Rob Ford's Toronto

[TOareaFan]

Generally the media have felt that the personal addictions and failings of politicians aren't newsworthy. Look at how well they all hid Prime Minister Turner's well-known alcoholism. Not to mention Minister Smitherman's drug problem. It's a Pandora's box for them.

Should we make an exception for Ford simply because he's an embarrassment?

The lack of denial from Ford is much more telling. If he had of denied it, then it would have been newsworthy, and if there was a story would have come out. Which may explain why this might be the only vice he has ever failed to deny!

Bit of a catch 22 .....no?

If he denies it then people say "of course he would say that."...if he continues the denial you get the "methinks he doth protest too much" reaction.....but if he does not deny it at all..."he must be coked up....or else he would have denied it".

He can't win.

 

[nfitz]

He can't win.

He can't win if he's been using cocaine.

If he hasn't then he simply denies it, no one prints a story contradicting it, and numerous public figures come out and say they've never seen him take anything more potent than an aspirin. The same way they did about philandering.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Anyway I don't know who this Chris Drew is, but he automatically creeps me out.

Chris Drew is a passionate cycling advocate (he sat on Jarvis St. in front of the scrubber when the lines were being removed), is an advocate for the homeless/affordable housing, transit in Toronto, he volunteers hard for a centrist political party, is on the board of the CWNA, educated in urban planning etc. - all while holding down a full time job. I smell a future in politics with Chris but who knows, and he's the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet. The only creepy thing is your unnecessary comment, this guy kills himself volunteering his time with local, provincial and national issues. He affects more positive change in a day than our paid "Mayor" does in a week.

 

[DSC]

Chris Drew is a passionate cycling advocate (he sat on Jarvis St. in front of the scrubber when the lines were being removed), is an advocate for the homeless/affordable housing, transit in Toronto, he volunteers hard for a centrist political party, is on the board of the CWNA, educated in urban planning etc. - all while holding down a full time job. I smell a future in politics with Chris but who knows, and he's the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet. The only creepy thing is your unnecessary comment, this guy kills himself volunteering his time with local, provincial and national issues. He affects more positive change in a day than our paid "Mayor" does in a week.

100% agreed, he used to work in George Smitherman's constituency office on 'urban planning' kinds of things and is often to be seen and heard at public meetings.

My only quibble with posting is the sentence "He affects more positive change in a day than our paid "Mayor" does in a week. " - this could apply to almost anyone, Chris does far more than most!

 

[Lansdude]

Chris Drew is a passionate cycling advocate (he sat on Jarvis St. in front of the scrubber when the lines were being removed), is an advocate for the homeless/affordable housing, transit in Toronto, he volunteers hard for a centrist political party, is on the board of the CWNA, educated in urban planning etc. - all while holding down a full time job. I smell a future in politics with Chris but who knows, and he's the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet. The only creepy thing is your unnecessary comment, this guy kills himself volunteering his time with local, provincial and national issues. He affects more positive change in a day than our paid "Mayor" does in a week.

Thanks, Chris.

 

[jje1000]

I'd say Rob Ford is going to win in 2014.

Would also depend on how badly he handles his remaining year in office. Of course, his brother could always run as well.

 

[ShonTron]

Once in Brampton, a guy named Neil Davis ran for local Member of Provincial Parliament. The incumbent at the time was William
Davis, so Neil's ploy was to bleed off votes from the premier, especially with his name listed first. So William Davis changed his official ballot name to Bill Davis.

I'm wondering if someone named Bob Ford or Dick Ford registered and ran for mayor in 2014, what impact they would have getting clueless Ford Nation votes.

 

[Electrify]

Thanks, Chris.

If it's worth anything, the bike lanes on Sherbourne are bloody sweet for the most part. Costs aside, was a pretty good trade off.

 

[nfitz]

So, Nfitz, rest assured it didn't even cross my mind that drama queen was somehow referring to sexuality.

It didn't cross my mind either! I simply took it as an insult.

Enough said ...

 

[Peepers]

If it's worth anything, the bike lanes on Sherbourne are bloody sweet for the most part. Costs aside, was a pretty good trade off.

A good trade-off indeed! Jarvis Street is essentially an expressway. Having bike lanes alongside an expressway is ludicrous. Had the lanes not been removed it was only a matter of time before someone got killed along here. The dedicated lanes on Sherbourne are ten times safer.

 

[jje1000]

A good trade-off indeed! Jarvis Street is essentially an expressway. Having bike lanes alongside an expressway is ludicrous. Had the lanes not been removed it was only a matter of time before someone got killed along here. The dedicated lanes on Sherbourne are ten times safer.

Ideally though, the 4 lanes on Jarvis should have been widened as well as the sidewalks- as per the original intentions.

 

[junctionist]

A good trade-off indeed! Jarvis Street is essentially an expressway. Having bike lanes alongside an expressway is ludicrous. Had the lanes not been removed it was only a matter of time before someone got killed along here. The dedicated lanes on Sherbourne are ten times safer.

It's not an expressway. It's an urban main street like any other in downtown. There was no good reason to remove the bike lanes. Everyone using the street was less likely to be involved in an accident with the bike lanes intact: cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Of course I agree that the bike lanes should have stayed, perhaps even been integrated in with the widening of the sidewalks & street beautification plan but I agree with Peepers, it's the fastest street downtown. Drivers are extremely aggressive, speed is exceeded and yellows/reds are regularly run. It reminds me of streets like Sheppard, Lawrence, Eglinton etc. in the suburbs and there's no other street like it downtown. University Avenue is the closest comparison but I think the median helps calm traffic to an extent. It's just too bad that the Jarvis/Pharmacy/Birchmount bike lane file came up so early in Ford's term. Had it have come up for debate & vote a year or more in I don't believe it would have passed, or KWT would have got one of the original options passed in an amendment.

 

[Electrify]

For the record, ideally we would have kept the lanes on Jarvis and separated the lanes on Sherbourne. But between the status quo and the separated lanes with the removal of Jarvis, I think we made the right choice.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

A good trade-off indeed! Jarvis Street is essentially an expressway. Having bike lanes alongside an expressway is ludicrous. Had the lanes not been removed it was only a matter of time before someone got killed along here. The dedicated lanes on Sherbourne are ten times safer.

The point is that Jarvis is NOT an expressway. There is no such thing as "essentially" - bike lane or not, riding on the street is legal. Besides, isn't the argument of taking out the bike lanes not safety but of capacity - at a time when traffic speed is at its' lowest (i.e. congestion, due to volume)?

AoD