Rob Ford's Toronto

[jje1000]

All of that could equally apply to anyone on this board. Everybody here has made up their mind against Ford, so I'm not sure why its a strike against me that I've made up my mind in favor of him. I don't agree with him on every issue, but so far, I like the job he's doing.

That's true, but the gist of it all is that even on the point where Ford gets his most support, some fiscal conservatives can see that Ford's not really doing anything to improve city efficiency and cut waste. All he really did in terms of reducing spending was impose an across-the-board cut for all programs rather than selectively reduce waste where it's at. (i.e. windrow plowing, police budget).

It's really more that it's all talk and superficial fluff, no real study and cost-cutting where it counts. And yet it still perplexes me that Ford is continuously held up as the messiah or savior of the city. I'd much rather wait for a better candidate to come along in the next election rather than throw my vote in with Ford.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

That's why my source and people they know think its release is imminent. Live Leak may be where its headed because from what I understand, they don't appear to monitor or censor content.

Just a serious word of warning, be careful poking around liveleak, it has authentic, uncensored, graphic, violent content of things most people don't want to see and they don't warn you about what you are about to watch. I wandered onto this site a few years ago and wish I hadn't. Be careful, or better yet, wait for an actual link if this recording does indeed get posted there - otherwise, steer clear.

 

[Adaax]

I suppose if the owner of the video purchased it from someone else using the proceeds of crime then money laundering could come into play if he turns around and sells it. I think applying RICO laws is a stretch but I get your point that things are not black and white.

Just one of those things where our institutions get a weird when it comes to drug laws. I'm someone who generally trusts our law & order institutions, but drug laws are more or less unenforceable and highly political, so strange things happen.

 

[canmark]

Who knew? Rob Ford has "grown up" on events like Caribana, which he's been going to "for a long time." I guess this is not a cottage weekend.

The Caribbean festival has been a staple in Toronto for 43 years. For people who have grown up with the annual festivities, like Mayor Rob Ford, the event brings nothing but smiles.

“It’s always a good time at these kind of events, events like the Caribbean festival. I’ve been coming here for a long time and I always look forward to it,” Ford said.

It’s events like the Caribbean parade that continue to bring money into the city and benefit everyone living in Toronto, he said.

“There are jobs that have been created, and the tourism from the event brings in money to the city,” Ford said. “It’s a great event.”

Nothing says Caribana like a dress shirt and blazer.

 

[LowPolygon]

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford remains shadowed by crack video scandal: Editorial

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/edit...hadowed_by_crack_video_scandal_editorial.html

 

[mrtinfoilsocket]

What I want to know... if and when the crack video is released - Can we expect the inhabitants of Ford Nation to show up in comment forums apologizing for the nastiness they've been spewing for months at anybody who dared claim the whole thing might be true? More importantly, will they retract the anger and insults they've directed at Robyn Doolittle and Kevin Donovan? (This is a rhetorical question of course)

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

The Caribbean festival has been a staple in Toronto for 43 years. For people who have grown up with the annual festivities, like Mayor Rob Ford, the event brings nothing but smiles.

“It’s always a good time at these kind of events, events like the Caribbean festival. I’ve been coming here for a long time and I always look forward to it,” Ford said.

It’s events like the Caribbean parade that continue to bring money into the city and benefit everyone living in Toronto, he said.

“There are jobs that have been created, and the tourism from the event brings in money to the city,” Ford said. “It’s a great event.”

Hmm, I thought he hadn't gone until the last year or two...and interesting he didn't say anything along said lines for Pride. I wonder how he voted for funding for the festival.

AoD

 

[Tee]

Hmm, I thought he hadn't gone until the last year or two...and interesting he didn't say anything along said lines for Pride. I wonder how he voted for funding for the festival.

AoD

He was also an hour late, so he didn't make to the ribbon cutting ceremony. That's our Mayor ladies and gents...look away! Kathleen Wynne was at there.

 

[MetroMan]

UPDATE: I'm told that Chief Blair is going to update the public on Rob Ford's involvement in Project Traveller, probably as early as the end of August or early September. He's just not prepared to do it yet because an investigation is ongoing and any updates right now will compromise the ability to negotiate plea deals with those already charged.

Word is getting out through little bits and pieces of details via cops/lawyers/suspects talking to their friends and spouses that alone say very little but together they're painting a picture: Ford is not being investigated as a suspect, but as a motive that lead to some of those arrested committing a crime. This is why the Chief can't deny Ford's involvement -- because he is involved -- but he probably won't be criminally charged with anything.

However, there's still a good chance that more arrests will be made and that the police will pursue any leads that those already arrested reveal during the ongoing investigation. If for example Siad decides to go on record that he sold crack to Rob Ford and if others in the video testify that Ford was indeed smoking crack on camera, there's a chance that The Crown might want to pursue charges. Admittedly, it's unlikely that Ford would do any significant time because it would be a first offence and so given that he's just one of many customers, despite his high profile he's too little a priority to be given any police resources on this case when there are much bigger fish to fry.

Where there's a good chance of this getting very interesting is with Rob Ford the witness. If Siad refuses to talk and the prosecutor wants to throw the book at him, because they can prove that Rob Ford is a customer (the video), Ford may in fact be called to testify with the impending threat that if he doesn't admit to buying crack from Siad, they'll pursue possession charges. Both are bad outcomes for the Mayor. Imagine Ford on the stand, under oath having to admit to buying crack cocaine. Imagine Ford being taken away in cuffs after being charged with buying crack. I don't know how he's able to function day-to-day with either of these scenarios approaching.

I hope this plays out before the elections because this circus needs to end and the city needs a leader. 8 years of rudderless policy is going to be disastrous for Toronto. Whatever happens, this is far from over and Ford is in an ever more sticky situation. His web of lies and his involvement with criminally charged suspects is going to keep tangling. His only way out is to tell the truth.

 

[Blovertis]

Metroman, thanks for the update. Your analysis makes sense to me. I, like many others, have speculated about a three-way conspiracy to cover up the video between TPS, the Crown and the Fords. Increasingly, I see that the police and prosecutors are just plain scared -- of having to pursue criminal charges against the mayor without definitive proof of what's in that pipe and with witnesses who are discreditable, to say the least.

 

[JWBF]

UPDATE: I'm told that Chief Blair is going to update the public on Rob Ford's involvement in Project Traveller, probably as early as the end of August or early September. He's just not prepared to do it yet because an investigation is ongoing and any updates right now will compromise the ability to negotiate plea deals with those already charged.

Word is getting out through little bits and pieces of details via cops/lawyers/suspects talking to their friends and spouses that alone say very little but together they're painting a picture: Ford is not being investigated as a suspect, but as a motive that lead to some of those arrested committing a crime. This is why the Chief can't deny Ford's involvement -- because he is involved -- but he probably won't be criminally charged with anything.

However, there's still a good chance that more arrests will be made and that the police will pursue any leads that those already arrested reveal during the ongoing investigation. If for example Siad decides to go on record that he sold crack to Rob Ford and if others in the video testify that Ford was indeed smoking crack on camera, there's a chance that The Crown might want to pursue charges. Admittedly, it's unlikely that Ford would do any significant time because it would be a first offence and so given that he's just one of many customers, despite his high profile he's too little a priority to be given any police resources on this case when there are much bigger fish to fry.

Where there's a good chance of this getting very interesting is with Rob Ford the witness. If Siad refuses to talk and the prosecutor wants to throw the book at him, because they can prove that Rob Ford is a customer (the video), Ford may in fact be called to testify with the impending threat that if he doesn't admit to buying crack from Siad, they'll pursue possession charges. Both are bad outcomes for the Mayor. Imagine Ford on the stand, under oath having to admit to buying crack cocaine. Imagine Ford being taken away in cuffs after being charged with buying crack. I don't know how he's able to function day-to-day with either of these scenarios approaching.

I hope this plays out before the elections because this circus needs to end and the city needs a leader. 8 years of rudderless policy is going to be disastrous for Toronto. Whatever happens, this is far from over and Ford is in an ever more sticky situation. His web of lies and his involvement with criminally charged suspects is going to keep tangling. His only way out is to tell the truth.

IMHO, Robbie has dug (or is that Doug ) his hole so deep that he has reached the point of not return already. Just the fact that Robbie has gone on the record stating that there is no video endangers his voter base. And in reality, that is what is the most important to Robbie, damage that, and he just does not lose being mayor, but it loses him the protections of that position.

On a side note: If an extension to the Bloor-Danforth subway is built, I wonder how Robbie will spin the increased congestion due to stations built at major intersections. And how the subway will not run into the STC, or the extra cost of doing so.

Didn't Robbie say that a SRT conversion would tear up streets and such, and that's one of the ways subways are better?

 

[RC8]

Indeed, it appears that the powers that be are passively protecting the mayor. It's likely they will avoid involving him at all if they can get away with it, judging by everyone's behaviour thus far.

 

[MetroMan]

Indeed, it appears that the powers that be are passively protecting the mayor. It's likely they will avoid involving him at all if they can get away with it, judging by everyone's behaviour thus far.

After what I've pieced together, it's very clear to me that nobody is being protected by the police or the Crown. Revealing Rob Ford as being involved in this investigation before it's carried through would in fact jeopardize the whole thing, closing doors that would make it harder to prosecute charges and limit how far deep down the rabbit hole they can go. I agree that the public is entitled to know if the police have dirt on their Mayor but this will come in due time. I'm told end of this month or beginning of the next, we should hear an update from the Chief himself.

 

[Tee]

Thanks for the update MetroMan .

 

[TheTigerMaster]

How does RoFo sleep at night? I could never live normally with this hanging over me. I'd imagine that every time he turns on the TV or picks up a newspaper his heart skips a few beats as he waits to see if his lies have been revealed. It would have been so much easier for Ford to have fessed up his crack addiction when Gawker first broke the story.