Next Mayor of Toronto?

[TonyV]

Does anyone know when the next poll is going to be out?

 

[MetroMan]

Sarah Thomson's departure and Smitherman endorsement will shake things up but I expect the polling companies to give it a few days for the dust to settle and her supporters to decide where to go.

I expect the next poll to show Smitherman equal or better than Ford. Rossi will lose even more support as he's now a proven bottom of the barrel candidate. Ford might gain from that, which is why I'm not quite sure Smitherman will get in the lead yet.

 

[jn_12]

Professors teaching McLuhan should use that Ford budget video as a prime example of the medium being the message. I don't understand how anyone would look at that and think, "this shows my candidate in the best light"

 

[TwoDogs_39]

Professors teaching McLuhan should use that Ford budget video as a prime example of the medium being the message. I don't understand how anyone would look at that and think, "this shows my candidate in the best light"

I just saw a few minutes of that video and simultaneously laughed and cringed. That was SO PAINFUL.

Just watched the Smitherman vs Ford video regarding transit city funding as well. I too would LOVE to see more of this one-on-one free dialogue. Ford was destroyed. What planet is he on to think that breaking multi-million dollar contracts might not cost a penny?

 

[Riverman]

Wow, what a terrific, interesting read. Sure has screwed up my workday though!

Our mayoral campaign has been lacklustre and boring. It is so interesting to see political polls swing like these have.

 

[W. K. Lis]

I don't understand why Ford didn't take more time to practice his delivery. It sounds so much like he is reading cue cards, and badly at that. The guy is a multi-milliomaire, why not spend a few bucks on someone who can help him come across more polished and with a bit more personalty? He should have been preparing with a coach months ago. He seems to be relying on too many non-professionals (his brothers) to run his campaign and that's a mistake. Maybe they don't want him to look too polished but that's also a mistake. He looks too awkward and unprepared right now. There are also way too many bad edits in this video. It's obvious they had to stop taping because he was making mistakes. Ford needed a hell of a lot more practice before he made this video.

Somebody get this man an acting/reading coach, now! (Don't be so cheap, spend your money)

I would have said that Ed Wood directed him, but he died back in 1978. Ed Wood was known to do only one take when he directed his movies, such as Plan 9 From Outer Space. But he did save money doing so.

 

[Redroom Studios]

after seeing those videos I was reminded of this guy... perhaps Rob Ford's distant cousin from Tennessee?

[video=youtube;1hvaeHllwtw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hvaeHllwtw[/video]

 

[toto]

Here is a screen capture of a comment page on Ford's youtube speech. Every comment was removed. The guy is a control freak!!!

 

[Dilla]

Do mayors have the power to tell private contractors how much to pay their employees? Do Council and the TTC award jobs to higher bids because the lower bidding contractors don't have unions? Do the province and the feds just play along? How exactly do "pro-union policies" greatly inflate infrastructure costs?

There's a policy in the city where contracted workers have to be paid the same as union workers. It's called the "fair wage policy". This is done to make contracting out appealing only when there' s not enough union bodies to fill the role. This policy makes us pay much more than market rates for work done for the city.

 

[GraphicMatt]

There's a policy in the city where contracted workers have to be paid the same as union workers. It's called the "fair wage policy". This is done to make contracting out appealing only when there' s not enough union bodies to fill the role. This policy makes us pay much more than market rates for work done for the city.

This is a bit of a simplification - the city's fair wage policy has been around since the 1890s and was originally enacted to ensure the city would not contract with businesses that don't pay their employees a fair wage.

You can read more about it here: http://www.toronto.ca/fairwage/policy.htm

 

[js97]

Wonder what Thomson will do next? She has enough public profile that she might be offered a safe Liberal seat in the next election. St Paul's would be a good option if Carolyn Bennett chooses to retire.

Oh, She's fully running for the Provincial PCs in the next election. I can't see her runing as a Liberal, unless she's ready to drop a lot of her supporters... there is no doubt she's a Tory.

Perhaps richmond hill or the like?

FYI, those that think all of Sarah Thomsons vote will go to Smtherman will be seriously mistaken. You'll see a lot go to Rossi, and even Ford.

There is no 'whiping' party lines here.

 

[TonyV]

I can't help it, I have to share a private chuckle. The online edition of the Globe and Mail says something about Ford "losing steam". Kind of conjures up a bad image, eh?

I hope it's steam he's losing, and not gas.

 

[nfitz]

This policy makes us pay much more than market rates for work done for the city.

Not necessarily. For some contractors - such as consultants, it requires that the company only be paid a specific mark-up of the consultants wage.

Looking at the resulting charge-out rates for TTC work (for example) per employee compared to what is charged private industry or other municipalities, the profit on TTC work is a lot lower; to the point where I know some consultants don't pursue Toronto work because they can make better money elsewhere. It only really works well if you are using high-end employees for all the work - but that makes the bid less competitive.

And no, I've never worked any any TTC job.

 

[GraphicMatt]

Oh, She's fully running for the Provincial PCs in the next election. I can't see her runing as a Liberal, unless she's ready to drop a lot of her supporters... there is no doubt she's a Tory.

Perhaps richmond hill or the like?

Sure, right, this bit from The Star today screams PC party:

Asked Tuesday if he would like to see Thomson as a Liberal candidate, Premier Dalton McGuinty flashed a grin before responding coyly.

“I’m not going to speculate about what’s happening on the municipal scene,” McGuinty, Smitherman’s former boss, told reporters at an Annex seniors’ home.

Besides, she's burned her bridges with single-minded Tory voters who can only blather on about SMITHERFRAUD and EHEALTH and blah blah blah.

Face it, js97, the Red Tories are dead and gone in this province. You've got no choice but to be a Liberal now. Assimilate or be destroyed by a bunch of social conservatives with only an elementary school understanding of government and issues.

 

[grey]

I can't help it, I have to share a private chuckle. The online edition of the Globe and Mail says something about Ford "losing steam". Kind of conjures up a bad image, eh?

I hope it's steam he's losing, and not gas.

RE: Ford losing steam -- what do you think this means with respect to city hall's gravy train?