Rob Ford's Toronto

[CanadianNational]

Ridiculous and contemptible.

There are a million things in this city that need attention, and he's going after libraries for the second time in mere months?

 

[TonyV]

I am watching for more Raymond Cho types out there, who will remind the public that we have to hand a quality city down to the next generations. Cho spoke so well when he started to differ with Ford, whom he once backed.

It's early in the game, kids. I firmly believe that a lot of people who voted for Ford will think twice the next time around. I am really watching City Hall these days, it's getting interesting.

Ford: a manipulative type who has convinced himself that there is a simple answer to any complex issue. He's unfit for office in all respects.

 

[Torontovibe]

Ridiculous and contemptible.

There are a million things in this city that need attention, and he's going after libraries for the second time in mere months?

He's also going after the bells in the clock tower of Old City Hall. (see Toronto Star) Gotta cut that gravy and historic bells must be gravy, right?

 

[Torontovibe]

Your kidding me, right?

No, I'm not kidding you but now that I did some checking around, I see that my assumption was wrong. (They are not paid extra) I don't even know why they want to sit on boards, when many of them fail to even attend board meetings. What's the point?

 

[GraphicMatt]

I am watching for more Raymond Cho types out there, who will remind the public that we have to hand a quality city down to the next generations. Cho spoke so well when he started to differ with Ford, whom he once backed.

Very much agreed -- the double sting of the 2012 budget process and the provincial election will lead to some fracturing at council. Ford's voting bloc isn't going to hold.

 

[GraphicMatt]

No, I'm not kidding you but now that I did some checking around, I see that my assumption was wrong. (They are not paid extra) I don't even know why they want to sit on boards, when many of them fail to even attend board meetings. What's the point?

Some of them are bad at attending meetings, yes, but others do have a legitimate commitment to public service. Maria Augimeri, for example, grew up in social housing in Toronto.

Local politics can be a total shitshow but I find there's a lot of sincerity amongst councillors. It's different than provincial and federal politics where it feels like no one is saying what they actually think and every move is calculated in advance by party analysts. Even Ford, who I am not a fan of, is legitimately passionate about serving people.

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

Has anyone heard from Councillor Raymond Cho since 'the speech'? The guy finally speaks and then hides again. I do not know what is in the air in Northeast Scarborough but for Ward 42 to constantly back Cho as their Councillor is crazy.

 

[greenleaf]

Is this our future?

From: "In California City, Layoffs for Nearly Half the Staff"


"To solve a looming pension crisis and budget gap, city officials said, they needed to take drastic action. Now everyone agrees on one thing: they did.

Nearly half of this city’s workers were told late last week that, come September, they would probably be out of a job. Nearly every city department will be eliminated. More than a dozen tasks will be outsourced, including graffiti removal, firefighting, building maintenance and street cleaning.

The letters went out last week to more than 200 of the city’s roughly 450 workers, sending many into a panic as they scurried to look for new jobs. The move will, in one great swoop, reinvent municipal government here, and perhaps lead the way for other cities to adopt similar plans.

Emotions in Costa Mesa, already running high, grew more intense after one city worker, summoned to receive his pink slip, instead climbed five stories to the roof of City Hall and jumped to his death."

 

[jje1000]

Has anyone heard from Councillor Raymond Cho since 'the speech'? The guy finally speaks and then hides again. I do not know what is in the air in Northeast Scarborough but for Ward 42 to constantly back Cho as their Councillor is crazy.

At least he's better than Mammoliti, who speaks without a mind.

Is this our future?

I doubt so. There likely will be cuts, but I don't think that citizens and the unions wouldn't fight this. Depends where the cuts are, though.

Here's hoping that there'll be a reasonable tax increase next year so that we can at least have some headroom in dealing with the budget crisis!

 

[adma]

Somehow, I think that where Mayor Ford's "agenda" has succeeded thus far in council, it's more by way of generic-conservative-mayor proxy, i.e. it could just as well emanate from a Mayor Stintz/Minnan-Wong/Thompson (which'd make for a smoother transition should any of them rise to power in the event of a flamed-out Ford)

 

[lafard]

Left + middle = 22 councillors.

Ford + right = 23 councillors.

Basically, Ford is one single defection away from losing balance-of-power.

Wondering why Mammoliti is off shooting his mouth off again? He's bulletproof. He is completely in control of the balance of power in council and no matter what he says or does the Fords cant' do anything. Losing him would basically stop Ford Nation in its track. Oh, that balance of power? basically every single other Ford Nation councillor is exactly the same position.

When the time comes for the real difficult votes to come out, watch for the sharper Right councillors to realize this and take full advantage of this situation. Don't want that community centre in your ward cut? Threaten to defect. And of course, both the hardcore Ford Nation types and the Left would be watching like a hawk for any sort of ethical slipup that could take out the despots. And of course, it's a matter of time until someone DOES defect ending the whole thing anyways.

It will be interesting to see what happens when the Fords find there are 10 other chefs in the kitchen. I doubt much of his platform will ultimately come to pass as Ford Nation is already on borrowed time before it collapses into itself.

 

[Filip]

Left + middle = 22 councillors.

Ford + right = 23 councillors.

Basically, Ford is one single defection away from losing balance-of-power.

Wondering why Mammoliti is off shooting his mouth off again? He's bulletproof. He is completely in control of the balance of power in council and no matter what he says or does the Fords cant' do anything. Losing him would basically stop Ford Nation in its track. Oh, that balance of power? basically every single other Ford Nation councillor is exactly the same position.

When the time comes for the real difficult votes to come out, watch for the sharper Right councillors to realize this and take full advantage of this situation. Don't want that community centre in your ward cut? Threaten to defect. And of course, both the hardcore Ford Nation types and the Left would be watching like a hawk for any sort of ethical slipup that could take out the despots. And of course, it's a matter of time until someone DOES defect ending the whole thing anyways.

It will be interesting to see what happens when the Fords find there are 10 other chefs in the kitchen. I doubt much of his platform will ultimately come to pass as Ford Nation is already on borrowed time before it collapses into itself.

You're running on the assumption that the centre will align themselves with the left. Chances are a few of those could just as easily support Ford (and have).

 

[taal]

Have a look at:

http://torontoist.com/fordiness/fordbyname.php

You'll see many so called left councilors side with Ford on multiple issues.

It all depends what the specific vote is. A lot of the left councilors are more in the middle and money / a balanced budget / low tax increases are important to them. He should be able to accomplish quite a bit (it all depends on what that bit is).

 

[lafard]

Ah, but if you watch the voting patterns a more discernable pattern emerges. On the rhetorical campaign platform issues, Ford had a high level of agreement, even among the left.

Get to service cuts and the margins are much narrower. Tenant defense fund and library closures? Relatively low impact cuts - but 21 against. Wait til the real cuts go on the table, there won't be support for them.

Fiscal responsibility is important, but the goals - build a city, have rock-bottom taxes, and a balanced budget, are not fundamentally reconcilable. Pick 2 of 3. #3 is a given, but who will fall on the side of city building and who will fall on the side of low taxes?

More fundamentally, even if the Fords were being the despots they so desperately wish they could be, there is simply no way to balance the budget on cuts alone. When faced with tax hikes and service cuts (both necessarily massive), what will councillors choose to do?

Is his budget plan goign to be like his transit plan, and when it's clear it won't work, dissapear into never-never land?

 

[jje1000]

You're running on the assumption that the centre will align themselves with the left. Chances are a few of those could just as easily support Ford (and have).

Like what taal and lafard have said, it all depends all what's on the table. It's been said so many times, but Ford has almost exhausted his easy voter-friendly options. The more difficult and controversial issues coming next year will very likely prove more decisive within council.