Rob Ford's Toronto

[typezed]

I disagree. I want a Mayor willing to work with everyone to make the city work. ....

Pragmatism and conciliation are what I value in a politician.

Then look to Councillor Wong-Tam. She may be thought of as part of the left bloc, but she's been a businessperson and a real estate agent. She seems to be attempting to work with all the players in her riding, even as her efforts are repeatedly subverted by the Executive and Public Works. Unlike many on the left who often propose changes only in an effort to muck up the works or score political points, she often proposes amendments that seek a tolerable middle ground, a respectable compromise (yet still they never pass). She seems like someone who could work positively with a responsible conservative administration that was searching for efficiencies and a different financial approach. But she stays strong in opposing this dysfunctional mayor and his bitter combative executive. Look at today's news: the Ford brothers are attempting to railroad the head of Waterfront Toronto because he didn't publicly support their impossible plans. What part of any of that is coherent with Matlow's professed principles? Matlow is a vocal councillor. By continuing to spread the message that balance can be found on every issue before this council, Matlow is being as much enabler as a sleepwalker like Norm Kelly.

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

Toronto Star: Sept 14, 2011 (Page A26)

 

[spider]

Anyone: What was Miller's score when he decided not to run again?

 

[Armbruster]

Ford will try to govern if his support continues to erode, but he'll fail. Once his support falls low enough even his core supporters will begin to oppose him in council in fear of losing their jobs during the next election. When opposition on council reaches the 2/3 level, the city's agenda will begin to be dictated by council rather than the mayor/exec. Without strong leadership from someone though, I'm afraid we'll be faced with a deeply divided and impotent council for the rest of this term. Is there anyone on council that would be able to unit both the left and the right?

Keep an eye on Karen Stintz. Ford is already trying to backstab her because of her apparent support for reality-based transit policy. If the Fords keep alienating centrists, abusing democratic processes, blindsiding and strong-arming council colleagues, while cutting secret backroom deals without council authority, there will be democratic legitimacy for a shadow mayor who can bring some adult supervision, while respecting the election mandate for responsible and compassionate fiscal conservatism.

For this to happen, voters will also have to put more pressure on centre-right Ford-enablers like Parker, Berardinetti, Thompson, Robinson, Pasternak, Milczyn, Lindsay Luby and others who really should know better (and perhaps do). These councillors are still able to float along passively, but they will own Ford's policies at some point soon.

 

[jje1000]

Anyone: What was Miller's score when he decided not to run again?

29% with 27% for council.

http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2009/09/25/11113701.html

It's unfortunate that the Fords wasted their political capital trying to fix what wasn't broken- there's not too far to go for Ford if he continues along this path.

 

[GraphicMatt]

Anyone: What was Miller's score when he decided not to run again?

As the public workers strike was kicking off, he was at 43%, higher than Ford is now. It was about 29% at the end of the strike. But by the end of his term he was back up in the low 40s.

Prior to the strike, I don't believe he ever polled below the mid-50s. It seems exceedingly rare for a municipal leader to poll below 50% without a catalyst like a strike or whatever.

 

[TonyV]

Keep an eye on Karen Stintz. Ford is already trying to backstab her because of her apparent support for reality-based transit policy. If the Fords keep alienating centrists, abusing democratic processes, blindsiding and strong-arming council colleagues, while cutting secret backroom deals without council authority, there will be democratic legitimacy for a shadow mayor who can bring some adult supervision, while respecting the election mandate for responsible and compassionate fiscal conservatism.

For this to happen, voters will also have to put more pressure on centre-right Ford-enablers like Parker, Berardinetti, Thompson, Robinson, Pasternak, Milczyn, Lindsay Luby and others who really should know better (and perhaps do). These councillors are still able to float along passively, but they will own Ford's policies at some point soon.

Quite a possible scenario.

 

[Marcanadian]

I believe Frances Nunziata made it clear she won't support library closures, so although a long shot, she may be shifting away from the Mayor further.

 

[adma]

Well, remember, *everyone* shifted away from the Mayor in those 43-to-1 votes.

I think that except for the hard Ford/Mammoliti/Holyday/Del Grande core, a lot of this Council support is half "generic right-of-centre", and half "anarchy would be worse". But at this point, don't be surprised if against the grain of the impossibility of impeachment/recall, it all snowballs through protests, etc, into his being forced from office--or else, in a *real* show of lunkheaded absurdity, his team goes even further down the tinpot-dictatorship road by banishing all lefty-pinko councillors for giving him "a hard time". And who knows, maybe he'll "show them" by moving all Council meetings to the Toronto Congress Centre...

 

[MisterF]

I wonder who paid for the Poll, usually this information is part of the report?
If it was the Star, to whom Ford won't speak, the results may less news than temper.

No matter who commissions a poll, it's still the polling company that actually conducts the poll. Pollsters aren't propagandists for hire. They have specific ways of asking questions, taking representative samples, and analyzing data no matter who their client is. If they didn't then their credibility would drop faster than Rob Ford's popularity.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

The Centrists are listening to their constituents and the folks on the right are taking a break from drinking the cool-aid. It took a year but it's happening, a little sooner than I expected - http://www.thestar.com/mobile/news/...-council-rebellion-could-halt-ford-revolution

Then there's that damn audit that's been hounding him around.

"Hope"!

 

[typezed]

Ford’s own budget chief, Mike Del Grande, says he won’t back efforts to eliminate snow removal from the front of driveways.

The guy has been waving that piggy bank around and being the voice of doom for months, and his untouchable is clearing snow from the front of driveways?

 

[EnviroTO]

The guy has been waving that piggy bank around and being the voice of doom for months, and his untouchable is clearing snow from the front of driveways?

Down with daycare and seniors, but damn it I'm too lazy to shovel the snow at the end of my driveway. We need to keep this perk that the central parts of the city don't have.

 

[EMP1729]

Down with daycare and seniors, but damn it I'm too lazy to shovel the snow at the end of my driveway. We need to keep this perk that the central parts of the city don't have.

Well, that's the point. The people that voted for Rob Ford care about clean, smooth roads for cars, waste removal, and perhaps clean water. Everything else is gravy.

Rob Ford doesn't have a use for daycare or senior housing. So why should his tax money pay for those things?

 

[Tulse]

I don't ever go into the 905 -- why should my tax money go there?