Rob Ford's Toronto

[stendhalian]

It's 8AM. So I assume there was no big revelation in the Star as presumed?

http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/hr.asp?fpVname=can_ts

No big headline there.

 

[Mongo]

The way I see it, there are three broad camps.

First there's Ford Nation which is going through enough cognitive dissonance that even genuine Conservatives are wincing... so let's skip over that... UrbanTorontonians probably mainly fit into two categories, namely...

a) Rob Ford is just a layman who cannot handle public office: We all know people like him. Yes, his family is dysfunctional, but so are many. The problem is, he smoked crack on video, and the mob went after the video so they could blackmail him... or

b) Rob Ford is a junior member of a certain syndicate , Doug being a more senior member. Both beatings in jail related to the family were spearheaded by a group. The Vice article's assertion that "The Big Guy" received the video site's password from the King Street Driver is correct. Blair put TPS's main homicide detective on the case for more than show. There's a reason Ford cares so much about garbage collection West of Yonge when he's more of a one-on-one guy for almost everything else. Doug Ford didn't stop being a mid-level drug dealer and move into the family business full time. "Birds" doesn't refer to the animal. i.e. Toronto resembles Montreal.

What do you think? Or should we follow the traditional media, and be too scared of lawsuits to say what has really happened to this city? Because I'm sorry to bring it up amidst the circus, but this isn't a show; somebody has grasped control of Toronto. Who is it? The Idiot?

Given all that we know or suspect, I have to go with B. Keeping in mind that Rob is not a decision-maker in the organization, instead he's a wholly owned and operated subsidiary.

 

[newearthling]

Definitely B


The Big Guy could refer to Doug though, and not Rob.

I do think they are not smart enough/ have enough self control to be high level players.

 

[Franks2000inchTV]

Can someone explain the suspected link between GFL and Ford? This thread is so fast moving I cannot find the original post on this.

Ford was known to hang out at an after hours owned by Romeo Di Battista (who is named in the Lisi ITO).

Di Battista holds shares in the company that owns GFL.

That company was also responsible for waste management in Vaughan. They got into the business after another waste transfer station burned down in 2004. Also in testimony, people described the owners of the company as being part of "organized crime."

 

[newearthling]

http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/hr.asp?fpVname=can_ts

No big headline there.

As a side note: "Men are obsolete" ... ? Toronto has more problems than RF if we are sponsoring talks like this.
I am a woman btw.

 

[animatronic]

Ford was known to hang out at an after hours owned by Romeo Di Battista (who is named in the Lisi ITO).

Di Battista holds shares in the company that owns GFL.

That company was also responsible for waste management in Vaughan. They got into the business after another waste transfer station burned down in 2004. Also in testimony, people described the owners of the company as being part of "organized crime."

And since he's Rob Ford's buddy, there's also a connection to disorganized crime.

 

[Franks2000inchTV]

I am not convinced of that. If the theory is police didn't move in with search warrants because they were working on "something bigger" and therefore did not want to blow their cover why then did they bust Lisi and the dry cleaner for relatively minor drug charges? Why did police leak information to the media that Ford was under aerial surveillance if they were afraid of blowing their cover?

It's entirely possible that not all of the police are playing to win. This explains why they called the investigation "brazen II." What better way to conceal your investigation from other parts of the force than to give it the same name as another investigation on the other side if the city.

Also it explains why Giroux is on the case. He's only got a year til retirement, so he can investigate other officers without fearing retribution. A younger officer would have to be looking over their shoulder for the rest of their career.

If police were working on a "bigger catch" what would that be? Connections to the mafia and influence peddling? If so the only way police could ever make such a case would have been to seize one of the brown envelopes to see if they were stuffed with cash. That opportunity is lost forever to the police.

You're assuming that the mayor is the big fish. It's possible that the mayor ordered a hit from someone seriously connected. Or that he made phone calls with Lisi where he discussed other people's business. Or a number of things. Busting the mayor would send everyone deep underground. Maybe they have wires on a bunch of people we don't even know about. Right now it appears that only the Toronto Police are working this case, and that they don't have anything on Ford. For all we know the RCMP and OPP are involved, and they're using this whole fiasco to "heat the wires" basically putting pressure on the weakest link (Ford) hoping that it'll cause other people to talk or and make a mistake.

I suspect that the reason police did not act is because they could not take down Rob Ford without taking down some of the most powerful mafia figures in the city who are associated with the most powerful organized crime organization - an organization that has infiltrated law enforcement and the judiciary as well as every level of government. The "liquid mafia".

I don't think they're not acting because it would require taking down the mafia. I think they're not acting because they have the chance to take down the mafia, and they don't want to screw it up busting the mayor on some low level possession charges.

 

[Franks2000inchTV]

To confirm KNR Group owns shares in GFL? One interesting thing to note. Romeo Sr appears in an Ontario government report from the 70s on organized crime in the building trades. Not sure if he's just an innocent party though. He's meets with a guy about fundraising right before that guy is shot for snitching on the mafia.

www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toront...ckhandles-his-way-to-the-front/article559083/

Sorry misremembered that -- it looks more like they were business partners in the (very shady looking) Vaughan deal.

 

[W. K. Lis]

At the provincial and federal levels, the political parties have sometimes replaced their leader. And sometimes the leader they replace is the premier or prime minister, at the time. As well, within a minority government, the party and its leader could get booted out on a non-confidence vote.

Not so at city hall. We're, allegedly, stuck with him for four years.

It used to be that the voters would cast their ballots every year, until 1956. Then it was every two years, then every three years. It only went to every four years in 2006. However, there is no recall or non-confidence vote available. There should be recall procedure after two years.

Maybe time to go back to city hall elections every three years.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

I didn't realize how high tensions are between those pro and anti Rob Ford until tonight. There were a bunch of idiots arguing loudly on King St just now about how "Rob Ford is gonna take care of you lefty liberals downtown". It got into an actual physical fight and the cops broke it up. One guy all bloody faced started shouting "fuck the police, I still trust Rob Ford! You corrupt fuckers are just out to get him because he's busting up the unions!"
It was more than just one guy defending Ford. It looked like all the suburban douchebags who come downtown to party were pro-Ford. Somebody needs to save Toronto from itself. Sad.

Got into a slanging match at a dinner party last night with a friend's sister after too many drinks. Ashamed of myself, but Ford Nation now has me totally disgusted. Better to laugh it off, but really, really tough to do.

 

[Les Nessman]

Ford......police......di battista!

the internet is just amazing!

 

[Steviewonders]

At the provincial and federal levels, the political parties have sometimes replaced their leader. And sometimes the leader they replace is the premier or prime minister, at the time. As well, within a minority government, the party and its leader could get booted out on a non-confidence vote.

Not so at city hall. We're, allegedly, stuck with him for four years.

It used to be that the voters would cast their ballots every year, until 1956. Then it was every two years, then every three years. It only went to every four years in 2006. However, there is no recall or non-confidence vote available. There should be recall procedure after two years.

Maybe time to go back to city hall elections every three years.

I'm beginning to get the feeling that all of this isn't going anywhere. I have this weird gut feelin that this guy is going to ride this out until the polls next year. I'm going to guess that the vote count will be a record setter and he won't get in, all this is really doing is helping people wake up a bit.
Maybe the three year thing is a good idea.

 

[TonyV]

I didn't realize how high tensions are between those pro and anti Rob Ford until tonight. There were a bunch of idiots arguing loudly on King St just now about how "Rob Ford is gonna take care of you lefty liberals downtown". It got into an actual physical fight and the cops broke it up. One guy all bloody faced started shouting "fuck the police, I still trust Rob Ford! You corrupt fuckers are just out to get him because he's busting up the unions!"
It was more than just one guy defending Ford. It looked like all the suburban douchebags who come downtown to party were pro-Ford. Somebody needs to save Toronto from itself. Sad.

This is such a sad account, MM. I am sorry to be hearing this. This morning I have serious Ford Fatigue and I feel like going into mourning. Toronto is actually so much better than this.

 

[newearthling]

I'm beginning to get the feeling that all of this isn't going anywhere. I have this weird gut feelin that this guy is going to ride this out until the polls next year. I'm going to guess that the vote count will be a record setter and he won't get in, all this is really doing is helping people wake up a bit.
Maybe the three year thing is a good idea.

You need to come to the rally next Wed at noon.

 

[TOperson]

I'm beginning to get the feeling that all of this isn't going anywhere. I have this weird gut feelin that this guy is going to ride this out until the polls next year. I'm going to guess that the vote count will be a record setter and he won't get in, all this is really doing is helping people wake up a bit.
Maybe the three year thing is a good idea.

I think that is a definite possibility. I should prepare myself for it.