Rob Ford's Toronto

[pud99]

The sheer number of arrests and corruption claims about mayors and councillors all over North America in the past year seems to give some truth to this idea.

For instance (published May 19th):

Feds charge North Miami mayor with mortgage fraud

Prosecutors say [Mayor] Lucie Tondreau‘s radio show [yes - radio show!] played a key recruiting role in a mortgage fraud scheme that cost lenders $8 million.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/05/19/4124451/feds-to-charge-north-miami-mayor.html#storylink=cpy

 

[L23]

I have my eye on David Soknacki. He has the potential to Nenshi this election.

Nah, he'll be lucky to poll 5%.

 

[James_D]

Daniel Dale ‏@ddale8 26m
New Doug Ford quote from group home meeting: "You may not like this. You can call The Toronto Star. But I need you to leave my community.”

Why is Doug hammering this one so hard? He's done jack for his ward and suddenly this is his passion project?

 

[Pickles]

If he wants to drive around incognito, rather than drive the infamous black Escalade minus the plates - guaranteed to get you stopped and charged - why not just rent a car?

But he likes to drive his own car....

 

[thereverend]

Nah, he'll be lucky to poll 5%.

Nenshi polled at 8% two weeks before election day in Calgary. We all know how that turned out. Soknacki has some great platforms, interesting ideas (the LRT walk) and the appearance of some real vision. It is way too early to say anything for certain but I think it would be a mistake to underestimate this guy.

 

[dforthandbview]

Daniel Dale ‏@ddale8 26m
New Doug Ford quote from group home meeting: "You may not like this. You can call The Toronto Star. But I need you to leave my community.”

Why is Doug hammering this one so hard? He's done jack for his ward and suddenly this is his passion project?

Maybe he's done jack because he didn't have any mayoral aspirations as councillor. But now he sees his brother is a lost cause and is stepping up his own game. That's my guess.

 

[Lucinda]

Daniel Dale ‏@ddale8 26m
New Doug Ford quote from group home meeting: "You may not like this. You can call The Toronto Star. But I need you to leave my community.â€

Why is Doug hammering this one so hard? He's done jack for his ward and suddenly this is his passion project?

This is *so* baffling and infuriating.

~~~

Daniel Dale ‏@ddale8 -- Come chat with me about Toronto politics and Muskoka intrigue at noon, or submit a question: http://www.thestar.com/news/city_ha...stions_daniel_dale_to_livechat_on_may_22.html

 

[PinkLucy]

Daniel Dale ‏@ddale8 26m
New Doug Ford quote from group home meeting: "You may not like this. You can call The Toronto Star. But I need you to leave my community.â€

I'm sorry. Doug NEEDS someone to leave HIS community? Who died and made him king?

As much as I dislike Rob and think he's an idiot, I really, really despise Doug. He is just a horrible human being.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

James D:

Maybe that's rear guard for his potential fallback plans?

PL:

Rob is stupid. Doug is evil. What we *really* need is for him to leave the country and crawl back to his hole.

AoD

 

[thereverend]

Daniel Dale ‏@ddale8 26m
New Doug Ford quote from group home meeting: "You may not like this. You can call The Toronto Star. But I need you to leave my community.”

Why is Doug hammering this one so hard? He's done jack for his ward and suddenly this is his passion project?

He is a bully used to having the last word, and dismissing critics. The universal disgust at his remarks has put him in cornered mode. What do you expect him to do, back down? His pride and self-entitlement would never allow it. He will dig his heels into this one until we give up or throw him out.

 

[TOBorn]

I have my eye on David Soknacki. He has the potential to Nenshi this election.

+1

 

[tiffer24]

Daniel Dale ‏@ddale8 26m
New Doug Ford quote from group home meeting: "You may not like this. You can call The Toronto Star. But I need you to leave my community.â€

Why is Doug hammering this one so hard? He's done jack for his ward and suddenly this is his passion project?

Wait, I'm confused. Was Doug talking about blacks, Jews, Italians or autistic kids?

 

[euler]

I have my eye on David Soknacki. He has the potential to Nenshi this election.

Soknacki had a guy who looks almost exactly like him handing out flyers at St Andrew this morning. I say to the guy, "You look exactly like him!" he said, "Yeah I get that a lot, he's across the street if you want to talk to him."

Imagine someone who didn't know Soknacki? They see one guy, then they cross the street and see almost the exact same guy...

 

[typezed]

Whether Soknacki is the right guy for the job or not, you can't have a Neshi without giving people like Soknacki - or Goldkind - proper consideration, now and through the next few months before the election is actually held. People are more interested in being pundits, handicappers, predicting the outcome a year before the actual voting. And what do we get for that? Two old party hacks, Tory and Chow, uninspiring in all they say so far, but conceded premier positions because it has been decided that they're the ones with enough history and public profile to take out Ford. I would have hoped that the shock of Ford would have given rise to fresh voices and new energy, but the opposite seems to have happened.

 

[SFO]

Maybe he's done jack because he didn't have any mayoral aspirations as councillor. But now he sees his brother is a lost cause and is stepping up his own game. That's my guess.

I'm with you on this. It's his play to look invested in his ward after 3.5 years of zero involvement. Classic Ford strategy: instead of getting involved in a bunch of smaller ward issues that might be easily resolved with some work, producing modest but positive results, he chose a contentious issue and turned it into a fight and a media circus, where he doesn't have to do any work other than keep talking shit and pissing off the people his base hates anyway.