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Rob Ford's Toronto

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Mail and calls from constituents usually make councilors sit up and take notice.

Here's the last protest I mentioned: http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/0...-mayor-rob-ford-to-resign-over-alleged-video/

They had a 2-week timeframe, but it was a Facebook-based thing.

Here's the Facebook page which organized it. https://www.facebook.com/events/513882952012486/permalink/514155301985251/

Page looks abandoned, but I'll message the guy whose name is on it (Chris Wright) to see if he's interested in planning another.
 
Dubster said:
Tomorrow at 3 wouldn't work for me but Tuesday onward is very possible.
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Hate to be the one who says it, but if a protest of any significance can only happen these days through Twitter and other social media platforms. With all due respect to this wonderful board, I'm not sure it has the userbase that would lead to anything larger than what we saw this morning.

At the same time, I'm almost certain that any significantly sized protest in front of NPS would just play into the Downtown Elites storyline that the Fords love to repeat. I don't know what the solution is, but I think that something more original and creative than a random protest in front of city hall is necessary if it's to make any difference at all. When the recent student protests in Montreal started to gain traction, people started wearing red squares. It was a simple little thing but it became a powerful symbol that people could adopt even if they weren't the activist type. The banging of pots and pans by throngs of people in the street also became a nightly occurrence. There's debate as to whether or not that activity did more harm than good, but it got far more publicity than any of the more traditional forms of protests did.
 
arksi said:
Hate to be the one who says it, but if a protest of any significance can only happen these days through Twitter and other social media platforms. With all due respect to this wonderful board, I'm not sure it has the userbase that would lead to anything larger than what we saw this morning.

At the same time, I'm almost certain that any significantly sized protest in front of NPS would just play into the Downtown Elites storyline that the Fords love to repeat. I don't know what the solution is, but I think that something more original and creative than a random protest in front of city hall is necessary if it's to make any difference at all. When the recent student protests in Montreal started to gain traction, people started wearing red squares. It was a simple little thing but it became a powerful symbol that people could adopt even if they weren't the activist type. The banging of pots and pans by throngs of people in the street also became a nightly occurrence. There's debate as to whether or not that activity did more harm than good, but it got far more publicity than any of the more traditional forms of protests did.
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yeah, as i said yesterday, a demo of a couple hundred people at NPS standing around chanting "Hey Ho Hey Ho" etc. would do more harm than good. you would need thousands to have any real visual impact in a area of that size, and it just isn't going to happen.

a huge night time rally in Etobicoke full of families, children, downtowners and suburbanites would be a lot better anyway, but that is even less likely to happen.
 
Like an anti-Ford Fest? That would be awesome but unlikely.

Was just speaking about Ford with my 14 y/o son. When talking about him getting a driver all he had to say was "now he can be drunk all the time".
 
Knowing full well that there is no way to end Mr. Ford's reign as mayor of our fair city, and that his vote is only 1 of 45 (as we are constantly reminded) why do you people keep getting your collective knickers in a knot over an unresolvable situation. Just sit back, relax, enjoy the show and prepare for the next election.

Childish demonstrations like John Clarke's crowd and “Occupy whatever” gathered at NPS to stamp your feet in petulant tantrums proves that you have no solutions, only complaints and are guaranteed to earn not the support but the scorn of the thinking public.
 
kevinsp8 said:
Who organized that one? They knew what they were doing. Had the usual 'professional protesters' from OCAP etc (no offense). They have the network and call lists to make it happen and a critical mass gets the media interested.

Let's figure out how to do it right.... Pickets on the sidewalk outside his house by normal citizens would be interesting, although for us downtown elites it's hard to get there.
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Ya, Brilliant! Let's improve the image of Toronto on the world stage by picketing in front of Ford's private residence. That'll be quite a sight. Protesters outside his home with signs calling him a crack-head while his kids are out front waiting for the bus. That's the kind of image you want to put forward?

The media campaign against him has been too personal from the start. It is that attention to his personal issues more than anything done in the course of his duties as mayor which drew the international attention. Had the media focused on his record as mayor, his mayorship would be nearly over and would have passed without much notice. This man is deeply flawed and is responsible for the embarrassment he has brought on himself, his family and the city but many people in this city could never accept this brute won the election and have kept keen focus on all his activities, personal among them, in the hope they could unseat him from his duly elected position. No politician, to my knowledge, has ever had so much attention paid to his personal life and the intestinal fortitude he has demonstrated in staying in office must be painful to those of you who can't simply wait for his term to end.

You want to protest something worthwhile? How about the 16 Baloch political prisoners executed in Iran this week, or the billions wasted by our Liberal provincial government for personal political gain?

Ford staying in office for another 14 months will have little effect on this city it's proper functioning or our international reputation. If the media starts ignoring him, he will go away. He is a polarizing force in this city and constant efforts to remove him from office has, unbelievably, had little effect on his support. Keep on it and you turn him into the plucky underdog fighting against a biased media and politically organized left.
 
Wait, so the media shouldn't cover the fact that Our Mayor has lied about pretty much everything he has ever spoken about?

Including smoking crack, driving intoxicated, lowering taxes etc?
 
jaycola said:
Ford staying in office for another 14 months will have little effect on this city it's proper functioning or our international reputation. If the media starts ignoring him, he will go away. He is a polarizing force in this city and constant efforts to remove him from office has, unbelievably, had little effect on his support. Keep on it and you turn him into the plucky underdog fighting against a biased media and politically organized left.
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Rubbish. Ford is as much addicted to publicity as he is the other substances that are doubtless clouding his mind. The rant against "biased media and politically organized left" is textbook fearmongering verging on Tea Party paranoia. It's just plain silly. Rob Ford will not simply "go away" by virtue of the electorate attempting to ignore him - it's impossible anyway; the man has gone too far over into surreal territory. He is a cancer on the Toronto body politic.

I await further developments in this train wreck of a mayorality. All those redacted pages promise a great deal more dirt on the Ford regime.
 
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jaycola said:
No politician, to my knowledge, has ever had so much attention paid to his personal life and the intestinal fortitude he has demonstrated in staying in office must be painful to those of you who can't simply wait for his term to end.
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Intenstinal fortitude? That's just the booze talking...
 
>Knowing full well that there is no way to end Mr. Ford's reign as mayor of our fair city

Disagree. Start with defeatism and you will be defeated.

>Just sit back, relax, enjoy the show

I think that's what the big guy in prison says to you just before...

>Childish demonstrations like John Clarke's crowd and “Occupy whatever” gathered at NPS to stamp your feet in petulant tantrums proves that you have no solutions, only complaints and are guaranteed to earn not the support but the scorn of the thinking public.

The solution is for Ford to resign. In the NP article I linked, there was nothing about OCAP/Occupy. If we all act like Ford's record is OK, then we are enablers too. 'Shut up and wait 'til the next election' is a useless cop-out.

>Ya, Brilliant! Let's improve the image of Toronto on the world stage by picketing in front of Ford's private residence. That'll be quite a sight. Protesters outside his home with signs calling him a crack-head while his kids are out front waiting for the bus. That's the kind of image you want to put forward?

I'm brainstorming, and suggesting other do the same. You're right, that idea has problems. How about protesting outside an after-hours youth-at-risk shelter, giving out brochures saying how Ford's getting away with his behavior tells at-risk youth drugs are OK?

>Had the media focused on his record as mayor, his mayorship would be nearly over and would have passed without much notice.

Remember what Bev Oda had to resign over: a $16 glass of orange juice. People don't understand billions wasted, but they sure understand a $16 dollar glass of orange juice.

>You want to protest something worthwhile? How about the 16 Baloch political prisoners executed in Iran this week, or the billions wasted by our Liberal provincial government for personal political gain?

It's not either-or. Either you protest against Liberal billions OR human rights abuses OR Ford (can only pick one).

>Ford staying in office for another 14 months will have little effect on this city it's proper functioning or our international reputation. If the media starts ignoring him, he will go away. He is a polarizing force in this city and constant efforts to remove him from office has, unbelievably, had little effect on his support. Keep on it >and you turn him into the plucky underdog fighting against a biased media and politically organized left.

Doug Ford? Is that you? I think I recognize your voice.

No effect on Toronto's rep? Read this: http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/1...o-councillors-working-becoming-more-tortuous/
 
jaycola:

Ya, Brilliant! Let's improve the image of Toronto on the world stage by picketing in front of Ford's private residence. That'll be quite a sight. Protesters outside his home with signs calling him a crack-head while his kids are out front waiting for the bus. That's the kind of image you want to put forward?
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The protestors are not responsible for the unsavoury behaviour of the mayor, which has already tarnished the image of Toronto. What you are suggesting is that we should sweep it all under the rug as if nothing had happened, well, I am sure ignorance and self-delusion is the best path to redeeming the image of a city (or encourages citizens vigilance in good governance).

No politician, to my knowledge, has ever had so much attention paid to his personal life and the intestinal fortitude he has demonstrated in staying in office must be painful to those of you who can't simply wait for his term to end.
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No recent mayor to my knowledge has ever ensnared themselves with criminals - if that's what you call "intestinal fortitude", be my guest.

You want to protest something worthwhile? How about the 16 Baloch political prisoners executed in Iran this week, or the billions wasted by our Liberal provincial government for personal political gain?
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We will judge what's worthwhile, thanks. Interestingly, I don't see Harper on that list, I wonder why.

Keep on it and you turn him into the plucky underdog fighting against a biased media and politically organized left.
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He will do what he do, I will take my chances with the truth instead, thank you.

AoD
 
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