Rob Ford's Toronto

[ThinkRicky]

True, but then Kelly would have to come clean about why he didn't say the Fords were idiots and liars all along. Kelly would, himself, have to own up to his own mistakes in supporting Ford (which, you'll recall, he did up until the invasion of Kuwait).

It's unfortunate that Kelly won't do this, as I think it would cathartic for everyone (excepts the Fords) for their former supporters to acknowledge their past mistakes and explain how they have learned from those mistakes and should continue to be trusted with serious tasks (like governing and voting) when their track record of supporting Ford would indicate otherwise.

For me, this is the most depressing aspect of this whole thing. As bad as Ford is, there were a lot of complacent and complicit jerks on the council that will continue to fly under the radar, making questionable choices all the while, but because they're boring and polite they'll illicit no media attention. Rob Ford might eventually be hauled away, but the rot that allowed him to get as far as he did will still be there, getting worse with each passing year.

 

[Honest Ed has a posse]

I'm told that the redacted information in the Lisi ITO was mostly regarding Ford specifically -- an "innocent" party -- which is why it wasn't released. It has little to do with Lisi's case. Nordheimer's judgement today acknowledged that while Ford is an innocent party (he hasn't been charged), the information in the ITO is of indisputable public interest and it supersedes protecting an innocent party from public disclosure.

There will be more incriminating information against the Mayor but nothing that hasn't been speculated already. I don't believe that it'll change any minds that haven't already been changed by the already released information. It will however reveal Ford as a liar yet again, and might spoil his plan to use the 2014 budget to go on the offensive by shifting the spotlight back on him. He'll be apologizing yet again and defending himself against fresh allegations.

What I'm particularly looking for is confirmation on the allegation that I disclosed here months ago that Ford was on tape soliciting drugs from Lisi. While it may not be enough to charge him, in the court of public opinion, he'll be found guilty.

"Innocent" in the context of the trial of Lisi means unrelated to the proceedings of the court.

I think the crown really wants Ford's head on a stick.

 

[evvabeing]

I can state as a fact that the Toronto Star is in possession of the photographs of AK which were posted on here about a week ago (the "Stag" photo's). This probably explains the comment that she is not "as the mayor described her".

reading that was so satisfying.

 

[basic]

But he's already admitted to buying drugs.

Yeah but he was pretty generic/general on that question.

The ITO may have more specific information.

 

[Honest Ed has a posse]

But he's already admitted to buying drugs.

...after an eight second pause

 

[SJD_Toronto]

...after an eight second pause

Naw, it'll be a ten second pause next time around.

 

[evvabeing]

Question: Has anybody been following the case of the poor guy who got thrown of a balcony in Fort McMurray? I imagine it's just working its way through the Alberta courts, but have there been any reports since the arraignment? I've lost track. TIA.

last i remember hearing was that he was whisked away to a remote hospital, while his 8 months pregnant wife or girlfriend made it fort mcmurray. i.e. he was whisked away from her kinda too. i'm sure they reunited them shortly there after, but we haven't heard anything since.

 

[PinkLucy]

I think the crown really wants Ford's head on a stick.

That's at the top of my Christmas list

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I'm told that the redacted information in the Lisi ITO was mostly regarding Ford specifically -- an "innocent" party -- which is why it wasn't released. It has little to do with Lisi's case. Nordheimer's judgement today acknowledged that while Ford is an innocent party (he hasn't been charged), the information in the ITO is of indisputable public interest and it supersedes protecting an innocent party from public disclosure.

There will be more incriminating information against the Mayor but nothing that hasn't been speculated already. I don't believe that it'll change any minds that haven't already been changed by the already released information. It will however reveal Ford as a liar yet again, and might spoil his plan to use the 2014 budget to go on the offensive by shifting the spotlight back on him. He'll be apologizing yet again and defending himself against fresh allegations.

What I'm particularly looking for is confirmation on the allegation that I disclosed here months ago that Ford was on tape soliciting drugs from Lisi. While it may not be enough to charge him, in the court of public opinion, he'll be found guilty.

Is this the entire ITO set to be released on the 6th or "most" of it? In the beginning there was the matter of an additional 200'ish pages which the judge didn't release at all (the last 200 pages?)

 

[dforthandbview]

Is this the entire ITO set to be released on the 6th or "most" of it? In the beginning there was the matter of an additional 200'ish pages which the judge didn't release at all (the last 200 pages?)

From what I understand, it's all coming out (except for information pertaining to police informants and investigative techniques used by the cops).

 

[MetroMan]

MM,

Please explain.....Ford soliciting drugs from a dealer(Lisi)? How can this not have anything to do with Lisi's charges of trafficking?

This was information obtained before there were even reports in the media that the Mayor was being investigated. Once Brazen 2 became known, it confirmed a lot of what I was being told and had reported here. What I'm looking for in the redacted portions are the remaining unconfirmed allegations that Ford was captured in a wiretap soliciting drugs from Lisi. These wire taps won't be enough to charge him but it'll be the strongest incriminating evidence in public opinion.

Not all of the redacted portions of the ITO were blacked out to protect innocent parties. Information was held back as to not reveal investigative methods and the ongoing investigation itself. I'm told that Brazen 2 is wrapping up soon and I expect that this judgement will hasten it.

 

[dforthandbview]

Now the question is, which drug was Ford soliciting from Lisi. People will let it slide if it's pot but if it's coke then that's possibly a different story.

 

[hper]

For me, this is the most depressing aspect of this whole thing. As bad as Ford is, there were a lot of complacent and complicit jerks on the council that will continue to fly under the radar, making questionable choices all the while, but because they're boring and polite they'll illicit no media attention. Rob Ford might eventually be hauled away, but the rot that allowed him to get as far as he did will still be there, getting worse with each passing year.

Shall they go unnamed?

I agree it's depressing, but it won't stop until the insipid clowns in the Ford's cloaks are sanitized with light. Palacio has to be one of the worst of them. That cluckenshite ducks his constituents, blocks 'em on SocMed and holds these kind of clandestine 'community meetings' of which said constituents aren't informed (See: Doug Ford waving $5K cheques around last evening). Who else - I mean the record speaks, but - in your opinion has been helping these goombahs get this far? Aside from Nunziata, of course. Parker was there at the outset, as was Ainslie and both seem to have fled the fold. But what about Ron Moeser, Mark "The Midnight Mayor" Grimes? DiGiorgio? Who else? If the Fords are going to target Cllrs they don't like, why shouldn't the rest of us do something similar?

Maybe naive, but we're in 14, so Perks. Which, naively, ain't bad.

 

[Towered]

You know whose presence has really been missing in this drawn out circus? Howard Moscoe. He was like a left-wing version of Rob/Doug Ford. Can you just imagine the over-the-top verbal barbs that would have been traded between them?? It's a pity that he didn't stick around for one more term!

 

[W. K. Lis]

I can't decide what I'm loving more: Kelly's ever-so-diplomatic, yet subtly bitchy, rejoinders — or Dougie's utterly lame comment about, "living in the Roman days, you know in how the Roman Empire worked."

The Ford brother's version of Bread and Circuses? Rob paid for his "circuses" from his family's inheritance, just as the Roman emperors, governors, and rulers did, to get public approval and divert attention from their ruler's behaviour.

From Wikipedia:

"Bread and circuses" (or bread and games) (from Latin: panem et circenses) is a metaphor for a superficial means of appeasement. In the case of politics, the phrase is used to describe the creation of public approval, not through exemplary or excellent public service or public policy, but through diversion; distraction; or the mere satisfaction of the immediate, shallow requirements of a populace, as an offered "palliative." Juvenal decried it as a simplistic motivation of common people. The phrase also implies the erosion or ignorance of civic duty amongst the concerns of the common man.

In modern usage, the phrase is taken to describe a populace that no longer values civic virtues and the public life. To many, it connotes a supposed triviality and frivolity that characterized the Roman Republic prior to its decline into the autocratic monarchy characteristic of the later Roman Empire's transformation about 44 B.C.

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