[MetroMan]

Besides, I've also dismissed Smitherman as mayoral material. The guy isn't the kind of consensus politician who will make a good mayor ... like Miller or Tory.

^ Which is why I'm inclining towards Thomson. Women are naturally better consensus builders than men. A bunch of guys in a shouting match amongst themselves are simply being male. A bunch of men shouting at a woman just come across as (and feel like) a bunch of douches.

Mississauga city council is a pretty good example. I'm not going to compare Thomson to Hazel, but Toronto could certainly use less testosterone.

If you've heard her speak, she's very soft spoken which has an odd effect of making you pay closer attention. Despite her soft voice, she's assertive and people follow her lead.

Rob Ford is the complete opposite of the scale. His whiny voice would make me cover my ears and run around council singing "la la la la".

 

[nfitz]

^ Which is why I'm inclining towards Thomson. Women are naturally better consensus builders than men. A bunch of guys in a shouting match amongst themselves are simply being male. A bunch of men shouting at a woman just come across as (and feel like) a bunch of douches.

I suppose it's an interesting theory ... but it does require those men to be a bigoted sexist. Personally I have no qualms who I'm criticizing based on gender ... I'm not sure why one would.

But also ... aren't most councillors female? I've not checked, but all the ones around me seem to be ... except Oootes ... and the front-runner in that ward seems to be female.

Besides, the mayor doesn't do much at Council meetings. Surely it's the Speaker who is the key on that issue; not the mayor.

 

[Glen]

The consumer price index. Last time I checked, City of Toronto wasn't buying milk and eggs. They are not consumers. Perhaps if you had a better handle on economics you wouldn't be comparing things to an irrelevant index. Though your past postings do suggest you do have a better handle on economics ... which would suggest that you have some kind of agenda here, as you are trying to snow us.

The last time I checked the vast majority (~80%) of the city's budget goes towards salaries. Which employees use to buy milk, eggs, etc.

 

[Tewder]

I never claimed that anyone voting for Ford was a liar, so I don't see the extrapolation....

Oh really?...

Why are you telling us stuff that isn't remotely true? Why are you lying like a Tory?

Stop your back-pedalling !


Canada has no place for bigots like you. Clearly you have an agenda. Why are you deliberately trying to mislead everybody?

 

[W. K. Lis]

The last time I checked the vast majority (~80%) of the city's budget goes towards salaries. Which employees use to buy milk, eggs, etc.

Some employees also buy liquor, drugs, vacation trips, McMansions, restaurant meals, etc. Other employees instead buy RRSP, eat at home, do-it-yourself repairs, stay at home during vacations, etc. Which ones should inflation be based on? All those items have price increases of differing percentages.

The city can only spend money on the items it has direct control on: asphalt, cement, road salt, trees, pipes, wiring, poles, contractor estimates, union agreements, supplier invoices, electricity, etc. All of which also have their own increases of differing percentages.

Turns out, for the city, that the costs it spends on are higher than the published inflation rate.

 

[nfitz]

The last time I checked the vast majority (~80%) of the city's budget goes towards salaries. Which employees use to buy milk, eggs, etc.

Is it only 80%? I'd have thought it was higher.

Employee salaries aren't controlled by CPI either. You need to check indexes for each profession.

 

[nfitz]

Oh really?...

Absolutely ... though I should have said that I didn't say everyone voting for Tory is a liar. I have said however that everyone who would knowingly vote for a bigot like Ford is a bigot though. Are you voting for Ford?

Stop your back-pedalling!

Not sure I see this ... Rob Ford is a pathological liar. No one can argue with that. He is a Tory. This is the Rob Ford thread.

Canada has no place for bigots like you. Clearly you have an agenda. Why are you deliberately trying to mislead everybody?

Umm ... what kind of bigot am I? I'm only bigoted against racists and bigots ... like Rob Ford. Canada has no place for that? That's an awfully strange Toronto you live in.

 

[W. K. Lis]

What did Rob Ford do on the following committees and agencies, where he was, supposedly when not at his other full time job, working on:

Committees and agencies

* Etobicoke York Community Council
* Audit Committee
* Licensing and Standards Committee
* Canadian National Exhibition Association, Municipal Section
* Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), Noise Management Committee
* Metro Toronto Pension Plan Board of Trustees
* Metro Toronto Police Benefit Fund Board of Trustees
* Toronto Fire Department Superannuation & Benefit Fund Committee
* Toronto Police Services - 23 Division Community Policing Liaison Committee (CPLC)

I can understand the audit committee, but the CNE? His name is not found in the 2009-2010 list at this link.

 

[MetroMan]

^ I sat on the BoD of the CNE and I can tell you for a fact that I've never seen Rob Ford attend a single meeting.

 

[Torontovibe]

^ I hope he wasn't paid extra to sit on that board because that would be like stealing taxpayer's money and contributing to that "gravy train." Ford would never do that, he's an honest man. (so his supporters say)

 

[GenerationW]

which is another good point. The cost of oil nearly quadrupled between 2003 and 2008 as well. That's bound to have further effects in some areas. Between market variables and service improvements, it's absurd to expect any government to stick to inflation rate tax increases.

Even so, 11% vs. 40% is quite a discrepancy. But since service improvements have been implemented and oil prices have fallen drastically and stabilized since then, it stands to reason that we will surely now see some kind of a reverse spread over the next few years. I can't wait!

I have said however that everyone who would knowingly vote for a bigot like Ford is a bigot though.

Going by the polls, that would mean many of your neighbours, co-workers, and even friends are also bigots. How can you stand to be around them?

So to escape the riff-raff, which pristine community will you move to if Ford wins?

 

[W. K. Lis]

While reading an article in Labour Day's Toronto Star, titled I’m still looking for a smart transit plan at this link, I came across the following:

Rob Ford said he’d expand the subway system. And that’s about it with regards to vision.

This is a worthy long-term goal, mind you, but an expanded subway that dumps you into a part of the city that has insufficient bus and streetcar support is like expanding a water main but not the pipes that bring that extra water to homes and businesses. It leaves a lot of people thirsty.

Ford, making the most bizarre comment of the evening, blamed unnecessary speed bumps and stop signs for road congestion. He also blamed streetcars for causing congestion, though if more people waiting behind the streetcars had opted instead to take the streetcar that congestion wouldn’t be there.

He has no intention of discouraging car use, evident in his promise to eliminate the vehicle registration tax. “People love their cars… we can’t force them out of their cars,” he said.

What he didn’t say is that people who love their cars are the same people who hate other people driving their cars. If only we could all have a quiet road to ourselves.

With Ford, we'll see more single occupant automobiles that cause even more traffic congestion. It is not streetcars that cause congestion, but the single occupant automobiles. Just try to use Black Creek Drive during any rush hour, it has no streetcars nor buses nor pedestrians and nor bicycles, just as Rob Ford prefers.

 

[jn_12]

Even so, 11% vs. 40% is quite a discrepancy. But since service improvements have been implemented and oil prices have fallen drastically and stabilized since then, it stands to reason that we will surely now see some kind of a reverse spread over the next few years. I can't wait!

No, because that assumes that each year maintains the status quo of the previous. I'm sure whatever savings from oil prices would be put into something else (as they should be). WKLis and I were just pointing out how looking at inflation is a dumb way to look at budget increases. Again, taxes aren't bad.

 

[nfitz]

Going by the polls, that would mean many of your neighbours, co-workers, and even friends are also bigots. How can you stand to be around them?

My neighbours seem to consistently vote for candidates I find too left-wing. Of my two co-workers who are eligible to vote, one is very anti-Ford ... and the other is the exact opposite of his white male demographic. And I haven't bumped into any friend who has had anything positive to say about him. I'm always a bit perplexed where they find all these people who will vote for him.

So to escape the riff-raff, which pristine community will you move to if Ford wins?

Ford has about as much chance winning as Sinéad O'Connor has of being elected Pope. Anyone who thinks Ford will be mayor is delusional.

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

Ford has about as much chance winning as Sinéad O'Connor has of being elected Pope. Anyone who thinks Ford will be mayor is delusional.

You should go on his Facebook site and see all of his crazy followers. There is one guy who has been on the Facebook site for the past couple of days bashing Rob Ford and his supporters