happen - so either he's waiting for the prices for good contractors to drop, or he's just too careful with his money (or doesn't have enough yet) to finally build.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Or that he wanted to wait till he has enough clout to align the stars and force the issue in his favour?

AoD

 

[OSS 117]

Seems to me that he wanted both - more space for privacy, and to build a bigger house. If you take a look around Etobicoke, that describes pretty much every house owner in the area, so he's hardly unique.

He's taken a long time to make that happen - so either he's waiting for the prices for good contractors to drop, or he's just too careful with his money (or doesn't have enough yet) to finally build.

This Toronto Life article from 2011 gives a pretty good description of the state of Rob Ford's home environment. Apparently, he really is just a cheapskate.
http://www.torontolife.com/informer...-woman-behind-the-mayor-who-is-renata-ford/3/

Here's one bit I thought was very telling---"Standing alone at the entrance, I glimpsed a small house with worn floors and a popcorn-finish stucco ceiling. Dated polyester sheers hung in the living room window. The sofas were covered with old sheets and blankets. Fiscal hawk, indeed. Renata’s father then appeared in the kitchen and whispered something to her mother, who turned to me and said, “She’s not home. My husband says she went out.”

 

[ParkdalePetunia]

Seems to me that he wanted both - more space for privacy, and to build a bigger house. If you take a look around Etobicoke, that describes pretty much every house owner in the area, so he's hardly unique.

He's taken a long time to make that happen - so either he's waiting for the prices for good contractors to drop, or he's just too careful with his money (or doesn't have enough yet) to finally build.

The difference is that not all people in Etobicoke are the Mayor who is trying to sell a public land so that they can buy it and build a bigger house. Oh and then harass a journalist, steal their cell phone and then attempt to frame them for spying.

 

[pud99]

4 more...

1972 Four More Years Nixon Re-election Pin -

http://www.affordablepoliticalitems.com/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=3892

 

[Johnny Au]

The Scarlett Heights Institute of Technology reminds me of this: In "Much Apu About Nothing", Apu reveals that he came to America to attend Springfield Heights Institute of Technology. The initials are never shown, but smart viewers will know what it spells out. (source: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Radar/TheSimpsons)

 

[Franks2000inchTV]

This Toronto Life article from 2011 gives a pretty good description of the state of Rob Ford's home environment. Apparently, he really is just a cheapskate.
http://www.torontolife.com/informer...-woman-behind-the-mayor-who-is-renata-ford/3/

Here's one bit I thought was very telling---"Standing alone at the entrance, I glimpsed a small house with worn floors and a popcorn-finish stucco ceiling. Dated polyester sheers hung in the living room window. The sofas were covered with old sheets and blankets. Fiscal hawk, indeed. Renata’s father then appeared in the kitchen and whispered something to her mother, who turned to me and said, “She’s not home. My husband says she went out.”

I think we can't downplay the idea that Ford might be deeply in debt to the wrong kind of people, or spending money in unhealthy ways.

 

[blackballed]

I think we can't downplay the idea that Ford might be deeply in debt to the wrong kind of people, or spending money in unhealthy ways.

An image flashed into my mind of Renata taunting Rob by asking why he doesn't make as much money as Doug. "Why can't we have nice things?", "He donates his council salary and STILL has more money than us", etc. It was funny right up to the point of imagining Rob's likely reaction.

 

[pattycakes]

An image flashed into my mind of Renata taunting Rob by asking why he doesn't make as much money as Doug. "Why can't we have nice things?", "He donates his council salary and STILL has more money than us", etc. It was funny right up to the point of imagining Rob's likely reaction.

Unfortunately, I've known a few guys like Rob, they're happy with a recliner, beer fridge and the remote. Oh, and a urinal. Classy!