[lead82]

Folks, I'm getting really worried about the coming election in this city. With the current crew of top 5 candidates and the likeliness that Ford will become mayor is just scary. In all honestly I don't think any of the current bunch have any vision or any solid platforms for this city. Miller with all his troubles at least had a vision and passion for this city.

My concern is that if Ford wins, then we'll have major battles on our hands over the next few years over unions, streetcars, our waterfront, transit expansion, etc. All the major transit funding announcements and construction that has started or is about to start are all jeopardized if Ford wins.

Question: Who is the best candidate to vote for if you want to prevent Ford from winning. I don't want to say vote strategically, but that seems like the only alternative given the terrible slate of candidates running. It is too bad Miller or Tory are not running as they would have been umpteen times better than these clowns.

 

[MetroMan]

It's still too early to know who the anti-Ford crowd will get behind. My bet will be that people will shift to the status-quo. Joe Pantalone's campaign is running a brilliant angle: Positivity. Despite its shortfalls, we still love our city and what it represents.

If Ford is still in the lead in October, I bet that Pantalone will be in a close second.

I think Smitherman has given it all he's got and nothing seems to be working. He's steadily losing ground. Rocco my have increased his standing in the polls but it's been a mere flash in the pan. Finally, while I want to support Thomson and bring new ideas to City Hall and be honest about funding options (tolls), I don't think her campaign has it in them to give her the moment needed for people to back in her in masse.

I'm standing by her campaign for another few weeks. If she doesn't show a potential of winning, I'll be backing Joe Pants.

 

[kool maudit]

i can't even believe ford is in it. from an outsider's perspective (i live in montreal), he just doesn't mesh with the toronto i know. he's a red-faced, stammering drunk-uncle-at-the-cookout. he's an oaf.

i'd expect him to be mayor of some suburb of jacksonville, not toronto.

 

[PubCrawl]

I think Ford is going to fizzle over the next few weeks. For good or bad, the media has tremendous power to shape public perception. I don't think even people like Sue-Ann Levy or Christie Blatchford honestly want Ford as Mayor -- they've just enjoyed demonstrating their power. They had their fun with him during the slow early campaign period when nobody really pays any attention, but I think they're just about finished propping him up. I predict a steady increase in positive coverage of Smitherman from the Star, at least.

Which is not to say that the other candidates, especially Pantalone, don't need to step up their game considerably.

 

[BobBob]

It's hard to imagine Ford's candidacy fizzling now that the whole mayoral election has been framed in terms of "Rob Ford: Yay or Nay?". Not a good thing for our city, regardless of the outcome.

 

[W. K. Lis]

My do-not-vote-for list just got longer. Was just Rob Ford. I am now adding Rocco Rossi to my list.

From his website at roccorossi.com comes this news release:

Visionary mayoral candidate calls for underground extension of Allen expressway to downtown core to lure jobs back to city, ease gridlock and remove traffic from local streets

TORONTO, ONTARIO – In the boldest move of the mayor campaign, Rocco Rossi called for an extension of the Allen expressway to the downtown core by means of an underground tunnel earlier today.

“Welcome to the Toronto Tunnel,” said Rossi, committing to having “shovels in the ground” by the end of his first term as Mayor. “This intersection is where vision meets opportunity,” said Rossi standing at the foot of the Allen expressway and Eglinton Avenue West. “Under my plan, we will tunnel the Eglinton subway crosstown and we will tunnel the Allen expressway downtown.”

Rossi noted that cities in Switzerland, Australia, Japan and the United States have all completed or have commenced underground transportation projects. “The technology is better than ever,” said Rossi.

Rossi noted that Toronto has the worst commute times in North America with the result that Torontonians spend more time waiting in traffic and less time with their families. “There’s no quality of life for the drivers lined up here,” said Rossi, “or for the in the nearby streets inhaling exhaust fumes from the idling cars.”

The main issue for Rossi, however, was jump-starting Toronto’s economic growth and encouraging businesses to return to the downtown core.

“Companies and workers would rather establish in the 905 than fight their way into downtown Toronto every day,” said Rossi. “I want our kids to have a chance to live and work at good jobs in the city of Toronto.”

Rossi said that the project would be funded through a public-private-partnership so that “Torontonians will be able to drive the Toronto Tunnel without driving the city into debt.”

You've got to be kidding. Where would all those cars going to park when they come down? Are you going to tear down buildings or residences to make room for parking lots? Do not vote for Rocco Rossi nor Rob Ford.

 

[taal]

Just to chime in the idea isn't terrible ... we have plenty of parking capacity, if you can suck up the price.
What's wrong here is the notion that 'businesses are leaving Toronto due to long driving times' ... they're leaving due to taxation issues ... moreover, most are not leaving central Toronto rather they're leaving the outer 416 ... and this does nothing to help that out ...

 

[taal]

Actually sorry let me add there are some rather dubious complications here i.e. where will it emerge and it needs to go under a subway (maybe a whole line as well) ... so it might just be plain stupid as well

 

[Fac1]

Just to chime in the idea isn't terrible ... we have plenty of parking capacity, if you can suck up the price.

Just like 150km of underground rail would be amazing, if you can suck up the price. Do you think the city can afford a $25-35B project? Can you imagine what even half of that would do for transit? Where do you think that money would be generated from, hmm, business and residential taxes? This is just an empty idea that is being floated out there to cut into Ford's car-crazed demographic and to try to distinguish himself from the others - that's why his answer on funding is ambiguous. You don't think Rossi himself knows this idea is absurd?

 

[howl]

I'm not too worried if Ford wins. If he does win I think it will expose his poorly thought-out plans as useless and crystalize the progressive urban movement in this City against him. It may be a few years of struggle but Toronto will emerge at the other end a much more focused and determined place. That is, as long as people don't leave in droves.

 

[lead82]

the big problem is that if Ford wins if will kill the momentum we got on major projects on the waterfront and for transit. Stopping or delaying these projects will take Toronto a long time to recover, especially with a new provincial government likely next year.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I'll follow the polls in the days leading up to the election and vote for Ford's closest competition, hopefully Smitherman or Pantalone. Not a good way to vote but I can't bear the thought of Ford ("a red-faced, stammering drunk-uncle-at-the-cookout" - great description!) as Toronto's next Mayor.

 

[lead82]

joe is looking better and better in order to keep the momentum going and to see the city continue to mature.

 

[Fac1]

the big problem is that if Ford wins if will kill the momentum we got on major projects on the waterfront and for transit. Stopping or delaying these projects will take Toronto a long time to recover, especially with a new provincial government likely next year.

Ugh, I really hope not. As imperfect as McGunity is, I can't stand to think of a Ford-Hudak-Harper trio... Got to hope Dalton's teflon image remains intact.

 

[lead82]

That kind of trio would change our city, province and country for the worse, much worse. While on one likes paying taxes, they do provide up with a much better and more equitable society than our US neighbours.