I'm just saying that if a forumer here made fun of Smitherman for being gay, he would get reprimanded.. However, a lot here write truly awful fat jokes (MIIAIIRIIK's was not that bad). Being that morbidly obese is sometimes just as out of your control as being gay is, therefore I don't see why we have these double standards.
Ford is more easily a target simply because he has such little support around here (as in UrbanToronto), so I suppose the ability to tolerate the fat jokes are a little more acceptable than otherwise would be allowed. I won't partake in those jokes because it is certainly childish... The biggest problem I have with Ford is his simplistic thinking (he totally stumbled on that private financing of Sheppard interview, for example) and his typical right-wing mantra of "respect for taxpayers" which to me is just code for typical right wing nonsense. I like the sound of "respect for taxpayers" but these political phrases are so abused I don't believe it has any real meaning. Right wingers play a lot of the right tunes, but the song ends up being sour. Most recent point is Ford's handing off consultant work and wasteful spending projects to his friends and family members. It is the same, typical, quid pro quo type stuff you'll always get with any politician... And within reason it is normal to give projects to friends, supporters, and family members. I'm not even opposed to it, it is natural, and you can't criminalize politics in and of itself. You will want to help your supporters as they put you in office. On a certain level, many quid pro quo and friend appointments are democracy at work, you help and assist your supporters. There's nothing wrong with it in the proper context and in moderation.
Quite frankly I think Mayor Miller's socialist government was fairly clean, easy to read and understand, and he ran his budgets fairly. I disagreed with mayor Miller as well, because I don't think streetcars for every community is a good plan, but he ran a clean ship and I respected him for his clear leadership and his care for the less well off.
The problem with Ford and typical right wing mania is that they pretend to be above the fray. They're "respecting taxpayers" about as much as a mafia boss would respect the illegal loans they collect with blood on their hands. There is no respect for taxpayers above and beyond any other party, it is just a different set of priorities. So he cuts the car registration tax.. Big deal, he's still giving out contracts to friends of his campaign without proper bidding. There is no respect for taxpayers, its clearly just a different set of priorities.
But again, the right wing has consistently tried to make some issue of the fact that THEY respect taxpayers more than others, usually by cutting taxes for the elite and ultra wealthy while cutting services and funding from poorer communities. That's not respect to me, or most left leaning people, or middle class Canadians. But all he has to do is one simple gesture, like getting rid of a car registration tax, and he appears as if he's for the common guy.... It is a disconnect that voters will hopefully see in the future.
Meanwhile, I think Ford has done a good service to Toronto on one issue. I'm happy Transit City has been reorganized into giving rapid transit a real chance. Transit City is not, was not, and never would have been RAPID TRANSIT. AND something else is good for Toronto, while I don't want a Hudak government it is entirely likely this fall. If that is the case, a Hudak government isn't going to pull funding from a conservative right wing mayor by the name of Rob Ford. Conservatives will support Conservatives for political reasons. If Ford had to become mayor, right now was a halfway decent time for Toronto to have a right wing lapse. It will be better to have cooperation to get these major projects done, because these kinds of investments transcend a mayoral administration and will set the tone for growth for many decades to come.
Toronto will end up on the road to better transit even with Hudak this fall, I think. So DESPITE them, Toronto shouldn't face the same circumstances as it did under Harris in the 90's and the stupidity of filling in Eglinton subway's first construction hole. Rob Ford wants subways and better quality LRT, and Hudak isn't going to cut something his fellow conservative wants when he's trying to build support in the GTA.
This may be Toronto's first time to not be punished by provincial conservatives for decades on the issue of rapid transit development in the city. While I don't support these governments, Toronto is not going to be hurt too bad on the issue of transit this time.
At the end of the day, most of the political capital was spent by Mayor Miller and Premier McGuinty. If it weren't for these two individuals, there would have been no Eglinton LRT. Ford just came in and altered it slightly and said they'll put it all underground. Miller and McGuinty are responsible for the substance, Ford is going to be responsible for the style. Hudak will hopefully let it happen by proxy simply because he doesn't want to appear to oppose Rob Ford as he tries to build support in the GTA.
I still have a very positive feeling about what Toronto's future will look like, it looks rosy to me no matter what, regardless if politicians are in office that I don't always agree with. Luckily there won't be a repeat of the Harris mistakes for transit in Toronto (I don't think).
I don't think anyone can genuinely consider Miller a pretty-boy.
