[toraerach]

You are reading too much into a word. I did not imply any sort of 'recognised minority'.

The majority of people in Toronto wouldn't vote for a candidate because he snubs homosexuals. Those whose vote would be swayed due to such behaviour are without any doubt a minority, hence my comment.

Ah, I see. Sorry for the misunderstanding. After the past two years of "intolerant ethnoburbians elected Ford/gave Harper his majority/etc." chatter, I remain a bit sensitive to that sort of divisive and thoroughly inaccurate language (afterall, it isn't that unheard of here on UT).

 

[Tewder]

... you may be a little too sensitive though. It'd be silly and wrong to deny that there are issues surrounding 'generally' accepted levels of intolerance among certain ethnic or religious communities, be they homophobic or misogynistic.

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

Anything interesting from the City Council meetings that took place a couple of days ago?

 

[RC8]

Ah, I see. Sorry for the misunderstanding. After the past two years of "intolerant ethnoburbians elected Ford/gave Harper his majority/etc." chatter, I remain a bit sensitive to that sort of divisive and thoroughly inaccurate language (afterall, it isn't that unheard of here on UT).

Though it's not at all what my post was about, don't you think we do have a serious problem with the amount of hatred being promoted by many religions and cultures in this city?

There are many far-right intolerant 'European-background english-speaking' people, and there are also many far-right intolerant '1st and 2nd generation immigrants'. What many of us (myself included) complain about is that the more ethnic types get a free pass for their intolerance (and it's not even just visually identifiable minorities, but ultra-conservative Eastern Europeans too).

I've never seen overt racism and hatred go unquestioned when it's uttered by a fluent white person, but many of my 'socially liberal' friends 'respect the right' of Indians/Asians/whoever is not white to threaten their kids with removing financial support if they date a person of the wrong skin colour.

I don't think it's divisive to point that out. It's not that there's anything inherently wrong with 'their' culture for being intolerant and hateful (all cultures lean that way if left unchecked), but rather there's something wrong with OUR culture here in Canada for not holding all of those with despicable views responsible for such.

 

[gabe]

Toronto’s new tourist attraction: Come see the Rob Ford Follies

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...come-see-the-rob-ford-follies/article2430559/

 

[jn_12]

Toronto’s new tourist attraction: Come see the Rob Ford Follies

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...come-see-the-rob-ford-follies/article2430559/

And sadly she's not exaggerating. My family lives in Niagara and growing up no one ever cared about Toronto down there. The only time I remember hearing about Toronto politics was the war on squeegee kids and when Lastman made his infamous Olympic comment. Toronto was irrelevent down there (most people would get their news/radio/tv from Buffalo). Now I can't visit home without hearing about Ford from people who haven't set foot in Toronto in decades. There's no doubt in my mind that we've become a curiosity thanks to the mayor.

 

[W. K. Lis]

And sadly she's not exaggerating. My family lives in Niagara and growing up no one ever cared about Toronto down there. The only time I remember hearing about Toronto politics was the war on squeegee kids and when Lastman made his infamous Olympic comment. Toronto was irrelevent down there (most people would get their news/radio/tv from Buffalo). Now I can't visit home without hearing about Ford from people who haven't set foot in Toronto in decades. There's no doubt in my mind that we've become a curiosity thanks to the mayor.

It's like an automobile collision. You can't help it to sneak a peak at the mess caused by our mayor.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

And sadly she's not exaggerating. My family lives in Niagara and growing up no one ever cared about Toronto down there. The only time I remember hearing about Toronto politics was the war on squeegee kids and when Lastman made his infamous Olympic comment. Toronto was irrelevent down there (most people would get their news/radio/tv from Buffalo). Now I can't visit home without hearing about Ford from people who haven't set foot in Toronto in decades. There's no doubt in my mind that we've become a curiosity thanks to the mayor.

A transplanted Torontonian, a good friend & former colleague who has been in Calgary for about 15 years now never asked too much about Toronto but suddenly has lots to say about Ford. Similar kind of thing. He jokingly makes fun of us here now too because we're stuck with Ford and they have a really cool, smart, progressive Mayor there.

 

[taal]

'smart' and 'progress' can cost a lot politically.

No one can deny Miller was very smart, and to add very progressive ....

 

[adma]

'smart' and 'progress' can cost a lot politically.

No one can deny Miller was very smart, and to add very progressive ....

But he wasn't the one defeated by Ford.

Indeed, it might be interesting to speculate how a Ford vs Miller race might have turned out; or how Miller would have done things differently from SmitherPants. (And I've even got some ideas brewing on how Smitherman's failure was an early-warning of such things as the federal Iggy collapse, i.e. Liberals coming a cropper with their arbitrary/opportunistic demonization of the opposition, whatever said opposition might be)

 

[canmark]

War on the plastic bag? Toronto Star: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford wants to scrap 5-cent plastic bag fee

“This bag tax has been around too long,†Ford said on his CFRB radio program which included his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, and featured a special Mother’s Day appearance by their mother, Diane.

Monday, Ford will urge members of the executive committee, which he chairs, to scrap the 2009 bylaw, which has helped curb annual plastic bag use in the city from 457 million bags to 215 million as people switched to reusable bags.

* * *

While Ford said the plastic bag fee has served its purpose, people still need encouragement to go with reusable bags, Mihevc added.

“The fee helped reduce the amount of bags people use, and people comment to me how it helped change their behaviour, but behaviour needs to be reinforced. It’s very easy to go back to bad habits and you want to reinforce good habits.â€

 

[Tee]

The joke that is the Mayor of Toronto

It's been around too long? THAT'S YOUR ARGUMENT? No constructive ideas? Of course not, you're Rob Ford. You were elected on a single character trait...............you're cheap. None of your visions/ideas are supported by studies or facts. In any other line of work you would be fired. You are incapable of meeting the responsibilities of a Mayor.

 

[waltthizzney]

ford is a blessing to get people to wake up and interested in local politics...

 

[Red October]

It's been around too long? THAT'S YOUR ARGUMENT? No constructive ideas? Of course not, you're Rob Ford. You were elected on a single character trait...............you're cheap. None of your visions/ideas are supported by studies or facts. In any other line of work you would be fired. You are incapable of meeting the responsibilities of a Mayor.

Please, tell us how you really feel.

 

[canmark]

Rob Ford's Cut the Waist program has turned into Cut the Weigh-ins, as his weekly steps on the scale have been changed to biweekly for the remainder of the challenge.

When their Cut the Waist campaign began in mid-January, Mayor Rob Ford and Coun. Doug Ford promised to step on the scale on a weekly basis, but the weigh-ins soon became a semi-regular event.

On Monday, Ford spokesman George Christopoulos told the media the Fords will weigh in "every other week" until the six-month campaign ends.

The next weigh-in will take place May 21.