[Roy's Square]

I just caught a glimpse of CP24 and the ticker read "Ford Memorial Continues to Grow" as the featured a close-up of flowers in the park. It slowly panned out and just as it was about to reveal the modest amount of flowers it abruptly cut away. Guess they're going to try to run with this for awhile longer.

Here it is at 11-ish this morning.

 

[Thinker]

Has anyone left a vodka bottle or crack pipe at the memorial?

No... but I'll donate the vodka if you donate the crack pipe, we could make it a road trip!

 

[r937]

wonderful summary, in my opinion --

An Honest Assessment of Rob Ford’s Legacy
http://torontoist.com/2016/03/373870/

 

[salsa]

My Facebook is filled with supporters calling him the greatest mayor ever, etc. Even people who never liked him before are now remembering him in a positive light.

I have to stop reading things ... such as "the drugs and alcohol made him do stupid things, and because addiction is a mental health issue, it's ok" or "it's all lies that he was homophobic, racist, misogynistic" or "forgive him now that he has died". And then of course, the goalposts get moved to the provincial Liberals and the gas plant scandals .... because that has so much to do with who Rob Ford was. And how he needed help which we (the public?) didn't give him. And it goes on. My head hurts.

I will be boycotting all social media until this whole Ford thing (including the funeral) is done and over with. Because I can't take the drivel anymore.

 

[Roy's Square]

The reason I think my child will suffer as a result of her governance is that she is going to bankrupt this province in her own self interest (IE: getting re-elected). I believe the third biggest expense in the provincial budget is INTEREST payments! What do you think we get out of interest payments?! And this is with historically low interest rates! What happens when interest rates go up? I hate to say it but I think my 8 year old has a brighter future in Putin's Russia (my guys mother is Russian) than he does in Wynne's Ontario.

The interest on the Ontario debt for this year is 9.2% of revenues. That has been pretty steady for the last ten years and significantly better than it was in the 15 years before that.

It is indeed the third largest expense (but just barely) and it is dwarfed by the money the Government invests in Health and Education both of which are specifically intended to give all our children a bright future.

 

[animatronic]

The chalk memorial has not exactly gone viral. About 60 people in line now to sign the condolence book.

 

[Roy's Square]

About 60 people in line now to sign the condolence book.

They should've thrown a commemorative bobble-head into the mix. Now those were some queues for the ages!

 

[Videodrome]

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...-council-seat-leaves-dynasty-in-question.html

The future of Ward 2 and the Ford dynasty.

 

[droyces]

The interest on the Ontario debt for this year is 9.2% of revenues. That has been pretty steady for the last ten years and significantly better than it was in the 15 years before that.

View attachment 70546

It is indeed the third largest expense (but just barely) and it is dwarfed by the money the Government invests in Health and Education both of which are specifically intended to give all our children a bright future.

Simple answer: Interest rates. Revenues (up quite a lot since the Liberals were first elected) and expenses (WAY Y UP!).

 

[bobbob911]

Correct. The most relevant metric is "Debt to GDP". If you look at a graph of this over time you will see a mixed message: The McGuinty Liberals were making some headway on lowering debt relative to GDP, but the 2008 recession caused them (rightly or wrongly) to throw all that effort out and spend like, erm, "drunken sailors".

http://www.ofina.on.ca/borrowing_debt/debt.htm

 

[riffraff]

Simple answer: Interest rates. Revenues (up quite a lot since the Liberals were first elected) and expenses (WAY Y UP!).

This is not the Kathleen Wynne thread, but I take your concern about the cost of the province updating and delivering the sex ed curriculum in the education system, particularly when Rob Ford delivered it gravy and cost free from the podium at press conferences. Just do a quick google search of "Enough to eat at home." Respect for the tax payer!

 

[W. K. Lis]

How quickly they forget. In November, 2013, city council voted 39-3 to take away Mayor (at the time) Ford’s ability to appoint and fire the chairs of the city’s standing committees and other powers. They also voted 41-2 to designate those powers to the deputy mayor.

Now they are praising him?

Paraphrasing:

Friends, Tororontians, city dewllers, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Ford, not to praise him;
​

 

[droyces]

This is not the Kathleen Wynne thread, but I take your concern about the cost of the province updating and delivering the sex ed curriculum in the education system, particularly when Rob Ford delivered it gravy and cost free from the podium at press conferences. Just do a quick google search of "Enough to eat at home." Respect for the tax payer!

I'm not sure I can remember dealing with a more obtuse group of people than the people on here! Where have a made a single comment on the sex ed. curriculum? That came from some other guy who couldn't read...not me.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

Try this: http://www.christindal.ca/2016/03/22/remembering-rob-ford/

There's a big difference between saying "he was great guy" or "he meant well" etc (whitewashing), and simply observing that he wasn't the absolute worst for every nanosecond of his existence. I can understand that some people don't want to be told that they should feel something based on another person's experiences, but then don't get mad when everyone doesn't feel exactly like you do.

Wait, what? I don't get your answer to my question at all. Your link to Mr. Tindal's column was a quasi-answer (Rob flattered Tindal by remembering a few facts about him in the context of that election, and the well-known trope 'he answered people's calls' has been bandied about a zillion times.

But neither of those things should put you under a spell. None of those types of things should make you want to lie down on hot coals so he can use you for a bridge. That's the part that I struggle with -- where did this 'charisma' come from? Do people manufacture it themselves? Or was Rob really more of a mirror where 'Ford Nation' could see themselves and it wasn't charisma at all, but rather an insanely lucky average Joe that hit triple 777 on the slots?

 

[zang]

Or was Rob really more of a mirror where 'Ford Nation' could see themselves and it wasn't charisma at all, but rather an insanely lucky average Joe that hit triple 777 on the slots?

I believe instead of "insanely lucky average Joe" you mean "temporarily embarrassed millionaire".