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Rob Ford's Toronto

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W. K. Lis said:
One problem that will occur After Ford will be property taxes will have to go up to make up for the shortfalls that occurred and occurs while Under Ford.

The new mayor, whoever it is other than Ford, will have to increase the police force to proper levels, increase the fire service to at least meet required levels, return the TTC to the service that the transit riders want and expect, build up the reserve fund (instead of dipping into it), at least return expected services that the residents of Toronto had reductions made to, maybe actually do the required repairs or rebuilding of the Gardiner Expressway (if they don't tear it down), etc.. All this will mean the property taxes will have to go up because of the current penny-pinching.
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Not a FORD supporter at all but until I see houses burning down or some serious crime I am hesitant to put back into either department. Police especially cost a fortune and I would prefer money go into community centers and Hug a Thug programs then a larger police force. BTW I thought I had a boogy man (false alarm) in my house the other day and had to call the police at 3AM and they were at my door in less then 5 mins. So its not like I have never used the police its just that there are so many other places that need the money, TTC.
 
adma said:
You know, there's another "future of Ford" issue that's rumbling beneath the surface, and it's nothing to do with politics: it's about his health. Am I the only one who's finding that he's been "looking like death" lately? Definitely worse than a couple of years ago--to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't come back from Florida alive--massive coronary, that sort of thing.

And of course, if his passing *does* happen, it'll be because of his being as obtusely cavalier about his health as he is about politics; and as w/the Hackland ruling, he "didn't see it coming". And who knows what the autopsy results would reveal--including, perhaps, "football player's" brain damage of some sort...
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MetroMan said:
Maybe we shouldn't be speculating on the man's death but Adma does have a point. His health is relevant and it is a factor to consider in all this drama. Indeed, Ford hasn't been looking very healthy lately. Perhaps he took off to Florida - despite the terrible optics - on the advice of his doctor. All this stress cannot be good for anybody, let alone an unhealthy obese man.
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adma said:
Actually, given his record of obtuseness, I can't see him voluntarily leaving office for health reasons. It'd be a pine box or nothing, in his case.

Besides being a throwback in tinpot political operations and social POVs, Rob Ford's a throwback to a time when men didn't get routine medical checkups, didn't have PSAs left, right, and centre warning them to have regular medical checkups and spot all warning signs, and thought themselves invincible--a time when being felled by a massive heart attack in one's 40s was far more common than today.
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MegaMax said:
The word is that "Health Issues" is one way of putting the real reason why Ford left on vacation early and without notice.
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It seems that Adma's hunch was right. A Ford staffer confided in one of my City Hall sources. They said that Rob was not doing well. He wasn't sleeping and couldnt stand for long periods because he'd lose his breath. He just had to "get out of here. Right now". He left with no notice and in fact that staffer has no idea when he'll come back. It's likely that he'll just extend his time away into regularly scheduled vacation. He probably needed to run off to his personal paradise in Florida where there's no stress, no opponents, no different opinions argue, no rules to follow.

As people speculate, I don't think Ford will give up and leave politics, health be damned -- he can just take more time off if re-elected. His only way out is in a massive and convincing defeat.

EDIT: Don Peat just tweeted this:

@reporterdonpeat: "He will be returning shortly" Mayor Rob Ford's office on the mayor's ongoing vacation #TOpoli

Bull. They really have no idea. Notice the wording: "shortly", not on Wednesday or next Monday. They're stalling.
 
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Sorry to go off topic but I have a question. My Councillor (Raymond Cho) is seeking the PC nomination for the provincial Scarborough-Rouge River riding. If he wins tonight, does he have to vacate his seat as the Councillor for Ward 42?
 
Juan_Lennon416 said:
Sorry to go off topic but I have a question. My Councillor (Raymond Cho) is seeking the PC nomination for the provincial Scarborough-Rouge River riding. If he wins tonight, does he have to vacate his seat as the Councillor for Ward 42?
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No, he doesn't. Several other city councillors ran as candidates for the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP, and had the luxury of returning to their council seats if they lost the provincial or federal election. Olivia Chow did so the first time running against Tony Ianno, but resigned to campaign in what turned out to be a successful run in her second try.
 
ShonTron said:
No, he doesn't. Several other city councillors ran as candidates for the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP, and had the luxury of returning to their council seats if they lost the provincial or federal election. Olivia Chow did so the first time running against Tony Ianno, but resigned to campaign in what turned out to be a successful run in her second try.
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Thanks
 
mjl08 said:
Councillors also have the option to "suspend pay" when running for party office, which makes for better optics, imo.
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Most councillors "suspend pay" when they leave their old places of employment (IE. when Adam Vaughan left CITY-TV/CP24) for their "job" as councillors, not so the Ford brothers.
 
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Actualy, Chow had *two* losing runs vs Ianno (1997 as well as 2004) before unseating him in '06.

More recently, David Shiner didn't resign when he ran for the provincial PCs in '07.

As for Ford: I can't help thinking of when members of the Soviet Politburo came down with "colds"...
 
MetroMan said:
As people speculate, I don't think Ford will give up and leave politics, health be damned -- he can just take more time off if re-elected. His only way out is in a massive and convincing defeat.

EDIT: Don Peat just tweeted this:

@reporterdonpeat: "He will be returning shortly" Mayor Rob Ford's office on the mayor's ongoing vacation #TOpoli

Bull. They really have no idea. Notice the wording: "shortly", not on Wednesday or next Monday. They're stalling.
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Is this health issue what the G&M is reputedly sitting on, or is there something else out there? Given that the audit is well flagged, I cannot believe that's what the G&M is keeping for January. Drink? Divorce? DUI? Deco?
 
I don't know what the G&M is sitting on. I wish I knew and I'm waiting with anticipation like everyone else. Rob's health concerns are well known, no secret there.
 
It's difficult to talk about Ford's health issues without descending into insult, which isn't called for no matter your opinions on the man. But: his health isn't off-bounds, as some others here have said. One can't fail to notice how unhealthy he looks, to the point of appearing uncomfortable in his own skin. Forget his responsibilities as a mayor; he's gotta get that under control for his kids otherwise he's toast.
 
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