Rob Ford's Toronto

[Forty Fs]

My only comment on Doug's Ks is that it's interesting to me that acclamation of the Ward 2 Dauphin has gone to the male nephew in the fam and not to any of the four K females. Unsuited or never asked? Not pilots? Or smart enough to say no?

I don't think the gender politics in that family are exactly progressive.

 

[Kat_YYZ]

If one ever wants to see the dangers of cyclists and cars sharing the roads, one only has to spend a half-hour watching traffic at 5pm from the corner of Church & Bloor. One of the worst intersections for sh!tty drivers and sh!tty cyclists alike. Hell I'm pro-cycle, and don't cycle in this city out of complete fear, but the sheer idiocy I see in that area every day astounds even my super-cautious side.

I don't know, I actually feel safer biking downtown streets than some others. There are more cyclists and the downtown drivers are used to them. I always feel scared when I'm in the area of Bathurst and Sheppard, or Finch and Keele . Everyone drives so fast and you just feel so exposed. Downtown there are cyclists, pedestrians, people randomly wandering into the middle of the road. In some suburban areas, the traffic lights are pretty far apart and the lanes are big and wide and open. Posted limit is 60 but a lot of drivers are doing 80 (probably guilty of that myself sometimes). Downtown driving is a zoo, but I guess it's a zoo I'm used to so I'm more comfortable with it.

 

[LNahid2000]

I don't know, I actually feel safer biking downtown streets than some others. There are more cyclists and the downtown drivers are used to them. I always feel scared when I'm in the area of Bathurst and Sheppard, or Finch and Keele . Everyone drives so fast and you just feel so exposed. Downtown there are cyclists, pedestrians, people randomly wandering into the middle of the road. In some suburban areas, the traffic lights are pretty far apart and the lanes are big and wide and open. Posted limit is 60 but a lot of drivers are doing 80 (probably guilty of that myself sometimes). Downtown driving is a zoo, but I guess it's a zoo I'm used to so I'm more comfortable with it.

Agreed. Church and Bloor is pretty bad for downtown, but my top two scariest areas to bike through in Toronto are Six Points in Etobicoke and Yonge under the 401 in North York. When you have cars going past you at 80km/h, it doesn't feel safe at all. At least downtown traffic moves pretty slowly.

 

[soimelk]

He's in good with Toronto's emergency services unions. They are independent of the chiefs and boards.

"And if they're going to make a bit more money for doing it – I have never had a person come up and say, ‘Rob, I object to paying paramedics, firefighters or police more money.’ This is where the money should be spent, and I have no problem paying our officers, or our firefighters or our paramedics good money to do a job."

Councillor Rob Ford, CP24 mayoral debate. October 2010

The core political principle of the emergency services unions is to support the candidates who support us. ie: Safe staffing levels ( which also protects civilians ), health and safety, pay, benefits, pensions etc.

I fully appreciate that the police union is separate from the force, and that unions will tend to favour candidates that support their financial interests. But in this case, the optics of supporting the candidate who is linked to numerous criminals would undermine the credibility of the police union, and by extension, the rank and file officers who gave their leadership the ok to do so. Furthermore, with a mayor who has helped obstruct an investigation into a gun smuggling gang, the argument can be easily made that supporting Ford would actually endanger the safety of frontline officers.

 

[Kat_YYZ]

I agree. Some days this thread makes me think of Pogo: We have seen the enemy, and they is us.

I was thanking her for her post. and prefer not to read those sites - sheesh my eyes just bleed whenever I read that sh!t. There will always be more hateful crap out there - doesn't mean you have to stoop. This forum has excellent stuff on it - physical appearance, families, kids should be off limits. Take the high road.

I do agree with this. For everything Rob and Doug have done, I wouldn't speak ill of their kids.

Again, I agree but I think you should save it for when someone says something actually vile (Like, oh I dunno, maybe, a certain Ford girl's comments about "dressing like sluts").

The idea that people will be blind to physical appearance is a fantasy. You can post all the inspirational quote posters you want about how "it's what's on the inside that counts" but the truth is: humans are interested in the physical appearance of other humans. I agree we should stay away from nasty stuff but not all comments on looks are horrible or judgmental simply by virtue of the fact that the comment is about looks.

(Though I do happen to think amateurish attempts to psychoanalyze Ford girls' motivations for fitness are pretty silly and don't lead to anything useful for this thread.)

 

[Cooper]

apropos of, like, the topic of this thread:

it occurs to me that we really haven't heard any 'inside dope' in a long time. have TPS really clamped down on gossip? are reporters no longer talking? are people more reluctant to just plain fabricate crap?

My guess is there's not much left to say. No doubt there are many details under wraps, but I think the big picture is pretty well filled out. A friend of mine has an interesting theory: Blair acknowledged that the cops had the crack video, figuring that Rob would resign and the whole story would grind to halt. Of course, Rob didn't, so the cops have largely been left trying prove that Lisi acted on instructions from Ford (and/or Rob helped Sandro finance some dope deals, as a friend/customer.) Problem is, it's very difficult to make that case if Lisi won't testify.

 

[Kat_YYZ]

He's in good with Toronto's emergency services unions. They are independent of the chiefs and boards....

But don't forget what the firefighters said about him more recently, after the fire station was closed and the buffoon brought a fire truck to his campaign launch.

 

[hper]

Ford isn't the only one who would like to have a selfie done with.

What ward is he running in?

That's one of the best photos of Zanta ever. Is he back? Vice did a little profile on him a year or so ago. It was kind of depressing.

 

[casita]

I fully appreciate that the police union is separate from the force, and that unions will tend to favour candidates that support their financial interests. But in this case, the optics of supporting the candidate who is linked to numerous criminals would undermine the credibility of the police union, and by extension, the rank and file officers who gave their leadership the ok to do so. Furthermore, with a mayor who has helped obstruct an investigation into a gun smuggling gang, the argument can be easily made that supporting Ford would actually endanger the safety of frontline officers.

TPA lost their credibility and respect with me when they did not stand up for their chief when RoFo called him that disgusting name.

 

[expat]

TPA lost their credibility and respect with me when they did not stand up for their chief when RoFo called them that disgusting name.

speaking of, anyone care to read the tea leaves on bill blair? think he'll ask for his job back? think he'll get it?

if yes/no, how does that play into Brazen 2, or the ford situation generally?

 

[fishie]

My only comment on Doug's Ks is that it's interesting to me that acclamation of the Ward 2 Dauphin has gone to the male nephew in the fam and not to any of the four K females. Unsuited or never asked? Not pilots? Or smart enough to say no?

I think Krista once joked "Ha. No. Well not yet." I think the rest are in college/university (or did one just graduate?) and seem pretty preoccupied with their own lives. Plus I'm not sure any of them actually live in Toronto at the moment. Besides, Doug is "done" with municipal politics, at least as far as running and getting elected, it seems. Too political, or something Why would he want his "four young girls" (http://www.torontosun.com/2013/11/14/doug-ford-says-daughters-have-been-threatened), his "girls who are helpless and can't defend themselves" (http://globalnews.ca/news/1258436/doug-ford-angered-over-fake-win-a-date-with-daughter-contest/) participating in the dirty blood sport of municipal politics? Poor things. It seems in dear old Dad's eyes, they're all still six years old.

 

[casita]

But don't forget what the firefighters said about him more recently, after the fire station was closed and the buffoon brought a fire truck to his campaign launch.

That's true.

This I find interesting, "Rob Ford was the first Toronto mayor since the first ceremony to not attend any of the memorials." This is about the Toronto Fallen Firefighter memorials. DM Kelly attended this year - RoFo was in "rehab".
But, if I understand the article correctly, he has never attended.
http://newz4u.net/sundays-memorial-service-honoured-fallen-toronto-firefighters/

Maybe he is not in as tight with the unions as I thought he was.

"Is it stupid to even ask if Ford will announce any kind of actual platform?"

 

[evvabeing]

Does anybody think (or hope, desperately, as I do) that Soknacki and Stinz will bow out before the election so as to avoid a diluted vote - which will work in Rob Ford's favour? It would be a huge act of altruism but I think we might need it.

stintz, yes... 'cause she doesn't seem to offer anything special or important.

soks, no... 'cause he does.

 

[evvabeing]

Valid points. For a reference there are these links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarians
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegans

Dougie is reportedly an "ethical vegetarian", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethical_vegetarian, I would not include eggs, etc. in his diet.

That said, Dougie is obese, not just over weight, so I would like to know his diet. We know that Robbie is a stress eater, and usually that was fast/processed food. But how is Dougie staying that weight?

but doug isn't really an ethical vegetarian, per se... just an 'ethical' non-beef eater.

he worked in a slaughter house which processed beef... what he saw was so grotesque, that he doesn't eat beef. but he doesn't have the insight and empathy to think about the fact that if he had worked in a chicken slaughter house, he would have been disgusted enough to not eat chicken, etc.

if dougie had really learned from working in the slaughter house, he would be full vegetarian, if not vegan, now.

but... i am surprised that he even cared about what he saw being done to cows.

 

[evvabeing]

yep, that's the one - thanks. maybe it was selective editing (?) but he came across as belligerent and confrontational in lots of the footage i saw. getting into peoples' faces with his camcorder (i really don't like strangers recording me) and throwing those sorts of juvenile "it's a simply yes or no question!"-type questions at people.

not that one can always tell family resemblance (i.e. sometimes people who look related aren't, and ones that don't are) but... in the photo where iola is behind him, i thought she could be his mom.