Next Mayor of Toronto?

[nfitz]

Are you sure? Smitherman has admitted to a 5 year addiction to party drugs prior to getting into politics - i.e. that he was clean all of the time he was an MPP. If you listen to the secret recording done by Doneit-Henderson he states that "the last time he bought drugs on the streets was in 2001 with George Smitherman" In 2001 Smitherman was already an MPP. Now I will be the first to admit that you cannot accept this statement as being true but there was no attempt to follow-up and ask Smitherman if what Doneit-Henderson said was true so we don't know what or who to believe.

Wow, I wish I had the ability to without a second's thought date something a decade ago to better than +/- 3 years, cold sober; let alone during withdrawal symptoms.

Is there any evidence Doneit-Henderson even knows Smitherman ... surely he was simply baiting the hook.

 

[Torontovibe]

Are you sure? Smitherman has admitted to a 5 year addiction to party drugs prior to getting into politics - i.e. that he was clean all of the time he was an MPP. If you listen to the secret recording done by Doneit-Henderson he states that "the last time he bought drugs on the streets was in 2001 with George Smitherman" In 2001 Smitherman was already an MPP. Now I will be the first to admit that you cannot accept this statement as being true but there was no attempt to follow-up and ask Smitherman if what Doneit-Henderson said was true so we don't know what or who to believe.

You would have to be a complete idiot to give that statement any credibility at all. The important thing here is if Smitherman is off drugs now and has he shown he has the ability to do his job and that very clearly has been shown. There has not been any evidence of recent drug use, so I think it's time to give that a rest unless maybe you have some substantial evidence. (Show me a video or quiet down)

Smitherman has much more credibility, integrity and intelligence than Ford will ever have. That I'm sure will be evident in time, even to the Ford worshippers. Be patient. My gut feeling tells me there are very few redeeming qualities in this man. I just feel it from everything I've seen and heard.

Time will tell.

 

[MetroMan]

So besides seeing quite a few Rob Fords out there for Halloween... I took my niece out for Trick or Treating tonight and found a house in the beaches with tombstones. One of them was split in hald and said: "Rob Ford or Hazel McCallion?" Ouch... who will die first? Anybody taking bets?

The funny one: "Sandra Bussin's political career". People in the beaches really didn't like her huh?

 

[archanfel]

You would have to be a complete idiot to give that statement any credibility at all. The important thing here is if Smitherman is off drugs now and has he shown he has the ability to do his job and that very clearly has been shown. There has not been any evidence of recent drug use, so I think it's time to give that a rest unless maybe you have some substantial evidence. (Show me a video or quiet down)

Smitherman has much more credibility, integrity and intelligence than Ford will ever have. That I'm sure will be evident in time, even to the Ford worshippers. Be patient. My gut feeling tells me there are very few redeeming qualities in this man. I just feel it from everything I've seen and heard.

Time will tell.

Who cares whether Smitherman is on drugs? If he could refund taxpayers the money that is wasted on his watch, I wouldn't care if he runs a drug cartel. Well, actually I would, but a little personal usage wouldn't bother me as long as he does his job well.

Time has already told. Toronto has shown Mr. Smitherman that in most voters' eyes, he has no credibility, integrity or intelligence.

 

[GraphicMatt]

I think I spoke too soon calling the QueensQuayKaren thing 'brilliant' - it's actually just kind of mean.

Official Rob Ford campaign called Sarah Thomson a 'surly bitch' and a 'whore.' Tried to cover it up before their flashy Maclean's article hit. Nice job!

(Via Torontoist)

 

[Coltaine79]

Found this interesting profile on the brain behind Ford's campaign mentioned today in the Globe interview... since this guy has presumably influenced Ford a lot, we may be able to find some hints as to what he might try to do as mayor.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...-man-behind-the-ford-campaign/article1738989/

 

[MetroMan]

As much as I think Ford is an idiot who's incapable of running this city, I have to give him credit for one thing: he does get back to you when you call him and he does so personally. That's the job of a councillor anyway. When I used to write to Pants, it would take a week or more to get an email reply and often my issues would not get resolved the first time. On Monday, I wrote Adam Vaughan and Pam McConnell (and CC'd their assistants) and as of today, I didn't even receive an acknowledgement of the receipt of my letter.

 

[Blovertis]

Are you sure? Smitherman has admitted to a 5 year addiction to party drugs prior to getting into politics - i.e. that he was clean all of the time he was an MPP. If you listen to the secret recording done by Doneit-Henderson he states that "the last time he bought drugs on the streets was in 2001 with George Smitherman" In 2001 Smitherman was already an MPP. Now I will be the first to admit that you cannot accept this statement as being true but there was no attempt to follow-up and ask Smitherman if what Doneit-Henderson said was true so we don't know what or who to believe.

You keep bringing this up, but has it never occurred to you that Doneit-Henderson threw in that comment about Smitherman in an effort to prod Ford into saying something gratuitously insulting, if not libellous, about his opponent? He was out to get Ford, remember?

 

[GenerationW]

Here's a prediction about Ford. He's going to break the law again such as DUI or improper use of his office.

Do you mean the same way Giambrone got nabbed for improper use of his office?

Smitherman has much more credibility, integrity and intelligence than Ford will ever have. That I'm sure will be evident in time, even to the Ford worshippers. Be patient. My gut feeling tells me there are very few redeeming qualities in this man. I just feel it from everything I've seen and heard.

Smitherman lost a billion dollars, and Ford can't count that high. I'd say credibility, integrity and intelligence kind of even out for those two.

Official Rob Ford campaign called Sarah Thomson a 'surly bitch' and a 'whore.' Tried to cover it up before their flashy Maclean's article hit. Nice job!

If it were me, I wouldn't try to cover that up. Those were apt descriptions of a candidate who betrayed the electorate.

 

[duper]

Smitherman lost a billion dollars, and Ford can't count that high. I'd say credibility, integrity and intelligence kind of even out for those two.

But that's not even true. It's a great Ford talking point, but it's a complete fabrication. In no part of the auditors report does it say $1 billion was lost.

 

[Peepers]

You keep bringing this up, but has it never occurred to you that Doneit-Henderson threw in that comment about Smitherman in an effort to prod Ford into saying something gratuitously insulting, if not libellous, about his opponent? He was out to get Ford, remember?

If you read my comments I clearly state that I do not accept what Doneit-Henderson says as statements of fact but they did warrant further investigation and yet none of the media asked Smitherman for a response to this serious accusation. Also, why didn't the Smitherman campaign issue an immediate denial? I find their silence in this matter to be curious.

Party drugs aside, on the issue of credibility, Smitherman lost all credibility when he refused to release his donor list before the election.

 

[Peepers]

But that's not even true. It's a great Ford talking point, but it's a complete fabrication. In no part of the auditors report does it say $1 billion was lost.

Even if the amount wasted is $1 Billion this figure is peanuts compared to the cost of the Green Energy Act which Smitherman proudly proclaims "he was the father of". Although Smitherman had left Queens Park by the time the contract was inked it was Smitherman who flew to Seoul Korea to negotiate with Samsung.

In what must be the worst deal ever concluded on behalf of the people of Ontario (even worse than Hwy 407) Smitherman's Samsung deal will add somewhere between $10 - $54 BILLION to our energy bills (depending upon what mix of wind or solar gets built) . This is over and above the current average rate!. Our Hydro rates are expected to skyrocket 60% by 2015!

http://viewsfromscience.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-mcguintys-plan-will-cost-you.html

 

[duper]

Even if the amount wasted is $1 Billion this figure is peanuts compared to the cost of the Green Energy Act which Smitherman proudly proclaims "he was the father of". Although Smitherman had left Queens Park by the time the contract was inked it was Smitherman who flew to Seoul Korea to negotiate with Samsung.

In what must be the worst deal ever concluded on behalf of the people of Ontario (even worse than Hwy 407) Smitherman's Samsung deal will add somewhere between $10 - $54 BILLION to our energy bills (depending upon what mix of wind or solar gets built) . This is over and above the current average rate!. Our Hydro rates are expected to skyrocket 60% by 2015!

http://viewsfromscience.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-mcguintys-plan-will-cost-you.html

Ah, yes. The Green Energy and Economy Act, hailed as the most innovative green economy legislation in North America, and estimated to create 50,000 green jobs.

Terrible tragedy, all those jobs.

But, on the subject of the $1 billion, my point was that people love to exaggerate a story, and the $1 billion lost story is not a fair or accurate portrayal of Smitherman's record at all.

 

[lafard]

http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/11/01/15910221.html

Rob Ford's campaign budget is 650 grand in the red. He spent money he didn't have.

He sure couldn't control the gravy train on his own campaign.

He didn't fundraise as much as he hoped to, but blindly went ahead and spent the money anyways. Exactly the sort of thing he would have bellowed at Miller about. Has the man ever actually had to work within a budget in his life? He's definitely not limited at home, I imagine Doug has veto at Deco if things got stupid, and he ignored his office budget as councillor.

That's 54 Rae retirement parties.

This just gets better and better.

 

[cgguy]

Newsflash - Smitherman lost. Get over it people.