Rob Ford's Toronto

[freshcutgrass]

Ford's approval rating still high: Poll

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Oh man, all those mental gymnastics make me dizzy!

I don't even know if that is spin...that would be an insult to spin. It's more like basic lying.

Calling a 40% approval rating "high" because it didn't slip that much from 43% is kind of stupid, as it really isn't possible for the approval rating of a recently elected mayor to fall any lower than that, and the fact that 43% isn't "high" in the first place.

Right after being elected, he had an approval rating of 60% (which isn't particularly "high' either, just a slight majority) and fell to 57% by 6 months into his term (as compared to Millers 82% rating after his first 6 months).

The real question is...what exactly is it this 40% approves of???????????????

 

[spider]

I think it shows that Rob Ford's support is whittled down to its core- suburbanites, drivers and old people.

None of whom are REAL people of course, their opinions are invalid because they are not you.

 

[a0th]

None of whom are REAL people of course, their opinions are invalid because they are not you.

nice one! you somehow read his mind over the internet because nothing in his post implied that!

 

[jje1000]

None of whom are REAL people of course, their opinions are invalid because they are not you.

You voted for him, you are well retired, you live in the suburbs and you drive a car. You are also presumably a real person, considering that I don't have a secondary account.

Read the article good sir, as it explicitly states that Ford's strongest support comes from the people listed.

 

[adma]

I don't even know if that is spin...that would be an insult to spin. It's more like basic lying.

Calling a 40% approval rating "high" because it didn't slip that much from 43% is kind of stupid, as it really isn't possible for the approval rating of a recently elected mayor to fall any lower than that, and the fact that 43% isn't "high" in the first place.

McCain/Palin got 45.7% in 2008.

(Conversely, wasn't Miller a 43-percenter in 2003?)

 

[cdr108]

And Asian immigrants.

i would say any immigrant, not just asian.

RFs demographic is pretty much anyone who's into by-lines without doing much research.

 

[Tuscani01]

Listening to Rob's call in show, a man from Calgary called in saying he is fiscally conservative, as is the City of Calgary. He also mentioned that he loves his car, as do Calgarians. He then asked Rob if he had ever been to Calgary, to which Rob said no. He then asked why LRT has been the #1 choice for 30 years in fiscally conservative Calgary, and why this solution is so bad in Toronto?

Expecting Rob to say something like Calgary is much smaller than Toronto or something like that, his response was "Subways are what the people of Toronto want".

What a moron. This man has no idea what fiscally conservative means.

 

[Marcanadian]

So the people of Toronto want fiscal responsibility and restraint. We also want astronomically expensive subways. I think there's a problem.

 

[cdr108]

So the people of Toronto want fiscal responsibility and restraint. We also want astronomically expensive subways. I think there's a problem.

i think this report has been posted, but it deserves to be mentioned again:

(All estimates are over 50 years.) ... even then, it falls $1 BILLION short

Tax increment financing: This is a method municipalities use to leverage the future lift in property value that comes from building transit or other amenities in a particular area. The city borrows against future tax windfalls from subway-area properties whose value increases. The report says such financing could produce up to $6 billion along the Sheppard-Scarborough-Eglinton corridors in a “high-growth scenario.”

Development charges: The city levies development charges for residential buildings at the building permit stage, but not industrial buildings. Changing the policy to apply charges to non-residential development could bring in $2.87 billion.

City-owned development revenues: The average estimate for the land value of city-owned properties in the Sheppard and Eglinton corridors is $207 million.

Road pricing: Revenues could also come from charging drivers, such as zone-based tolls, expressway tolls, tolls charged to solo drivers who want to use car pool lanes, and vehicle-kilometre-travelled fees. Those could bring in anywhere from $2 billion for HOV tolls to $153.6 billion from vehicle-kilometre-travelled fees. Overall, conservative estimates for tolls total $93 billion; aggressive estimates total $230 billion.

Parking fees: The report says charging more for parking could generate as much as $28.9 billion. A parking-space levy could generate as much as $19.7 billion; a parking sales tax would generate anywhere from $2.3 billion to $9.2 billion, it says.

Taxes: New taxes, such as a regional sales tax, gas tax, passenger vehicle tax or special payroll tax could also raise money — ranging from $700 million from the vehicle tax to $59.1 billion from a payroll tax. Conservative estimates for all four taxes total $80 billion; aggressive estimates add up to twice that amount.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Listening to Rob's call in show, a man from Calgary called in saying he is fiscally conservative, as is the City of Calgary. He also mentioned that he loves his car, as do Calgarians. He then asked Rob if he had ever been to Calgary, to which Rob said no. He then asked why LRT has been the #1 choice for 30 years in fiscally conservative Calgary, and why this solution is so bad in Toronto?

Expecting Rob to say something like Calgary is much smaller than Toronto or something like that, his response was "Subways are what the people of Toronto want".

What a moron. This man has no idea what fiscally conservative means.

I wish Mr. Ford would stop saying that the people of Toronto want subways. When asked if people wanted subways or LRT, only 50% of people said subways. When asked if you are willing to pay for subways, support drops down to 30%. Also Ford is the last people to tell people what Toronto wants as the amount of people who strongly disapprove of his job performance is nearing 40%.

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

Now Mayor Ford has to deal with the Library workers who are now on strike

 

[cdr108]

Now Mayor Ford has to deal with the Library workers who are now on strike

sadly, i don't think the majority of the public will notice or care

 

[Justin10000]

sadly, i don't think the majority of the public will notice or care

We love our libraries here in Toronto. I think residents are going to take notice.

 

[rm20010]

Listening to Rob's call in show, a man from Calgary called in saying he is fiscally conservative, as is the City of Calgary. He also mentioned that he loves his car, as do Calgarians. He then asked Rob if he had ever been to Calgary, to which Rob said no. He then asked why LRT has been the #1 choice for 30 years in fiscally conservative Calgary, and why this solution is so bad in Toronto?

Expecting Rob to say something like Calgary is much smaller than Toronto or something like that, his response was "Subways are what the people of Toronto want".

That's quite hilarious.

 

[jje1000]

If we can't get a two stop subway that's obviously sufficient for Scarborough, you lefties are getting nuthin' at all! Truly an indication of Ford's governing powers.

Ford vows to scuttle LRTs

BY IAN ROBERTSON, TORONTO SUN
FIRST POSTED: SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2012 05:21 PM EDT | UPDATED: SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2012 05:29 PM EDT

No subway expansion, no LRT!

That was Mayor Rob Ford’s vow Sunday — three days before city council is to vote on choosing between building more below-ground public transit or street-level systems.

Predicting a “close” vote Wednesday, Ford said he would prevent Light Rapid Transit above-ground lines if council rejects what he wants — constructing an extension of the Sheppard subway.

But he announced “if we don’t get the subway ... we’re not going to waste people’s money and build an LRT.”

Speaking on his weekly Newstalk 1010 radio show, the civic leader warned that if city council went ahead with LRTs, Scarborough passengers would face “another St. Clair disaster.”

Some of his east-end subway guests on the show, plus the majority of callers, said they would rather stick with streetcars or buses than new LRT lines.

Citing the over-budget, centre-road St. Clair Ave. LRT line, a caller named Norm said “it’s been a complete mess,” with traffic snarls and “plenty of empty stores.”

Subways Are for Everyone (SAFE) guest Li Chiu said Scarborough residents have “been waiting 30 years for subways.”

Chiu said TTC chairman Karen Stintz “declined our invitation” to a 7 p.m. Monday public information meeting at Scarborough Civic Centre.

Ford urged listeners to attend, learn about LRT “misinformation,” and press councillors to back the subway plan.

Ford said “we have $1 billion” to extend Sheppard’s subway system east for two or three stations, adding “we could get the shovel in the ground.”

Once the city shows it can start the long-delayed project, he and Councillor Paul Ainslie, his co-host, predicted investors would help bankroll more subway construction by developing commercial and residential infrastructure along the routes.

A council-appointed expert panel recommended on Friday that city council go ahead with an LRT system.

Former city councillor and talkshow guest Dr. Gordon Chong, said the appointees were deliberately chosen by councillors who wanted light-rail supporters.

“To say it wasn’t pre-ordained is stretching people’s beliefs,” Chong said.

He said last week that other members were blocking the release of a pro-subway report.

“I’m hoping saner minds will prevail” at the vote, Chong said. “Underground with a subway is the cost-effective way for public transit.”

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/03/18/ford-vows-to-scuttle-lrts