[Peepers]

From The Star, at this link:



I find it interesting that if Rob Ford had won his court case, why doesn't he just continue to use city hall letterhead? Did he do something wrong that he had to change the letterhead? Hmm.

The court case did not directly involve his use of city hall letterhead. It has always been against the rules to use city letterhead for anything but official city business. Ford acknowledged his mistake which is why he is using his own letterhead.

The Toronto Star is really getting more pathetic by the day with its relentless attacks on Ford. There is nothing wrong with Ford soliciting donations for his children-at-risk charity. I don't see anything ethically or morally wrong with what Ford is doing. The Star glosses over the corruption of the Liberal Party at Queen's Park which has cost us countless $BILLIONS while hammering Rob Ford daily over non-issues like this and his family vacation to Disney World that we are supposed to be outraged over for some reason.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

I still remember when Miller skipped out on the funeral for TFS Chief Bob Leek after the gas plant explosion so he could go on vacation. I imagine even Ford's supporters wouldn't be pleased if he'd done same.

Why does this bother you so?

 

[Dilla]

The court case did not directly involve his use of city hall letterhead. It has always been against the rules to use city letterhead for anything but official city business. Ford acknowledged his mistake which is why he is using his own letterhead.

Ford never once acknowledged his mistake. It was for the children, and he did nothing wrong. According to Ford, it wasn't even a conflict of interest, because the city didn't stand to benefit in any way (???).

Look, this isn't the end of the world, it's not even necessarily corruption or anything. But it's still not good behaviour from our chief-magistrate. Days after he wins the case, he's back at it. Granted, it's not on city letterhead, but it's still bad form. Does he not understand how people might be worried this would lead to influence peddling? The lobbyist the article sure makes it sound as they feel it is, and I don't think that's unreasonable. If I were a lobbyist I'd probably feel I had to donate, or be left out in the cold.

It's the same as the loan Mammoliti got from a local business. When they were asked why they loaned him the money, the answer was "because he's the local councilour, we felt we had to". Does that sit well with you?

Against the rules or not, this is just not a bright thing to do. But then, no one has ever accused Ford of being bright.

 

[Torontovibe]

The court case did not directly involve his use of city hall letterhead. It has always been against the rules to use city letterhead for anything but official city business. Ford acknowledged his mistake which is why he is using his own letterhead.

The Toronto Star is really getting more pathetic by the day with its relentless attacks on Ford. There is nothing wrong with Ford soliciting donations for his children-at-risk charity. I don't see anything ethically or morally wrong with what Ford is doing. The Star glosses over the corruption of the Liberal Party at Queen's Park which has cost us countless $BILLIONS while hammering Rob Ford daily over non-issues like this and his family vacation to Disney World that we are supposed to be outraged over for some reason.

I wonder if relentlessly defending Ford, no matter how deplorable his actions are, would also qualify as "pathetic"? So, how many people on UT do you think you've converted to Ford Nation, since you started promoting your lord and saviour? Might you not be turning off more than you are converting, as you accuse the Star of doing? I see more than a little hypocrisy going on here but if it makes you feel better preaching to the perverted, keep on preaching, brother. Onward little soldier.

 

[MetroMan]

And comments from others that felt that they had no choice to vote for him, as there were no other reasonable candidates..

We shouldn't be surprised that municipal politics doesn't attract talent. Why would an extraordinarily qualified individual give up a successful and profitable career in the private sector to run an office without power in an impossible to please everyone position so that they are hated by between half and 3/4 of the city by the time they leave office? With only the prestige being Mayor as the lone unique attraction to the job, you have to have a lot of love for the city and an indifference to wealth on top of all the qualities we're hoping for in a Mayor. That's a tough combination to come by.

David Miller was one of them and he wisely realized it wasn't worth it.

 

[jje1000]

The court case did not directly involve his use of city hall letterhead. It has always been against the rules to use city letterhead for anything but official city business. Ford acknowledged his mistake which is why he is using his own letterhead.

The Toronto Star is really getting more pathetic by the day with its relentless attacks on Ford. There is nothing wrong with Ford soliciting donations for his children-at-risk charity. I don't see anything ethically or morally wrong with what Ford is doing. The Star glosses over the corruption of the Liberal Party at Queen's Park which has cost us countless $BILLIONS while hammering Rob Ford daily over non-issues like this and his family vacation to Disney World that we are supposed to be outraged over for some reason.

This is the problem, as eloquently stated elsewhere:

People keep asking what the big deal is. Try to imagine yourself in the shoes of someone dealing with the city.

Let's say you own a company that makes street signs and it is your goal to strike a deal with the city to order them from your company and not one of your several competitors . You register as a lobbyist with the city and invest a lot of money into the proposals (prototyping, labour, etc).

Then you get an email from the Mayor asking for donations to his foundation. Sure, you could ignore it, but there's a lot of money (and jobs) on the line and the Mayor has shown time and again he can be shockingly fickle. The last thing you want when trying to do business with the city is to be on the Mayor's bad side. There's a chance that your competitors have donated, so the pressure mounts.

You don't think it's fair, but what are you going to do? Complain? If you do, then you can guarantee Ford will make sure you don't get a cent from the city.

So, you donate and keep your mouth shut.

That is the problem.

The only we've learnt from this and his comments from streetcars are that he's learnt absolutely nothing from his time in court. Rules are still a hinderance to him, people are now less inclined to go against him in court, and subways will apparently still be built with no sources of funding other than the private realm. I'm suprised how many people he's managed to convince of his victimhood and saintliness.

 

[voxpopulicosmicum]

Anybody in Rob Ford's situation would demand costs. It's just part of our legal system. It's not even like Ford's cost request is excessive, being substantially less than Magder's original cost demand.

Agreed 100%, and the restraint is puzzling.

I'm actually surprised Ford hasn't sued Magder for defamation (yes, I know Magder would be legally immune, but it's not like Ford shows tremendous respect for the law).

 

[voxpopulicosmicum]

I'm suprised how many people he's managed to convince of his victimhood and saintliness.

Saint Ford the Uncompetent.* His three miracles: "Subways! Subways! Subways!"

*per I. Tossell: "Uncompetence is when people start to suspect that competence is something the elites do, and think to themselves, 'I should perhaps do something else.'"

 

[jje1000]

Ford is excellent at his political savvy and populism/sycophancy (pitting downtown against suburbs, right against left, "I've done nothing wrong, I'm a victim", repeatingly drilling his achievements into people's minds, "My will is the populace's will", half-truths, jobs-jobs-jobs, "You are against me, for waste", "I am like you", rilling up people's angers, anti-tax-anti-waste), but ultimately these things will really damage discourse going on in the city and ultimately the welfare of the city itself (cutting income, cutting services, cutting Section 37 charges, no realistic transit expansion, everyone against everyone).

He's literally a political cancer that must be excised as a general point of view- I really see no one on the conservative side of council as bad as this (other than Doug). Is it really that hard to get a right-of-centre candidate that can cut costs sensibly and get people working together while realizing that things costs money?

 

[SP!RE]

To sum up this entire thread and my feelings on Ford:

A politician promises to lower taxes, marketing the fairy-tale story that cities and countries can run smoothly with low taxation / less services. People vote for politician because "lower taxes" sounds good and satisfies their selfish ideologies (in fact, most people that vote for him are people who can easily afford to be taxed), but don't realize that taxes are what fuel the services that they take for granted and make the city run smoothly. People react negatively to service cuts and protest (especially those in the urban areas who are more in touch with how heavily they rely on public services), and compromises are made. At the end of the day, tax rates are lower but so are the levels of service provided. In other words, things haven't gotten better.

The End.

NEXT!

 

[Admiral Beez]

A politician promises to lower taxes, marketing the fairy-tale story that cities and countries can run smoothly with low taxation / less services.

I have to say, I voted for Ford and this has worked for me, My taxes are hardly increasing, and as I drive to work from downtown to Markham, have little need for city services beyond police and fire departments, utilities and sewage, garbage collection and road and park maintenance.

Not everyone needs a city to provide housing, transit, health, arts, sports, parades, events, etc, etc...

 

[Silence&Motion]

I have to say, I voted for Ford and this has worked for me, My taxes are hardly increasing, and as I drive to work from downtown to Markham, have little need for city services beyond police and fire departments, utilities and sewage, garbage collection and road and park maintenance.

Not everyone needs a city to provide housing, transit, health, arts, sports, parades, events, etc, etc...

And yet I imagine you would feel personally impacted if the city suddenly stopped housing the poor, providing public transit, supporting cultural events, etc.

 

[ttk77]

I have to say, I voted for Ford and this has worked for me, My taxes are hardly increasing, and as I drive to work from downtown to Markham, have little need for city services beyond police and fire departments, utilities and sewage, garbage collection and road and park maintenance.

Not everyone needs a city to provide housing, transit, health, arts, sports, parades, events, etc, etc...

Seriously?

Public transit reduces congestion for everyone regardless of your mode of transportation, sports teaches leadership skills and keep kids off the streets and out of trouble, etc... Just because you don't personally use a service doesn't mean that you don't benefit from it.

 

[spider]

Seriously?

Public transit reduces congestion for everyone regardless of your mode of transportation, sports teaches leadership skills and keep kids off the streets and out of trouble, etc... Just because you don't personally use a service doesn't mean that you don't benefit from it.

"sports teaches leadership skills and keep kids off the streets and out of trouble", like football.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Going to coach football instead of leading the city isn't the greatest way to show "leadership skills" (like, what does this message send to the kids - that it is more important to do what you like instead of what you're hired to do?). And besides, said subject can hardly keep himself out of trouble.

AoD