Rob Ford's Toronto

[Long Island Mike]

i agree. i think this is the best article i've read that tries to explain toronto's divide. and i like that it supports staying amalgamated.

for what it's worth... i've lived in toronto for getting close to 40 years, and i always considered the suburbs to be things like pickering, markham, richmond hill, etc. i felt that the amalgamation finally "saw" toronto as most torontonians did... you can easily be taken from, say, north york to scarborough to downtown while you live, work, and play.... but having to make it out to what i've called the suburbs is much less likely. so an amalgamated toronto does represent an area people see as one city.

EVB: Agree here again - I always felt that what was Metro's six boroughs - The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto - is what made up the City - as it stands unified today -
and that surrounding areas outside the Toronto City (or Metro-then) boundary was what I considered the "suburbs"...LI MIKE

 

[Long Island Mike]

i'm catching up on some rob ford reading, and have come across something that i'm not sure was highlighted before. (if it was, my apologies.)



http://nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=196104

EVB: Good NT article here describing how Toronto can elect a new Mayor...I feel strongly that Toronto citizens do need to widely back a strong Mayoral candidate that would
have a significant chance of winning the 2014 election - and that a split vote could possibly mean four more years of Rob Ford as Toronto's Mayor...

Toronto should back a widely supportable candidate for Mayor and not settle for a weak ABF candidate (Anybody but Ford) that could lose this extremely important election...

LI MIKE

 

[kbdid]

EVB: Agree here again - I always felt that what was Metro's six boroughs - The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto - is what made up the City - as it stands unified today -
and that surrounding areas outside the Toronto City (or Metro-then) boundary was what I considered the "suburbs"...LI MIKE[/QUOTE

I'm going to second/third(?) this opinion. I've been in TO for 25 years and saw amalgamation as doing away with an un-needed layer of government (i.e. the boroughs) in favour of a Metro-like plan (not that I think it's worked out the way they marketed it especially since it came at a time of down-loading). My concept of Toronto always included the boroughs with those outside Metro being the 'burbs. Then again, I started out living in Scarborough and North York, maybe someone who lived in the old City of Toronto may think differently.

 

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

Hmmm. Maybe there is something to all our speculation about time running out for the Fords.

We all know cornered animals are the ones to fight the hardest. So, is this confidence? Or is it just their typical bluster cranked up to even higher levels than usual because the boys are beginning to feel the walls slowly closing in? If their behavior was obnoxious enough that Nunziata told them to can it, they must be feeling stressed out indeed.

I don't say this lightly but Ford has built up Oct. 27 so much in his mind I can only imagine what his mental state will be when he wakes up the next morning, having received like 17% of the vote and likely knowing that either charges are pending or about to drop on his head. Like, all kidding aside, I'd imagine he'd be near-suicidal given his substance abuse issues and the way his family has set him up for this fall. I hope there's someone there to catch the guy because I have the odd moment of doubt but largely suspect that Oct. 27 will be a far worse day than Rob Ford could possibly imagine, when all the illusions are shattered; about how much people love him, about him being the best mayor ever, about who is looking out for his best interests, about mom and dad and Doug and so on and so on....

 

[casita]

I don't say this lightly but Ford has built up Oct. 27 so much in his mind I can only imagine what his mental state will be when he wakes up the next morning, having received like 17% of the vote and likely knowing that either charges are pending or about to drop on his head. Like, all kidding aside, I'd imagine he'd be near-suicidal given his substance abuse issues and the way his family has set him up for this fall. I hope there's someone there to catch the guy because I have the odd moment of doubt but largely suspect that Oct. 27 will be a far worse day than Rob Ford could possibly imagine, when all the illusions are shattered; about how much people love him, about him being the best mayor ever, about who is looking out for his best interests, about mom and dad and Doug and so on and so on....

"The Tragic End of Rob Ford"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZM8c56P5UA

 

[kbdid]

So did the Ford bros vote for in the extension of pub hours so people can drink at 7:00am? Sorry, I am not anti partying, but I'm not much behind this....

 

[themarc]

I don't say this lightly but Ford has built up Oct. 27 so much in his mind I can only imagine what his mental state will be when he wakes up the next morning, having received like 17% of the vote and likely knowing that either charges are pending or about to drop on his head. Like, all kidding aside, I'd imagine he'd be near-suicidal given his substance abuse issues and the way his family has set him up for this fall. I hope there's someone there to catch the guy because I have the odd moment of doubt but largely suspect that Oct. 27 will be a far worse day than Rob Ford could possibly imagine, when all the illusions are shattered; about how much people love him, about him being the best mayor ever, about who is looking out for his best interests, about mom and dad and Doug and so on and so on....

Rob Ford is hoping for his own "Miracle on Ice" - literally.

 

[jml]

So did the Ford bros vote for in the extension of pub hours so people can drink at 7:00am? Sorry, I am not anti partying, but I'm not much behind this....

Ford voted against. Not because he's against it, but because he didn't see why nightclubs should be excluded. No, I'm not making that up.

 

[kbdid]

Rob Ford Must Go ‏@robfordmustgo 26m
FORD: Don't get me started on Hudak, I've had enough of Hudak, why do you think Doug pulled out?3/ -BW

um, okay....wondering what really went down. Still think Hudak made it clear that Dougie wasn't wanted, but also think the Fords will make it some kind of victim situation.

 

[hper]

EVB: Agree here again - I always felt that what was Metro's six boroughs - The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto - is what made up the City - as it stands unified today -
and that surrounding areas outside the Toronto City (or Metro-then) boundary was what I considered the "suburbs"...LI MIKE[/QUOTE

I'm going to second/third(?) this opinion. maybe someone who lived in the old City of Toronto may think differently.

Yes. Thinking differently that is.

We set out in '97 or whatever it was (fog of time) to lay a banner across the bridge that straddles the Allen at Eglinton. It said, "Welcome to Toronto. A Democracy Free Zone." The feeling at the time, and it does linger still, is that this was forced upon us. Further, we could see the political reasons for it and thought it both cynical and deplorable (though we never in our most feverish imaginations saw Ford coming.) Anyway, cops saw us. Stopped the event and dutifully read from the applicable codes which we were about to contravene, suggested we reconsider and sternly warned us off. We got back on the subway and headed back downtown. Which is where the bulk of us had grown up. In retrospect, we should've been more prescient. Should've known our little fairyland of relatively cheap houses, an empty free zone where 'Liberty Village' is now, empty warehouses and such wouldn't, couldn't hold.

We should've become ruthless and speculated (not that we could afford it).

Having been a downtown kid from the 70's forward, it's at once kinda disheartening and, at the same time, kinda cool, to see these changes going on (minus the Ford debacle obviously). The urbanization is good. The 'we deserve subways' crap is toxic. Amalgamation probably made great fiscal sense but, as someone suggested above, there were other 'borough' models that ought to have been considered. There was no suburban resentment pre-amalg, but it's only increasing now. This great division lies squarely at Ford's plodding feet, having been calved off Mike Harris' shoulders.

 

[themarc]

Rob Ford Must Go ‏@robfordmustgo 26m
FORD: Don't get me started on Hudak, I've had enough of Hudak, why do you think Doug pulled out?3/ -BW

Where was this Rob Ford quote from???

 

[OSS 117]

Doolittle seems to think Ford is smarter than he looks, at least with regards to political strategy. It's not much of a strategy, but he sure plays his character well - and it's gotten him this far. He's still mayor. He still has a base.

I think Robyn Doolittle bends over backwards to give Ford grudging respect in the areas where she believes there's a slim chance he might not be 100% mentally challenged. She really doesn't want people to think she's just out to get him, so she goes a little overboard with the fair-and-balanced thing sometimes.

 

[pattycakes]

Where was this Rob Ford quote from???

The sit in at CH, he was overheard while locked out of his office.

 

[OSS 117]

EVB: Good NT article here describing how Toronto can elect a new Mayor...I feel strongly that Toronto citizens do need to widely back a strong Mayoral candidate that would
have a significant chance of winning the 2014 election - and that a split vote could possibly mean four more years of Rob Ford as Toronto's Mayor...

Toronto should back a widely supportable candidate for Mayor and not settle for a weak ABF candidate (Anybody but Ford) that could lose this extremely important election...

LI MIKE

A split vote wouldn't necessarily work in Ford's favor (not that I believe he'll be around to run). Despite whoever else announces a run for Mayor, by the time of the actual election it'll be just like last time, with everyone dropping out except for three people----most likely Ford (again, if he's still around), Tory and Chow. Tory and Chow are on opposite sides of the fence, so they're not splitting any votes. Ford and Tory both appeal to conservatives, so they're the ones going after the same base of support.

 

[Johnny Au]

It would serve artery-clogging high sodium high fat high carb high calorie food of course, keeping those healthy-bodied commies away. Real men are not afraid of diabetes or obesity or cardiac arrest or tooth decay or dying before the age of 65.