[PinkLucy]

I am aware how pitting one against another is counterproductive, but in Layton's case, it's far easier to seem "responsive" when you intentionally engage in smaller matters and avoid taking any macro-level responsibilities. Your post is a great example that how thankless all the work Cressy has done. Optics over results.

My opinion is based on actually working with both of them on a number of projects. My experience is far beyond optics.

 

[TossYourJacket]

Norman Di Pasquale has already announced his candidacy. Chris Moise is KWT’s heir apparent, while Ausma Malik is the favourite for Cressy’s old seat.

They’re all good people and will likely be good councillors, but there’s an unfortunate inevitably with the downtown wards.

It'll just be more of the same. Nothing will actually get better for any of the issues facing people who live downtown.

I love this city. But I feel so defeated every damn election.

 

[ShonTron]

It'll just be more of the same. Nothing will actually get better for any of the issues facing people who live downtown.

The downtown progressives will always be a minority on council. I never warmed to Cressy, and my former councillor made several mistakes, but as long as the conservative premier, mayor and allies are in charge, what can you hope for?

 

[TossYourJacket]

The downtown progressives will always be a minority on council. I never warmed to Cressy, and my former councillor made several mistakes, but as long as the conservative premier, mayor and allies are in charge, what can you hope for?

Literally nothing. Mike Harris ruined this city with amalgamation, and it will never recover. And our council does not help. These are people who vote to demolish huge chunks of the gay village for condos, but then show up at the Pride Parade so they can pretend to voters they care about the LGBT community. Nothing they say matters, and nothing they do makes the city better. It's so depressing.

 

[picard102]

Literally nothing. Mike Harris ruined this city with amalgamation, and it will never recover. And our council does not help. These are people who vote to demolish huge chunks of the gay village for condos, but then show up at the Pride Parade so they can pretend to voters they care about the LGBT community. Nothing they say matters, and nothing they do makes the city better. It's so depressing.

Adding more housing to the village makes the city better. Same as it does anywhere else.

 

[DSC]

Adding more housing to the village makes the city better. Same as it does anywhere else.

Of course, housing is a 'good thing' but a village (gay or otherwise) is more than that. It includes retail, recreation areas etc etc. The problem with demolishing older buildings and building new ones is that the rents for housing AND RETAIL generally increase so the mix of 'stuff' changes. Development may make a City better but it definitely changes it.

 

[JasonParis]

New faces are good on council. We certainly haven't had enough of them in recent cycles. But this new slate of downtown progressives feels like a carbon copy of the previous one. I absolutely call myself progressive for the record, but it's literally the same recycled ideas time and again that fit their narrative and don't always work. I fear that one day downtown will just vote for something more conservative as the progressives don't actually listen or bend their opinions. But I'm hoping to be proven wrong.

 

[ShonTron]

Robin Buxton Potts has announced that she will run in Ward 11, Mike Layton’s seat. She is currently the appointed councillor in Ward 13, the former EA for Wong-Tam.

This makes things rather awkward for the downtown progressives, as Norm Di Pasquale already put his name in. He was the federal NDP candidate in Spadina-Fort York, that lost to disgraced former Liberal Kevin Vuong. Potts’ father is former Liberal MP Arthur Potts.

At least there will be a real race in Ward 11, if nothing else.

 

[JasonParis]

Did she promise she wouldn't run? Or is she getting around that "promise" by running somewhere else? I hate the games they always play when they are appointed.

 

[christiesplits]

Did she promise she wouldn't run? Or is she getting around that "promise" by running somewhere else? I hate the games they always play when they are appointed.

Agreed. It's a bad look for Buxton-Potts. In a funny twist, it is likely that her predecessor, and former boss KWT, will be endorsing Di Pasquale.

 

[DSC]

Did she promise she wouldn't run? Or is she getting around that "promise" by running somewhere else? I hate the games they always play when they are appointed.

She said she would not run in ward 13 and I see no reason why this means she can't run in another Ward. She is quite responsive and was a valuable member of the Wong-Tam team.

 

[adma]

Norman Di Pasquale has already announced his candidacy. Chris Moise is KWT’s heir apparent, while Ausma Malik is the favourite for Cressy’s old seat.

They’re all good people and will likely be good councillors, but there’s an unfortunate inevitably with the downtown wards.

And when it comes to inevitability, there's an excellent chance that the downtown "progressive caucus" will be up by one, if Alejandra Bravo's running to succeed Ana Bailao.

 

[christiesplits]

And when it comes to inevitability, there's an excellent chance that the downtown "progressive caucus" will be up by one, if Alejandra Bravo's running to succeed Ana Bailao.

The word is that outgoing Davenport councillor Ana Bailao and local Liberals are supporting Grant Gonzales, a Pride Toronto co-chair and lobbyist. If his website is any indication, expect John Tory to endorse him and throw in heavy resources into the race. Bailao was a Tory ally, and he obviously wants to keep Davenport Tory-friendly.

Of course, Bravo is a strong candidate. She's a consummate organizer and came within a hair of winning Davenport for the NDP last fall. But with Tory tipping the scales, I don't think it's a slam dunk for her.

 

[ShonTron]

From the bits I hear about Pride Toronto, it doesn't sound like an especially progressive organization these days, hooked on corporate and institutional support. The perfect place for a Liberal.

 

[adma]

The word is that outgoing Davenport councillor Ana Bailao and local Liberals are supporting Grant Gonzales, a Pride Toronto co-chair and lobbyist. If his website is any indication, expect John Tory to endorse him and throw in heavy resources into the race. Bailao was a Tory ally, and he obviously wants to keep Davenport Tory-friendly.

Of course, Bravo is a strong candidate. She's a consummate organizer and came within a hair of winning Davenport for the NDP last fall. But with Tory tipping the scales, I don't think it's a slam dunk for her.

Which'd be a bit like repeating the "Brad Bradford strategy" in 2018--except that Davenport's a different kettle of fish from Beaches-East York; while the latter has grown more yuppie-Liberal over the years, the former's become the present-day epicentre for left-leaning urban progressivism in Toronto. Provincially, Marit Stiles vs MMM. Federally, nondescript Julie Dzerowicz repeatedly reelected by rubber-stamp default vs NES's big-tent Liberalism. And while Ana Bailao landslided by virtual-acclamation no-viable-alternative default in '18, mayorally speaking Davenport was by far Keesmaat's + Saron G.'s best ward, and one might deduce the same for Penalosa if he's this year's Keesmaat. Under those circumstances, Grant Gonzales might have a bigger hill to climb than he's counting on...