Toronto Lower Don Lands Redevelopment | ?m | ?s | Waterfront Toronto

adma said:
If that's their trip, than they could just as well be in prison by then.
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Have you noticed how hard it is to put politicians and the well connected, in prison? There are all kinds of legal loop holes built into the system, so they don't go to prison. There always seems to be a way for these guys to buy themselves an out. Look at Conrad Black, even he could have paid 7 million to get a pass but was too arrogant to take that route. Then you have Brian Mulroney who took $300,000 in brown paper envelopes. He paid no taxes for something like 5 years, only AFTER he got caught, yet he never got busted for anything. (hell, he didn't even have to return the 1.5 million he got from threatening to sue, when accused of doing, what he, in fact, did. lol) Let the same thing happen to an ordinary guy and I bet the sucker would be in jail. Everybody knows how the system works, including the Fords, so I'm sure they are not too worried about breaking a few little rules. Their lawyers (and daddy's money) will get them off, no problem.
 
2nd Star article on the Hearn plant lease

http://www.thestar.com/news/article...omplex-hits-a-hurdle-as-lease-extends-to-2041

Spokesweasel claims they have never been consulted on anything to do with this plan.

Hmmm... so, you're saying the biggest fish in the Port Lands pond was not even asked whether it would be happy to have its lease/holdings completely and utterly changed, and yet this silliness was going to speed up development in the area.

C'mon.
 
“Everyone wants us to work together and sing Kumbaya so we’re going to work together with them,” he said in an interview. “We’ve got some good ideas and they’ve got some. In my opinion, with my business experience, compromise is always the best solution.” He said he is even considering taking a seat on the agency’s board of directors. "

What's with the need to always mention his business experience. If you are a great businessman people will now. They don't need to be reminded every time you open your mouth. This just makes him look unprofessional and silly.
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
With his business experience, he should know that a SNAFU of this magnitude is grounds to get one fired.
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"Doug, could you come into my office, please? Yes, shut the door and please sit down. Now Doug, I really appreciate all you've done for TorCo., and you certainly have drive and ambition, which are excellent qualities. However, we here at TorCo. really need team players, folks that are willing to all pull together for everyone's good and not go off on their own agenda. You have big ideas, but recent events have shown that you just can't work well with others. There's a process here, Doug, a process we all have to follow, a process worked out well before you got here. You really don't seem comfortable with abiding by the process, with following the rules, and you seem incapable of understanding how problematic it is to undermine the work of others. So, Doug, unfortunately we are going to have to let you go. We'll send you your things. Marge, can you send security into my office?"
 
I'm glad this went through unanimously.

I don't like the talk of compromise, though - now matter how lightly it's said. I don't like the talk about future options regarding the renaturalization of the Don River mouth. Hopefully, since Waterfront Toronto is remaining fully in charge, that's just people smoothing things over today.

Seeing as the Ford(s) started trying to torpedo things secretively back in February - and then sneak the whole thing through as a routine matter - it's clear that they can't be trusted to not be up to something. I think it's a happy day for the city, but as citizenry, we evidently can't relax. With both the Portlands being saved for proper development and the most horrific cuts being put off until 2012, one wants to breathe a sigh of relief and be grateful that suddenly, it feels like the pressure is off.
Well, that's not the case. Some of the cuts that are going through need not be made at all. Regarding the budget, all that's happened is that feeling an insurmountable backlash was growing, the Ford's have delayed the crisis a bit.
I wouldn't be surprised if they try to revisit or alter the Portlands agreement as well. After a spell.

These two remind of me toddlers: when things go quiet - that's not good news! Not getting the Portlands might not just be smoothing things over and returning the status quo - there's no reason why it won't be used a political and budgetary excuse in the future for more of these two's untoward schemes.

Streetcars, anyone?
 
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I agree that vigilance is still necessary, but this vote is a huge kick in the teeth for the Ford Bros. I'd be surprised if they're willing to wade back into this issue after such a rebuff. My impression is that they wanted a big win, something sexy to put their name on -- re-assessing the naturalizing of the mouth of the Don is definitely not sexy. They like the grand gestures -- they're not interested in the nitty-gritty details of development, tinkering at the margins, and as I understand it what the vote has ensured is that that's the only level that the city can poke its nose into.

Perhaps I'm overly optimistic, but I think that the Fords will drop this issue and move on to something else, hopefully much chastened.
 
I wouldn't let my guard down at this point - from the Star:

http://www.thestar.com/news/toronto...se-as-port-lands-plan-passes-unanimously?bn=1

Read the bit about TPLC towards the end, and how the Warios reacted to their win-win in council.

And an additional piece on the backroom lobbying:

http://www.thestar.com/news/toronto...08--mall-giant-met-with-doug-ford-in-may?bn=1

it might be helpful to remind Westfield et al. theiractions thus far is contrary to expectations of good corporate citizenship.

AoD
 
Perhaps I'm overly optimistic, but I think that the Fords will drop this issue and move on to something else, hopefully much chastened.
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I would like to share your optimism if I may.
 
Who would have imagined back in 2010 that it would be Doug Ford's erratic behaviour that was forcing Rob Ford to do damage control? Is it safe yet to say that the Fords are just inexperienced, incompetent politicians who just got lucky in 2010 and managed to push through a bunch of bad policy during their honeymoon period? Or do we still suspect that all of these recent failures are really calculated distractions from some deeper, more insidious plans to remake municipal government in this city?
 
I'd say they were mostly unprepared and inexperienced prior to getting into power. And maybe they find themselves in over their heads as well.
 
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