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Next Mayor of Toronto?

I started looking at Ford's budget press release. http://www.scribd.com/doc/38280842/Rob-Ford-s-Saving-Our-City-Plan

I couldn't get very far, it's very bizarre.

For justification of cutting councillors from 44 to 22 it refers to Greater London and says "Greater London (UK) with a population of over 7.5 million
has 14 constituencies and elects a total of 25 members of its assembly."

However, it completely ignores that the Greater London council is a senior level of government. Something like if we had a GTA council comprising of Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Pickering Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan, etc. Each of the 33 cities and boroughs that make up Greater London also have their own councils. And they have far more councillors than we do. For example, the Hackney (pop 212,000) has 50 councillors. Hammersmith and Fulham (population 172,000) has 46 councillors. Camden (population 235,000) has 51 councillors.

To suggest that London only has 25 councillors for 7.5 million people (about one per 300,000) is massively fraudulent. The truth is London has over 1,000 councillors; much less than 1 per 10,000. If we were to have a similar structure here, we would elect councillors for both the district and city councils, with perhaps 10 councillors a the city level, and 500 at the district level.

I just can't believe how Ford will say these really bizarre things with absolutely no basis.
 
grey said:
RE: Ford losing steam -- what do you think this means with respect to city hall's gravy train?
Click to expand...

Didn't you get the memo? The train stopped at Poutini's to load up on cheese, gravy and fries after a night out on the town.

(Both Ford and Smitherman could lose some weight.)
 
Rocco Rossi would be the next logical drop out. I'm hoping he stays in because almost certainly his supporters would move to Rob Ford. So while Pants may be splitting the vote on the left, Rossi is keeping Ford's support in check on the right. I think we have a good balance. I'd welcome Joe dropping out to support Smitherman, but that is not going to happen. Pantalone isn't going to give up his 30 year career like this.

So I'm looking forward to the next poll. I think that it may push Smitherman over Rob Ford and propel his momentum forward in the final weeks. What he needs now is a series of big time endorsements. I think we'll see a lineup of existing city councillors voicing their support to work with him in city council. Unlike Ford's council endorsements, George would get a lot more than 3 or 4. I can count at least 10 in my head now.

It would also be great if a high profile debate were held with the top two. It's improbable but justifiable if a media company wants to do it. Smitherman would obliterate Ford in a one on one debate. Ford has been able to squeak through the debates with his limited script because the other candidates debate amongst themselves while he sits quiet, deflecting the occasional barb with prepared one liners. If you got Smitherman talking the whole time, putting Ford on the spotlight, people will see that he doesn't know how to respond, that he doesn't know his facts and is not fit to be Mayor.
 
nfitz said:
I started looking at Ford's budget press release. http://www.scribd.com/doc/38280842/Rob-Ford-s-Saving-Our-City-Plan

I couldn't get very far, it's very bizarre.

For justification of cutting councillors from 44 to 22 it refers to Greater London and says "Greater London (UK) with a population of over 7.5 million
has 14 constituencies and elects a total of 25 members of its assembly."

However, it completely ignores that the Greater London council is a senior level of government. Something like if we had a GTA council comprising of Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Pickering Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan, etc. Each of the 33 cities and boroughs that make up Greater London also have their own councils. And they have far more councillors than we do. For example, the Hackney (pop 212,000) has 50 councillors. Hammersmith and Fulham (population 172,000) has 46 councillors. Camden (population 235,000) has 51 councillors.

To suggest that London only has 25 councillors for 7.5 million people (about one per 300,000) is massively fraudulent. The truth is London has over 1,000 councillors; much less than 1 per 10,000. If we were to have a similar structure here, we would elect councillors for both the district and city councils, with perhaps 10 councillors a the city level, and 500 at the district level.

I just can't believe how Ford will say these really bizarre things with absolutely no basis.
Click to expand...

That's a good find. Post it to Torontist, BlogTO, Spacing and Toronto Election News. Call in to talk shows and make that point. It's a very good one.
 
GraphicMatt said:
Sure, right, this bit from The Star today screams PC party:



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.
Click to expand...

LOL...

Resistance is futile... you will be assimilated... ehealth is irrelavant...
 
MetroMan said:
That's a good find. Post it to Torontist, BlogTO, Spacing and Toronto Election News. Call in to talk shows and make that point. It's a very good one.
Click to expand...
Presumably many people know this. The huge glut of councillors in London is big issue. You only have to pick up the Evening Standard while in London to be very aware of this.

What's shocking is that no one in Ford's camp does.
 
People may know about London's councillor numbers but I'm not sure how many will read Ford's claim and connect the two like you did. I think you should send it to the Toronto Star's "smell test" writer.
 
From the possible director of Rob Ford's video, the latest video commenting on those who would dare defect from Sarah Thomson to George Smitherman, and not Rob Ford:

[video=youtube;nDKDBd22lNM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDKDBd22lNM[/video]
 
nfitz said:
I started looking at Ford's budget press release. http://www.scribd.com/doc/38280842/Rob-Ford-s-Saving-Our-City-Plan

I couldn't get very far, it's very bizarre.

For justification of cutting councillors from 44 to 22 it refers to Greater London and says "Greater London (UK) with a population of over 7.5 million
has 14 constituencies and elects a total of 25 members of its assembly."

However, it completely ignores that the Greater London council is a senior level of government. Something like if we had a GTA council comprising of Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Pickering Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan, etc. Each of the 33 cities and boroughs that make up Greater London also have their own councils. And they have far more councillors than we do. For example, the Hackney (pop 212,000) has 50 councillors. Hammersmith and Fulham (population 172,000) has 46 councillors. Camden (population 235,000) has 51 councillors.

To suggest that London only has 25 councillors for 7.5 million people (about one per 300,000) is massively fraudulent. The truth is London has over 1,000 councillors; much less than 1 per 10,000. If we were to have a similar structure here, we would elect councillors for both the district and city councils, with perhaps 10 councillors a the city level, and 500 at the district level.

I just can't believe how Ford will say these really bizarre things with absolutely no basis.
Click to expand...

Found this on CBC comment forum: “Looking in the press release; why is Rob Ford claiming London England only has 25 coucillors for 7.5 million people?"

The Borough of Westminster alone has 60 councillors. With over 30 boroughs there are over 1,500 councillors in London. If we had as many as them, we'd have 500 councillors not 44!
 
Pardon my French, but what a complete fucking disgrace! There goes the candidate I was heavily leaning towards.

“You know what? I eat my words because I thought his plan was terrific,” Thomson said as she and Smitherman faced the TV cameras together for the first time as campaign allies and not rivals.
Click to expand...
Not just your words, but your integrity, reputation, and self-respect!

I find it unconscionable that a candidate decided to drop out AFTER the cut-off date AND threw her support behind someone else. Ms. Thomson, show some character and honour your commitment to stay in it to the end. How fucking hard is that?

And Smitherman accepting this quitter's "support" automatically disqualifies him in my eyes. That just reveals him to be no better than her. This is a municipal election, not some de facto leadership convention. The level of political opportunism here is beyond disgusting.

Ford and Pants have always been out of the question for me, so that leaves Rossi and the no-hopers (are any of them not nuts???). At least with Thomson, there was the prospect of a decent showing and then a run in 2014. Now? Poof -- vanished into thin air! As the kids say....

EPIC FAIL!!!!!
 
Last edited:
So the province might need to bankroll Toronto in the order of $100 million a year? I thought Mr. No New Tax just said he didn't have the cash.
 
GenerationW said:
Pardon my French, but what a complete fucking disgrace! There goes the candidate I was heavily leaning towards.

Not just your words, but your integrity, reputation, and self-respect!

I find it unconscionable that a candidate decided to drop out AFTER the cut-off date AND threw her support behind someone else. Ms. Thomson, show some character and honour your commitment to stay in it to the end. How fucking hard is that?

And Smitherman accepting this quitter's "support" automatically disqualifies him in my eyes. That just reveals him to be no better than her. This is a municipal election, not some de facto leadership convention. The level of political opportunism here is beyond disgusting.

Ford and Pants have always been out of the question for me, so that leaves Rossi and the no-hopers (are any of them not nuts???). At least with Thomson, there was the prospect of a decent showing and then a run in 2014. Now? Poof -- vanished into thin air! As the kids say....
Click to expand...

Why take it so personally? This is how politics works.

I hate to imagine your reaction if (when?) Rossi drops out.
 
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