[Videodrome]

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-c...d-all-be-thrilled-by-his-transit-plan-success

This is a really good column by Ari Goldkind about John Tory.

 

[James]

^ Can't deny the obvious but every once in a while, it needs to be said out loud. Thank you, Ari Goldkind.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

No one, it seems, knows how to lose anymore. Maybe this is what happens when everyone in grade school gets stickers no matter how well or badly they performed. No one knows how to lose; how to dust themselves off; how to improve. No one seems able to admit that sometimes the other guy’s plan is better, or even if it’s not better, it’s getting the job done.

This is something that is lost maybe in debates on here at times. Things might not be as perfectly envisioned in our idealistic transit fantasy maps but are they ever are? When you look at the progress the city and region is making in transit (among other things) it is really quite admirable.

SmartTrack is not the DRL, probably not our greatest priority and the DRL is still going to be needed regardless but SmartTrack is a good vision and plan in of itself. If Tory can deliver it by the end of his term then it's fair to say he kept his promise and achieved what he, and us when we gave him his mandate, sought to accomplish.

 

[JWBF]

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-c...d-all-be-thrilled-by-his-transit-plan-success

This is a really good column by Ari Goldkind about John Tory.

Very nice article about the screwed up politics of Toronto. I have been screaming about the partisan politics for years, and the "Mason-Dixon Line" at least in this case seems apropos considering the popular news articles lately.

 

[Gavin]

Are you telepathic? I guess the same could be asked of me?

I'm friends with one of his sons.

 

[adma]

It's real interesting in Col. Flagg's reality... it's funny though, I don't remember sex acts, live or otherwise, in the parade. Nudity is frowned upon, and toplessness, that's legal.

Of course, note the site where Flagg links from

https://www.lifesitenews.com/

Yeah, his universe is one where links from radical-socon pro-life/anti-gay news sites can be shared with a straight face...

 

[rbt]

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-c...d-all-be-thrilled-by-his-transit-plan-success

This is a really good column by Ari Goldkind about John Tory.

It is good but by November the promise will cease to have any impact and everybody knows it.

Many will get excited if it becomes real by squeezing into the 2016 budget and isn't funded exclusively from future year surpluses which may or may not exist.

 

[Armour]

FWIW, I actually think Tory is less of a snake oil salesman than most politicians. His critics on UT seem to boil down to those left-wingers who would not like any center-right or right-wing politician, and those of us who think he's wrong on specific issues (in my case, the Gardiner East).

If his BoT speech is any indication, his game plan seems to have been (a) quick wins -- getting the police to tow cars to show he's fighting congestion, trying to get his allies onto the various committees, then (b) expand his agenda to the usual conservative tropes -- 'fight red tape', 'get the city moving', etc. It's pretty much beige center-right policy-making.

If he's absolutely serious about cost-cutting (which I don't think any conservative politician really is, quite frankly), he needs to confront the elephant in the room -- the police and EMS budgets. With a new Chief and his man Pringle confirmed on the Board and a new head of the Board, I'm assuming he has as much leverage as he could ever have. I'm sure that'll be frittered away. C'mon, Tory -- surprise me! Do a fiscally conservative budget, and cut the policing cost by 10%! Hahaha...

Well, I'm actually center right, and I even voted for him, reluctantly.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Unless they change the length of the campaign period (I hope they do), they have only 2 1/2 years till the next l-o-n-g election campaign.

 

[Videodrome]

Yeah, another 10 month campaign would be annoying. It should be four months at most.

 

[Jimmi T]

Yeah, another 10 month campaign would be annoying. It should be four months at most.

For sure, and maybe 10 debates max.

 

[Jimmi T]

Just caught Tory's press conference. Policies aside, his professionalism and communication skills blow Ford out of the water.

 

[Mr.Tang]

Your not setting the bar terribly high there.

 

[Videodrome]

For sure, and maybe 10 debates max.

Maybe it will be more tolerable if there is no Ford in the race...

Just caught Tory's press conference. Policies aside, his professionalism and communication skills blow Ford out of the water.

I agree.

 

[kaboi]

Yeah, another 10 month campaign would be annoying. It should be four months at most.

This last election, which was unique in many ways that were pretty much all related to Rob Ford, shouldn't be the basis for changing the rules about campaign duration. Debates started earlier and media coverage was intense from the outset, creating the sense of a much longer campaign.

I certainly don't recall finding the 10 months allowed for campaigning to be annoying in previous elections, as the campaigns didn't get into full swing until much later in the year. Keep in mind that candidates can't raise or spend money until they register, which makes municipal elections decidedly different from provincial and federal party-based politics.

A shortened campaign would only serve well-known or high profile candidates, which would undermine democracy. Is that really what you want?