Rob Ford's Toronto

[neubilder]

Victory.

Bizarre how Ford insists LRT will go over budget, yet he wanted to start drilling for subways without even a plan in place. I suppose if he has no plan and no budget he can't blow the budget.

Well, next stop: Fort York Bridge.

 

[TonyV]

^ Well, it is clear to a lot of us that the Ford supporters elected someone who is incapable.

The loss for Ford is incalculable. Council has behaved responsibly, spending what they know they can spend. Ford has behaved irresponsibly all along, when pressed for a finance plan for his subways.

I'm glad to see Council asserting themselves over the mayor. It's a huge relief, but damn, I wish we weren't going through this. What wasted time this has been. Let's remember it in 2014.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

I talked to Joe Mihevic yesterday.

Construction should begin again around this time next year if not sooner.

Sheppard will be done for 2015.

 

[neubilder]

My understanding is that Transit City can recommence almost immediately.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

I talked to Joe Mihevic yesterday.

Construction should begin again around this time next year if not sooner.

Sheppard will be done for 2015.

Do you know when in 2015 it will be done. The project needs to be past the point of no return before the next municipal election in October 2014.

 

[voxpopulicosmicum]

Do you know when in 2015 it will be done. The project needs to be past the point of no return before the next municipal election in October 2014.

Based on today's events at Queen's Park, it would surprise me if we have to wait until Oct. 2014 for the next provincial election. Also, the rhetoric shows that Ford's current campaign mode is increasingly focused on the next provincial election, and not just the next municipal election.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I'm glad to see Council asserting themselves over the mayor. It's a huge relief, but damn, I wish we weren't going through this. What wasted time this has been. Let's remember it in 2014.

IMO it's not wasted time. We all needed a lesson in the workings and hierarchy of municipal politics, especially any future mayoral candidates. Brooms and boiling pots aside, city government under Miller, Lastman, etc. was never this interesting or exciting.

OT, am I the only one who thinks Stintz is cute? Notwithstanding the dreadful photos the Sun finds. They'd make a super model look ugly.

 

[Frankie1984]

Yesterday and today's events almost made you forget that there is a library and impending inside workers strike. This may get even uglier for Ford.

 

[typezed]

What TTC project has gone over budget, and schedule? Please do not say St. Clair. Stayed on budget.

Whether or not St. Clair was on budget on the TTC component, the way the project unfolded left plenty of fodder for people opposed to transit improvement to spread the message that it was wildly mismanaged. Didn't Roncesvalles also extend over a longer period than originally planned? At the last regular council meeting, McConnell made a statement about major cost increases on the Union project (overall, not just the TTC part).

These are huge unwieldy projects, and our city departments aren't the most nimble. There will be snafus. Proponents may have oversold some of the benefits. This debate has left blood in the water. The slash-and-burn tactics of Ford and his supporters won't cease. LRT supporters are now exposed to every bump in the construction. They'll all be magnified, and the message every time will be that this is happening only because we're not building subways. Ford isn't building anything, he doesn't have to wear anything. He gets to stand on the sidelines and make attempts to undermine everything, all while polishing his image as the fighter for the little guy.

 

[MisterF]

Good move by Council - the line should have been LRT all along. My only wish out of all this is that the line went directly to Scarborough City Centre. Instead it completely bypasses the high density node and meets the SRT somewhere at a random suburban intersection nearby. That spot makes zero sense as an interchange. With not one, but two transfers required between Scarborough and North York centres, the line will be a failure at fulfilling its original purpose.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Do you know when in 2015 it will be done. The project needs to be past the point of no return before the next municipal election in October 2014.

Around this time actually. Which means in 2014 we should be half way there.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Around this time actually. Which means in 2014 we should be half way there.

Thats not good news. I fear that if Ford manages to get reelected he may find a way to cancel it.

 

[freshcutgrass]

Whether or not St. Clair was on budget on the TTC component, the way the project unfolded left plenty of fodder for people opposed to transit improvement to spread the message that it was wildly mismanaged. Didn't Roncesvalles also extend over a longer period than originally planned? At the last regular council meeting, McConnell made a statement about major cost increases on the Union project (overall, not just the TTC part).

I think it's fair to say that St Clair was an example of a mismanaged project. But using the excuse of potential mismanagement is not a valid reason to not do a project...it's a good argument to just not mismanage it. It wasn't mismanaged because there's some magical connection between streetcars and mismanagement. If we were to simply expand that concept, then anything could be mismanaged, and therefore we should do nothing....especially subways, where the budgets and timeframes are much larger, and therefore the potential mismanagement being more costly.

 

[adma]

Funny, looking at the video of the council proceedings - isn't he the one in the cage behaving like one? Or was that his brother?

AoD

The Fords: the Fester + Karbunkle of municipal politics

 

[BurlOak]

^ Well, it is clear to a lot of us that the Ford supporters elected someone who is incapable.

The loss for Ford is incalculable. Council has behaved responsibly, spending what they know they can spend. Ford has behaved irresponsibly all along, when pressed for a finance plan for his subways.

I'm glad to see Council asserting themselves over the mayor. It's a huge relief, but damn, I wish we weren't going through this. What wasted time this has been. Let's remember it in 2014.

Problem is that the public does not understand Municipal politics like they do Provincial or Federal. Maybe they know the rules but do not understand how a consensus must be built.

Both provincially and federally, the leader campaigns for a platform and generally you expect them to deliver if they win. For example;

2006 - Harper promised to scrap long gun registry
2002 - McGuinty promised no new taxes
1995 - Harris promised to cut taxes by 30%
1993 - Chretien promised to replace the GST
1988 - Mulroney promised to introduce Free Trade.

People can understand that the leader can be held responsible for their promises, unless they achieve a minority, in which case there is some understanding that things may not go as promised.

Municipally, it is like a continuous minority government. Regardless of how much the mayor wins by, he is only one vote and essentially he is in a minority situation. This requires much more back room dealing and trade-offs. Obviously the public does not like this type of politics - as evidenced by the lower voter turn out for municipal elections (typically 35% to 40% compared to typically 60% for provincial and federal).

People do not have time to study the positions of their individual councillors (which must be done in person at candidates meetings) and typically pay the most attention to the mayor race (which is covered by the television and print media since it is too difficult for the media to cover each individual ward). Realizing that the mayor does not have the power to enact their mandate, makes people feel that their vote does not matter.

Perhaps party politics in municipal government is the solution. That way it would be a more unified goverment that could make better decisions for the long term benefit of the city, instead of relying on trading favours and votes between councillors. In mostly Liberal or NDP Toronto, I am sure Ford could not have got in under the PC banner.