[JGHali]

All I can say is that I hope the final election result mirrors the kinds of totals seen here. No doubt a Forum poll of UT users would show Doug Ford in the lead.

 

[Johnny Au]

Right now, around 85% of the people who voted in the poll above would choose either Chow or Tory as his/her first choice.

 

[SJD_Toronto]

Tory for the win.

 

[cgwalnut]

John Tory.

Transit wise, of existing projects, Olivia Chow and John Tory only really differ on Scarborough subway. I prefer the LRT plan too but I don't think we should reopen the debate and refuse the Federal money.

The federal money being very little in relation to the rest of the project and the "transit city" expansion as a whole.
The federal money that would actually not even be needed if the original LRT plan was followed.
The federal money (660 million?) which has required us to borrow another 1 billion in order to "use" it for a subway.
The federal money not actually secured or guaranteed yet.
Oh, and the federal money which will do nothing to help with the cancellation costs, sunk costs and operating costs of an unneeded and underused subway which will burden the city for decades (province would pay for the LRT operating).
The federal money was nothing more than a conservative gov't using our $'s to prop up another conservatives chance at re-election.

So, opposing the subway is a "populist" decision?!
It's the exact opposite.



If the Scarborough subway goes through I doubt we will ever see another subway built in this city again. It's going to be a boondoggle of epic proportions (if it even gets past the EA).

 

[JGHali]

Portraying the Bloor-Danforth extension as some sort of "done deal" (or Done Mills deal) is, to use the word of the week, disingenuous. As it stands, it might be adequately funded from the special property tax levy along with federal and provincial funding. But the Memorandum of Understanding still pertains only to the LRT, the EA and designs for which are already complete.

In contrast, not only has there been no EA completed for the subway extension, but there has been no final decision on an alignment either. This thing won't get completed for 10 years. At least.

In any case, it is certainly not "re-opening" the debate to revert to the LRT plan. It is, however, the responsible thing to do. Anyone - and I do mean anyone - who supports this subway extension has no regard for proper use of public money, and would happily blow over $1bn in tax money on Karen Stintz's vanity project. We need to eliminate that kind of BS from transit planning - it is costly and unsustainable. If we could turn back the clock on Sorbara's vanity Vaughan extension, all the better, but it's too late for that.

The LRT was to be funded wholly within the Transit City paradigm, i.e. provincial money. But the Sheppard East LRT was to be funded partially by that federal money. If it weren't for Ford and the spineless McGuinty government, it would already have been running for MONTHS.

 

[Electrify]

I voted Ari Goldkind. He is the most Soknacki of the bunch, in that he has a great detailed plan and has a reasonable policy to pay for it.

My second choice would be for Chow. She has a similar platform, and a better chance of winning. If I was a City of Toronto resident, I would probably hold my nose and vote for Tory. Just to keep Doug out.

If there wasn't a Ford on the ballot (and polling in the double digits), I would probably vote for Chow. Goldkind would get my vote if Chow was winning or if Tory was winning and had never muttered the words "Smart Track," among other policy blunders.

 

[ehlow]

Portraying the Bloor-Danforth extension as some sort of "done deal" (or Done Mills deal) is, to use the word of the week, disingenuous. As it stands, it might be adequately funded from the special property tax levy along with federal and provincial funding. But the Memorandum of Understanding still pertains only to the LRT, the EA and designs for which are already complete.

In contrast, not only has there been no EA completed for the subway extension, but there has been no final decision on an alignment either. This thing won't get completed for 10 years. At least.

In any case, it is certainly not "re-opening" the debate to revert to the LRT plan. It is, however, the responsible thing to do. Anyone - and I do mean anyone - who supports this subway extension has no regard for proper use of public money, and would happily blow over $1bn in tax money on Karen Stintz's vanity project. We need to eliminate that kind of BS from transit planning - it is costly and unsustainable. If we could turn back the clock on Sorbara's vanity Vaughan extension, all the better, but it's too late for that.

The LRT was to be funded wholly within the Transit City paradigm, i.e. provincial money. But the Sheppard East LRT was to be funded partially by that federal money. If it weren't for Ford and the spineless McGuinty government, it would already have been running for MONTHS.

From the general public's perspective, people who don't know what "EA" means or the details of various agreements (95% of the population), the decision has been made for subway.

Council voted for the subway.

Metrolinx and the provincial government have been saying that they are moving forward with the subway plan. The Liberals campaigned as "subway champions" and won.

Any faith left the general public has that the government can actually stick to a decision long enough for something to get built without flip flopping back and forth for eternity will be thrown out the window if they switch plans again. Although, there may not be much faith in that left anyways.

I also think the public is sick of hearing arguments on this issue over and over again.

 

[SJD_Toronto]

Portraying the Bloor-Danforth extension as some sort of "done deal" (or Done Mills deal) is, to use the word of the week, disingenuous. As it stands, it might be adequately funded from the special property tax levy along with federal and provincial funding. But the Memorandum of Understanding still pertains only to the LRT, the EA and designs for which are already complete.

In contrast, not only has there been no EA completed for the subway extension, but there has been no final decision on an alignment either. This thing won't get completed for 10 years. At least.

In any case, it is certainly not "re-opening" the debate to revert to the LRT plan. It is, however, the responsible thing to do. Anyone - and I do mean anyone - who supports this subway extension has no regard for proper use of public money, and would happily blow over $1bn in tax money on Karen Stintz's vanity project. We need to eliminate that kind of BS from transit planning - it is costly and unsustainable. If we could turn back the clock on Sorbara's vanity Vaughan extension, all the better, but it's too late for that.

The LRT was to be funded wholly within the Transit City paradigm, i.e. provincial money. But the Sheppard East LRT was to be funded partially by that federal money. If it weren't for Ford and the spineless McGuinty government, it would already have been running for MONTHS.

Let the LRT go. Just let it go.

 

[SunriseChampion]

I vote for Soknacki.....wait, what?.....oh, alright.

Let's say, Ari Goldkind then.

In spite of our rubbish electoral system (FPTP) I have always been averse to strategic voting as I see it as a throw-away vote. Regardless of outcome (and I have voted for a winning candidate exactly once in all elections in the last 11 years of voting...and that was a Regional Councillor in Pickering in 2010), I think voting should reflect one's personal beliefs and go to the candidate(s) who most stand for those beliefs. Perhaps as the child of immigrants who escaped communist Europe I take voting too seriously (especially given the sham system we have). That being said, this is the first election that I have almost been scared into voting for someone other than my first choice just to keep out the possible alternative.
This is far worse than if Hudak had become premier. The Fords are a disgrace, embarassment, and a joke and I want them destroyed. I grew up and still live in Toronto and they disgust me. So, in spite of my reticence, I may indeed end up voting for Tory because another Ford as mayor would literally kill a little bit of my soul. *spits on ground in disgust*

 

[W. K. Lis]

69 names will be on the ballot for Mayor of Toronto on October 27. Maybe this poll should have listed each and every candidate. See link.

 

[picard102]

If the Scarborough subway goes through I doubt we will ever see another subway built in this city again. It's going to be a boondoggle of epic proportions (if it even gets past the EA).

Resulting in the same ideology that had LRT at the terminus of subways as an "extension".

 

[rbt]

Let the LRT go. Just let it go.

LRT is still far more likely to occur IMO.

Nearly every project experiences a cost increase with the EA and investigation into things like soil quality. A 20% increase in the price of the subway extension is about a 5% property tax hike. No mayor (even Ford) will swallow that, and Ford has already used all unused debt-headroom for Toronto's expected share.

I just don''t see how the subway extension as proposed by Stintz/Ford actually gets built. The mayor who tries to shove it through will be tossed from office by voters; including the ones from Scarborough.

That said, we should go through the process. Chow was silly to try and toss it as part of the election when an accelerated EA will do it for her.

I do not recommend land speculation around proposed subway stations in the hopes you will make a small fortune in 10 years.

 

[salsa]

69 names will be on the ballot for Mayor of Toronto on October 27. Maybe this poll should have listed each and every candidate. See link.

If you would like to vote for Michael Crack, press 1
If you would like to vote for Dewitt Lee, press 2
If you would like to vote for Leo Gambin, press 3
If you would like to vote for Rene Vlau, press 4
If you would like to vote for Jim Ruel, press 5
If you would like to vote for Ashok Sajnani, press 6
.
.
.
.
.
.

waiting for Ford.....oh fuck it I hang up

 

[RC8]

1. Goldkind
2. Chow

Tory's campaign has been despicable, and Doug Ford is Doug Ford.

 

[gabe]

Chow. Tory is like Toronto's Mitt Romney. Rich, arrogant, flip flops, total square. Although he will still be a hell of a lot better than Doug.