Rob Ford's Toronto

[Jimmi T]

Gun dealer snared in Project Traveller pleads guilty
http://m.torontosun.com/2014/10/28/gun-dealer-snared-in-project-traveller-pleads-guilty

For those keeping tabs

 

[Videodrome]

Don Peat
@reporterdonpeat
Deputy Mayor Rob Ford? John Tory told me today "that's not too likely" #TOpoli

Sorry, Joe...

 

[Jimmi T]

CBC showed that almost all, if not the entire of Scarborough, plus Etobicoke, voted more for Doug Ford.

I'm bloody ashamed of my neighbours. Bloody hell.

Sorry, Joe...

But it's the right thing to do!

 

[Lamport Davenport]

I don't think Doug is coming back to municipal politics. Ever. This family is going to unravel, well, more so than it already has. Unless Karla rediscovers her "Jude-ism".

As for Doug's daughters, do they *really* seem like the types to get into politics? I hate to be judgemental, but while they might manage to be a do-nothing trustee, they seem more like well-off ditzes than the populist assholes their father and uncle are.

I was thinking they might be a kind of Kardashian style to local politics. After seeing what's happened in the last year, I'd believe it possible. But I'm a fan of H.L. Mencken.


"There's no underestimating the intelligence of the American public."
"Don't overestimate the decency of the human race."
"Any man who inflicts the human race with ideas must be prepared to see them misunderstood."

 

[Cooper]

I'd kind of like to see Doug take a run at the PCPO leadership. Could be fun. He'll have to convince convention delegates to support him, people who are politically engaged and know the issues. It would be a laugh watching him try to put his whoppers over on this crowd.

 

[Kat's Meow]

He want's to separate himself from uncles then he has a chance as trustee... changing his name to Ford is a step in the wrong direction.

First of all, Ford has always been part of his name. He dropped Stirpe but in school he was always known as Ford. No one knew him as Stirpe.

This is not specifically directed at any one in particular, certainly not JWBF, it just seemed an opportune time to say this. I've been reading some not so nice things being said about Michael, but let's cut the kid some slack. It isn't his fault how screwed up his parents are. The fact he turned out as well as he did is actually despite his parentage. By all accounts he is a nice person. He is neither a drunk nor a druggie. He is barely an adult and has an opportunity to make something of himself. He does have learning challenges and was receiving specialized assistance in high school. Let's wait and see how and what he contributes before we paint him with the sins of his uncles and parents.

As an aside, I have no idea where this he attended Laurier bit came from. Except for Kara, the other Ford girls went/are going to Laurier but Michael has not. Interesting how stories develop and get repeated as fact.

 

[Cooper]

First of all, Ford has always been part of his name. He dropped Stirpe but in school he was always known as Ford. No one knew him as Stirpe.

This is not specifically directed at any one in particular, certainly not JWBF, it just seemed opportune an opportune time to say this. I've been reading some not so nice things being said about Michael, but let's cut the kid some slack. It isn't his fault how screwed up his parents are. The fact he turned out as well as he did is actually despite his parentage. By all accounts he is a nice person. He is neither a drunk nor a druggie. He is barely an adult and has an opportunity to make something of himself. He does have learning challenges and was receiving specialized assistance in high school. Let's wait and see how and what he contributes before we paint him with the sins of his uncles and parents.

As an aside, I have no idea where this he attended Laurier bit came from. Except for Kara, the other Ford girls went/are going to Laurier but Michael has not. Interesting how stories develop and get repeated as fact.

Mike told CP24 he was at Laurier for a bit studying "leadership" before heading to Humber. Didn't say he was a full-time student, so it could have been a summer course or a workshop. Who knows.

Otherwise, I agree with your post completely. It's one thing to be angry at the FroBros. It's quite another to dump on the family's children. Let Mike have a to chance to prove himself one way or another.

 

[VTB]

Mike told CP24 he was at Laurier for a bit studying "leadership" before heading to Humber. Didn't say he was a full-time student, so it could have been a summer course or a workshop. Who knows.

Otherwise, I agree with your post completely. It's one thing to be angry at the FroBros. It's quite another to dump on the family's children. Let Mike have a to chance to prove himself one way or another.

I'm trying very hard to keep an open mind. But I also can't forget that the ONLY reason he is in this position is by riding on the notoriety of his two uncles.

 

[JGHali]

As an aside, I have no idea where this he attended Laurier bit came from. Except for Kara, the other Ford girls went/are going to Laurier but Michael has not. Interesting how stories develop and get repeated as fact.

What? You make a very fair point but it would seem incumbent on you not to suggest this Laurier thing is made up. He says he went there to do "leadership" in the interview today. I have no idea what that means.

Either way, he does not belong in any position of authority or responsibility, having in no way distinguished himself in any way. He campaigned without saying a word seemingly on orders from his family, and had the gall to do that even when running for council. He may not be an addict like his mother or uncle, but that doesn't mean he gets the benefit of the doubt for participating in an insulting campaign that belittles our institutions.

 

[Kat's Meow]

What? You make a very fair point but it would seem incumbent on you not to suggest this Laurier thing is made up. He says he went there to do "leadership" in the interview today. I have no idea what that means.

Either way, he does not belong in any position of authority or responsibility, having in no way distinguished himself in any way. He campaigned without saying a word seemingly on orders from his family, and had the gall to do that even when running for council. He may not be an addict like his mother or uncle, but that doesn't mean he gets the benefit of the doubt for participating in an insulting campaign that belittles our institutions.

Fair comment although I took the Laurier thing to mean he was in a degree program, which according to a friend of HIS, he was not. I hadn't considered the possibility he may have taken a course or short program which was then parlayed into he went to Laurier, which most people would understand to be a degree program. My bad.

As for the election, well I sort of agree and kind of don't. Who of us hasn't grabbed an opportunity when presented to us. I will wait to see what he makes of it. But in the end, he is just a kid and if he insulted or belittled the institution, he had the help of his uncles and especially the electorate. They didn't have to vote for them but they did.

 

[JWBF]

First of all, Ford has always been part of his name. He dropped Stirpe but in school he was always known as Ford. No one knew him as Stirpe.

He himself has admitted to using the Ford name to win the election.

 

[adma]

I think we might very well have to settle for a permanent 30% FN vote in future elections. Given the quasi-mania nature of the support, firewalling/containment might be a more practical approach.

AoD

That is, presuming there'll still be Fords and Mammos keeping the myth going. And presuming that future contenders aren't as tin-eared in their hopeful idealism as Tory, Chow, and--sadly--Domise turned out to be this time.

Remember, too, that in the most FN-heavy wards, said support distinctively does *not* transcribe itself into other levels of gov't.

 

[Kat's Meow]

I don't doubt he did. I admit to not watching any of his interviews, of which there aren't many to begin with. My point was that he was never known as Stirpe and always known as Ford so he didn't really change anything from a day to day perspective, only that nigly little legal detail.

 

[casita]

But I also can't forget that the ONLY reason he is in this position is by riding on the notoriety of his two uncles.

Mikey beat some tough competition. Did Mikey do any interviews prior to the election or participate in any trustee debates?

"On November 13, 2006, Hastings was elected to the Toronto District School Board as Trustee for Ward 1 (Etobicoke North), defeating incumbent Stan Nemiroff. Hastings took office in December 2006. He was re-elected in 2010 but was defeated in 2014 by Michael Ford who was fifty-two years his junior, the nephew of then-Mayor Rob Ford and then-councillor Doug Ford."

"Hastings has degrees from the University of Western Ontario (1963) and the University of Toronto (1967). He worked as a political researcher, and as a teacher in Ontario's Secondary School system. In 1975, he worked as executive assistant to provincial cabinet minister Lorne Henderson. Hastings was a member of the Worker's Compensation Board from 1977 to 1994, and also served on the Advisory Board of the Institute of Study of Antisocial behaviour in Youth before entering public life."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hastings_(Ontario)

He does have learning challenges and was receiving specialized assistance in high school.

Where did you read that?

He is neither a drunk nor a druggie.

That's good to know.

 

[adma]

Tory had better have a plan to deal with this faction; I have no doubt they're going to be a pain in the ass, and the Fords (unfortunately) didn't receive the crushing they so richly deserved at the ballot box. Though even if they had, I suspect we wouldn't have seen the last of them...

Interestingly, given the demo in the most heavily-Ford-voting areas, I can see Tory's plan involving the *left* on his executive...