Rob Ford's Toronto

[zang]

To put these new poll numbers into perspective Rob Ford has a higher approval rating than the un-elected Premier Wynne who last week was calling for Fords ouster (in a poll conducted the end of September Wynne had a 39% approval rating).

Seriously, give up on the "unelected" crap. Wynne won her riding with 24,444 votes, or 58% of the popular vote. McGuinty won his riding with 21,842 votes or 49% of the popular vote.

Now, for the civics primer here: We vote for MPP party candidates, not for the position of Premier. The winning party are the ones who've decided that. Party leader becomes premier; that can be changed at any time, and it's not like this is only a new thing. Harris/Eves, Mulroney/Campbell, Chretien/Martin.

More people voted for Wynne than voted for McGuinty, and with a higher percentage of popularity. And unless you live in Ottawa South, you would not have seen Dalton McGuinty on your ballot. Wynne has more legitimacy in the premier's office than Dalton did; at least she won a majority.

So again, take the "democracy" indignation somewhere else.

 

[ttk77]

For FFS, ALL premiers are unelected. When will people get that through their skulls? She was elected as an MPP then chosen as leader by her party. Her party forms the government so as leader she is premier just like every other premier. We DO NOT vote for and therefore do not elect our premier or our prime minister. Maybe you, the Fords and everyone else who keep calling her unelected are confused because we vote for mayor or maybe you are just obtuse.

It fits into their little victimized conservative world view quite nicely to be able to call out a left/center-left politician as unelected, so it's unlikely that they'll ever get it through their thick skulls.

 

[Mongo]

Saw this on reddit. Amazing to see how Rob Ford has become the global standard of bad politicians

http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearn..._a_fire_in_mecca_saudi_arabia_in_2002/cdjw3z1

I propose an international standard unit of political douchbaggery, to be called the "Ford". Although in practical use, most bad mayors would be measured in "milliFords", or even "microFords", i.e. "Joe Blow, the mayor of Hicksville, who yesterday was arrested for running a prostitution ring out of City Hall, has reached a new personal high of 45 milliFords on the Bristol-Mayors scale."

 

[Tewder]

I don't think either the last names of his donors or his friends means a damn thing. Just want that on the record!

It's ok, you're in the clear and get your PC star! As for me...

The thing is, the last names don't matter, yet do: there is a potential link to gangs in this after all, somalian ones or yes Italian ones. You cannot ignore this... and this doesn't imply that anybody is suggesting that all Italians are connected... but some are. I think we are all big enough to deal with this in a respectful and sensitive way (a little sarcasm here)?

The claim that a commonality of last names here doesn't mean a damn thing strikes me as willfully ignorant.

 

[zang]

Ya I work on Jarvis and it's really cleaned up. It used to be lined with hookers. Now you only see the odd one here and there. Makes me wonder where have they all gone?

Over to Sherbourne side of Moss Park I think.

 

[ShonTron]

This is how dumb and naive I am: I biked through that stretch a few times on my way to work or on my way home. (Jarvis bike lane had been removed and the new Sherbourne one wasn't ready yet. I was trying out an alternate route of Homewood, then through Allan Gardens, then down either George or Pembroke)

I didn't know about the "crack alley" nickname then. One morning I saw a dishevelled guy sitting on the curb lighting a crack pipe -- it wasn't even 10 am.

The French school on Pembroke - Gabrelle Roy - has barbed wire surrounding it - everything except at the main entrance. What other elementary school in Canada has to install barbed wire?

 

[Dubster]

So our perhaps paranoid-sounding intimation that Blair wanted to keep the investigation away from the prying eyes of corrupt piece of shit Etobicoke officers may have had some substance:

Toronto Police spokesperson Mark Pugash will not answer any questions about calls to Ford’s house. The senior police officer in Etobicoke, Supt. Ron Taverner, was given a series of questions about incidents involving the mayor last Thursday but has yet to respond.

The Star has confirmed through police sources that the reason Project Brazen 2 was set up using officers from homicide and other areas separate from the Etobicoke policing network is that Chief Bill Blair wanted to limit interaction with local officers. For that reason, Brazen 2 detectives worked out of a secret office, outside of the normal police detachments.

And further down in the article:

As to what happened to the domestic assault investigation at Ford’s house, the only other uncensored information in the police documents describes how Duty Insp. Tim Crone was dispatched to the domestic call. The Star has previously learned that a senior officer is always dispatched to the Ford’s house when there is a trouble call. Crone could not be reached for comment.

Corrupt police. Screw these people. I hate Etobicoke.

 

[SFO]

So our perhaps paranoid-sounding intimation that Blair wanted to keep the investigation away from the prying eyes of corrupt piece of shit Etobicoke officers may have had some substance:



And further down in the article:



Corrupt police. Screw these people. I hate Etobicoke.

I love the balls on Kevin Donovan sending a list of questions about the Fords' domestic assault calls to Ron Taverner.

 

[pattycakes]

From the Keenan Wire last June:

"At today’s press conference, details of yesterday’s massive pre-dawn raid—which is reportedly connected to the famous photograph of Rob Ford with Anthony Smith and the alleged crack video—were provided by Deputy Police Chief Peter Sloly and 23 Division Superintendent Ron Taverner."

"In 2005, Taverner was the officer who responded to questions about the incident when Cathy Ford, Rob’s sister, was shot, as reported in the Star (and preserved online in a firearms newsletter):
“We can’t say at this time it’s a home invasion,” Staff Supt. Ron Tavener said, adding: “I can’t say it’s a carjacking. “I wouldn’t say it was random. No,” Tavener said as forensics officers combed the scene following the 4 p.m. shooting."

"Last year, he was the police spokesperson responding to the incident in which a TTC bus was used to transport members of Ford’s football team:
Taverner said Ford played no role in getting the shelter bus sent to the football field to pick up his team. “At no time was the mayor involved in any of the decision making with regards to a bus being called,” Taverner said."

http://www.thegridto.com/blog-post/dixon-road-post-raid-project-led-by-old-friend-of-the-fords/

 

[Dubster]

From the Keenan Wire last June:

"At today’s press conference, details of yesterday’s massive pre-dawn raid—which is reportedly connected to the famous photograph of Rob Ford with Anthony Smith and the alleged crack video—were provided by Deputy Police Chief Peter Sloly and 23 Division Superintendent Ron Taverner."

"In 2005, Taverner was the officer who responded to questions about the incident when Cathy Ford, Rob’s sister, was shot, as reported in the Star (and preserved online in a firearms newsletter):
“We can’t say at this time it’s a home invasion,” Staff Supt. Ron Tavener said, adding: “I can’t say it’s a carjacking. “I wouldn’t say it was random. No,” Tavener said as forensics officers combed the scene following the 4 p.m. shooting."

"Last year, he was the police spokesperson responding to the incident in which a TTC bus was used to transport members of Ford’s football team:
Taverner said Ford played no role in getting the shelter bus sent to the football field to pick up his team. “At no time was the mayor involved in any of the decision making with regards to a bus being called,” Taverner said."

http://www.thegridto.com/blog-post/dixon-road-post-raid-project-led-by-old-friend-of-the-fords/

Who's to say how much evidence wasn't destroyed by these pieces of human garbage wearing police uniforms for 23 division? How does Ron Taverner still have a job? I hate this city. Giant stinking pile of bullshit.

Edit to add that I'm writing a letter to my city councillor about this. I want the OPP involved. Now. I want public statements and questions about this. I'm furious.

 

[pogopope]

The thing is, the last names don't matter, yet do: there is a potential link to gangs in this after all, somalian ones or yes Italian ones. You cannot ignore this... and this doesn't imply that anybody is suggesting that all Italians are connected... but some are. I think we are all big enough to deal with this in a respectful and sensitive way (a little sarcasm here)?

The claim that a commonality of last names here doesn't mean a damn thing strikes me as willfully ignorant.

"Big Business in Supporting Conservative Politician Shocker. News at 11"

 

[SFO]

Who's to say how much evidence wasn't destroyed by these pieces of human garbage wearing police uniforms for 23 division? How does Ron Taverner still have a job? I hate this city. Giant stinking pile of bullshit.

Edit to add that I'm writing a letter to my city councillor about this. I want the OPP involved. Now. I want public statements and questions about this. I'm furious.

My guess would be that Taverner is not going to get in trouble for running defence for the Fords. I think it's a fact of cop life that both rank-and-file and leadership have their allegiances and regional loyalties, across the city. It's not "right" but it's a quietly accepted part of the culture. Blair probably knows there would be a lot of negative consequences internally if he made an example out of Taverner or the division as a whole.

 

[eyewonder]

I think the pollsters are kidding themselves.

How many of you have a land line at home? I can't think of ANY of my pals that do.

I think the same people that do, combined with the same people that would spend 20 minutes doing a survey over the dinner hour, equal Ford Nation.

 

[James_D]

Why is everyone focusing on the 42 percent approval rating and not the 60 percent who want him turfed?

 

[Dubster]

I think the pollsters are kidding themselves.

How many of you have a land line at home? I can't think of ANY of my pals that do.

I think the same people that do, combined with the same people that would spend 20 minutes doing a survey over the dinner hour, equal Ford Nation.

I just tweeted as much to Andrew Coyne who seriously thinks Ford will be re-elected mayor. Toronto is one of the most tech savvy cities in North America. Almost no one I know has landlines. I haven't had one in over two years. What matters however is voter turnout. What will really royally piss me off is these hipsters railing against Ford but then not voting because they don't like "the system."