[Silence&Motion]

McGuinty shoots down Ford's request for more than $350-million (Globe and Mail)

In justifying why it is okay for Ford to ask for provincial money, but not okay for Miller to do the same thing, Ford's press secretary said this (from the article): “There’s one fundamental difference,” Ms. Batra said. “The funding here was not needed to balance the (2011) budget.”

Not needed to balance the 2011 budget because Ford inherited a surplus from Miller! Find all the gravy you want in the TCHC, Ford, it's not going to save you from the $700 billion+ deficit that's around the corner.

 

[nfitz]

I am not a fan of Ford but he is not a bigot, because I have met him and he was very nice to me.

??? He's not a bigot because he was nice to one person?

I'm quite sure there are many bigots who are nice to some people.

The evidence that Rob Ford is a bigot is without refute! How can you possibly suggest otherwise?

Are you also going to claim that Wendell Brereton isn't a bigot?

This is most certainly a new low for the city of Toronto. The events of the election campaign where individuals were paying for advertisements to be aired that asked people to vote for Rob Ford because he wasn't gay were absolutely shocking ... perhaps the lowest the city has been since the Christie Pits riots.

 

[Tewder]

??? He's not a bigot because he was nice to one person?

I'm quite sure there are many bigots who are nice to some people.

The evidence that Rob Ford is a bigot is without refute! How can you possibly suggest otherwise?

Are you also going to claim that Wendell Brereton isn't a bigot?

This is most certainly a new low for the city of Toronto. The events of the election campaign where individuals were paying for advertisements to be aired that asked people to vote for Rob Ford because he wasn't gay were absolutely shocking ... perhaps the lowest the city has been since the Christie Pits riots.

Could the mods set up an 'is Ford a bigot/theif/misogynist/drug user/liar/homophobe/puppy hater' thread for nfitz? It gets a little tiring having to go through this debate in each and every single thread relating to the mayor. These things are really only the worst and most base kind of speculation anyway, and bring the level/tone of discourse down.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Could the mods set up an 'is Ford a bigot/theif/misogynist/drug user/liar/homophobe/puppy hater' thread for nfitz? It gets a little tiring having to go through this debate in each and every single thread relating to the mayor. These things are really only the worst and most base kind of speculation anyway, and bring the level/tone of discourse down.

I'd vote for that. Nftiz is displaying almost OCD tendencies here, with every post repeating the same. We all know he thinks Rob Ford is a bigot, homophobe, etc. etc. But he keeps tells us again, and again. Enough already Mods.

 

[jje1000]

The problem with people like nfitz is that they inevitably distract from the more pressing issues. If Ford was doing a reasonable job, there should be no reason why to dislike him.

Also:

Rob Ford scores 60 per cent approval rating: poll
By Kelly grant City Hall bureau chief
Globe and Mail Update

The honeymoon isn't over for Toronto's new mayor.

Rob Ford enjoys a 60-per-cent approval rating, according to the first public poll released since he took office Dec. 1.

However, Toronto-based Forum Research, Inc. found that urban and suburban Torontonians remain deeply divided about Mr. Ford: His approval rating was highest in Scarborough (71 per cent) and North York (65 per cent) and lowest in the old cities of Toronto and East York (46 per cent.)

"That puts him higher than his vote, so somehow he's got the approval of some of his opponents' supporters, which I think is quite a task, especially given how polarizing the election was," said Lorne Bozinoff, the president of Forum Research. "My gut feel is that's a good rating."

Mr. Ford captured 47 per cent of the vote in the Oct. 25 election.

The telephone survey of 1,012 Torontonians, which was conducted Feb. 25 and 26, found widespread support for several of the mayor's pet issues.

Some 72 per cent approve of Mr. Ford's desire to ban strikes at the TTC; 61 per cent approve of his plan to pay for a Sheppard subway extension with private financing; and 54 per cent approve of privatizing garbage collection for parts of the city.

Mr. Ford has encountered little effective opposition in his first three months as mayor. As promised, he scrapped the $60 vehicle registration fee, reduced councillors' office budgets and banned free food from council meetings.

He also shepherded a budget with a tax freeze through city council.

The poll was conducted before Toronto's auditor-general released a pair of damning audits Monday about overspending and sloppy procurement at the Toronto Community Housing Corporation - a scandal that is expected to boost the popularity of Mr. Ford, a long-time critic of TCHC management.

But opponents say Mr. Ford faces a tough road in 2012 as he tries to balance a budget with a projected shortfall of $774-million.

Mr. Bozinoff also warned of pitfalls ahead for Mr. Ford. The poll showed his support is soft among voters aged 18-34, only 49 per cent of whom approve of the job he's doing.

"He skews highly toward older voters," Mr. Bozinoff said. "He's not got the younger voters on board."

As well, a majority disapproves of his plan to spend up to $3-million on consultants to find savings in the city's budgets. The poll found 62 per cent oppose the idea.

Six months into his first term, former Mayor David Miller enjoyed an 82-per-cent approval rating, according to an Environics Research Group poll conducted for The Globe and Mail in April 2004.

The new Forum Research poll is considered accurate within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The poll was not funded or commissioned by an outside party. Forum Research conducted the poll independently, Mr. Bozinoff said.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...per-cent-approval-rating-poll/article1925231/

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gee golly, what a surprise.

 

[CDL.TO]

Could the mods set up an 'is Ford a bigot/theif/misogynist/drug user/liar/homophobe/puppy hater' thread for nfitz? It gets a little tiring having to go through this debate in each and every single thread relating to the mayor. These things are really only the worst and most base kind of speculation anyway, and bring the level/tone of discourse down.

I'd vote for that. Nftiz is displaying almost OCD tendencies here, with every post repeating the same. We all know he thinks Rob Ford is a bigot, homophobe, etc. etc. But he keeps tells us again, and again. Enough already Mods.

I don't think there's any need or basis to censure Nfitz.

That said, I will request that Nfitz try to refrain from being so repetitive. Nfitz, I think everyone is quite familiar with your views on the matter.

 

[nfitz]

We all know he thinks Rob Ford is a bigot, homophobe, etc. etc. But he keeps tells us again, and again. Enough already Mods.

I only raise it when it's relevant to this thread. And only start debating it when someone here is so utterly ignorant to claim that he isn't a bigot. I don't think it's come up in any other threads for a long time. And this is the Rob Ford's Toronto thread ... surely that is what Rob Ford's Toronto is ... a land of bigots.

I do object to people trying to censure exposing such evil and viile bigotry though ... what are people afraid of?

 

[Admiral Beez]

I don't think it's come up in any other threads for a long time.

We're talking about THIS thread. You've repeated over and over the bigot comment. We're get it, promise.

 

[gristle]

Regarding the poll, All I have to say is "so what?" The full effects of any budget cuts and subsequent service cuts are not being felt yet. There are announcements about things, but that's it. I'd also guess that there is some residual euphoria over the elimination of the VRT. That impact of that cut will inevitable make its way to the property taxes of those who primarily live downtown (former Toronto). I doubt that causes a moment of concern for Edsel.

 

[Tewder]

Broken record. Case in point:

I only raise it when it's relevant to this thread. And only start debating it when someone here is so utterly ignorant to claim that he isn't a bigot. I don't think it's come up in any other threads for a long time. And this is the Rob Ford's Toronto thread ... surely that is what Rob Ford's Toronto is ... a land of bigots.

I do object to people trying to censure exposing such evil and viile bigotry though ... what are people afraid of?

Again, maybe a thread can be set up for nfitz to pontificate in and leave other threads for more objective and rational discourse.

 

[OttoSchloss]

because he's a bigot and religious that associates HIV with being gay and promiscuity.

To be fair, Ford probably thinks anyone who needs a crew of 2 men to lift the folds of his stomach so that his wife can get at his junk and bring him to climax with a pair of tweezers more than twice a year is probably promiscuous.

TMI, I know, and I just made myself vomit (I'll stop now).

 

[Tewder]

Really?

 

[TrickyRicky]

I would consider a 60% approval rating a poor performance for a municipal politician a few months into his mandate if I was a political strategist working on his behalf. However, history suggests that a sitting mayor has no worries with respect to being re-elected if they choose to stay. Political reality: Ford will be mayor of the this city for as long as he wants regardless of his performance in office.

 

[Torontovibe]

I would consider a 60% approval rating a poor performance for a municipal politician a few months into his mandate if I was a political strategist working on his behalf. However, history suggests that a sitting mayor has no worries with respect to being re-elected if they choose to stay. Political reality: Ford will be mayor of the this city for as long as he wants regardless of his performance in office.

David Miller had a 69% approval rating in 2005, two years after he was elected mayor, so is Ford's 60% really that big of a deal? Why is it the media never puts things like that in perspective? Just throwing around numbers without comparing them to something is useless. CTV made it seem like Ford is the most popular mayor in Toronto's history. It was pathetic, they are so pro Ford.

Now Ford wants to privatize TCHC. What does that mean and how do you even do that? Do you just sell off the buildings to companies and kick out over 100,000 people? How do you privatize government housing without having a major disaster?

 

[SimonP]

60% is a very low number for this early in Ford's term, and gives a real shot that he will be a one termer. Approval tends to degrade over time. If you look at Miller, McGuinty, and Lastman, they all saw their support erode by about 5% per year. If Ford is at anything below 50% come 2014 he will be vulnerable.