Ok guys lets put it all in one place. I for one think that he was a political amateur and rough around the edges but he had the right idea for the city. Too bad that idea stepped on too many influential toes that just looked for a way to get rid of him. Good for him for standing up to them even if his excecution now and then was less than stellar.
I was never really a fan of his. But did respect his cost cutting and business accumen. But what I really don't agree on is booting him out of office because of $3G's which didnt even go to him (not like he needs the dough). The next couple of weeks will be interesting indeed...
I thought he was doing good things for the city, running the gravy train off the tracks, but feel people need to face consequences for their actions, and he admitted to a) not reading the applicable documents and b) not going to the orientation meeting and therefore I feel some sort of reprimand was in order, but not to this extent because now it will result in more legal $$, more tax $$, and it just goes on and on. The gravy train whistles again....
Rob Ford as mayor of Toronto didn't seem to fit right to begin with. They need a David Miller type, someone that has zero respect for the taxpayer and zero common sense. I mean, you're talking about a city that still elects Bob Rae to public office. Nuff said.
Ryan, I agree 100%. I was going to say exactly the same thing. I voted for Ford....Doug and Rob are both long time Etobicoke councillors, who have done many great things. Yes, he is rough around the edges, but he gets to the point and gets things done. Toronto is 99.99999% Liberal....he was an outcast from the beginning (he's right wing), considering people were in love with Miller, and then almost voted in Smitherman. He was facing a daily battle with all the NDP and Liberal slime in Toronto council. He was basically paddling up stream his whole term, I sympathize with him, and unfortunately he lost his battle. Now lets get ready for Olivia Chow or Smitherman
I don't see how him breaking the rules has anything to do with left, right, or anyone else at council or in the city for that matter. Rob Ford is lying in the bed he made for himself. But according to him the only person not to blame for his current situation is himself. Pathetic.
Yes he broke the rules but there is obviously no context taken into account either. The fact is that for years people have been criticizing him for his weight, the car he drives, telling some reporter to F-off when they deserved it, and just generally looking for something to pick at him on. His response has been 'F what car I drive or what I have for lunch how about we worry about running a city'. His concern was not to save his ass or keep his job but to make a difference in the city that he loved. Too bad that everyone around them just wanted to milk the system for their own benefit. Rob Ford was too busy worrying about doing away with waste to watch his back. The Liberals can have whatever career politician comes next. God knows I'll end up paying for it.
At the same time, Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi was in Toronto for the weekend. Coincidence? Torontonians are just too jealous of Calgary's mayor - they can't accept that they elected the fat redneck white guy, and Calgary elected the trendy non-WASP mayor. After Nenshi showed up angain and reminded Torontonians, just by his presence, of the error of their ways, they just couldn't stand it any longer. (Funny thing is that Nenshi is pretty conservative fiscally - Toronto wouldn't really like him running things, I hear)
Labels are an amateurs way of negating the effects of any discussion, an approach sadly infesting Canada as it has the US. All political parties have shared in the waste of our tax dollars, in Toronto and elsewhere. The total inability of Toronto council to move ahead with e.g. transit expansion is a long standing tradition. Had they expanded to York, Sheppard, Eglinton/Richview etc in the 70's while cancelling the Spadina Expressway, we would a) have a decent grid system today, b) saved billions in costs compared to today's costs. The only people to benefit from these delays is the consultants writing the reports. I would be happy if he were cutting expenses (aka union jobs outsourced). Instead he has wasted another several years of no transit expansion and wasted even more $ on those delays and cancellations. (And we now get more grade level transit as a result!) Were he less of a bull-in-a-china shop he would not have alienated those on council and the TTC whose votes he needed to get his personal agenda moved ahead. It is a democracy after all, where a majority on council need to vote to approve moving forward. He talked the talk, got elected and then whoosh, he failed to get his good ideas implemented. Gerrit
I would be happy if deupty-mayor Doug Holyday would take over if Ford leaves. Holyday seems to be level-headed, and is a 'conservative' ally of Fords. He also has many years of political experience (Etobicoke mayor, councillor etc..) and should be able to pick up where Ford left off.
I'm from Calgary and live out here presently - and I don't see why your gay muslim mayor has been brought into the discussion ... ?
I agree with starboy444 DHoliday would be fine (he was great in Etobicoke when it was a separate city - I miss those days) 8^( Gerrity, it wasn't the mayor who kept the ground rail going if you recall K.Stintz pulled an about face on Ford during the TTC commission vote which upheld the bulk of Millers surface rail plans http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/mayor-loses-as-ttc-board-restructured/article551600/. Hence we are still in transit limbo. There is definitely something odd going on downtown and hopefully, Rob fights back. Spending millions for 1000's is just stupid - this ranks right up there when Ford was investigated by Council for his $2/yr council office budget (prior to his election as mayor). Outsource the lot of these turkeys!
Funny that you bring this up. Doug Holyday is my best friends father and I have known him for some 30 years. As straight as they come and I would love to see him get a crack at being mayor. It would be a fitting end to a lifetime dedicated to Toronto politics.
Well since Hazel is getting ready to retire maybe he can move out to the burbs....anyone except Caroline Parrish !!!!
Any car content in this thread ? Talk about politics should be banned from car forums. Cheers Mark خمسين #1228
Rob antagonized the very people he needed on his side (to build subways), thus the result we have now which is lots of LRT.
Not sure the term 'antagonized' is entirely accurate - Ford was strongly 'for' the Subway option - as opposed to LRT. The issue was (and still is) how T.Dot would pay for it. The LRT would work, if we had more sprawl (i.e. open spaces). Mississauga would be a more successful venue. The problem is, it was never designed into the 'fabric' of the citry-scape. Trying to go back and retrofit this into TO is to be blunt 'BS'. Case in point: travel along Dupont/Annette Street - which is only a single lane. It is ridiculous how 'snarled' that street has become, now that there is only 1 lane (and a bike lane). Toronto would have been better off keeping the electric buses. Don't even get me started on St. Clair Avenue West!
Voters in Toronto knew what they were getting with Ford as he had been a councillor since 2000 before winning the mayor's job by a 11.5%. It isn't like he was a rookie that nobody knew. Ford has always been a stubborn bulldog and The Toronto Star has never gotten over the fact that their favourite candidate Smitherman lost. Ford refuses to kiss The Star's editorial board's ring or be at the beck and call of their reporters and it drives them crazy. My guess is that he will win the appeal and this will quickly fade to black, but if there is a by-election, the people of Toronto will have the unique opportunity to give Ford a passing or failing mid-term grade. Given that there are no other councillors that have the name recognition that Ford has, he definitely has the edge and municipal politics is all about the name since the party machines have less input than in federal or provincial elections. As far as The Star trying their best to draw Olivia Chow (or Smitherman) into the race, I think they are both too smart to know that Ford still has his core support and they will rally to his defense on this trumped up judgement that could cost upwards of $7M with a by-election which he will wisely use to his advantage. Cheers-Colin Firth Ontario Canada
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/11/27/vindictive-leftists-show-their-pettiness-going-after-rob-ford Image Unavailable, Please Login
from the article: <SNIP> A self-important girly-man who is the first to whine when someone dares attack him, Chaleff-Freudenthaler was a regular fixture around City Hall when David Miller was in power. <SNIP> GIRLY MAN LOL!
