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I worked for her father decades ago and met her then on a few occasions. She was her own biggest fan.

i kind of figured that. Never met her, but watched enough of her on TV over the years. Couldn't stand her interviews. Basic interview skills- let the person you are interviewing talk!! Why bother having someone on the show if you're just going to spend the entire segment yammering on and on.
 
My young adult children were wondering who to vote for. I sent them this.

Mayor candidates (click for profiles below)
https://thelocal.to/mayoral-candidates-toronto-2022-elections/

City council candidates for our riding, Toronto Centre
https://thelocal.to/ward-13-toronto-centre/

School trustees
https://thelocal.to/ward-13-toronto-centre/#school-trustees

In my area (Ward 20) my votes are as follows:

Mayor: Gil Penalosa

Councilor: Gary Crawford

Trustee: Guled Arale

Personally I am tired of John Tory. He is past his prime and I am tired of his mayoral style, change is needed.

Regarding Gary Crawford, he is very very helpful. Whenever there is an issue in the ward he responds personally to the concerns. He is very hands on in the riding and is well liked. When we had that snowstorm in January he was on top of it, making sure that everything was taken care of.

As for Guled, I know Guled from the time we were on the Scarborough Southwest NDP Riding Executive. He was the Provincial Vice President I believe representing the riding at Provincial Council. I would vote for him no matter what unless he does something stupid like kill someone.
 
In York South-Weston (Ward 5) my votes are as follows:

Mayor: Gil Penalosa

Councilor: Chiara Padovani

We need a mayor and councilor who will actual implement Vision Zero on our roadways for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. Improve public transit and actual maintain the city properly.

For the Catholic District School Board Ward 10, there is no one I'm interested. Will definitely not vote for Elisabeth Garcia, and can't find any information on Brian Marcy. The Toronto Catholic school board has cleared trustee Daniel Di Giorgio of any alleged breaches of its code of conduct, so is the least troublesome for me ( https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/08/11/i-did-nothing-wrong-toronto-catholic-school-board-trustee-cleared-of-alleged-code-of-conduct-breaches.html ).
 
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In York South-Weston (Ward 5) my votes are as follows:

Mayor: Gil Penalosa

Councilor: Chiara Padovani

We need a mayor and councilor who will actual implement Vision Zero on our roadways for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. Improve public transit and actual maintain the city properly.

For the Catholic District School Board Ward 10, there is no one I'm interested. Will definitely not vote for Elisabeth Garcia, and can't find any information on Brian Marcy. The Toronto Catholic school board has cleared trustee Daniel Di Giorgio of any alleged breaches of its code of conduct, so is the least troublesome for me ( https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/08/11/i-did-nothing-wrong-toronto-catholic-school-board-trustee-cleared-of-alleged-code-of-conduct-breaches.html ).

Five months later, Mr. Lis you have returned home to UT! You were duly missed.
 
Perused Penalosa's platform today - I liked pretty much everything I saw in there, so I think I'm going to vote for him, even if it remains to be seen if he'll be able to get council buy-in for some of his more ambitious ideas. I don't hate Tory, but I'm pretty tired of his wishy-washy ways. 8 years is a long time, and don't I think his record is strong enough to warrant another 4 years of the same old ho hummity. He was past his expiry already after his first term.
 
Perused Penalosa's platform today - I liked pretty much everything I saw in there, so I think I'm going to vote for him, even if it remains to be seen if he'll be able to get council buy-in for some of his more ambitious ideas. I don't hate Tory, but I'm pretty tired of his wishy-washy ways. 8 years is a long time, and don't I think his record is strong enough to warrant another 4 years of the same old ho hummity. He was past his expiry already after his first term.

Same.

I like John Tory but his way of doing things is tiresome after all these years.

Whenever I hear him speak it is all boilerplate and no new ideas. He doesn't really have any new ideas only ideas.

Keep in mind he was the leader of the PC party for years. I can see that coming through in the way he speaks and the way he conducts himself.

He talks like a career politician and I am a tad concerned what he would do with strong mayor powers.

I think change is needed.
 
Perused Penalosa's platform today - I liked pretty much everything I saw in there, so I think I'm going to vote for him, even if it remains to be seen if he'll be able to get council buy-in for some of his more ambitious ideas. I don't hate Tory, but I'm pretty tired of his wishy-washy ways. 8 years is a long time, and don't I think his record is strong enough to warrant another 4 years of the same old ho hummity. He was past his expiry already after his first term.
With the "strong mayor powers", Penalosa will need 2/3 of city council to oppose him. Better outcome than Tory with those strange powers and abilities.

With John Tory as mayor, we will need 2/3 of city council to oppose him. That's why voting in progressive councillors is important across Toronto to get that 2/3.

Also why having "first-past-the-post" is NOT wanted in city elections, at least. Also why Doug Ford scrapped "ranked ballots", because "first-past-the-post" benefits him and his pals better.

See link to

Doug Ford suddenly decided to scrap ranked ballots for elections. What does that mean for Toronto?

 
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With the "strong mayor powers", Penalosa will need 2/3 of city council to oppose him. Better outcome than Tory with those strange powers and abilities.

I'm not sure those powers actually give Gil any benefit as, IIRC, they can only be used for provincial priorities. I suspect the province will interpret their priorities quite narrowly (implement street closures for Ontario Line construction), and not broadly such as "transit improvements" which Gil could use for BRT service.

That said, I also expect the mayor and council will discover the actual boundaries via the courts.
 
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My votes will go most likely to Gil Penalosa, and Dianne Saxe as city councillor to replace Mike Layton in Ward 11. She was canvassing in my building this morning, and I told her I read her website and appreciated her lack of predictable responses so many politicians provide based on where they would like to be seen on the political spectrum. I tend to be on the left, and many of her policies go in that direction. But as an example, although she has a number of housing proposals, she states clearly that homeless park encampments should not be allowed (while deploring violence). I was surprised initially, but considering her progressive platform, I saw that as unusually honest and pragmatic. It is also plain to see she is not interested in wasting time on matters that are not within the city's purview, and this is also something I appreciate in politicians at all levels of government.
 
Statement from Gary Crawford

I read the Globe and Mail article with deep disappointment.

I have spent a good part of my life working for you, the people of Scarborough Southwest, and have at all times conducted myself with honour and integrity.

The Globe story, simply by innuendo, attacks my integrity without providing any evidence or fact where I have done anything wrong.

They have been working on this story for several months and have nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

Further, the attack on my Chief of Staff, Monique Lisi, is regrettable. Monique has done nothing but serve efficiently and with dedication since she was brought onto my staff.

As I told the Globe, Spiros Papathanasakis has no role in my campaign. I have held numerous public campaign events that were well attended.

I have been in politics for a long time and I am used to attacks and understand there will always be those who want to throw mud, especially just before an election, but the Globe story and those sharing it on social media will neither deter me nor my volunteers.

I have been receiving overwhelming support from my constituents and I will continue to represent the residents of Scarborough Southwest with honesty and integrity.

We are out all weekend meeting with residents and getting ready for Election Day on October 24.
 
Controversial political fixer re-emerges in Toronto election campaign

It's behind a paywall but this is all over Facebook in Scarborough Southwest. I really hope someone upends him but he has 2 strong contenders who will likely split the vote.

Here is the thing, as I said before I live in Scarborough Southwest and NOBODY cares who is part of his campaign. This is not like Michael Thompson who is being investigated for a criminal offence.

Gary has done nothing but good for the ward and that speaks for itself. He is well liked and I see him winning easily.

Lorenzo Berardinetti is a goof. He lost the MPP seat for the riding and now is crawling back to politics. Kevin Rupisinghe is not going to get very far, he is relatively unknown.

If anything, I can see the vote being split between Gary and Lorenzo.
 
Here is the thing, as I said before I live in Scarborough Southwest and NOBODY cares who is part of his campaign. This is not like Michael Thompson who is being investigated for a criminal offence.

Probably true, but unfortunate.

Gary has done nothing but good for the ward and that speaks for itself.

On this we'll have to completely disagree. In all his years as Councillor he never even managed to get the Warden Woods bike trail repaved (its been gravel for a large section for almost a decade; he's also not completed any vision zero work of substance, not delivered any long promised new parks/park expansions, not managed to get funding for a gym for the Oakridge Recreation Centre (how ridiculous, a Rec. Ctr w/o a gym)............

No major TCHC redevelopments even proposed, even though both Teesdale and Catarqui are in rough shape and would benefit from a re-do; really.........I'd be hard pressed to come up with how the ward is any better off in his years in office.

Lets be completely fair, Michelle Berardinetti, his predecessor in a portion of the ward was less than useless; but that's not really much of a yard stick against wish to measure.

You have to go back to Adrian Heaps and before that Councillor Altobello, to see significant accomplishments including Bike Lanes on Pharmacy and Birchmount, the overhaul of Victoria Park Subway Station, and the streetscape work on Danforth east of VP.

Lorenzo Berardinetti is a goof.

No argument there.

Kevin Rupisinghe is not going to get very far, he is relatively unknown.

Its true, he's polling far behind, unfortunate for the ward, because he's probably the best candidate running.
 
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