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Rob Ford's Toronto

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I am not sure how much goodwill he will get beyond that steadfast 42% - you can't really preach about how to live one's life in a holy manner and turns out doing exactly the same stuff, with the only difference being the accident by birth. It reeks of privilege and hypocrisy.

AoD
 
JayBeeGooner said:
He'll never admit he has a substance abuse problem. It's one of the hardest things for someone with a problem to admit...
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Doubly so for this mayor since he's expressed a belief in 'personal responsibility' for this sort of thing. Not just 'If you are not doing needles and you are not gay, you wouldn't get AIDS probably' but also his recent comments about the snowplow court case.
 
sarnya said:
Which is interesting because Paul Ainslie confirmed the allegations to The Star.
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Ainslie confirmed the leaving the party at the Liberty Grand - but the Star was clear that he wouldn't say why he thought he should leave. Ainslie doesn't seem to have mentioned alcohol.

TonyV said:
Yet all the while, there will be electors who still defend Ford.
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And this I don't get. I'd never put up with half of this stuff from a politician whose politics I liked.

Is there really such a dearth of extreme right-wing populists?
 
It has nothing to do with left or right, but everything to do with soundbite politics taken to its' extreme and people buying into the myth and suspend all faculties for reasoning.

AoD
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
It has nothing to do with left or right, but everything to do with soundbite politics taken to its' extreme and people buying into the myth and suspend all faculties for reasoning.
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But where do these people exist in any quantity? I've never heard so many people from different parts of my life talking about municipal politics. And only one has ever supported Ford (because of his fiscal policies) - and even he seems embarrassed by the endless scandal.
 
Well, look south of the border with the Tea Party - you don't see it doesn't mean they aren't real. And certainly, they're real enough in Toronto as well.

AoD
 
Is this the scandal that the Star has been sitting on for a year, according to the rumours reported by Goldsbie and others?

While I do not doubt this story, I find it amazing that the Star could not get anyone to talk on the record. How do the Fords command this kind of loyalty?
 
There's obviously much more to the story than we're seeing, as is the case where a very public person has tried to hide vast personal failings for an extended period of time. As one small example, I wonder more than ever about the extent of police interaction with Ford (personally) during his term. There's a certain superintendent in Etobicoke whose testimony should probably be compelled and whose office/residence/safe deposit box/cell phone + SMS records/e-mail should probably be searched. Let's see if Blair's "accountability push" is real or just window dressing. Interesting timing, BTW.

***EDIT - Wow. Just finished reading all of the official non-denial denials by the Ford camp, as well as the anonymous comments that, while Ford is a boozer/junkie, "politically, Ford’s re-election machine believes coming forward publicly and seeking treatment wouldn’t hurt him." Does this not amount to an explicit statement by a "former Ford staffer" that Ford supporters are either idiots who don't understand how bad Ford is, or they do understand and they're evil enough not to care?
 
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According to http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/03/26/bramptons_susan_fennell_highest_paid_mayor_in_canada.html the top paid 9 mayors of Canada are:

1. Susan Fennell, Brampton $213,727; pop: 523,911

2. Naheed Nenshi, Calgary $201,839; pop: 1,096,833

3. Hazel McCallion, Mississauga $187,057*; pop: 713,443

4. Rob Ford, Toronto $172,803; pop: 2,615,060

5. Jim Watson, Ottawa $168,102; pop: 883,391

6. Gérald Tremblay, Montreal $156,128; pop: 1,649,519

7. Gregor Robertson, Vancouver $145,581; pop: 603,502

8. Stephen Mandel, Edmonton $135,694; pop: 812,201

9. Sam Katz, Winnipeg $123,910; pop: 663,617

Prime Minister Stephen Harper earned $315,462; pop. 33,476,688
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I think Rob Ford is overpaid.
 
Listen to Ford at this press scrum today addressing the drinking allegations. It's 2:43 in length and Ford is only in the first 40 seconds or so.

Reading quotes from him in the paper does the man no justice at all. He can barely speak in this interview. I edit reality TV shows for a living and part of my job is cleaning up dialogue from people who aren't professional actors. I realized a camera-toting crew can throw some people off but Ford is supposed to be media trained. His campaign alone would've provided him with enough experience to speak to the media. In this interview Ford sounds nervous, defensive and frustrated. In my opinion, it doesn't sound like a man telling the truth. There's no scapegoat like Sarah Thompson with this allegation.

As someone said a couple weeks ago on here, where there's smoke, there's fire.
 
sarnya said:
Listen to Ford at this press scrum today addressing the drinking allegations. It's 2:43 in length and Ford is only in the first 40 seconds or so.

Reading quotes from him in the paper does the man no justice at all. He can barely speak in this interview. I edit reality TV shows for a living and part of my job is cleaning up dialogue from people who aren't professional actors. I realized a camera-toting crew can throw some people off but Ford is supposed to be media trained. His campaign alone would've provided him with enough experience to speak to the media. In this interview Ford sounds nervous, defensive and frustrated. In my opinion, it doesn't sound like a man telling the truth. There's no scapegoat like Sarah Thompson with this allegation.

As someone said a couple weeks ago on here, where there's smoke, there's fire.
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1. You help produce reality TV? I hate you soooooo much right now.....

(That out of the way)

2. I didn't listen to the clip, but I saw the press conference on CP24. He may have been nervous, defensive, and frustrated, but he also appeared to be on the brink of tears. He reminded me of a teenager trying to dispel rumours started by the other kids, and what they were saying were beginning to hurt him emotionally. I don't know if it was acting or not, but I actually felt a little sorry for the guy.

That said, there is no question he has an alcohol problem, if not a full substance abuse problem. After the incident at the Leafs game, this guy should have sworn off booze altogether - or at least only consume in a private setting. And considering all his transgressions since... ya, he has some problems.
 
k10ery said:
Is this the scandal that the Star has been sitting on for a year, according to the rumours reported by Goldsbie and others?
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Wasn't it the Globe that was allegedly sitting on something "big"?

I'm only throwing this out there for consideration, could it be possible that he doesn't have a drinking problem and hasn't been seen drinking because he's diabetic? Given his weight problem it's a possibility. I don't know much about diabetes but I've known people who, when their glucose levels are too low or high (not sure which), who can appear intoxicated, red in the face & eyes (we've seen plenty of that), act like they are under the influence and even emit an alcohol-like smell from their breath. Far be it from me to defend this man, but it's something that came to mind.

If it does turn out to be an alcohol problem I hope he owns it and gets help. I don't like the man but I don't like to see anyone drown themselves in poison and take the people who love and care for him along for that horrible ride.
 
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dt_to:

Plausible, but having diabetes is hardly a stigma, and there is pretty much no shame in admitting to a medical issue as common as that. Besides, it doesn't really dispose of the historical transgressions.

AoD
 
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