[The Golem]

Sad but true. Spoke to a person today who said she really hopes Ford gets in again. She says yes, he's done some things wrong, but no one is perfect (Grrrrrr!). And that he's done good things for the city. Not that she could tell me just what those good things are, of course.

There was a time when we had more aspiration for the city, and David Crombie was known as the "tiny perfect mayor".

 

[casita]

"Dear Toronto, lost in all this Gene Jones stuff is that nobody has explained why Detroit is the benchmark we were aiming for."
https://twitter.com/TDotOpenLetter/status/459785763581083648

"Folks, I am not homophobic. For example, today I was at the world's smallest #pride parade."
https://twitter.com/TOMayorRobFrod/status/459821702483308545/photo/1

"This is 1 of the worst days, 1 of the worst days in #Toronto's history"
https://twitter.com/reporterdonpeat/status/459780315485986817/photo/1

"Oh, the humanity!"

 

[hper]

Why is Rob so upset with Jones being turfed? Who is spurning him on in the background?

And why would Jones' absence lead to gang violence, as Rob has suggested? Something to ponder at least.

Wonder what this is all about also. Can't help but think there's more to it than has been reported on. It's more than vertical voting blocs. It's likely more than Ford's man being turfed. You get the sense that he was brought in *for a reason*, yet unfulfilled. Is there a good backgrounder on Gene Jones that's out there?

 

[Yaitsme]

Wonder what this is all about also. Can't help but think there's more to it than has been reported on. It's more than vertical voting blocs. It's likely more than Ford's man being turfed. You get the sense that he was brought in *for a reason*, yet unfulfilled. Is there a good backgrounder on Gene Jones that's out there?

Toss that idea on the twitter. Not sure Detroit reads UT. Sorry low blood sugar I'm snippy

 

[newearthling]

I think Rick Mercer projects too much rationality on Ford supporters - as if they're carefully weighing the pros of tax cuts against the cons of having a mayor on crack. Ford's appeal seems to be this deep resonance that he strikes with some members of the public that he's "one of us". That's why he can (and did) raise their taxes, and they still support him. That's why non-crack smoking candidates who promise tax cuts are ignored.

I think it was Matt Elliott who tweeted earlier today that Ford supporters are looking for a saviour figure.

Gooble Gobble. One of us.
[video=youtube;bBXyB7niEc0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBXyB7niEc0[/video]

 

[newearthling]

Wonder what this is all about also. Can't help but think there's more to it than has been reported on. It's more than vertical voting blocs. It's likely more than Ford's man being turfed. You get the sense that he was brought in *for a reason*, yet unfulfilled. Is there a good backgrounder on Gene Jones that's out there?

I think this is a good line of speculation. Ford hasn't cried this much about another guy in a long time.
I have always assumed that Ford's visits to the towers were to buy or sell drugs. And to recruit more people to sell for him. I had a conversation on twitter last night with someone, and they thought when Ford goes for his weird weekly tchc visits, he does so to get high.
There definitely is more to the Jones story.

 

[hper]

Toss that idea on the twitter. Not sure Detroit reads UT. Sorry low blood sugar I'm snippy

Fair enough. Get yourself some dulse, though. Works every time.

To clarify, reason for asking was The Google, in light prods, generally gives back mostly positive stuff about the guy that would fit right in with Regent Park/Alexandria stuff that's going on. But that was poison to the likes of SAL, who "broke" the 'Pam McConnell Gets A Crony Pad' blockbuster. Also, when I say "good backgrounder", I guess what's meant is "Anywhere to find out what skullduggery, if any, this gravy sucker has been into?".

 

[smalltown]

Article from Goldsbie NOW: http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=197734 that has an interactive Rofo map designed by UofT grad student Ian Dennis Miller: http://rofo.ca/

 

[TOBorn]

Just thought this was worth a re-post. Some interesting stuff here. Not enlightening, necessarily, but interesting.

https://twitter.com/jonechr/status/440403875380465664/photo/1

Sure does look like Rob.

 

[typezed]

"Dear Toronto, lost in all this Gene Jones stuff is that nobody has explained why Detroit is the benchmark we were aiming for."

To me, this illustrates Rob Ford's view of the impoverished and minorities. He seems to think in broad stereotypes. So he sees public housing in the way most familiar from ravaged white-flight American cities. What we see in movies and videos. It's in the way he talks of his football players, as fatherless and destined for crime. It's there in the way he raised the threat of summer shootings today. He sees segregated ghettos of drugs and crime. That's probably what he looks for on those nights when he plays the tourist of the wild side. That kind of horrific urban decay doesn't exist in Toronto, but if you believe in the fog of your simple stupid worldview that it does and need someone to control it, who better could you find than someone who has the experience of a hell-hole like Detroit.

 

[salsa]

Sure does look like Rob.

He looks like a prime minister.

 

[TOBorn]

He looks like a prime minister.

*sob*

 

[pattycakes]

He looks like he thinks he's the prime minister.

Fixed it for ya

 

[detroitbootybass]

Not sure Detroit reads UT.

Sure does!

 

[sublime]

Gene Jones, Lisa-Joan Overholt and the union representing Toronto Community Housing Corporation security officers with the midnight raids and the wanting to arm officers...
The Star:

In Indianapolis, where he served as executive director of the housing agency from 1997 to 2000, he would accompany police on raids into the community, donning a flak jacket. He would later do the same in Detroit, residents said.

In 1999, while working for the Indianapolis Housing Agency, Jones fired Barbara Malone, its legal counsel. Malone said she was fired an hour before the meeting where she was to present a report telling Jones he couldn’t have his own police force. She sued him and they settled out of court.

It feels to me like RoFo's sound tough on crime strategy coincided nicely with Gene Jones' dreams of operating a SWAT unit from his swanky new Rosedale office, while taking the Mayor's personal calls on holiday weekends.

Article from Goldsbie NOW: http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=197734 that has an interactive Rofo map designed by UofT grad student Ian Dennis Miller: http://rofo.ca/

Catnip!!