Rob Ford's Toronto

[anonymoose]

On a happier note: does anyone have a handy copy of that delightful picture of John Tory and Doug Ford playing cricket? I can assure those not familiar with the sport that the stances adopted by the players in question are... ahem, not quite cricket. How the hell is it that when I search for "doug ford john tory cricket bat" I am not immediately inundated with copies of that photo? I really don't get it. My google-fu has failed me.

It's literally the first hit if you google (image) search for "John Tory and Doug Ford playing cricket".
https://www.google.ca/search?q=John+Tory+and+Doug+Ford+playing+cricket&tbm=isch

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/02/05/doug-ford-slams-john-tory-over-chauvinistic-comment

 

[CalgarianExOntarian]

It's a fair question. Consider, however, that for Ford's uniquely public criminal disintegration, we need to have the very best of the best on the case. It doesn't have to be murder. It could be, but it doesn't have to be. Ford is detonating at such a hideous altitude that the fallout will be widespread. Don't forget: he's still standing - "not yet charged", not even for the vodka bottle of the park urination, anything else, anything else. The damage has already been done, after all.

We don't yet know the full extent of Ford's criminality. There are huge grey areas...

...but none big enough for him to slip through.

Seems that you and I were composing similar responses at the same time. But I have to bow down to the horrific "detonating at such a hideous altitude" metaphor. Jesus, think of the children.

 

[SecretSquirrel]

It's literally the first hit if you google (image) search for "John Tory and Doug Ford playing cricket".

What the...!? How did I... err, thanks!

https://www.google.ca/search?q=John+Tory+and+Doug+Ford+playing+cricket&tbm=isch

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/02/05/doug-ford-slams-john-tory-over-chauvinistic-comment

Yeah! That's the one! Thank you very much.

 

[anonymoose]

You're welcome!

 

[OSS 117]

With respect, I agree: while I doubt the Deco board is the most ethical in town, the core business is legit. Have Deco employees, officers or resources been used in the commission of a crime or crimes? It's not too hard to imagine, but so far there's been very little to suggest too much. If I'm wrong, I would welcome correction here. Something like Lisi working at Deco... but then as someone (@wilnervision? @goldsbie?) said recently, Lisi's close association with the Mayor began at almost exactly the same time as Scott MacIntyre's relationship with the Fords took a hairpin turn for the worse. So Deco's not needed here; what's needed is whatever it was that MacIntyre provided until his incarceration. Whatever that was, it's not much of a leap of the imagination so much as one short step forward to wonder whether Sandro Lisi took up the mantle of supplier... of whatever it is that the criminal Rob Ford needs from these other criminals scattered liberally throughout his entire life. Is his brother Doug a criminal? He's certainly no fan of the law. Or reporters who ask questions and/or report things that were said on tape or happened on camera. Its not about truth, folks!

On a happier note: does anyone have a handy copy of that delightful picture of John Tory and Doug Ford playing cricket? I can assure those not familiar with the sport that the stances adopted by the players in question are... ahem, not quite cricket. How the hell is it that when I search for "doug ford john tory cricket bat" I am not immediately inundated with copies of that photo? I really don't get it. My google-fu has failed me.

I can't quite see the DECO/drugs connection, but as a front to launder mob money? That I can see.

 

[SecretSquirrel]

Seems that you and I were composing similar responses at the same time. But I have to bow down to the horrific "detonating at such a hideous altitude" metaphor. Jesus, think of the children.

What if they're not thinking of the children? What if TPS were all like:

Oh yeah, we the police knew for months that Rob Ford had some guy whacked, but until we had an air-tight case we just had to let him keep on mayorin' ...

Nice.

 

[CalgarianExOntarian]

What if they're not thinking of the children? What if TPS were all like ...

Haha, that was fun, in a grim "this is the state of civic leadership in the Big Smoke" sort of way ...

I hope UTers in Toronto with normal-ish work hours get a laugh from this on Thursday morning.

 

[Bebop17]

When I go over all the angles (more than a dog's hind legs) of all the recent developments, it seems pretty clear that there will be charges laid.

There is just a little, annoying voice inside me that says "what if the OPP were being brought in to placate *us*, not RoDoFoNation? what if they're there to defend the non-laying of charges against RoFo?"

I don't think that makes any sense, given all the activity over the past month or so. Everything points to pending charges. The odds seem astronomically in favour of the icloud material containing more smoking guns. The OPP is sending in a senior homicide Detective-Inspector to work with TPS' senior homicide detective. So even if it isn't about homicide (although I'm with pattycakes on that), it's about a lot more than peeing in a parking lot or tossing an empty vodka bottle in a park. More ITO material is coming. Hell, we have our first pool going here.

For those reasons and more, I know it is highly improbable that the OPP is here to sign off on an outcome of no charges being laid.

I just want someone to tell me that it's impossible.

So I can get that little, annoying voice to STFU, and just bask in the schadenford.

Too much to ask?

 

[atodaso]

Hah, I said this hundreds of pages back, but I'm telling you there is no way the Fords are involved with actual serious organized crime. They wouldn't touch them with a 10-metre pole.

All of their "friends" are low-level nobodies with more ties to correctional officers at Maplehurst than any real players.

I see a man-child in over his head, not some sort of mastermind who has us all fooled.

The Ford's are clearly too stupid to be running any sort of serious crime syndicate, but that doesn't mean they aren't backed by big players. It would explain their brazen defiant attitude. Stooges planted in office, like George W. Bush to the republicans. Their smugness and bravado is boosted by the relationship, the secret. 'Downtown elitists' riding bikes? They got nothing, can't even begin to imagine, is their thinking.

 

[atodaso]

When I go over all the angles (more than a dog's hind legs) of all the recent developments, it seems pretty clear that there will be charges laid.
....

For those reasons and more, I know it is highly improbable that the OPP is here to sign off on an outcome of no charges being laid.

I just want someone to tell me that it's impossible.

So I can get that little, annoying voice to STFU, and just bask in the schadenford.

Too much to ask?

This is my thinking as well. After this much build-up, the police would look foolish if they weren't able to take the Ford's down hard. And when it happens it will be due cause to create a new civic holiday in commemoration - Schadenford Day? (credits to whomever coined the term).

 

[Kat_YYZ]

All due respect, Kat, but I just don't see it. Why would Deco need drug connections? It's a successful, apparently growing, company that provides well for the family. ....

Hey, I think much the way you do, Cooper. No-nonsense, cui bono type stuff -- I figure a person will always do what's best for themselves. But that's why I'm sometimes confounded by the actions of people. People are weird. Why are there stories of businessmen and lawyers being involved in criminal enterprises, even though they make plenty of money in their legit jobs? Why do trust fund kids end up being drug dealers in college when they don't need the money? The thrill of being badass, of outsmarting the law, of being a somebody in circles where people ride around in big black cars and go to exclusive clubs... lots of people want to be Vito Corleone. It's not rational.

 

[CalgarianExOntarian]

The Ford's are clearly too stupid. It would explain their brazen defiant attitude.

I edited your post in way that is utterly unfair to the point you were trying to make.

To be fair, your point was reasonable, and you may well be right, although I struggle to imagine what puppet-masters might still be trying to pull strings after all that has happened.

But I think my truncation makes a valid counterpoint.

 

[euler]

The Ford's are clearly too stupid to be running any sort of serious crime syndicate, but that doesn't mean they aren't backed by big players.

Yeah let's see how the campaign donations play out this time around.

I just don't believe it.

(also, augh, "Ford's")

 

[OSS 117]

When I go over all the angles (more than a dog's hind legs) of all the recent developments, it seems pretty clear that there will be charges laid.

There is just a little, annoying voice inside me that says "what if the OPP were being brought in to placate *us*, not RoDoFoNation? what if they're there to defend the non-laying of charges against RoFo?"

I don't think that makes any sense, given all the activity over the past month or so. Everything points to pending charges. The odds seem astronomically in favour of the icloud material containing more smoking guns. The OPP is sending in a senior homicide Detective-Inspector to work with TPS' senior homicide detective. So even if it isn't about homicide (although I'm with pattycakes on that), it's about a lot more than peeing in a parking lot or tossing an empty vodka bottle in a park. More ITO material is coming. Hell, we have our first pool going here.

For those reasons and more, I know it is highly improbable that the OPP is here to sign off on an outcome of no charges being laid.

I just want someone to tell me that it's impossible.

So I can get that little, annoying voice to STFU, and just bask in the schadenford.

Too much to ask?

Well, how about this---if the OPP announces that they don't have enough evidence to press charges, and Ford evades the law, and especially if he manages to get re-elected, I think there will be riots in the streets and Ford will be dragged from his office and tarred and feathered. If the city isn't above electing a guy like that, it's not above having it's own version of the L.A. riots. Hell, the G20 was evidence of that. Basically, no matter what, the injustice will not be allowed to stand. One way or another, the guy is going down.

 

[atodaso]

I edited your post in way that is utterly unfair to the point you were trying to make.

To be fair, your point was reasonable, and you may well be right, although I struggle to imagine what puppet-masters might still be trying to pull strings after all that has happened.

But I think my truncation makes a valid counterpoint.

I see your (and Euler's) point too, but when Doug tried to take over Waterfront Toronto it struck me as obvious that there had to be someone pulling his strings. I mean, Doug probably didn't know the Portlands even existed and yet he out of nowhere had all sorts of big designs on them. It was completely out of left field.