Juan_Lennon416
Senior Member
Maybe he is a Liberal with a Conservative agenda 
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Next Mayor of Toronto?
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christiesplits
Senior Member
Maybe he is a Liberal with a Conservative agenda
Exactly, meaning he's a Liberal.
Eug
Senior Member
Who's up for Miller challenge?
Any thought that Mayor David Miller might slink away from public life and resume a profession of splitting hairs in the courts of justice has been put to rest. The two-term mayor says he will seek a third shift from the people of Toronto, an expectation that sets up an intriguing next four months when credible contenders must surface for the mayoral match of 2010.
The appetite for an alternative to Miller is voracious at the moment. Miller's botched and controversial raising of taxes last year, and this summer's five-week municipal strike, have stoked some desire for a different approach at city hall. And while council's August break will satiate that a bit, September will restart the feeding frenzy.
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So it seems that some people here Thompson as the only non-left on City Council that is a viable alternative. Why specifically? Just wondering. As for the others:
Ford: Hothead, without good reason for being a hothead. Plus he comes off as a homophobe and racist.
Minnan-Wong: Likes the sound-bites, but rarely says anything of substance.
Stintz: Sadly, the biggest thing I remember from her is her several thousand dollars of public speaking lessons charged to the public purse.
Tory: Well, he's failed soooo many times at public office already.
P.S. Ashton seemed to time his parting of ways with Miller just right.
Any thought that Mayor David Miller might slink away from public life and resume a profession of splitting hairs in the courts of justice has been put to rest. The two-term mayor says he will seek a third shift from the people of Toronto, an expectation that sets up an intriguing next four months when credible contenders must surface for the mayoral match of 2010.
The appetite for an alternative to Miller is voracious at the moment. Miller's botched and controversial raising of taxes last year, and this summer's five-week municipal strike, have stoked some desire for a different approach at city hall. And while council's August break will satiate that a bit, September will restart the feeding frenzy.
---
So it seems that some people here Thompson as the only non-left on City Council that is a viable alternative. Why specifically? Just wondering. As for the others:
Ford: Hothead, without good reason for being a hothead. Plus he comes off as a homophobe and racist.
Minnan-Wong: Likes the sound-bites, but rarely says anything of substance.
Stintz: Sadly, the biggest thing I remember from her is her several thousand dollars of public speaking lessons charged to the public purse.
Tory: Well, he's failed soooo many times at public office already.
P.S. Ashton seemed to time his parting of ways with Miller just right.
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js97
Senior Member
Hey!.. new here... but yes, the above article does outline some great points.
Ford: Although an excellent 'thorn' in the side of Miller, would not make a good candidate. he comes off a little to far in the Conservative camp.
We do need a credible candidate to rally around. Perhaps someone from the private sector that understand the value of a dollar, and doesn't rule by ideology?
I'm personally hesitant in electing another lifetime Municipal Buraucrat... especially one that's been involved in the last administration.
But really, Miller needs to ABSOLUTELY go.
Ford: Although an excellent 'thorn' in the side of Miller, would not make a good candidate. he comes off a little to far in the Conservative camp.
We do need a credible candidate to rally around. Perhaps someone from the private sector that understand the value of a dollar, and doesn't rule by ideology?
I'm personally hesitant in electing another lifetime Municipal Buraucrat... especially one that's been involved in the last administration.
But really, Miller needs to ABSOLUTELY go.
EnviroTO
Senior Member
If Smitherman runs I will vote for him. If John Tory runs and Smitherman doesn't I will vote for John Tory. There is nobody on the current council that I would choose over Miller... that isn't as much an endorsement for Miller as it is an observation that none of the councillors are worth voting for. Ford is a joke. Stintz is against everything and she would do everything better but she can't explain how. There isn't any councillor I can point to that comes across as someone who is going to get things done. We need someone from outside municipal politics because the current council is completely ineffective.
kEiThZ
Superstar
^ EnviroTO. Well put. Though for me, if there's no credible candidate against Miller, I'd rather not vote.
In reality the next election will be decided by Dalton. If he bails out Toronto, he bails out Miller. If he doesn't bail out Toronto, he'll sink Miller. If there's no bailout and Miller has to raise taxes sharply and cut service deeply, it'll be really easy to take him down. A Chimp in a cheap suit could do it then.
In reality the next election will be decided by Dalton. If he bails out Toronto, he bails out Miller. If he doesn't bail out Toronto, he'll sink Miller. If there's no bailout and Miller has to raise taxes sharply and cut service deeply, it'll be really easy to take him down. A Chimp in a cheap suit could do it then.
Riverdale Rink Rat
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I'm still expecting the next mayor to be Miller, but...
... a friend of mine high up in the city bureaucracy thinks Miller won't run again. He speaks with Miller pretty much daily, and his opinion is that Miller's getting tired of the grind. Take that for what it's worth, which might not be much.
So, our blue bin and organic was picked up only yesterday, and already the rhetoric from the press has cooled off several notches. Letters to the editor seem to be running along the lines of 'y'all been demonizing the mayor, how come? Contract's not that bad' for the past couple of days. Some columnists (Fiorito, e.g.) even coming out in support of the Mayor.
In fact, the union's indignation and silly 'this set relations back 10 years' yapping might have helped the mayor by making it seem that it was more of a 'union-busting' contract than it was.
You know who would make for a classic confrontation? Lisa Raitt. She could cash in her advocacy for Porter, she has some polish, and she's obviously both right wing and well regarded in Conservative circles.
And it would make for a quality donnybrook over the Island airport, union-busting or not, and whether we can afford the mayor's Transit City initiative.
It would be a fun fight to watch!
... a friend of mine high up in the city bureaucracy thinks Miller won't run again. He speaks with Miller pretty much daily, and his opinion is that Miller's getting tired of the grind. Take that for what it's worth, which might not be much.
So, our blue bin and organic was picked up only yesterday, and already the rhetoric from the press has cooled off several notches. Letters to the editor seem to be running along the lines of 'y'all been demonizing the mayor, how come? Contract's not that bad' for the past couple of days. Some columnists (Fiorito, e.g.) even coming out in support of the Mayor.
In fact, the union's indignation and silly 'this set relations back 10 years' yapping might have helped the mayor by making it seem that it was more of a 'union-busting' contract than it was.
You know who would make for a classic confrontation? Lisa Raitt. She could cash in her advocacy for Porter, she has some polish, and she's obviously both right wing and well regarded in Conservative circles.
And it would make for a quality donnybrook over the Island airport, union-busting or not, and whether we can afford the mayor's Transit City initiative.
It would be a fun fight to watch!
EnviroTO
Senior Member
I thought I read today that he was committed to running.
You're joking right? How long did she last in cabinet before messing up? Energetic yes, skilled... I don't think so. I want to vote for someone with experience running something big. If you want to pick someone related to the island airport pick Deluce, not Raitt. Deluce has skill and creates opportunities whereas Raitt just happens to be there.
adma
Superstar
Raitt represents the outer 905 for a reason (and not just because Tories are unelectable in the 416, either)
simuls
Senior Member
What about Adam Vaughan? I know he's a newbie, but maybe what we need is someone who isn't used to the bureaucracy? He certainly gets things done in his own ward and responds very quickly to emails.
adma
Superstar
Too inner-city. He'd be crushed in the boroughs.
EnviroTO
Senior Member
When was Adam Vaughan last in the news? Every councillor gets things done in their own ward. Has he spoken out against anything Miller has done? If he hasn't really spoken out against Miller then why not simply elect Miller who has proven he can deliver on Miller policies? If a politician hasn't spoken out against something Miller has done that I don't agree with then I don't understand why I wouldn't simply vote for Miller. On the flip side if a councillor is simply against the mayor but has not articulated an alternative vision then why would I jump to the conclusion that all things not Miller are automatically improvements?
Automation Gallery
Superstar
The fault, dear city, lies not in our mayor but ourselves
Aug 07, 2009 04:30 AM
Christopher Hume
When it comes to city politics, Torontonians are only happy when they're angry.
Aided and abetted by the media, residents have spent the past few weeks raging against Mayor David Miller. But for all his weaknesses, the man deserves a break. As much as one might wish he had more to show for his six years in office, the barrage of vitriol now verges on hysteria.
Let's not forget that despite the increased power city council gave the mayor, Toronto is no Chicago and Miller no Richard Daley. His control is far from absolute. True, he can set the agenda more than was previously possible, and to some extent pick his "cabinet," but perhaps the real problems faced by the city have more to do with council – and ourselves – than the Chief Magistrate.
Most recently Miller has been blamed for the civic workers' strike that just ended, as well as the terms of the settlement. But it was council that approved the deal; Miller's vote was just one among many.
Perhaps we should also remind ourselves that even in a so-called democracy the job of the mayor is not to be the most popular guy in town. Indeed, it could be argued that the people grow angriest with those politicians who do their jobs best.
Last year, for example, Torontonians were aghast that the city imposed its own vehicle registration fees and land transfer taxes. And yet when city hall announces that pools must be closed and skating rinks shut, the same howls of outrage are unleashed.
The fact is there's a direct correlation between taxes and public services. One might have thought we had learned that lesson – the hard way – during the Mike Harris regime and the disaster that was Walkerton. And let's not forget downloading.
You get what you pay for, of course, and despite what the right-wingers would have us believe, Torontonians have it relatively easy when it comes to municipal taxes.
As for the media, their response is as dumb as it is predictable. Mere mention of higher taxes sends the scribblers into paroxysms of outrage.
Get over it.
Remember the cries of doom and gloom heard last year when council approved the land transfer tax? It was the end of life as we know it. Then just yesterday the Toronto Real Estate Board released figures showing home sales in the GTA were up 28 per cent in July from the same month last year. The average price of a home rose by 6 per cent during the same period.
And what about all those condos Torontonians love to hate; they're still popping up everywhere and, more important, still selling. The market continues to boom.
Maybe reports of our demise were exaggerated. But perhaps it's not surprising that a city that lives by platitudes would expect it should be run by platitudes. In the absence of debate, we hear only posturing from the public as well as the pundits and politicians.
Instead of dumping on Miller for a settlement Torontonians consider too generous, we might well ask ourselves why it is that Canadians employed by the private sector make less than their public sector counterparts. Shouldn't all workers be eligible for pensions? Shouldn't all be entitled to sick days, if not the banking of sick days?
But in a society that has been convinced it's too poor to afford many of the basics, these issues are rarely raised. No wonder we prefer to blame the government.
It's the government's fault, not ours, that we can't afford the services to which we have grown accustomed. If only.
http://www.thestar.com/gta/columnist/article/677575
Aug 07, 2009 04:30 AM
Christopher Hume
When it comes to city politics, Torontonians are only happy when they're angry.
Aided and abetted by the media, residents have spent the past few weeks raging against Mayor David Miller. But for all his weaknesses, the man deserves a break. As much as one might wish he had more to show for his six years in office, the barrage of vitriol now verges on hysteria.
Let's not forget that despite the increased power city council gave the mayor, Toronto is no Chicago and Miller no Richard Daley. His control is far from absolute. True, he can set the agenda more than was previously possible, and to some extent pick his "cabinet," but perhaps the real problems faced by the city have more to do with council – and ourselves – than the Chief Magistrate.
Most recently Miller has been blamed for the civic workers' strike that just ended, as well as the terms of the settlement. But it was council that approved the deal; Miller's vote was just one among many.
Perhaps we should also remind ourselves that even in a so-called democracy the job of the mayor is not to be the most popular guy in town. Indeed, it could be argued that the people grow angriest with those politicians who do their jobs best.
Last year, for example, Torontonians were aghast that the city imposed its own vehicle registration fees and land transfer taxes. And yet when city hall announces that pools must be closed and skating rinks shut, the same howls of outrage are unleashed.
The fact is there's a direct correlation between taxes and public services. One might have thought we had learned that lesson – the hard way – during the Mike Harris regime and the disaster that was Walkerton. And let's not forget downloading.
You get what you pay for, of course, and despite what the right-wingers would have us believe, Torontonians have it relatively easy when it comes to municipal taxes.
As for the media, their response is as dumb as it is predictable. Mere mention of higher taxes sends the scribblers into paroxysms of outrage.
Get over it.
Remember the cries of doom and gloom heard last year when council approved the land transfer tax? It was the end of life as we know it. Then just yesterday the Toronto Real Estate Board released figures showing home sales in the GTA were up 28 per cent in July from the same month last year. The average price of a home rose by 6 per cent during the same period.
And what about all those condos Torontonians love to hate; they're still popping up everywhere and, more important, still selling. The market continues to boom.
Maybe reports of our demise were exaggerated. But perhaps it's not surprising that a city that lives by platitudes would expect it should be run by platitudes. In the absence of debate, we hear only posturing from the public as well as the pundits and politicians.
Instead of dumping on Miller for a settlement Torontonians consider too generous, we might well ask ourselves why it is that Canadians employed by the private sector make less than their public sector counterparts. Shouldn't all workers be eligible for pensions? Shouldn't all be entitled to sick days, if not the banking of sick days?
But in a society that has been convinced it's too poor to afford many of the basics, these issues are rarely raised. No wonder we prefer to blame the government.
It's the government's fault, not ours, that we can't afford the services to which we have grown accustomed. If only.
http://www.thestar.com/gta/columnist/article/677575
Riverdale Rink Rat
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Royson James has Miller running
I'm not saying she'd be good at the job -- I just think it would be an entertaining election campaign, given the fact she was in charge of the Harbour commish when Miller essentially ran against the airport.
I don't remember when I had the conversation with my friend where he predicted Miller stepping down, but it was before James' column, so that would be newer -- and probably more reliable -- news than City Hall scuttlebutt.
Deluce would never do it -- he's just trying to make money with his airline. Pecault might, and he would have solid credentials. What other outside-the-box candidates are there? Glen Grunwald? Anne Golden? William Thorsell?
I'm not saying she'd be good at the job -- I just think it would be an entertaining election campaign, given the fact she was in charge of the Harbour commish when Miller essentially ran against the airport.
I don't remember when I had the conversation with my friend where he predicted Miller stepping down, but it was before James' column, so that would be newer -- and probably more reliable -- news than City Hall scuttlebutt.
Deluce would never do it -- he's just trying to make money with his airline. Pecault might, and he would have solid credentials. What other outside-the-box candidates are there? Glen Grunwald? Anne Golden? William Thorsell?
Hank
Active Member
I sent him an email asking him not to vote for the strike settlement deal and I got back a boilerplate "thanks for your comments" email (although I did get it back very quickly). He also added me to his mailing list without asking me.
My parents emailed their councillor (Bill Saundercook) and, although he did later vote for the deal, he at least responded to their email with a list of reasons why he thought the deal was the right one for the city. I would have appreciated the same from Vaughan.