Rob Ford's Toronto

[jje1000]

Ford accused of stacking public appointments -- Toronto Star

The civic appointments committee is sweeping clean some boards, including the one overseeing libraries, with all members denied a chance at reappointment. Mayor Rob Ford’s office has taken an unprecedented interest in the process, even — according to witnesses — handing council allies a list of the citizen applicants, marked up with notes, during the short-listing.

<snip>

“I think we have moved from a skills-based process to one based on patronage and political affiliations,” said Councillor Joe Mihevc, a former appointments committee member who recently visited a closed-door session of the current committee chaired by Councillor Frances Nunziata.

“Instead of getting the best and the brightest we’re going to get the ones who are politically connected, and that’s a tragedy.”

<snip>

On July 18, a majority of committee members voted to kick out Councillor Janet Davis, who was visiting to observe the shortlist process. Davis won’t say why, because it was an in camera meeting.

But the Star has learned Davis was turfed after she vehemently complained about seeing a mayoral staffer distributing preferred-applicant lists to the mayor’s supporters. City staff confirm the mayor’s office has no official role in the selection process.

All of this is so slimy- is there anyway to stop this?

 

[GenerationW]

is there anyway to stop this?

Yes. I think they're called elections.

 

[Automation Gallery]

All of this is so slimy- is there anyway to stop this?

Gee shame..Once upon a time, there was a former mayor that played that same game for 7 long years.

 

[DanTheMan]

This is making the rounds to city employees, talk is cheap, time to start fighting for the Toronto you want to live in.


RALLY FOR TORONTO!
Monday, September 26th,
5:30 pm
Toronto City Hall

Come to City Hall to demand respect for every Torontonian - Our Communities,
Public Services, and Good Jobs.
Lots of people are upset over the conduct of the Ford Executive during its
marathon session. Not only did they force people to make deputations in the
middle of the night, but some of Ford's supporters treated deputants with open
contempt. The marathon session, the longest in Toronto's history, reflects the
public anger over the range of services on the chopping block in Ford's Services
Review.
Thousands of Torontonians rallied on April 9th to warn about what we are seeing
now. It's time to start mobilizing for a massive turnout during City Council
meeting on September 26th, when the cuts will be on the table. Everyone from
library users and transit riders to city workers will be there!
More information and flyers will be available soon.

 

[Marko]

All of this is so slimy- is there anyway to stop this?

It's not slimy. It's how the elected leadership of a particular policial body - be it federal, provincial or municipal - is able to put people in place that will work to implement the policies and programs of the government. Every single political body in history has done this - the most recent being David Miller who did this quite openly.

At least one of the affected committe members understands this:

Eman Ahmed, the current library board chair and a projects manager at the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, wasn’t surprised nobody has called her for an interview.

“This board was appointed by the previous administration. I’m assuming (the new one is) going to want their own people in place,†Ahmed said.

“I’m not paid for this; it’s a volunteer thing. So if they don’t want to appoint me, fair enough, it’s their prerogative.â

 

[Automation Gallery]

Gee, he is probably the only Toronto mayor that ever opened up City Hall for a full face to face marathon discussion with its citizens...and now he's getting trashed for doing so, what a bunch of Whiners and Cry-Baby's.

Come to City Hall to demand respect for every Torontonian - Our Communities,
Public Services, and Good Jobs..

Such rubbish ...The extreme lefties in this town are definitely out of control, and thank goodness that they're only a drop in the bucket of our overall population.

 

[nfitz]

Gee shame..Once upon a time, there was a former mayor that played that same game for 7 long years.

I don't know why you go out of your way to spread mistruths here. There was certainly some partisanship ... but nothing on the level of what we are currently seeing - which borders on corruption.

The biggest issue is that Ford campaigned against this kind of stuff, and had promised a more open government. Yet he's going the other direction ... though that's a typical tactic of the right-wing.

I guess that's what happens when your entire life is based on deception.

It is certainly quite saddening for those of us in the middle, who neither desire the extreme left-wing over-regulation, or the extreme right-wing hate of anything that isn't like them.

 

[jje1000]

It's not slimy. It's how the elected leadership of a particular policial body - be it federal, provincial or municipal - is able to put people in place that will work to implement the policies and programs of the government. Every single political body in history has done this - the most recent being David Miller who did this quite openly.

Critics claim all this as evidence that Ford’s administration is putting connections and right-wing beliefs ahead of committee-related qualifications in a way that didn’t happen under Ford predecessors David Miller or Mel Lastman.

I suppose it's all relative, but Rob Ford is supposed to be about Customer Service and making services delivered more efficiently- he's supposed to be the break in the pattern of partisanship, not a continuation of it.

 

[TonyV]

I guess that's what happens when your entire life is based on deception.

VERY good way of putting it, nfitz.

At the end of the day I think we are going to see the start of power politics, and party politics, at city hall, because of this administration. Not a good thing imho.

Off topic a bit, but these threats on Ford's life ... that's a horrible prospect. Nothing worse could happen than turning the guy into a martyr. Nothing.

 

[DanTheMan]

Gee, he is probably the only Toronto mayor that ever opened up City Hall for a full face to face marathon discussion with its citizens...and now he's getting trashed for doing so, what a bunch of Whiners and Cry-Baby's.

Such rubbish ...The extreme lefties in this town are definitely out of control, and thank goodness that they're only a drop in the bucket of our overall population.

The deputations were a sham, they were only done so that the administration can say that they listened to what people had to say...meanwhile anyone who showed up is being labeled as a 'communist' because clearly anyone who agrees with Ford is too busy working to come speak.

This goes way beyond ideology, I typically vote conservative but even I find this teaparty-esque administration an embarrassment to the city and a continued attack on the working middle-class

 

[Marko]

Critics claim all this as evidence that Ford’s administration is putting connections and right-wing beliefs ahead of committee-related qualifications in a way that didn’t happen under Ford predecessors David Miller or Mel Lastman.

Of course that's the way The Star is going to paint it. Read a different paper and you'd think Miller was a bully as well.

All I'm saying is that it's par for the course for all political bodies to do this, left right and center. To say that Ford is doing anything untoward only depends on your particular political sensibilities.

I suppose it's all relative, but Rob Ford is supposed to be about (1) Customer Service and making services delivered more efficiently- he's supposed to be the (2) break in the pattern of partisanship, not a continuation of it.

I don't see how these two things are supposed to be the same. If he's going to try to do the former but meets resistance in doing it based on ideology, who's being partisan? It takes two or more sides and it's quite clear that the opposing side is more than happy to draw their line and dig their feet in.

Where on earth did you get the impression he was going to be bipartisan?

 

[PinkLucy]

The deputations were a sham, they were only done so that the administration can say that they listened to what people had to say...meanwhile anyone who showed up is being labeled as a 'communist' because clearly anyone who agrees with Ford is too busy working to come speak.

Or labeled as a union activist or as having been "prepped" and planted by the unions. I listened to Holyday being interviewed after the deputations, and that was his explanation for why all but two of the deputations were against potential cuts/suggested changes.

I find the "too busy working" argument laughable. Where was Ford Nation after 5 pm? And sure communists and union shills work too, yet they managed to come out.

 

[jje1000]

I don't see how these two things are supposed to be the same. If he's going to try to do the former but meets resistance in doing it based on ideology, who's being partisan? It takes two or more sides and it's quite clear that the opposing side is more than happy to draw their line and dig their feet in.

Of course, if one side calls in Don Cherry to make the opening shots and repeatedly dismisses them and tries to marginalize them from policy-making, that side is definitely not showing partisanship.

 

[Marko]

Of course, if one side calls in Don Cherry to make the opening shots and repeatedly dismisses them and tries to marginalize them from policy-making, that side is definitely not showing partisanship.

Right - which makes your previous claim that Ford was supposed to 'break the partisan pattern' all the more ridiculous. He went in partisan and his opponents are meeting him every step of the way, escalating things even further - as expected from both sides.

 

[jje1000]

Right - which makes your previous claim that Ford was supposed to 'break the partisan pattern' all the more ridiculous. He went in partisan and his opponents are meeting him every step of the way, escalating things even further - as expected from both sides.

I had high hopes that that was only an anomaly, which proved not to be.