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Rob Ford's Toronto

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Talk of Doug Ford running for mayor in his brother's place with Rob running for a provincial seat could yet be our best scenario. No way Doug has the appeal that some see as the Everyman. And while Rob might have a shot at winning his Etobicoke riding for the Tories, I can't see him be nothing but a seat warmer without any significance within Queen's Park.

Doug will give up his council seat to run in the election for mayor and Rob will fall into an obscure place where we won't have to worry about him and he'll be out of municipal politics with his cushy MPP job.
 
MetroMan said:
Doug will give up his council seat to run in the election for mayor ...
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In the by-election? Presumably one would only have to give up one's council seat if one wins. He'd hold his council seat during the election. In the last election all of the mayoral candidates on council continued to act as councillors during the election.
 
Personally I don't think a by-election is the best solution at this point - all signs point to utter political chaos. Much rather see council designate a replacement (which by default will be a process that requires moderation) to oversee this interregnum instead. And I definitely wouldn't necessarily mind someone like Holyday to be the budget chief - the task of making sure the city operates efficiently according to priorities set forth by the mayor and confirmed by council is something that is of interest to everyone regardless of their political stripe.

AoD
 
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Yes, I would have liked several things to be different.
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No....I meant what part of the system would you like to change.


Rob Ford could have been less boneheaded and paid back the 3,000.
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You can't change how stupid Rob Ford is. And he didn't even have to pay it back. All he needed to do was not vote on the matter.



The activists who brought this case could have just waited for 2014 rather than try to search for any way to get rid of Ford.
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You can't wish away people rights. Political opponents are always going to exist, and they are always going to do whatever it takes. Why waste your time wishing this didn't happen?

I just can't see any result from this trial which is preferable to simply waiting for 2014
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Getting rid of him sooner rather than later is always preferable. Plus there's a chance he may win an election in 2014.

They didn't take Al Capone down for murder, but they took him down anyway...that's what is important.


The only judge of elected officials and legislatures is an election.
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I'm not even sure what that means...if it even means anything.


I get that you think Rob Ford is a bad Mayor, but he's not getting kicked out for being a bad mayor who closed bike lanes and what not.
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Actually, I only blame the Mayor for coming up with stupid ideas....I blame Council for implementing them. A bad mayor is only as bad as Council allows him/her to be. There's a difference between bad policies (which are subjective) and bad conduct (which is subject to the legal system). The electorate sorts out the former, and the legal system sorts out the latter. One isn't "badder" than the other.
 
nfitz said:
In the by-election? Presumably one would only have to give up one's council seat if one wins. He'd hold his council seat during the election. In the last election all of the mayoral candidates on council continued to act as councillors during the election.
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I was in fact incorrect. To run for Mayor in a regularly scheduled election, a councillor cannot also run for their seat so if they remain a Mayoral candidate and lose, they also lose their council seat because they didn't run. Mammolitti pulled out of running for Mayor at the last moment before being able to put his name back in for councillor.

In a by-election, no such issues exist because the councillor seat isn't in the election and will still be there should that councillor not be successful in their run for Mayor.

Boy, we're going to have a very crowded field if a by-election is indeed called. Everybody can run without fear of losing their councillor seat. Mammolitti is guaranteed as is Doug Ford if his brother can't run. Michael Thompson is considering a bid as is Denzil Minan-Wong. Adam Vaughan and Shelly Carroll can test the waters.

...this is gonna be messy. I hope they just appoint Holyday and be done with it to carry on the business of the city for the next two years.
 
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MetroMan said:
...this is gonna be messy. I hope they just appoint Holyday and be done with it to carry on the business of the city for the next two years.
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Potentially very messy. I see a possible situation in which council may have to stay in shape - there could be another Ford to slap down continually. The fun may not yet be over, folks. Pull up a picnic chair.
 
Always loved the assumption that someone that has a different point of view is mentally inferior. Shows a certain arrogance.
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Well, the line has to drawn somewhere. And the idea that you'd have to be stupid to vote for Rob Ford has a definite empirical ring to it. I think we've all eaten enough of the pudding to see the proof.
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
Personally I don't think a by-election is the best solution at this point - all signs point to utter political chaos. Much rather see council designate a replacement (which by default will be a process that requires moderation) to oversee this interregnum instead.
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MetroMan said:
...this is gonna be messy. I hope they just appoint Holyday and be done with it to carry on the business of the city for the next two years.
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Why the queasiness here about a by-election? Democracy is by its nature "messy" and "chaotic" and that's not a bad thing. Embrace it.

The mayoralty is in disrepute enough as it is. If we're going to turn the page on the Rob Ford era, let's do it right, with an elected successor who has a mandate.

And let's not forget that until the 1950s, we had municipal elections annually and until the 1980s, every two years.
 
Blovertis:

Why the queasiness here about a by-election? Democracy is by its nature "messy" and "chaotic" and that's not a bad thing. Embrace it.
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Peace, order and good government -quoting Obama won't help. And besides, we aren't talking about a council that is unelected, nor are we talking about a political system whereby the mandate of the chief magistrate is so profoundly important. Not to mention, the option of not holding an election as per this ruling is well within the law, which BTW comes into force by a democratically elected legislature. So throwing the "democracy" book is again an oversimplication at best, and implying that it would be undemocratic not to do so is misleading at worst.

AoD
 
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Blovertis said:
Yeah, well, George Smitherman seemed unassailable in 2009.
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Maybe, but now far more people are aware of Rob Ford's flaws and failures. Even the right has to see that he's completely unable to push though the policies that they want in place. Council is unlikely to give up their control of city hall if Ford gets re-elected. Any future vote for Rob Ford is a vote for the continued dominance of the center + left lead council.
 
Cover of today's Sun shows Rob Ford and the headline: WORST. WEEK. EVER.

His team lost the Metro Bowl.

And in the Globe, Ford loyalists silently weighing their options.

Rob Ford began fighting through the courts for his political survival, while many of his allies distanced themselves from the embattled mayor and sized up their chances to take a run at his job.

Mr. Ford, who came to office two years ago with a loose coalition of cost-cutting councillors, is now hard-pressed to find loyal supporters on the council floor. Several councillors who sit on Mr. Ford’s executive committee responded with silence Tuesday when asked if they still back the mayor. None has announced they plan to throw their hat into the ring if Mr. Ford loses his court battle and a by-election is called, but many are leaving the door open.

“People are jockeying for position,” said Councillor Michael Thompson, a member of the mayor’s executive. Mr. Thompson said he has not considered a run, but adde d it is a possibility.

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Nick Kouvalis, Mr. Ford’s former chief of staff, warned, “These councillors that are positioning themselves, they should think twice.” In a radio interview on AM640, he said Doug Holyday, Mr. Mammoliti and “the rest of the cabal” serve “at the grace of Rob Ford. He appointed them. And it’s absolute treachery what they’re doing.”
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Nick Kouvalis, Mr. Ford’s former chief of staff, warned, “These councillors that are positioning themselves, they should think twice.†In a radio interview on AM640, he said Doug Holyday, Mr. Mammoliti and “the rest of the cabal†serve “at the grace of Rob Ford. He appointed them. And it’s absolute treachery what they’re doing.â€
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Nick would know a thing or two about treachery, I would imagine.

Interesting article re: MCIA

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...g-for-liberal-leadership-race/article5749928/

And before anyone shouts the whole Mississauga business - note that one of the recommendations for their judicial inquiry is to expand the scope beyond just council meetings. That could easily have covered the whole business about Deco getting preferential treatment - which IMO is a far deadlier conflict.

AoD
 
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