[facepalming_brooklynite]

I've never noticed much of a strong desire to be all that involved in political life. It's slowly changing now, with what I've seen of the current generation (Millennials). But the older generations were much more focussed on getting educated, getting employed, and owning property (often in that order).

That's a good point. It comes down to whether you feel and/or are made to feel part of society as a whole. And that does take time of course.

 

[Dilla]

Aha! I wonder why?

Exactly! Most people don't run for office if they're not being taken seriously as a candidate.
Remember Pantalone being ridiculed for his accent?

I'd say a lot of first generation immigrants (Toronto's immigrant community was a lot smaller and less diverse only 30 years ago) aren't too keen on looking into politics. I don't think it a racist thing wholly, it's a structural thing. Although, I'll agree that people will oft be more comfortable voting for someone who looks like them. That kind of soft bigotry is universal, to an extent. I'd say racism would be more refusing to vote for anyone outside your race. I doubt there's a whole lot of that.

 

[Coltaine79]

I don't see how saying "there is an undercurrent of racism here" is the same as "accusing anyone whose in disagreement of being racist". Of course there are undercurrents of racism in Canadian society!!

I thought the poster was referring to this particular UT thread, not Canadian society.

I've heard several people describe Olivia Chow as a "lightweight", for instance. I can't help but think that her gender and race play into that characterization

I would hope not! Earlier, you said that you would consider voting for Chow because she met every requirement from that little criteria list I posted. That's fine.
My issue is with those who would vote for Chow simply because she is female, an immigrant, and non-Caucasian.

 

[Hype]

I definitely understand your point. It is certainly possible that "white people" are preventing visible minorities from attaining positions of political power, although I would say that's less likely to happen in Toronto, then in, say... Utah... or Maine... or Switzerland... or France... or even the UK!

In my opinion, both Toronto and Canada have done a fair job in reducing the barriers for ethnic minorities to participate in public life. However, as the saying goes "it takes two to tango" so there may be other factors at play which we're not aware of...

Case in point - Muslim Mayor of Calgary Naheed Nenshi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naheed_Nenshi
From Wikipedia - The Demographics of Calgary - 67% White, 30% visible minority (only 7.5% of that is South Asian) and 3% Aboriginal

 

[Admiral Beez]

Mayor of York still counts as a former mayor of Toronto for many people. Unless we only consider "Toronto" as post-amalgamation, where we've only had three mayors to depict our diversity.

What about me? I'm a British born white, hetero middle class guy. We haven't had a British-born mayor since 1937 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_D._Robbins I'm under represented here

 

[Roy G Biv]

Nathan Phillips Square sounds like he was eastern European or something. The last name at least. Could've been Jewish.

 

[Johnny Au]

It is hard to believe that Toronto had a Sunday shopping ban only as recently as a quarter century ago.

Toronto (especially the old city) went from being very conservative to being very liberal in a span of a few decades.

 

[Peepers]

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

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

This is a key question and I am surprised that there has been so little public discussion about this (perhaps investigative journalists are working on this).

Prior to GFL Dovigi worked for Di Battista at Waste Excellence Corporation "WEC" . From the below letter it seemed like he was Di Battista's right-hand man:

http://www.york.ca/NR/rdonlyres/c7r...zdhsu7rtjex5dxj3unjswtc/Apr+13+DeBattista.pdf

Waste Excellence "WEC" rose from the ashes of "310 Waste" a company that was charged with numerous environmental infractions after a massive fire consumed the site (the letter from Di Battista to York Region seeks to reassure the municipality that he is in no way related to the previous owners). http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2009/03/14/counsel_inept_convictions_tossed.html#

In a deposition in the trial of "310 Waste" a deponent had this to say about Dovigi:

http://timeaftertime26.blogspot.ca/

"A. Yes, Sansone's friend, Robert's
20 friend is Standard Securities, that is Andy
21 DeFrancesco, who has now perjured himself, probably,
22 under this case. Romeo Senior and Junior...
23 628. Q. Who is Pat?
24 A. Pat Dovigi, who I think perjured
25 himself, as well, in this case, a friend of Robert
00113
1 Sansone.
2 629. Q. Lots of liars?
3 A. Yes, they are all part of organized
4 crime...
5 630. Q. So the Andy and Pat are...
6 A. Andy's friends.
7 631. Q. ...are Andy DeFrancesco and Pat
8 Dovigi?
9 A. Pat Dovigi, yes. So Robert knows
10 them.

The reference to "organized crime" is interesting to say the least!

A Globe & Mail article detailed the meteoric rise of Dovigi in the waste business.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...ckhandles-his-way-to-the-front/article559083/

In 2007, WEC and the City of Vaughan got into a dispute over bouncing cheques and unauthorized uses of the Maple transfer station, according to a February, 2011, staff report. Mr. Di Battista and other creditors pushed WEC into receivership in 2008 and transferred the operating license to another firm. But Mr. Dovigi stressed that these incidents occurred after he left WEC in 2007: “When I ran the business there was NO dispute with the City of Vaughan.”

It would be interesting to know if Di Battista has a hand in GFL.

 

[KS_Danforth]

gonna read thru now & see what I can answer

Better rapper, 2Pac or Biggie?

 

[ManuvSteele]

Better rapper, 2Pac or Biggie?

Anything else? lol

 

[KS_Danforth]

Anything else? lol

ha!

 

[ManuvSteele]

Twitter is a better format for me so I'll post there more.. got some calls to make, but I'll try to get all the info out asap. I'm interested to see what's in the Saturday Star too

 

[SecretSquirrel]

Just cause I made you look stupid a lot doesn't mean I'm lying

Based on what I've seen of ManuvSteele here and elsewhere online, I'm not holding my breath for anything useful or even agreeable to emerge from that direction.

Yes, I'm just some random person on the internet, and no, you don't have to care what I have to say on this or any topic.

Still, there it is.

 

[ThoughtArcade]

Holy sh*t, dude.

I would be *very* surprised to see any kind of formalized agreement/partnership with RDB's name on it. Which is not to say he's not involved.

This is a key question and I am surprised that there has been so little public discussion about this (perhaps investigative journalists are working on this).

Prior to GFL Dovigi worked for Di Battista at Waste Excellence Corporation "WEC" . From the below letter it seemed like he was Di Battista's right-hand man:

http://www.york.ca/NR/rdonlyres/c7r...zdhsu7rtjex5dxj3unjswtc/Apr+13+DeBattista.pdf

Waste Excellence "WEC" rose from the ashes of "310 Waste" a company that was charged with numerous environmental infractions after a massive fire consumed the site (the letter from Di Battista to York Region seeks to reassure the municipality that he is in no way related to the previous owners). http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2009/03/14/counsel_inept_convictions_tossed.html#

In a deposition in the trial of "310 Waste" a deponent had this to say about Dovigi:

http://timeaftertime26.blogspot.ca/



The reference to "organized crime" is interesting to say the least!

A Globe & Mail article detailed the meteoric rise of Dovigi in the waste business.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...ckhandles-his-way-to-the-front/article559083/



It would be interesting to know if Di Battista has a hand in GFL.

 

[kbdid]

Re Ford leaving City Hall for personal reasons; I thought that his mother was/is ill and in hospital today? May not be anything related to CAS/domestic trouble.