[uptown]

I disagree with the first part. I think it is unbelievable that a city as diverse as Toronto (and where the diversity is constantly used to promote the city -- see Florida's article today) has only had mayors who are white British-descendants and almost exclusively males.

There is an undercurrent of racism here that is very disturbing. Immigrants are tolerated as long as they keep their mouths shut and don't challenge the hegemony of the old ruling class.

Long-time conservative alderman and one-time deputy mayor of Toronto William Peyton Hubbard

 

[Electric Lady]

I'm surprised they aren't getting more unstable people with weird opinions showing up. A group of waiting jounalists, a webstream... it's like catnip to the unbalanced and attention seekers, especially those that still buy into the "Poor Robbie, what a witch hunt!" narative.

 

[arksi]

I don't even know what you're trying to say here. Never heard of that. Even if that was his intent, few if any would go easy on him because of it.

If you're going to be forgiving on that quote, better to say that perhaps he was trying to say "[some folks say that] they're just f---ing minorities, [but I don't agree]," and in his incoherent mumbling delivery the bracketed parts weren't heard clearly.

"They're just fucking immigrants. Cut them some slack." "They're just fucking immigrants. They have a hard enough time as it is already." Also keep in mind that every second word out of Ford's mouth in the most recent video is "fuck" or "fucking." If the same statements were being spoken by some eloquently spoken gentleman then it might be a different story, but instead we're dealing with a cracked out Rob Ford who I'm sure was talking all sorts of gibberish that night in what was likely an out of control environment.

So yeah, sorry if I don't call for his resignation based on fragments of slurred sentences that may or may not have been heard correctly by the journalists who viewed the video. I'd much rather see him get nailed for the stuff that's more clear cut and less open to interpretation. I think that's how justice should operate, don't you? Knee-jerk reactions based on evidence that has yet to be released to the general public get us nowhere as a society.

 

[James_D]

Really? Instead of insulting me, you could enlighten us with your theory as to why there hasn't been a mayor of Portuguese, or Indian, or West-Indian, or Italian, or Chinese, or Greek, or you-name-it descent?

There's only been three Mayors since amalgamation and one of them one was the son of Jewish parents from Poland.

 

[scomofo]

Really? Instead of insulting me, you could enlighten us with your theory as to why there hasn't been a mayor of Portuguese, or Indian, or West-Indian, or Italian, or Chinese, or Greek, or you-name-it descent?

you do realize that suggesting the majority of torontonians are racist is insulting too right?

 

[typezed]

There have been at least two Jewish mayors, and probably more Jewish and Italian members of council than proportional to the population. And it will all change over time. East Indian people will probably make inroads soon.

 

[pud99]

I've been reading some tweets from inside Nordheimer's court this afternoon and so far the Crown has totally rejected Khattak's lawyer's request for the video. Judge Nordheimer however has asked if he can see it this afternoon. The Crown has told him the earliest they can make it available is Tuesday, so I don't know what effect it's going to have on the wire-tap argument (if any). Considering that it has been determined not to be evidence in Khattak's case, it is telling that the judge still wants to see it.

It has not been determined not to be evidence; that point has not been decided yet. Khattak contends that the video is at least potentially relevant to his defence, and so must be including in the disclosure by the Crown to his lawyer. The Crown's position is that the video is not relevant to Khattak's defence. Justice Nordheimer has to decide which one of those opposing positions is the correct one. Obviously, he wants to see the video to help him come to a conclusion on whether or not it is at least potentially relevant to Khattak's defence.

The wire taps from Traveller and Brazen 2 are a different matter and the arguments for and against the contents of the wiretaps being released are based on a different consideration. Khattak's motion is about whether or not the Crown has to give a copy of the video to his lawyer, which turns on whether or not the video is at least potentially relevant to his defence; if it is, the the Crown is obliged to disclose it to his lawyer. The motions by the media to obtain transcripts of the wiretaps are not at all about whether the Crown has to provide a copy to someone's defence counsel because of the Crown's obligation to make full disclosure to the lawyer for an accused person. (To state the obvious, the media are not defendants to any criminal charges here.)

 

[Les Nessman]

Is anyone aware of the full ownership structure of Green For Life?

Romeo Di Battista was connected to the founder, Dovigi --

Now, someone's asking some good questions!

from the start...

One of those is Romeo DiBattista, a businessman involved in the recycling industry, who owns an after-hours club (which was gutted after the Star began asking questions) on Bloor St., west of Prince Edward Dr. in Etobicoke, south of where Ford lives. Ford, Lisi and DiBattista know each other and both had spent time at the club, the Star’s ongoing investigation has shown.
The police document reveals a meeting between Lisi and DiBattista, and police describe a “notebook†they have obtained that appears to be Ford’s and includes DiBattista’s telephone number.
Like many people close to Ford and Lisi, DiBattista responded aggressively when a Star reporter found him at his club and began to ask questions, particularly about a night at the club where Ford was present.
“Are you f---ing kidding? I can’t talk to you about that s---,†DiBattista said, when approached in his black Chevrolet Suburban SUV. DiBattista took off, his tires squealing.

 

[someMidTowner]

Really? Instead of insulting me, you could enlighten us with your theory as to why there hasn't been a mayor of Portuguese, or Indian, or West-Indian, or Italian, or Chinese, or Greek, or you-name-it descent?

Mel Lastman was Jewish. That counts as a minority if Greek does....

 

[44 North]

One angle that seems to have been lost in this circus is the racism/homophobia angle. Apparently we have a mayor on record (filmed) making racial and homophobic slurs. Is this not reason enough that the public should be demanding Ford be forced to step down? Do we really even need the more prurient/sensationalist facts to emerge to act? I'm simply amazed how each day the bar of what's tolerable keeps getting lowered, thanks in large part to Ford Nation's blind and stubborn support of a toxic individual. Shame on them.

Frankly, I don't see what's racist about saying "fucking minorities". First, we don't know the context. Second, Toronto's Carribean and African community (i.e Blacks) are minorities. Whether the community consisted of Middle Eastern, East Indian, South Asian...all can be described as minorities. What's racist about using that term? I don't think Rob would be using language deemed racist to Blacks when the crew he's hanging out with are themselves Black.

The "faggot" remark...yes, definitely homophobic. Even though many use it as a general insult, it's still a bad word that most well to do people would avoid.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Mel Lastman was Jewish. That counts as a minority if Greek does....

Is he no longer?

A religion does not make you a visible or ethnic minority.

 

[Coltaine79]

Losing their radio show is significant. They no longer have a controlled mouthpiece to help recover from the death spiral. Now their only way to get their message out is through the media and we know that all 4 major dailies have written editorials for Rob to step down and the on air radio/tv personalities have been increasingly critical and asking tough questions.

One which hasn't (last I checked) was the website for the SUN TV channel. It's still filled with heavily biased pro-Ford crap... almost like a right-wing blog rather than a "TV channel". No surprise Ezra Levant works for them.

Completely unlike the Toronto Sun too. Pretty bizarre.

 

[Torontovibe]

2008 revenues of CAD 9.9 million, gross profit of CAD 4.9 million. 3 million in total assets, relatively small potatoes but if it's well-run with steady clients, you can basically put a chimp in charge of the business and the rest is auto-pilot. Filing headquarters is in Illinois, *not* Ontario (likely for tax purposes).

I'm pretty sure I read a newspaper article a while back which stated that Deco had over 100 million dollars in sales, yearly. Could the 9.9 million be just in Canada and the rest be from sales in the American part of the business? If sales are over 100 million, that would make the Ford clan very, very rich.

 

[Dubster]

Now, someone's asking some good questions!

We already went over this and summarily convicted Ford of influence peddling. Keep up!

 

[44 North]

Mel Lastman was Jewish. That counts as a minority if Greek does....

Exactly. Mel was definitely a minority. And amalgamated Toronto has only had three mayors, one of which being a minority. When we look at pre-amalgamation, we've had Nunziata in York. I guess that's Italian or Portuguese or something. I haven't paid much attention to non-Old Toronto politics, but there's a few representing TO's diversity in there.

Edit: Nevermind, I think Nunziata and Lastman might be the only ones.