[Tewder]

You ivory tower elitist conservatives with your flashy high school diplomas are always talking down to the working man.

LOL, the 'working man':

from Guelph Mercury

 

[Mapleson]

These quotes (about AIDS and so on) have been overblown. The mayor will have no power to impact this kind of social issue anyway, so I don't know what we're afraid of. He's a straight shooter. Straight shooters say dumb things sometimes. Slimy guys, on the other hand, say the right things but may not believe them. I'm sure if every one of our own arguments were mic'd, we'd all have some things to be embarrassed about.

So when say they voted in June 2007 to "hire someone to go into crackhouses to talk to crack users" including the provision of clean needles in exchange for 'dirty needles, and Rob Ford voted no (Passed 23-5), he had no power over that social issue?
When the Theatre Passe Muraille was going to go under because a crippling debt load, the City bought the historic theatre for $1.2 million and leased it to a non-profit management group that subleases it to the theatre company. The vote passed 30-7 with Ford on the other side.

May 2008, Rob Ford voted against hiring 48 social workers. It passed 31-5.

In June 2008, he voted to evict the tenants of the Marcus Garvey Centre (160 Rivalda) and sell the building for $1 million. It failed 7-18.

If it was just a could quotes taken out of context, they they'd be overblown. If it's a questionable comment or action every six months or less, then it speaks to his deeper character and opinion of people and the City.

I think this election needs to focus on who has good ideas, and who can get them done. Let's not get pulled into sound bite politics.

What can Rob Ford get done?

 

[Tewder]

I believe it's fair to hate the Ontario Liberals for Ontario elections. If John Tory was running would he be accountable for the PC's actions?

Yes, for the actions of the PCs while he was there...of course! Are you suggesting a track-record isn't important, that it's okay to screw up or screw people over if it was done under a different mandate?

I hold Smitherman responsible for actions he had direct control over. He is in directly responsible for part of the eHealth spending (any contracts starting in 2003 to 2008), but he is not responsible for the failure of the Ontario legistature to direct infrastructure funding into electronic filing systems.

Wow, you are far more forgiving and trusting than I.

In November, 2011, I'll vote on the eHealth and OLG issues. In October, 2010, I'll vote on Toronto issues.

It's nice to know that all of those out of work Liberal MPPs will be able to find work at City Hall.

I probably do generalize, but I try to keep it connected directly to an individuals actions. It's not a generality that he was thrown out of the ACC because he was drunk and swearing at kids. It's not a generality that he was charged with assult and then his wife withdrew the charges (complete supposition, but it is law that you cannot be on City Council if you have any jail time). I've never been thrown out of a sporting event, so I don't know what level of abuse is tolerated.

Well I would agree that his behaviour has been a little 'out there' but is that justification to vote for somebody who abused their office and wasted taxpayer money?

"[AIDS] is very preventable, if you are not doing needles and you are not gay, you wouldn't get AIDS probably, that's bottom line. How are women getting it? Maybe they are sleeping with bisexual men." - Rob Ford, June 2006

Dumb, yes. Does it make him the evil homophobe he is being portrayed to be? Unless you have an axe to grind I think that would be a stretch.

... and by the way, I'm not even advocating that one should vote for Ford. I'm just agreeing with you that one should look beneath the surfaces and look beyond the mud slinging before drawing conclusions.

 

[GraphicMatt]

These quotes (about AIDS and so on) have been overblown. The mayor will have no power to impact this kind of social issue anyway, so I don't know what we're afraid of.

I think the mayors of our large cities have a tremendous amount of power to impact social issues. I really can't see how someone could think otherwise, to be honest.

 

[GenerationW]

Rob Ford knows how to run a city? He doesn't even care about city planning! He's so penny ante, I wouldn't give him the reins of a horse-drawn cart. His company appears to make Toronto Maple Leaf toilet paper as far as I can tell from the tiny, non-scalable images his piss-poor website provides. At least Mel Lastman sold home furnishings.

Well there you have it, the final nail in the coffin -- Ford sucks because he only makes labels. Why that's only one step away from being a white-slaver!

 

[GenerationW]

I think this election needs to focus on who has good ideas, and who can get them done. Let's not get pulled into sound bite politics.

A few decades too late for that!

 

[spider]

So when say they voted in June 2007 to "hire someone to go into crackhouses to talk to crack users" including the provision of clean needles in exchange for 'dirty needles, and Rob Ford voted no (Passed 23-5), he had no power over that social issue?
When the Theatre Passe Muraille was going to go under because a crippling debt load, the City bought the historic theatre for $1.2 million and leased it to a non-profit management group that subleases it to the theatre company. The vote passed 30-7 with Ford on the other side.

May 2008, Rob Ford voted against hiring 48 social workers. It passed 31-5.

In June 2008, he voted to evict the tenants of the Marcus Garvey Centre (160 Rivalda) and sell the building for $1 million. It failed 7-18.

Rob, you da man!

 

[Fresh Start]

Dumb, yes. Does it make him the evil homophobe he is being portrayed to be? Unless you have an axe to grind I think that would be a stretch.

... and by the way, I'm not even advocating that one should vote for Ford. I'm just agreeing with you that one should look beneath the surfaces and look beyond the mud slinging before drawing conclusions.

+1

This line of thinking has too much Truth and individual-mindedness for people of a flock mentality to be able to absorb and comprehend.

 

[Mapleson]

Yes, for the actions of the PCs while he was there...of course! Are you suggesting a track-record isn't important, that it's okay to screw up or screw people over if it was done under a different mandate?

It's not much to be responsible for what the PC did between 2005 and 2007. Track records are important, but it's also important to make sure it's the individual(s) responsible. We don't have much choice between PC, Liberal, and NDP, so I don't attribute blame to those without discretion.

Wow, you are far more forgiving and trusting than I.

Whoever is Mayor is going to have 43 other City Councillors to keep them in line.

It's nice to know that all of those out of work Liberal MPPs will be able to find work at City Hall.

If they stood down from office and ran for City Council, I'd vote for them on their own merits and track record.

Well I would agree that his behaviour has been a little 'out there' but is that justification to vote for somebody who abused their office and wasted taxpayer money?

Nope, it's not. I don't use justification of one candidate to judge another. But do you honestly think George Smitherman sat down one day and went "hmmm, I know how to get loads of money for my buddies"?

Dumb, yes. Does it make him the evil homophobe he is being portrayed to be? Unless you have an axe to grind I think that would be a stretch.

I don't really care if he's a homophobe or not. That doesn't make you a good or bad mayor (except maybe for homosexuals). I do care that he's as thick as two short planks at times and doesn't know when is enough or how to build cooperation. Those are the things that are necessary for any good mayor.

... and by the way, I'm not even advocating that one should vote for Ford. I'm just agreeing with you that one should look beneath the surfaces and look beyond the mud slinging before drawing conclusions.

Absolutely! Ignore the PR BS, both good and bad, and look up the actual issues that are important to you. I think people just try too hard to stop others from making what they think is a mistake.

 

[Parkdalian]

Well there you have it, the final nail in the coffin -- Ford sucks because he only makes labels. Why that's only one step away from being a white-slaver!

Nah, a "white-slaver" would care more about city planning and transit than Rob Ford. Dogs care more about city planning. Clouds, even.

It's penny ante. New York gets a billionaire mayor; we get some guy that makes the labels for off-brand cleaning products.

 

[nfitz]

Sandra Bussin, councillor for Toronto Beaches, is a great example of what needs to go and fast!

Why ... I live in her ward, and she's always been good. Her staff are very responsive, and she works hard. I can't quite say I agree with her on everything, but I'm sure she'll be re-elected. The only challenger of note seems to be Bruce Baker, and his main claim to fame is that he has been involved with the development of land in the ward, that the community seems to have been against.

I can't imagine that the community is going to elect someone like Baker who is clearly in it to advance his own business interests.

 

[Paleo]

Why ... I live in her ward, and she's always been good. Her staff are very responsive, and she works hard. I can't quite say I agree with her on everything, but I'm sure she'll be re-elected.

Her sorry demagoguery in the Beech Ave fight ring a bell? The bush league phone call to that radio talk show from a few months back? Her annual self-aggrandizing office budget spending sprees? That's just the very recent stuff off the top of my head.

I'd put her on the first catapault out of town. Though to be fair she certainly wouldn't be the last one from Council that I'd send out.

 

[nfitz]

Her sorry demagoguery in the Beech Ave fight ring a bell?

I really don't agree with her on that one. I've already said that. On the other hand, as far as I can see, the owners haven't even filed a demolition permit yet. And even though I disagree with Bussin, I find the the house owner's prostituting a women's disability quite disgusting.

The bush league phone call to that radio talk show from a few months back?

Yeah, it was kind of daft ... but not inaccurate in what she said.

Her annual self-aggrandizing office budget spending sprees?

What are you talking about? The biggest complaint I've seen was a small amount to rent a costume for the annual Easter parade a few years ago; which seemed completely and totally overblown to me.

I'd put her on the first catapault out of town. Though to be fair she certainly wouldn't be the last one from Council that I'd send out.

Oh, and what would you suggest in her place; a corrupt developer?

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Guys, this is why no one in the their right mind would want to be mayor. We cannot even get all about who will be mayor, so what happens when a Candidate we all hate gets elected. We need to unite not divide.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Can Rob Ford even ride a bicycle? Or knows how?