[ttk77]

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

Not sure what your point is there. No one is saying that Ford's support of school football is bad or wrong, just how he goes about raising money for his charity and the amount of time he takes off work to coach. Surely he can find alternate ways to to support this passion of his that don't conflict with his responsibilities as mayor. His inability to do so shows his incompetence as much as anything else.

 

[Silence&Motion]

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

One of the many paradoxes about Ford. At heart he seems to be a total social democrat, believing that community programs aimed at youth will reduce the eventual social and economic cost of crime and poverty. He believes in massive billion dollar investments in public transit and extensive off-road cycling networks. He also supports a very activist municipal government that reacts quickly to constituent concerns and, for instance, forces business owners to undertake public beautification responsibilities with their own money (e.g. graffiti). And yet, when it comes to implementing any of these strategies on a broad scale, he continues to undermine himself. I couldn't believe he rejected all community programs for at-risk youth as "hug-a-thug" when he has so much dedication to his own football program.

 

[Roy G Biv]

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...

Shudder. I think you would do well as an American.

So I guess the theory is that your vote will be off-set by the homeless guy who will no doubt hit the ballet-box to protect his own interests etc. To be fair, I know a few people who are intelligent, and who voted for Ford simply based on the taxes issue. If your project this sort of society, you end up with what urban South Africa looks like today.

 

[TonyV]

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

Sounds to me like Ford ought to try out some sports.

 

[SP!RE]

Admiral Beez,

You may not PERSONALLY feel that you rely on those services, but they are not only there to serve you. You may not require social housing for example, but to live in a country where it is not provided or where social services do not exist, the quality of life decreases for just about everybody. It's a studied phenomenon and it makes sense when you think about it.

I constantly challenge myself (and ask the same of others) to consider making political decisions based on what makes life better for everyone, not just myself.

But so long as enough people remain selfish (largely people who already can afford their taxes without a problem), things will not change dramatically for the better.

------------------------------------------

P.S. Off-topic side note: When people target Ford based on his weight and use that as some sort of attack, I find it to be really unfortunate. You don't have to like the man's politics or personality (I generally object to both), but c'mon... really?

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Cutting programs, reducing services, waiting lists for housing affects a segment of the population that is being further and further marginalized then crime rises. Toronto will further be hurt by increasing traffic, gridlock, infrastructure in need of repairs/upgrading and public transit that cannot effectively move the number of people who use it. Business begins to pull out and move elsewhere where infrastructure is better and employees can get to work without spending 10 hours a week commuting creating less of a tax base. Our taxes pay for all of this, we need to pay taxes to keep the city operating, for renewal and to continue growing in a healthy way through investment in our people and infrastructure.

 

[SP!RE]

Actually, this would be another good time to make mention of this incredible study called The Three Cities Within Toronto.

It paints a very fascinating (and very sobering) picture of the direction Toronto is headed in (as are many cities in 2013) with a growing divide between rich and poor and what that means for the entire city and everyone in it.

Lowering taxes is only running from the real issues, in my opinion.

 

[voxpopulicosmicum]

P.S. Off-topic side note: When people target Ford based on his weight and use that as some sort of attack, I find it to be really unfortunate. You don't have to like the man's politics or personality (I generally object to both), but c'mon... really?

It seems strange that you would bring this up. The "fat jokes" are no longer made, and what we're now left with in terms of "targetting" are comments about various health-related aspects of Ford's lifestyle choices. IMO it is as fair to make note of Ford's self-harmful lifestyle choices as it is to make note of a crack addict's self-harmful lifestyle choices. Moreover, some of Ford's self harm translates into direct risk to the public (e.g. his DUI and subsequent assertion that "everyone does it", his drunken, violent threats to random bystanders, etc.).

 

[nfitz]

The Toronto Star is really getting more pathetic by the day with its relentless attacks on Ford.

Why are you picking on the Star here? Every media outlet seems to be on this issue.

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.

Attempting to get kickbacks from city contractors and lobbyists, even for charity, is grossly unethical. I question the ethics of anyone who can't see this.

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.

Again, why are you attacking the Star? I see article after article, day after day in the Star about gas plants and ORNGE. And who hasn't reported on Disney - it was CITY-TV that broke that one wasn't it? I think the Sun had more column inches on the topic than the Star did, which was an extremely brief article.

I'm perplexed by how you attack the Star on this, given the hatchet job they did on Miller - I thought you'd have been a supporter!

 

[TonyV]

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...

Thank you for clarifying that. Ford won your vote by honing in on your own selfish interests, your pocket book, and gave you the opportunity to thusly kick the city to the curb, and you took that opportunity. No pro-Toronto vote from your type, just the opportunity to cut back on things that make our society congeal, and to hell with the public good. I thank you for putting into focus what support for Ford is all about.

 

[junior43]

vox, I'm glad you're such a perfect citizen. You've brought up indiscretions of Fords that are at least 5+ years old - except for flipping some lady the bird last year whic i really don't care about.

Honest question for everyone, what has Ford actually done to damage this city? And I don't mean the conflict of interest case, election audit or slander case that may have embarassed TO in the news. These were all distractions, yes (same with his football coaching) What has Ford imposed or changed that has been a detriment to the city?

Only thing off the top of my head is he delayed transit city for 6 months, maybe a year.

Anyone notice how quietly the budget went through this year? No giant storms of controversy, council produced a budget that everyone could live with. I don't recall Miller ever doing that.

And yes, i did vote for Ford, he was the least bad choice in my opinion. But I'm also not a blind Ford supporter.

1. I'd welcome having my property tax raised over time to match the 905 rates. Grudgingly, it only seems fair.
2. I'm open to tolls on the DVP and Gardiner or in combination with a municipal sales tax. Seems to be the fairest way to rehab them, force those who use them to pay for it.
3. Both of above I'd want to see kept from general revenues and used strictly for infrastructure - for the time being as we're so far behind in these areas - (Gardiner rebuild/bury, TTC (subways(DRL) and buried LRT's and even streetcars for Queens Quay E and portlands, and bike lanes)

Long time lurker, first time poster, so go easy on me.

 

[ttk77]

I think it would be more proper to ask what damage he would have done and what detrimental policies he would have put in place had council not put him on a very short leash.

 

[js97]

vox, I'm glad you're such a perfect citizen. You've brought up indiscretions of Fords that are at least 5+ years old - except for flipping some lady the bird last year whic i really don't care about.

Honest question for everyone, what has Ford actually done to damage this city? And I don't mean the conflict of interest case, election audit or slander case that may have embarassed TO in the news. These were all distractions, yes (same with his football coaching) What has Ford imposed or changed that has been a detriment to the city?

Only thing off the top of my head is he delayed transit city for 6 months, maybe a year.

Anyone notice how quietly the budget went through this year? No giant storms of controversy, council produced a budget that everyone could live with. I don't recall Miller ever doing that.

And yes, i did vote for Ford, he was the least bad choice in my opinion. But I'm also not a blind Ford supporter.

1. I'd welcome having my property tax raised over time to match the 905 rates. Grudgingly, it only seems fair.
2. I'm open to tolls on the DVP and Gardiner or in combination with a municipal sales tax. Seems to be the fairest way to rehab them, force those who use them to pay for it.
3. Both of above I'd want to see kept from general revenues and used strictly for infrastructure - for the time being as we're so far behind in these areas - (Gardiner rebuild/bury, TTC (subways(DRL) and buried LRT's and even streetcars for Queens Quay E and portlands, and bike lanes)

Long time lurker, first time poster, so go easy on me.

1. I don't believe we should raise our taxes for the sake of raising it. Our tax rates are lower because we are more dense, so more contributors per sq/km.
There are also economies of scale for overhead etc.

2. Tolls should be implemented if it can be done efficiently and automated like the 407. Last thing we need is to have 40% of the revenue go to administrating the tolls. Otherwise, a VRT is much more efficient way of passing money.
Municipal sales taxes are bad idea. There is too much business between the burbs and inner city that it would really too much of a competetive barrier. NYC works because they are geographically more separated and have less regional competition.

3. Agreed on 3, but goodluck on that.
3.

 

[junior43]

That's sort of my point. He can talk subways! subways! subways! or about ferris wheels, but he is still only one vote.

But you gotta admit, when he came out with his ferris wheels and monorail idea, all of a sudden Waterfront toronto had a new solution to try and speed up cleaning up the portlands.

Most of Ford's ideas are very close to crazy, but he does get people moving. Definitely not in a graceful way, but he does get things moving at times.

 

[ttk77]

Do we really want a mayor who gets people moving just so they can save the city from his gross incompetence? The mayor should be a forward thinker who can bring together both the left and the right to enact good sound policy. Our current mayor does the exact opposite.