[nfitz]

Ford had a bit of a George W. Bush moment today while shopping at Staples.

Shopping for school supplies?

For primary school? Why?

I'm looking at the TDSB letter that my child entering Grade 1 got. Form letter for grade 1 to 8:

Students are not expected to bring any supplied or tools to school as they, along with agendas for students in grade one to eight, will be provided.

A new backpack and a lunch box maybe. But anything further than that was some bizarre, unnecessary publicity stunt.

 

[nfitz]

Really? My apologies. I'll have to go over the report again. Last time I read them were a few months ago.

Anyways, most people will agree that spending billions of dollars for a subway, even if it will attract 6 million more riders 18 years from now, is a poor way to spend money. We have much higher transit priorities, such as the relief line, which will help free up ridership on the Yonge and Bloor-Danforth Subways.

The subway extension itself doesn't really trouble me. With ridership forecasts of nearly 15,000 an hour at peak, it's not like it won't get used. In fact the biggest risk is that it breaks the current Danforth subway and Bloor-Yonge interchange by pushing them beyond capacity.

 

[Peepers]

Agreed.. but on the other hand if this is a cover up it's the worst cover up ever.

If they wanted to make this story go away, when Blair was asked if the mayor was involved in Project Traveller etc. he would have given a strong denial. Denied the video, denied the photograph and denied any involvement of the mayor or his office. Instead, he gave a "I can't give any information about that" over and over and over... which we all realized meant "yes".

So on one hand I agree with you but on the other I think the TPS actions so far seem to indicate the opposite.

I don't think even Bill Blair would be stupid enough to publicly state that Ford is not part of the Project Traveler investigation when we know that evidence leaked so far reveals that Toronto Police knew of the existence of the crack video long before the Gawker revelation because it was discussed on a wire-tap. Blair answered the only way that he can "I can't discuss a matter before the courts".

I don't think therefore that Bill Blair's public actions are inconsistent with the very real possibility that he and/or his top brass may be guilty of nonfeasance in this case.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

The subway extension itself doesn't really trouble me. With ridership forecasts of nearly 15,000 an hour at peak, it's not like it won't get used. In fact the biggest risk is that it breaks the current Danforth subway and Bloor-Yonge interchange by pushing them beyond capacity.

I'm not in total disagreement with the subway either. It's just poorly thought out. Namely because of the capacity issues that you mentioned.

In a perfect world, I would keep both the Scarborough Subway and the SRT. The SRT could be extended further along Ellesmere and into deep east Scarborough to shuttle passengers to the Scarborough Subway.

The McCowan portion of the subway would remain as planned, but rather than connecting to the Bloor-Danforth, it would use the rail corridor as an express subway downtown. I figure that the travel time would only 15 - 20 minutes.

This would negate any capacity concerns along the Bloor-Danforth and give Scarborough incredibly fast service to the downtown core.

Of course, Ford doesn't really care about Scarborough or providing good transit . As long as he gets to tell the populace that he built a subway somewhere in Scarborough.

 

[JWBF]

I don't think even Bill Blair would be stupid enough to publicly state that Ford is not part of the Project Traveler investigation when we know that evidence leaked so far reveals that Toronto Police knew of the existence of the crack video long before the Gawker revelation because it was discussed on a wire-tap. Blair answered the only way that he can "I can't discuss a matter before the courts".

I don't think therefore that Bill Blair's public actions are inconsistent with the very real possibility that he and/or his top brass may be guilty of nonfeasance in this case.

Blair likes to think that he is in charge of everything, and make decisions for everyone... Ford and hid cronies territory. Just look at the present broo-ha-ha with SUI.

 

[downradio]

I don't think therefore that Bill Blair's public actions are inconsistent with the very real possibility that he and/or his top brass may be guilty of nonfeasance in this case.

Agree. He's intentionally covered his ass so no one could accuse him of lying. This whole thing stinks. No one can remove Mayor McCheese while he's being protected by the cops. And it seems they'll keep protecting him until enough leaks through traditional means or back channels that they'll have to confirm what we all already know. All said, Don Bosco's football team has higher standards for its leaders than the fourth largest city in North America. And I can't think of anyone who holds more blame for all of this (other than RoFo himself) than the TPS.

 

[TOvp]

Shopping for school supplies?

For primary school? Why?...A new backpack and a lunch box maybe. But anything further than that was some bizarre, unnecessary publicity stunt.

That was the first thing that came to mind. We've gone from rarely seeing his kids to having them make two public, photo ops within 10 days. He knows his ship is about to sink and is using his kids to secure a spot on the political lifeboats. Instead of hiding behind the Don Bosco football team, Rob Ford now cowers behind his own children. They are pint-sized screens weeding out the whiffs of smoke wafting from the embers of their self-destructive father's fire.

It could also be played as a cunning plan (Baldrick!) because some diehard supporters are convinced the media hounded and followed Ford and his kids shopping instead of admitting it was a staged photo op by the Mayor's office. And a poorly organized, ill thought out one at that. Even with a list, Ford looked clueless about what he was shopping for, chucking things into the cart, minimal interaction with his kids. It looked like all involved in this PR disaster were unhappy.

If this was really about supporting a good cause, Ford's staffers should have advised him to leave the kids at home and donate everything he bought to the charity or local schools. Typically, someone from the charity is on hand to give a sound bite and it's promoted in advance.

Everything about this screamed 'last minute." Toronto politics is definitely not my beat, but my spidey senses (and maternal instinct) are tingling with the idea that Ford found himself having to look after his kids Thursday on a minute's notice and this was his way of keeping them out of his hair. After all, if the kids are there on official city business, of course that means it's the job of city staff to look after them.

Rob Ford: Master of Deflection and Deception.

 

[mrtinfoilsocket]

It could also be played as a cunning plan (Baldrick!) because some diehard supporters are convinced the media hounded and followed Ford and his kids shopping instead of admitting it was a staged photo op by the Mayor's office. And a poorly organized, ill thought out one at that. Even with a list, Ford looked clueless about what he was shopping for, chucking things into the cart, minimal interaction with his kids. It looked like all involved in this PR disaster were unhappy.

It's funny because the National Post article actually says: "The photo op, promoted by his office as a chance for the mayor to donate to the Staples For Students School Supply Drive, turned heads at the University Avenue store."

Yet, die-hard Ford Nation supporters are still ranting and raving in the comments right below that about how the "mainstream media" is harassing Ford and his family and that no other mayor would have to deal with this type of scrutiny blah blah blah.

 

[SFO]

Yet, die-hard Ford Nation supporters are still ranting and raving in the comments right below that about how the "mainstream media" is harassing Ford and his family and that no other mayor would have to deal with this type of scrutiny blah blah blah.

This becomes especially ironic in light of the headline, which is pretty strongly worded, yet probably still lost on Fordites: " ‘I hate cameras’: Taking on the media becomes a Ford family tradition as mayor stocks up on school supplies" = "Using your own kids to score hollow sympathy points while dodging uncomfortable questions is pretty disgusting"

*BTW: Hey folks, I'm new here. Loooooong-time reader, first-time poster. I promise not to stir up any sh*t

 

[Silence&Motion]

Actually Joe Pants was responsible for holding onto enough Miller supporters that denied Smitherman the win. It was tight but I believe had Pantalone dropped out, Smitherman would have either won or come very close.

I hate that people keep making this assertion! In order to beat Ford, Smitherman would have needed to win almost every single vote that went to Pantalone (which he surely would not have). The people who voted for Pantalone did so for very specific reasons. Remember that Smitherman entered the campaign as the anti-Miller candidate. In addition, he was a terrible candidate and most of his supporters held their nose as they voted for him. Pantalone stayed in the race because people on the left would have no one to vote for if he dropped out. I heard many people on the left say that they'd rather have a Mayor Ford than a Mayor Smitherman.

Also the idea that Smitherman was "denied the win", not because Ford was the better candidate, but because his campaign was somehow sabotaged by vote-splitting smacks of the same sense of entitlement that turned people off Smitherman from the very beginning.

 

[Silence&Motion]

Shopping for school supplies?

For primary school? Why?

I'm looking at the TDSB letter that my child entering Grade 1 got. Form letter for grade 1 to 8: "Students are not expected to bring any supplied or tools to school as they, along with agendas for students in grade one to eight, will be provided."

A new backpack and a lunch box maybe. But anything further than that was some bizarre, unnecessary publicity stunt.

Ford's just trying to save the taxpayer some money. Books and pencils for elementary school children is the worst kind of gravy! Those poor kids who can't afford it? That's what charity and media stunts are for!

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I thought even the most die hard Ford supporters had abandoned the media conspiracy angle.

They absolutely have not - nor have many casual Ford supporters, the absence of any video only strengthens their belief. It really is a leftie media conspiracy to try and remove their beloved Mayor. Most/many believe that. Hell, my own mother doesn't believe that tape exists - she doesn't support Ford but she "sort of" did until late last year.

 

[guitarchitect]

I find it completely insane that people think a reputable newspaper would fabricate something like a video tape of the Mayor smoking crack. It's like they aren't even thinking - of ALL the things to invent, why would it be a video of the mayor smoking crack? There are MUCH simpler, more subtle ways to fabricate reputation-damaging headlines. And I doubt they were sitting around saying "No no, that's the best part, it's SO insane that no one will think we're dumb enough to make it up!!"

I just want to tell them all and stop to think, for one second, about how much the Star stands to lose if it's demonstrated that they faked the entire thing (complete loss of reputation amongst readers, loss of credibility from other papers and everyone else) - and then ask them why the hell they would take that chance.

 

[ttk77]

I find it completely insane that people think a reputable newspaper would fabricate something like a video tape of the Mayor smoking crack. It's like they aren't even thinking - of ALL the things to invent, why would it be a video of the mayor smoking crack? There are MUCH simpler, more subtle ways to fabricate reputation-damaging headlines. And I doubt they were sitting around saying "No no, that's the best part, it's SO insane that no one will think we're dumb enough to make it up!!"

I just want to tell them all and stop to think, for one second, about how much the Star stands to lose if it's demonstrated that they faked the entire thing (complete loss of reputation amongst readers, loss of credibility from other papers and everyone else) - and then ask them why the hell they would take that chance.

Ford supporters see The Star in much the same way as we see The Sun. As far as they're concerned it doesn't have a reputation or credibility to lose and anyone who reads and believes what it says are deluded, left-wing, downtown elitists. The have at least as low an opinion of us "lefties" (and I use that term as Ford would to describe anyone who disagrees with him) as some/most here do of them. Asking them to stop and think like that would be a pointless exercise.

 

[soimelk]

Ford supporters see The Star in much the same way as we see The Sun.

I may disagree with the Sun, particularly in its OP-Ed writers, but I don't think the Sun is capable of fabricating stories out of thin air to serve a right wing political agenda.