[animatronic]

"Unelected" is definitely overstating the case. Wynne is clearly elected on the basis of being elected in a party based electoral system. However, there is legitimate criticism to be made, regardless of PC precedent in Ontario, about switching leaders almost immediately after the election.

Need to separate the two issues. All things being equal, a leader who has won an election has a stronger mandate than one who has inherited a government. By that i mean they have greater moral authoriry to enact major change (e.g., mulroney was pm and he still called an election to get a mandate to implement free trade). However, a leader who inherits a gov is just as legitimate as any other.

The Fordists don't care about that stuff. The mayor of Toronto is directly elected by more citizens than any other politician in Canada, so their voice is more important than any other. Indeed, to deny the primacy of their mandate is to deny democracy.

This argument is, of course, complete horseshit. We don't elect dictators. Every politician in the country is subject to checks and balances. In Ford's case this includes democratically appointed courts, the democratically elected legislature and the democratically elected city council.

More effort needs to be spent debunking the notion that the size of Ford's constituency somehow puts his actions beyond scrutiny.

 

[Johnny Au]

I bet that Ford Nation finds dihydrogen monoxide toxic.

 

[Kat_YYZ]

Yes, they exist. Are they widespread? No.

yeah my phone has that big plug, but my understanding is it works without power as just a basic phone. just the features like the LED display screen, memory dial, the answering machine, etc, won't work. But it will make calls.

Because most (if not all) mobile phone users, unlike land line users, have to pay for incoming calls. So the practice of pollsters or telemarketers calling mobile phone numbers is frowned upon.

FWIW, I know someone who received one of the recent Forum poll calls on her cell phone. She didn't actually go through with the poll, because she gave the 'wrong' answer to one of the 'qualifying'/screening questions at the beginning. Not sure, but that question might have been, "Is this a mobile phone?"

You are disqualified from many, many surveys if you work in the media. Even basic consumer research panels.

 

[pattycakes]

A video by the Star:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/11/22/rob_ford_the_directors_cut_a_montage_of_the_year.html

 

[hper]

Yeah Ford's not getting arrested if this is true. Son of a 23 division cop? As if Blair would follow through. If this is true of course.

Assuming D23 is the cop shop in question:

http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/d23/

 

[Peepers]

CBC story is now up on its website

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/rob-ford-was-subject-of-august-police-alert-1.2437199

 

[pattycakes]

Sounds like Councillor Nunciata got a few calls or letters:


"My decision not to support the motions that were before Council on November 18th to remove many of the Mayor's powers was not out of support for the Mayor. My actions the week before this meeting were proof of this: I voted in favour of rescinding the Mayor's power to appoint members of the Executive Committee; I voted in favour of requesting that the Integrity Commissioner investigate and report back to Council on Mayor Ford's actions as they relate to the Code of Conduct; and, I voted in favour of the Mayor taking a leave of absence. On the 18th, however, out of careful consideration of the facts before us, and a respect for democracy, I could not support removing the powers of the Mayor that were proposed and ultimately, removed.

Do I condone the admitted and alleged illegal activities of Mayor Ford? No. Do I condone the disgusting comments made by the Mayor to the media? No. Do I condone the deplorable behaviour exhibited by the Mayor and Councillor Ford during recent Council meetings, the worse of which was displayed at the same Council meeting where his powers were being debated for removal? Absolutely not.

The antics of the Mayor and his brother, Councillor Ford, have made international news headlines. The embarrassment caused by their behaviours is significant. Why then, would I not support removing his powers? Of all of the faults that we can pin on the Mayor, I am not aware of any that related to the powers that the motion before Council took away from him. The Mayor has statutory powers that Council cannot take away; among these powers are to represent the City at official functions and acting as the Chief Executive Officer, which includes acting as the representative of the City both within and outside the City, and promoting the City locally, nationally and internationally. Above all else, Mayor Ford is still the Mayor. Regardless of what powers we remove from him, this fact, which is the cause of embarrassment, will not change. "

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/84656339/eNews November 22 2013.pdf

 

[Parker]

Thanks for the screen grab! I think these numbers have more to do with likely voters based on the last election. While this is incredibly inaccurate already based on the likely big turnout for the next election, it's also not quite the same thing as saying this is what Toronto actually thinks about the mayor. I wish a public figure would point this out. Hell, I wish Goldsbie would point this out. It's very dishonest.

if you look at the respondents' prior voting record, it makes this even more clear:

It boggles the mind that about 44% of the sample would actually admit to voting for Ford in the last election. Leads me to suspect, based on the actual 2010 vote that the sampling is certainly skewing towards Ford Nation.

 

[Long Island Mike]

Chris Farley in "Rob Ford: The Movie" and thoughts about the recent SNL parody...

[video=youtube;RUY6lDja-DE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUY6lDja-DE[/video]

Basic and everyone: I feel that if Chris Farley were alive today that he would have a "field day" with a caricature of Mayor Rob Ford...

Bobby Moynihan did a good impression of Ford on SNL but I also wonder if Lorne Michaels had also noticed that Farley would have been
perhaps the perfect former SNL cast member to play Ford on a regular basis...

Remembering how much of a partier Chris Farley was makes me feel that Rob Ford should further watch his health and with the stress
of all that is happening around him that he not suffer the fate of Farley and for that matter John Belushi taking substance abuse to an extreme...

LI MIKE

 

[pattycakes]

Can't remember if anyone has posted this site already. Handy, dandy, reference for all things Ford.

http://mayorford.info/

 

[Parker]

i guess maybe i can't be your pal, because i have a land line (also, i have no cellphone/smartphone/mobilephone/tablet -- never have, never will)

and while you might guess that i'm a fair bit older, i am ~not~ ford nation

furthermore...

• i don't have voicemail -- i tell my pals that if they call me and it rings, and rings, and rings, and rings, that means i'm out
• i don't have caller id -- if i want to know who's calling, i answer the phone
• i don't have star 69 -- if it's important, they'll call back

Can't ... breathe ... must ... have ... telephony ... infrastructure!

(I'm addicted to telephone equipment. Have my own PBX at home. As a kid, my Christmas list always included a toy telephone switchboard, but, alas, my parents could new find one)

 

[dforthandbview]

A video by the Star:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/11/22/rob_ford_the_directors_cut_a_montage_of_the_year.html

I can be seen briefly in this video at the 57 second mark. I'm standing behind Towhey

 

[ahm]

"Unelected" is definitely overstating the case. Wynne is clearly elected on the basis of being elected in a party based electoral system. However, there is legitimate criticism to be made, regardless of PC precedent in Ontario, about switching leaders almost immediately after the election.

It takes almost equal sophistry or naivete to deny that people vote for leaders, regardless of what they're punching in at the ballot box. That absolute. literal interpretation is incredibly simplistic.

There's a reason the Liberals under Ignatieff flopped beyond the party or it's policies. There's a reason the Progressive Conservatives flopped under Hudak when by all accounts they should have won given frustration with the Liberals. There's a reason the Liberals will do better in the next federal election beyond Conservative political scandals. Trudeau raised Liberal numbers almost immediately.

People do in fact vote for leaders, consciously or not, officially or not, at the ballot box.

People may vote for a leader, but their lack of understanding does not mean they are correct. If there is such a problem with how a premier or prime minister steps down and is replaced they should elect representatives who will enact legislation to change the system.

 

[Parker]

Yup, even some VOIP systems support it (like Shaw Home Phone). I have a few of them, but my baby is an Automatic Electric Type 47 Two Line Monophone.

 

[Long Island Mike]

Could a "No Confidence" vote be implemented by the Toronto City Council?

Everyone: I am somewhat familiar with the Parliamentary system of government used by Canada's and Ontario's governments and I wish to ask:

Can a "No Confidence" vote be implemented in the Toronto City Council to call for an election to force a incompetent official like Mayor Rob Ford from office?

I asked this question yesterday on page 2295 but I also made the mistake of inserting my post right in between one of Tewder's posts making it not stand out...

If a vote of this type were implemented I think that it should require a super-majority of Council members - I am thinking 75 percent or perhaps even higher
for a vote of this type so it could not be influenced by any kind of partisan politics and be reserved for gross incompetence in office being just one thought?

The recent votes to strip Mayor Ford of his powers and censure him made me think of this option...Was that recent vote 48-2 with just the Ford Brothers
voting in dissent am I right?

This could become an option in a situation of this type remembering that currently the Mayor or City Council members have to be convicted of a crime if they
do not voluntarily seek a leave of absence or resign as Mayor Ford has steadfastly refused to do...

Does anyone have any opinions about this and could Toronto's City Council implement a rule of this type to not allow future problems like this to occur?

Thoughts from Long Island Mike