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Rob Ford's Toronto

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I'm afraid that dancing routine was way more effective for Fords popularity than we think.

But why was it even allowed to happen at all? Why were the supposed adults in the room just standing around helplessly as if they were powerless bystanders? (For that matter, why were those musicians there to begin with?) At this stage in the game, why on earth are these people still indulging Ford in these idiotic self-promotions? Are they such utter incompetent political naifs that they don't realize this makes them look bad?
 
But why was it even allowed to happen at all? Why were the supposed adults in the room just standing around helplessly as if they were powerless bystanders? (For that matter, why were those musicians there to begin with?) At this stage in the game, why on earth are these people still indulging Ford in these idiotic self-promotions? Are they such utter incompetent political naifs that they don't realize this makes them look bad?

It drives me crazy that one day everyone is turning their chairs around on him, and then the next day they're dancing with him. Either he's an illegitimate Mayor or he's not. It doesn't change depending on which way the wind is blowing on any given day. I'd say the same thing applies to all the reporters too, who seem to be back to asking questions about bobble-heads. If any of these people really think Ford needs to be accountable, they have to keep hitting him. Being outwardly pleasant to his face makes it seem like they're endorsing him.
 
Sadly, I know couples where the breadwinner controls the finances -- remember when husbands used to give their wives "housekeeping" money? It's all rather old fashioned, but it still does go on.

I also know dual-income couples that maintain separate accounts which I've also always thought odd. I've been married for a lot of years and we've always had joint finances. The only issue is at gift-buying time using a credit card and the purchase shows up on the statement :)
I imagine the Ford house is like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVWKbXuQP_0
 
$2 was not necessarily the purchase price of the house. Title deeds in the 70's did not always reflect the actual purchase price. The front page contained boiler plate that read ".....for the price of $2 and other valuable consideration..." or some such phrase as that. The "valuable consideration" was listed in a schedule on another page of the document. When the province automated the registry system they did not want to go digging through each title deed to find actual purchase prices, so they just went with whatever was in the title abstract - ususally this listed details from the front page of the title deed. To find out the price, you would have to get the title deed itself.

Don't know Ontario, but I know that's still the case with current purchases in Nova Scotia. It's usually "$1 and other good and valuable consideration", but same diff. If you go on the NS land registry website you can see the title documents with the "and other consideration", and see the tax assessed value of any property, as well as the mortgage documents if there are any, but you can't see the full purchase price.
 
It drives me crazy that one day everyone is turning their chairs around on him, and then the next day they're dancing with him.

Let's be clear, "everyone" wasn't dancing with him. From what I recall it was just Nunziata & a few City Staffers behind their desks a few feet away.
 
Let's see, according to the comments,the illustrious leader said he had a "perv" on his land ... but now he says he didn't. So even though we always believe said illustrious leader (because he's never been known to lie!), we still think Dale was doing something creepy and we'll just ignore the fact that Ford took back everything he said ... So confusing! :)

Comments can be so entertaining

Mind-boggling more than entertaining. It's as if Ford supporters had all the basic logic sucked out of their brains, but somehow are still able to function as human beings. I don't know how it's possible, frankly.
 
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Yup. I suggest reading Bob Altemeyer's "The Authoritarians" -- tremendously applicable to this situation.

I've been reading the UT forums for years, and am finally delurking to second Forty Fs' recommendation.

Altemeyer's book explains what often drives people's beliefs and actions in politics, religion, and life in general. The whole book is free online at http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/ as a PDF. The author's style is fairly breezy, so it's not difficult to read (and it's shorter than the Lisi ITO).

(I have no connection to the author; I just really liked the book, and think everyone should read it. :) )
 
So in the thing where Ford said he was giving Renata money for Christmas---did he inadvertently reveal more about how their relationship works than he intended? Why doesn't she have access to the family finances? Is that why she can't leave? Seems to me it raises a lot of questions.

He's full of crap. He is known for being cheap, there is no way he's giving anyone a couple of thousand, unless it's her annual budget for grocery money.

About that Daniel Dale lawsuit, maybe he should re-up and train the guns on the delightful peanut gallery at 'Hate The War On Ford':

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...comment_id=1186489&offset=0&total_comments=79

Starting with the smarmy twit hosting this libel-fest.

Reading those comments makes me sick. What a bunch of evil people.
 
It drives me crazy that one day everyone is turning their chairs around on him, and then the next day they're dancing with him. Either he's an illegitimate Mayor or he's not. It doesn't change depending on which way the wind is blowing on any given day. I'd say the same thing applies to all the reporters too, who seem to be back to asking questions about bobble-heads. If any of these people really think Ford needs to be accountable, they have to keep hitting him. Being outwardly pleasant to his face makes it seem like they're endorsing him.

Indeed. But it's even worse than that: These self-aggrandizing stunts Ford keeps pulling are going to pick up their own momentum if they're allowed to continue without the adults in the room stepping in and smacking him down. The more he gets away with, the more unstoppable he's going to look, and not just to his mouth-frothing supporters. Not even just to the mushy middle; if he keeps getting away with disruptive crap, the people who have no intention of voting for him are going to become more and more discouraged. Especially if he continues pulling these stunts at City Hall, and at the council chamber itself while the business of governing the city is supposed to be taking place. Allowing him to continually get away with acting like an out-and-out vandal simply does not look good for the other councillors. And it's not going to help them come the next election. Don't they get that?

Let's be clear, "everyone" wasn't dancing with him. From what I recall it was just Nunziata & a few City Staffers behind their desks a few feet away.

Nunziata by herself was quite bad enough. (I hope some of her colleagues had a few sharp words for her afterwards. And I hope the same goes for those city staffers who were joining in on the "fun.") But as far as I could see, the rest of them were doing nothing but nervously shuffling around with their thumbs up their butts, looking distinctly shell-shocked while Mayor Peter Griffin was acting up. As usual.

I don't want to appear completely unsympathetic here to the council members because I'm sure I wouldn't have had the first clue how to react if this little episode had unfolded under my nose. The whole incident was just surreal. But Ford's pulled this kind of garbage several times now, and he's going to keep on doing it if they don't counteract him. By now, they should be expecting him to misbehave, even if they can't predict the particulars. Just tremulously standing by with their knees knocking, without even uttering a token hint of complaint simply makes them look weak and cowardly and useless. Which will likely help Fatso back into the Mayor's office for a 2nd term all by itself.
 
Indeed. But it's even worse than that: These self-aggrandizing stunts Ford keeps pulling are going to pick up their own momentum if they're allowed to continue without the adults in the room stepping in and smacking him down. The more he gets away with, the more unstoppable he's going to look, and not just to his mouth-frothing supporters. Not even just to the mushy middle; if he keeps getting away with disruptive crap, the people who have no intention of voting for him are going to become more and more discouraged. Especially if he continues pulling these stunts at City Hall, and at the council chamber itself while the business of governing the city is supposed to be taking place. Allowing him to continually get away with acting like an out-and-out vandal simply does not look good for the other councillors. And it's not going to help them come the next election. Don't they get that?



Nunziata by herself was quite bad enough. (I hope some of her colleagues had a few sharp words for her afterwards. And I hope the same goes for those city staffers who were joining in on the "fun.") But as far as I could see, the rest of them were doing nothing but nervously shuffling around with their thumbs up their butts, looking distinctly shell-shocked while Mayor Peter Griffin was acting up. As usual.

I don't want to appear completely unsympathetic here to the council members because I'm sure I wouldn't have had the first clue how to react if this little episode had unfolded under my nose. The whole incident was just surreal. But Ford's pulled this kind of garbage several times now, and he's going to keep on doing it if they don't counteract him. By now, they should be expecting him to misbehave, even if they can't predict the particulars. Just tremulously standing by with their knees knocking, without even uttering a token hint of complaint simply makes them look weak and cowardly and useless. Which will likely help Fatso back into the Mayor's office for a 2nd term all by itself.

I did notice Adam Vaughan staying seated throughout the "ordeal", clicking on his Blackberry, trying to ignore the whole thing.

Most everyone else at least stood up, some clapped along.
 
This is all getting to be rather depressing.
I'm afraid I eagerly await their deaths as those in Britain did of Thatcher.

I can't believe almost 40% of this city is that foolish and blind. That's just fucked. No other word for it.
Robertson, Nenshi, Ford, Coderre. Which of these four does not belong? (Well, Coderre can suck one as well, but he still makes Ford look like a turd)

We ARE a joke. A disaster and a joke. I'm becoming ashamed to call this city the place of my birth and my home.
 
This. This exactly.

If this kind of nonsense is allowed to go on uninterrputed - and it has been - then there naturally comes a point where Ford's antics simply become routine, no matter how outrageous they are. Once that happens, the focus logically shifts to the rest of us, who appear to be doing nothing but gape like goldfish while a clearly out-of-control, wild-eyed lunatic is allowed to rampage unopposed.



I couldn't agree more, and the most frustrating thing about the entire poisonous situation is that nobody in a position of real power or responsibility is actually doing anything about it. Viewing that footage of Fatso gettin' his groove on at city council, I was disgusted by Ford, but my real contempt was stoked by the clownish woman dancin' right along with him. (Nunziata again, right?) What the fuck could have possibly been rattling around in her evidently cavernously empty head that might have suggested this was a good idea? As Pam McConnell was quoted in that quite good Wire article linked to a couple of pages back:



Oh, gee, ya think?

Even Jimmy Kimmel made a comment about her dancing with him. He said she was yelling at him just before that happened.

I really hope that the second Ford announces he is running, Blair comes up to him with handcuffs and says "not so fast".
 
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