rob ford - toronto mayor

[wc1934]

"He is perhaps the most antibike politician in the world."

http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/12/15/conservatives-new-enemy-bikes/NoLMjnocHg28jZ4hw3F4oI/story.html

[#campyuserftw]

This guy is a crackhead, alcoholic, abusive douche. I am embarrassed for him, of him and how he was elected is beyond me. DC had Marion Barry with his crack, is there no shame in politics? Ford ought to go to rehab, hop on a bike, lose 100 pounds, stfu and never be heard from again. I only wanna see hear/see him if there is a 'Strange Brew' sequel.

This:

"In 2007, he told the Toronto City Council that roads were designed for only buses, cars, and trucks. If cyclists got killed on roads, “it’s their own fault at the end of the day,” he said. He compared biking on a city street to swimming with sharks—“sooner or later you’re going to get bitten.” He once summarized his views in City Hall succinctly: “Cyclists are a pain in the ass to the motorists.”

[Anarchist]

This guy is a crackhead, alcoholic, abusive douche. I am embarrassed for him, of him and how he was elected is beyond me. DC had Marion Barry with his crack, is there no shame in politics? Ford ought to go to rehab, hop on a bike, lose 100 pounds, stfu and never be heard from again. I only wanna see hear/see him if there is a 'Strange Brew' sequel.

This:

"In 2007, he told the Toronto City Council that roads were designed for only buses, cars, and trucks. If cyclists got killed on roads, “it’s their own fault at the end of the day,” he said. He compared biking on a city street to swimming with sharks—“sooner or later you’re going to get bitten.” He once summarized his views in City Hall succinctly: “Cyclists are a pain in the ass to the motorists.”

Do you live in Toronto?

[#campyuserftw]

Do you live in Toronto?

No. Do you?

[Anarchist]

No. Do you?

Yes.

Your comments are reflective of a sincere lack of local knowledge.

[#campyuserftw]

Yes.

Your comments are reflective of a sincere lack of local knowledge.

Makes perfect sense I know so little of Toronto.

Enlighten us on the great Mayor of Toronto.

[93legendti]

http://news.yahoo.com/crack-smoking-mayor-rob-ford-has-higher-approval-rating-than-obama-200319235.html

[#campyuserftw]

Yes.

Your comments are reflective of a sincere lack of local knowledge.

Wait! It makes sense now.

Are you Mayor Ford?

:D

[Anarchist]

you will note I bolded this

<< I am embarrassed for him, of him and how he was elected is beyond me. >>

Perhaps you might want to explain how you think elections work.

I would not be the least bit surprised that if an election were held today, he would be re-elected.

But you would need to understand his election to understand that.

[#campyuserftw]

you will note I bolded this

<< I am embarrassed for him, of him and how he was elected is beyond me. >>

Perhaps you might want to explain how you think elections work.

I would not be the least bit surprised that if an election were held today, he would be re-elected.

But you would need to understand his election to understand that.

Prove to me you are not Mayor Ford!

:cool:

[Black Dog]

Yes.

Your comments are reflective of a sincere lack of local knowledge.

Seriously. His comments are very close to the mark. Unless you are personal friends of Rob Ford anyone watching the news from anywhere in the world can know as much as you do about him even if he were living on your street. Why so harsh?

Speaking of local knowledge, this forum, is a very respectful place and polite discourse is the norm here. Quick, negative comments with no context, explanation or desire to inform and educate others are not part of the local landscape around here. If you feel that a persons comments are out of line then take the time to explain why, in a nice way. Quick hit and run sniping may be the norm on the rest of the inter-webs but there is a long and valuable history of this place being very different.

[#campyuserftw]

Seriously. His comments are very close to the mark. Unless you are personal friends of Rob Ford anyone watching the news from anywhere in the world can know as much as you do about him even if he were living on your street. Why so harsh?

The thread was about Ford's remarks towards cyclists. Anarchist, goes wherever he goes, and let him have fun. This:

"In 2007, he told the Toronto City Council that roads were designed for only buses, cars, and trucks. If cyclists got killed on roads, “it’s their own fault at the end of the day,” he said. He compared biking on a city street to swimming with sharks—“sooner or later you’re going to get bitten.” He once summarized his views in City Hall succinctly: “Cyclists are a pain in the ass to the motorists.”

A). The Mayor of Toronto is a train wreck wrapped in bacon, coated in Crack.
B). The crack-smoking Mayor of Toronto is an embarrassment to himself, his City, and his country.
C). The Mayor of Toronto is as dumb as he is fat; to speak of cyclists above are words, yes, one would expect, from an alcoholic, crack-smoking douche.

[Climb01742]

if someone here_does_have local knowledge, i'd sincerely be interested in a POV on how rob ford was elected. his behavior seems to have gotten more extreme of late but historically, his actions and comments do seem like an unlikely route to a mayorship.;)

[Black Dog]

The thread was about Ford's remarks towards cyclists. Anarchist, goes wherever he goes, and let him have fun. This:

"In 2007, he told the Toronto City Council that roads were designed for only buses, cars, and trucks. If cyclists got killed on roads, “it’s their own fault at the end of the day,” he said. He compared biking on a city street to swimming with sharks—“sooner or later you’re going to get bitten.” He once summarized his views in City Hall succinctly: “Cyclists are a pain in the ass to the motorists.”

A). The Mayor of Toronto is a train wreck wrapped in bacon, coated in Crack.
B). The crack-smoking Mayor of Toronto is an embarrassment to himself, his City, and his country.
C). The Mayor of Toronto is as dumb as he is fat; to speak of cyclists above are words, yes, one would expect, from an alcoholic, crack-smoking douche.

Your grade on the test: A) correct. B) correct C) correct

3/3! You can put this one on the fridge :banana:

He does not have any love for cyclists and has gone on these record many times saying as much.

[BumbleBeeDave]

if someone here_does_have local knowledge, i'd sincerely be interested in a POV on how rob ford was elected. his behavior seems to have gotten more extreme of late but historically, his actions and comments do seem like an unlikely route to a mayorship.;)

I don't think it takes a degree in poly sci to see this guy's profile is a bit, er, unusual for a successful local pol.--entirely apart from any partisan aspects. If he has always been this way and still got elected it must be a fascinating local landscape. If he was NOT a major league whackadoodle when elected and has just gone over the edge lately, then equally fascinating.

That being said, let's also keep a tight rein on our comments here. I am as fascinated by this story as anybody else, but technically it IS political and therefore not appropriate here.

Thanks.

BBD

[moose8]

The dude is one hot mess, and I know absolutely zero about local Toronto politics other than what I've learned reading about this guy, but his behavior certainly strikes me as way out of line with any form of civilized discourse.

http://read.thestar.com/?origref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F#!/article/5196553a93e8e43d800ca8a6-rob-ford-42-remarkable-moments-from-toronto-mayor-s-career

[fuzzalow]

Before you even got to the below comment, you had responded with snark. Snark is a very poor substitute for wit and not the least bit fungible as its replacement.

you will note I bolded this

<< I am embarrassed for him, of him and how he was elected is beyond me. >>

Perhaps you might want to explain how you think elections work.

I would not be the least bit surprised that if an election were held today, he would be re-elected.

But you would need to understand his election to understand that.

C'mon, I am all for getting and giving a fair shake in this forum. We have some reasonable folks here that you would never be embarrassed to be seen with at any social gathering beyond where the entire reason for being there was a keg.

I read the news. Your mayor seems like he is off the wall. You live there and know better of both him and apparently, the political process. Please elaborate and refute why an outsiders view of you mayor is incorrect. Thanks for the conversation.

[BumbleBeeDave]

I would also be honestly interested in your local perspective. If he has some redeeming qualities then I am willing to give him a fair shake.

But given recent media coverage, I think Fuzzalow's "off the wall" characterization is charitable understatement.

BBD

[giverdada]

i live in toronto, but i ride a bike and the mayor, along with don cherry, hates me, as i am a 'commy pinko' (which, after i researched it, turns out to be an oxymoron as a commy is supposed to be a red/rebel and a pinko is thereby a compromise as it is pink and not quite red…), a.k.a., a person who rides bikes and doesn't mind people too much either.

alas…

although i won't pretend to know the ins and outs of how exactly anyone gets elected in the proposed democracies of the world today, it would seem that the mayor got elected on a platform of pet peeves and a promise to clean them up. it seems other previous mayors had done things in a way that left a bunch of people dissatisfied, and mr. ford said he knew that people were dissatisfied with these things and that he would solve these dissatisfactions. because i am utterly biased in my socio-economic/demographic/human perspective, i think it's pretty easy to build a political platform that plays to people's annoyances, and pretty easy to use the annoyances to cut, cut, cut things in the name of _________________. i don't know though. i just think that any fool can kick down a barn; it takes a man to build one.

as we are to avoid the political things in the forum, it doesn't matter whether or not i voted for the mayor. as i ride a bike and this is a bike forum and i ride a lot and have kids whom i would like to be able to ride a lot and safely and sustainably, i will agree that the mayor has done nothing to 'help' the bike infrastructure in the city. i think bikes can save people's lives. i think bikes are a hard thing to love in this city of ours. i think bike lanes decrease stress by about a billion factor (everything looks different when i'm riding with my little girls). i think we just got about half a foot of snow and i sold my commuter to buy new road shoes for my lady and i'm coming off a week with the flu so i'm dying to ride but it's a tough place to love bikes.

i still love them though, and you should see my girls ride...

[Louis]

A quote from the "how he came to be elected" portion of this (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/19/world/americas/his-honor-torontos-mayor-rampages-on-to-citys-shame.html?smid=pl-share) NYT story on Ford:

Mr. Ford, who rode to power in 2010 on a populist wave of suburban rage after 10 years as a city councilor, has a long and well-known history of profane, intemperate outbursts. But his recent behavior, which has mortified many of his constituents, has also enhanced his appeal with many of his core voters — working-class residents of the unified suburbs, the people he calls the Ford Nation.

But in the six months since The Toronto Star and the website Gawker first reported viewing a video of the mayor smoking crack, his support has plummeted among the wealthy conservative voters in the city’s core who once liked his antitax message.

[akelman]

Toronto, like many other North American cities, annexed a bunch of surrounding suburbs. Those suburbs are Rob Ford's power base. End of story. Also, for those who haven't already noticed, Anarchist is a troll, plain and simple.

[climbgdh]

as a proud Canadian i'm completely and utterly embarrassed that rob ford is the mayor of our largest city. i'm not from toronto nor do i plan to ever live there but it's a great city and it deserves better than this clown for mayor. he is a complete train wreck. it's painful to even listen to this cast iron a$$hole.

[Grant McLean]

Toronto, like many other North American cities, annexed a bunch of surrounding suburbs. Those suburbs are Rob Ford's power base. End of story.

Dunno if that's the end of story

... but the "left" vote got split between candidates, which definitely helped
elect RoFo. People pleaded with Joe Pantalone to drop out of the race,
since he basically pulled a Ralph Nader, and got our George W elected.
(i'm speaking metaphorically, i know that's not what happened)

Toronto has a population of 2.8 million, RoFo got 358,000 votes.
It's safe to say he doesn't speak for, nor was elected by the majority
of residents, either urban or suburban.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_mayoral_election,_2010

[akelman]

Fair enough, Grant. Another part of the story -- in addition to a divided left -- is that the mayor's office is very weak in Toronto, so lots people, even some people who are politically engaged, weren't especially invested in the race.

[Grant McLean]

Fair enough, Grant. Another part of the story -- in addition to a divided left -- is that the mayor's office is very weak in Toronto, so lots people, even some people who are politically engaged, weren't especially invested in the race.

totally agree. Hope that's changed!

-g

[akelman]

Hope that's changed!

I'm guessing, based on the marches and the various petitions I've seen, that the Rob Ford reality tv show has engaged the electorate. Whether people will stay engaged is another question, of course. Time will tell!

[Anarchist]

Toronto, like many other North American cities, annexed a bunch of surrounding suburbs. Those suburbs are Rob Ford's power base. End of story. Also, for those who haven't already noticed, Anarchist is a troll, plain and simple.

You sir, are a complete gentleman.

[#campyuserftw]

as a proud Canadian i'm completely and utterly embarrassed that rob ford is the mayor of our largest city. i'm not from toronto nor do i plan to ever live there but it's a great city and it deserves better than this clown for mayor. he is a complete train wreck. it's painful to even listen to this cast iron a$$hole.

With the Winter Olympics approaching, we all look forward to some men's hockey, and women's hockey duels. :beer: Meantime, humor is truly the best medicine for RoFo, enjoy:

Fast forward to 3:00:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAGRId7L3zM

And more lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c72PuC7YW8Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpBOCa0-mTs

He DWI's, buys and smokes crack, abuses prescriptive drugs, allegedly uses prostitutes and yet, "Has more than enough to shag at home." :rolleyes:

Carry on Canada! There's nothing to see in RoFo. See you on the ice in Russia!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1888303-bubble-watch-for-team-canadas-2014-winter-olympic-roster

[akelman]

You sir, are a complete gentleman.

The thing is, I typically extend people the benefit of the doubt. But you've demonstrated time and again that you're not acting in good faith. Your comments are often designed to generate heat rather than light. You're a troll.

[fuzzalow]

You sir, are a complete gentleman.
You sir, are painting yourself into a corner. Self inflicted and a disservice to yourself. Too bad.

Toronto has a population of 2.8 million, RoFo got 358,000 votes.
It's safe to say he doesn't speak for, nor was elected by the majority
of residents, either urban or suburban.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_mayoral_election,_2010

Certainly lends credence to the saying "In a democracy, the people get the government they deserve." No reason to complain if the electorate cannot be bothered to be well informed or show up at the polls. Too bad.

BTW, I have no high horse for the voting process south from Canada either, eh? Similar electoral milieu albeit with results that have very different geopolitical repercussions.

[Threshold]

Toronto sucks unless you want to go to a restaurant or see a show. Niagara has the best riding in the area, period.

[Coluber42]

I have to admit that, having grown up in the District of Columbia during the Marion Barry years, I have been rather guiltily enjoying watching the spectacle of another city's mayoral crackhead. It's just like old times.

I don't know what all local factors are in play in Toronto, but I do know a bit about how Marion Barry managed to keep coming back, even getting reelected after serving prison time. Basically, he was good at reaching the people in the poorest areas of the city, who usually dont turn out to vote much at all. It's a little more complicated than that, obviously... but the point is that there are all kinds of local factors... and incidentally, he was elected to the City Council some years ago, where he still sits.

I remember my teachers in high school (DC public school) complaining when he showed up for school functions. They didn't want him around because he was a bad influence. He always had bloodshot eyes and reeked of some combination of booze and tobacco, and it was a rare day when he said anything that made any kind of coherent sense.

[Climb01742]

I wonder if anyone has done a study of the psychology and character traits of politicians? We don't seem to be attracting too many Lincolns any longer to elected office.;)

[Joachim]

The thing is, I typically extend people the benefit of the doubt. But you've demonstrated time and again that you're not acting in good faith. Your comments are often designed to generate heat rather than light. You're a troll.

Yep... You've got him by the trolls on this one.

[phcollard]

Toronto, like many other North American cities, annexed a bunch of surrounding suburbs. Those suburbs are Rob Ford's power base. End of story. Also, for those who haven't already noticed, Anarchist is a troll, plain and simple.

This.

Hot from the press this morning : Conservatives’ new enemy: Bikes (http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/12/15/conservatives-new-enemy-bikes/NoLMjnocHg28jZ4hw3F4oI/story.html)

A couple interesting excerpts :

Who elected this guy? And why? The answer, in large part, comes down to transit. Ford is famously pro-car, and his strongest support came from suburbs outside downtown Toronto, where voters drive into the city during the day and return by car in the evening.

Ford reserves special venom for the menace called the bicycle. He is perhaps the most antibike politician in the world. In 2007, he told the Toronto City Council that roads were designed for only buses, cars, and trucks. If cyclists got killed on roads, “it’s their own fault at the end of the day,” he said.

Ford acted on his promises to crack down on the biking nuisance, ripping up existing bike lanes in an attempt to help return his supporters to the freer, pre-bike world he promised them. The removal cost the city $300,000, and, according to Canada’s National Post, ended up saving commuters just an average of two minutes each way.

[akelman]

We don't seem to be attracting too many Lincolns any longer to elected office.

Lincoln's opponents, in both the North and the South, both before and after he became president, attacked him ferociously -- as totally unqualified, as too weak to lead the nation, as too progressive on the issue of slavery, as insufficiently progressive on the issue of slavery, and as a tyrant who wanted to be king. As late as August 1864, everyone, including Lincoln himself, thought he would lose the upcoming election. Not to mention, if Lincoln were president today, we'd spend all of our time talking about what a terrible father and husband he is. All of which is to say, it's easy to confuse history, which suggests that Lincoln was among the most controversial and reviled figures in the nation's history, and memory, which suggests that he was a Christ figure who died so that the nation might live.

[Grant McLean]

This.



Those idiotic things Ford said had no impact on the election,
Most of those comments are from 6 years ago,
and Transit was not an issue raised to any degree in the campaign.
Ford had and still has primarily a single message: taxes.

Fords main opponent in the 2010 election was an openly gay Provincial
Cabinet minister of Health who was in charge of a huge project to
make records electronic that was a total disaster, hundreds of millions
over budget and behind schedule. It wasn't difficult for conservatives
to paint Smitherman as an incompetent tax and spend liberal, who
ironically enough had his own history of drug use.

Fords comments on cycling aren't about cycling, they're about culture.
Bikelanes for him are a symbol of how "elites" are the enemy of the average
Joe who can't afford his taxes. This from an entitled rich guy.

http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2009/10/09/ehealth_scandal_dents_smithermans_mayoral_run.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Smitherman

[Anarchist]

Those idiotic things Ford said had no impact on the election,
Most of those comments are from 6 years ago,
and Transit was not an issue raised to any degree in the campaign.
Ford had and still has primarily a single message: taxes.

Fords main opponent in the 2010 election was an openly gay Provincial
Cabinet minister of Health who was in charge of a huge project to
make records electronic that was a total disaster, hundreds of millions
over budget and behind schedule. It wasn't difficult for conservatives
to paint Smitherman as an incompetent tax and spend liberal, who
ironically enough had his own history of drug use.

Fords comments on cycling aren't about cycling, they're about culture.
Bikelanes for him are a symbol of how "elites" are the enemy of the average
Joe who can't afford his taxes. This from an entitled rich guy.

http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2009/10/09/ehealth_scandal_dents_smithermans_mayoral_run.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Smitherman

I would "like " this if I could.

Ford is a boob, publicly and privately. However, he is a boob taht was elected by the people in Toronto metro who were entitled to vote, and who bothered to turn out to vote. That is really the way the system works.

Perhaps, the next election more people will vote. Perhaps not. I think more than anything else Ford's election exposes the deep divide in the interests of the voters of Toronto metro and is why he may very well get re-elected in spite of himself.

My biggest objection to everything that is going on in this city is the assumption that becasue we don't like the results of the election we can ignore them, overturn them or sue them away. There are deeply divided camps, the place to resolve it, or not, is athe next election. Not trying to purge the results mid term. Ford is far from the only one in this city who has made the place a laughingstock.

[Grant McLean]

My biggest objection to everything that is going on in this city is the assumption that becasue we don't like the results of the election we can ignore them, overturn them or sue them away. There are deeply divided camps, the place to resolve it, or not, is at the next election. Not trying to purge the results mid term.

So you're good with letting politicians make whatever decisions the like
between 4 year terms? I didn't know that was the definition of democracy.
I find that an ironic position, often held by neo-liberals who think that government
should be run more like a business... except apparently it's a job you can't
get fired from no matter how hard you try.

Ultimately, the position of mayor of Toronto is one vote of 44 on a council,
with a few extra privileges to appoint some members (that have now been
reduced). I'd have a lot more support for the the idea that election results
were sacred if the Canadian 'first past the post' system wan't so broken and
idiotic.

But really, I don't think this city is that divided, i think certain issues when
framed a particular way highlight certain differences, that overall are minor.

-g

[merlinmurph]

"He is perhaps the most antibike politician in the world."

http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/12/15/conservatives-new-enemy-bikes/NoLMjnocHg28jZ4hw3F4oI/story.html

Interesting that this came from the Globe. The editor of the Globe, Brian McGrory, absolutely hates bikes, has no patience for them at all. Every time I've heard him on the radio or read his column (before he became editor), he would always get in all the digs he could towards bikes.

[93legendti]

I wonder if anyone has done a study of the psychology and character traits of politicians? We don't seem to be attracting too many Lincolns any longer to elected office.;)

Oliar fancies himself as another Lincoln...that is funny...

[goonster]

the assumption that becasue we don't like the results of the election we can ignore them, overturn them or sue them away. There are deeply divided camps, the place to resolve it, or not, is athe next election.

We are not having this discussion today because of disagreements on policy, but because the mayor has behaved in a manner that makes it very difficult for him to exercise his duties successfully.

The time-honored way for public officials to do the right thing in cases like this is to resign, so that a deputy can work toward achieving the policy objectives given a mandate in the most recent election.

[#campyuserftw]

Am I the only one willing to admit they watched season one of 'Arrow' on Netflix? Who will embarrass themselves with me, acknowledging they viewed a high school level, campy, cheesy show, laden with fake accents, hot chicks and bad costumes?

Mayor Ford. You have failed this city:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wthYRlJefW8

The Arrow answers questions about Toronto Raptors, Maple Leafs etc:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvJAGHao1nw

https://www.facebook.com/CWArrow

:cool:

[torquer]

Fords comments on cycling aren't about cycling, they're about culture.
Bikelanes for him are a symbol of how "elites" are the enemy of the average
Joe who can't afford his taxes.
We see the same phony populist thing here in the arguements over gun control. And I suspect that like us, the benefits of any of Fords' delivered tax cuts flow overwhelmingly to the "real" elite$.

[goonster]

R.I.P. Rob Ford.

Let no one say he did not leave a mark.