Rob Ford's Toronto

[Tulse]

I don't think a conservative Mayor will be elected for the next decade because of Ford.

That may be true, but Ford's real problem is not his ideology per se, but that he is terrible at holding political office. A more savvy politician would have been able to build coalitions, get a few early wins to consolidate his strength while council was cowed with his seeming public mandate, and waited to tackle the bigger, more controversial issues once a power base had been constructed. But Ford is, essentially, a pugnacious, egotistical, impetuous idiot, who alienates his allies and can't even act in his own long-term best interest.

And yes, it is embarrassing for the city, because nearly half of its citizens voted for this clown. I'd be less abashed if he were a successful hard-right Machiavellian, because then at least Toronto wouldn't have elected a moron.

 

[typezed]

Are Chicago's elevated lines running past parking lots the size of the ones that front Celestica, The Real Canadian Superstore at Don Mills or The Walmart/Smart Centre near Warden? Are they running above six lane (not counting turn lanes) streets with wide medians?

 

[hawc]

God, this is so embarrassing for the city.

Oh relax, you really think anyone outside Toronto gives a damn about what happens in this city?

Not to mention Ford's support only grows stronger the further you move out from the downtown core. Go to North York or Etobicoke or Scarborough and you'd get a totally different opinion then what you get in the Annex or Trinity Bellwood. Remember who elected him...

 

[hawc]

A more savvy politician would have been able to build coalitions, get a few early wins to consolidate his strength...

A few early wins like scrapping the hated vehicle registration tax, privatizing half of garbage collection and making the TTC an essential service? Hate those accomplishments as much as you want, but they were 'wins'.

 

[TonyV]

A few early wins like scrapping the hated vehicle registration tax, privatizing half of garbage collection and making the TTC an essential service? Hate those accomplishments as much as you want, but they were 'wins'.

Vehicle registration tax = revenue for a city in need of revenue. Privatization of garbage collection = chump change. Okay TTC essential service ...yes, but really, that ain't enough. This mayor has upped the cynicism with which the public regards politicians. And he's just plain stupid. He's now paying, politically, for his headstrong ways; in Ford's world, there is no one else around. As predicted, council is circling around him. In a few months he'll be totally lame duck stuff.

 

[bobbob911]

Besides, just wait until the next contract talks for TTC workers - see how much we'll be paying then and reconsider if making them an essential service was a victory

 

[GraphicMatt]

Ford definitely had a string of wins early in his mayoralty, even if I disagreed with a lot of the decisions council made. He totally and completed failed to do anything to consolidate and maintain that power, however.

That's the really frustrating thing about this: there are still a majority on council who *WANT* to work with the mayor to build compromise solutions and move the agenda forward. But he's refusing to work with anybody outside his shrinking group of core supporters.

I don't think some understand how unprecedented it is for a mayor to actually lose votes on the floor of council. Over seven years in office, David Miller only lost ONE high-profile vote.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Ah, not a day goes by without something new from the circus act:

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/0...ssioners-call-for-apology-a-bunch-of-horse-s/

AoD

 

[junctionist]

Oh relax, you really think anyone outside Toronto gives a damn about what happens in this city?

Yes, because Toronto has a major metropolitan presence. People in the region and country pay attention to what happens politically in Toronto because it can strengthen or weaken their own politics. Not long ago, "Ford Nation" was national news. However, I really dislike those people outside Toronto who just care about the ideological battles in Toronto's municipal politics since so much more is at stake in terms of real issues that affect people like transit, the waterfront, development, culture, and public spaces.

Beyond that group of Toronto followers, there are also urbanists in North America and beyond who are interested in what happens in a large city like Toronto. The Ford administration is really discouraging their interest in Toronto, but Toronto saw a lot of great press under Mayor David Miller for policies like Transit City, mandatory green roofs for larger buildings, the support for the tower renewal program, the bag tax, the bikeway network, and many other environmental issues. People in many cities cared about Toronto for stepping up and providing leadership on addressing urban problems. It was a time of maturation. In the absence of real leadership and Ford's campaign promises proving hollow and reactionary, his support ought to fall everywhere.

 

[JasonParis]

I dont know if its a fetish, thats what big citys do, they build underground transportation systems.....Toronto is past being, Portland, Pittsburgh or Minneapolis. Anyone in their right mind... in the middle of January/February would rather ride an underground rail system than above ground, especially that run from O,Connor to the Town Centre. That is one windy cold area to be waiting for a streetcar (i guess LRT)

Big, smart cities use a COMBINATION of different technologies (busses, busways, LRTs, streetcars, subways, S-Bahns, regional rail, national rail, above ground/below ground, etc.) to meet the demands of different corridors. Believing transit is "subways or bust" is silly, expensive and not in-keeping with international best practices. Most of the world's "big cities" understand this. Why don't we?

 

[Tulse]

you really think anyone outside Toronto gives a damn about what happens in this city?

Ford's contretemps with Margaret Atwood was an item in the British press, so yeah.

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

Ah, not a day goes by without something new from the circus act:

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/0...ssioners-call-for-apology-a-bunch-of-horse-s/

AoD

It would be comedy to hear former Toronto Councillor Howard Moscoe give his raw opinion about the Fords Bros.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Are Chicago's elevated lines running past parking lots the size of the ones that front Celestica, The Real Canadian Superstore at Don Mills or The Walmart/Smart Centre near Warden? Are they running above six lane (not counting turn lanes) streets with wide medians?

My admittedly poorly communicated point was that above ground urban railways are perfectly suitable in North America. If Chicago can run its urban trains almost exclusively above ground, why can't Toronto.

I like seeing the subways running down Allen Rd, and from Warden Station east. Anything's better than streetcar ROWs.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Instead of the pot calling the kettle - we have the douche calling the enema, from the Globe:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...ds-a-shakeup-a-complete-enema/article2323494/

AoD

 

[TonyV]

I think the voters who put these obnoxious brothers in office need the enema the most. Although Doug does appear to be "full of it".