Okay, I am really torn. Each week, the Star and everyone else who is afraid of a Rob Ford Mayor are attacking the guy. How the fuck does the Toronto City Council get on HIS case for lack of integrity in soliciting PRIVATE funds–i.e., NOT tax dollars–for his charity, when every other councillor wastes TAX DOLLARS on equally questionable things, if not worse. I mean, how was society benefited by Kyle Rae’s $12,000 going away party for himself? I could go on and on but I’d just get depressed.
In any event, readers of this site know that I’m all about CHARACTER, and Lily has rightfully questioned how I can support a man as lacking in character as Rob Ford is. He has been caught in a number of lies and says stupid things. These are reasons for me to question him.
But today, I had to renew my license stickers and saw the SCAM that is the “Drive Clean Test” that I’m forced to do, as well as the $60/year registration tax. Both of these charges are nothing for me financially, but on principle they stink because they truly are just a tax grab. And my car is quite new yet I’ve had to test it TWICE so far. Yet, I’ve seen many old, disgusting cars driving around for years, so this is obviously a poorly thought out program that is easily defrauded and thus is not helping the planet in any way. Yes, it’s a provincial tax grab but I know that many idiots on the City Council support it because they’re clueless. Again, I’d gladly pay for it if it actually was run properly and could be shown to have a positive effect. As for the registration tax, that’s all Miller I believe. The registration is $74 and the tax is $60??? How the fuck does that make sense? Do the math.
Anyway, every time I see my money get wasted by any level of government that has a certain mindset and arrogance and entitlement, I look for who embodies different principles. Rob Ford does. Tim Hudak (leader of the provincial Conservatives) does. And I’ve said it many times, beginning YEARS ago before McGuinty lost in his first attempt to defeat Mike Harris: McGuinty has absolutely no principles, no ideals, no ethics, no ideas, and no clues. All he can do is present himself as the “anti-_____” and then change his mind every time he sees an opportunity. And this province is getting it. The question is whether we’re willing to give the Conservatives another chance, in light of the chaos and hatred perpetrated against humanity by the Evil Mike Harris for 2.5 terms. I know that *I* can’t vote for the Conservatives, but neither would I ever vote for McGuinty. Arrrggghhh…
But at least I can vote for Ford, who I know will be open and transparent when it comes to government dealings. And he’ll piss off all those councillors who forgot that they work for us. And I think he’ll get more people interested in city politics than we’ve seen in a long, long time. For those reasons, I’m going to overlook his faulty character and vote Ford. I feel this is a confession of sorts…I know it’s a rambling diatribe to say the least…
There are so many wrong things about this man, I am a little puzzled to see you (still) rooting for him. All I see in him is a bully who thinks he is above everyone else and can do whatever he wants.
Unfortunately, I don’t have time to expand too much on that right now, as I am about to get out of the city for the day. I will definitely get back to it later.
I agree with Lily, Rob Ford is a pompous arrogant man, who I would never trust to be transparent and open. I cannot imagine this sort of individual representing our city.
What is your opinion of the other candidates?
Okay, so here is my rant…. from all of what I have read in the last few weeks, I actually believe that between now and election time, Rob Ford will actually screw up his chance to be elected , just like Giambrone did . The more I read about him, the more I feel relieved… each time there is something in the news about Ford, he is actually showing his true colours.
There is a protocol in place for running a charity, and it is there for a good reason. I don’t see why Rob Ford should be exempt to follow the rules. And I don’t buy his excuse that he is doing it for the kids. It is completely irrelevant. Not only his website claims that his charity has raised $100,000 when it collected just under $38,000, he seems completely oblivious to the report from the Integrity Commissioner despite two previous warnings. To me, that is a clear sign that he thinks he is above anyone and beyond.
If you really want to compare him to Kyle Rae, I would argue that both men are in the wrong. It is not a question of whose behaviour is most worthy, because neither is. Of course Kyle Rae did not have any right to throw himself a going away party at the tax payers’ expense, but neither is Rob Ford entitled to use his position to promote his charity. If he wants to do it, then he should follow the rules like everyone else. By the way, I think he is trying to promote himself more than trying to help these kids. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t be advertising on his website that he raised over $100,000 when it really is only $38,000. What bothers me the most in all this, is his obvious contempt for the rules and those above him who tell him what to do. And that’s enough for me to NOT want him as Mayor.
I have also read about the letter that a woman sent to his office asking what he intended to do about the bike lanes. When the lady received a form letter which was obviously not filled in (and that can be a mistake anyone could make), there was no comment from his office. Don’t you think they should have addressed the issue rather than ignoring it? And I’m not even gonna touch the “vague response” issue. Again, he seems to believe that he is completely above that, when in fact it is exactly what’s telling about his character.
He also recently made some disturbing comments about refugees trying to come to Toronto. As much as I can appreciate his worries about the city not being able to afford it, it still points to a pretty cold-hearted person, and that’s not who I want as a leader.
Just like you RR, I could go on and on but I would get too depressed as well.
I will address the latter part of your post tomorrow.
To Redzdevil, you actually bring in a good question when you ask:” What is your opinion of the other candidates? I’m not sure what RR would say, but I know for myself there is no one worthy.
You know, I’ve been thinking about this a lot and I really do think my support of Ford is not for the PERSON but for what he REPRESENTS. So many people voted for Miller not only for who he was: supposedly handsome (I don’t get that), smart, well educated, articulate, nice guy, etc etc. But they also bought into his IMAGE and promise to CLEAN UP THE CITY–remember the broom? Yet, Miller has let the FIEFDOM of City Hall/Toronto continue, if not get worse.
So, I don’t know what Ford would accomplish as mayor, but I do believe that he would cause more of a shake-up than any other politician could. I’ve been following politics for many years and I can’t pin-point when the city went to such shit, but it was probably around the days of Mike Harris amalgomating Toronto/GTA against everyone’s wishes, together with his DOWNLOADING of so many services to bankrupt us; and yes, Chretien’s FEDERAL government also downloaded billions of dollars of responsibilities onto the provinces, so he’s equally to blame for our downfall.
In any event, it’s been too long and the “culture” of City Hall has truly become one of unbridled ENTITLEMENT. Do you honestly think anyone else can shake that up? No. Miler only fed into it.
Joe Pantalone is 100% behind the same sentiment, as Miller and Miller’s gang of entitled, impotent, self-serving jerks, hence he’s a joke.
Sarah Thompson hasn’t done anything wrong but I can’t see her having any impact against the “establishment” at City Hall (plus, what the hell is Conrad Black doing endorsing her? Okay, that’s not really relevant, but still…).
I will never forgive George Smitherman for E-Health or anything else he did/supported as part of the Liberal government–except for his Green initiatives…I have to give him credit for that. But he’s an asshole and a bully; interestingly, 2 weeks ago I saw him get into a weird confrontation with some guy on the street wearing a Montreal Canadiens hat. I think Smitherman was trying to joke around but he swore for no reason, pissed off or confused the guy, and just looked like a total douche with his lapdog assistant by his side (he also bears a striking resemblance to UFC pres, Dana White…). I wish I could have found out more but I was running late.
As for Rocco Rossi, he doesn’t seem like a bad guy but again, his Federal Liberal connections are a turn off, given what they’ve done these past years. They may not be nearly as bad as the Ontario Liberals, but they’re nothing to be proud of. And Ignatieff has been such a failure with him by his side (or behind his back), I question his political acumen. However, if Ford were not around, I might vote for Rossi since he might actually get something done. Maybe.
You support Ford for what he represents and not for the person that he is. That is exactly what I have a problem with. I cannot possibly separate the two. I do like the idea that Ford would shape up City Hall, but his persona is so bad that I am not willing to take a chance. He has the potential of cleaning up City Council, but I don’t think that he will take people’s needs and concerns at heart. He is a bully and he will do whatever he pleases, regardless of the consequences. A Mayor should be able to respond to the needs of ALL people in the city, but he has already shown that he doesn’t care for those who want to cycle on the streets, he is a racist and a bully…. and don’t be fooled, if he gets in charge, his own interests will go first. I think the link below illustrates exactly what he is about, that is in my oipnion, he is no better than anyone else who has been elected so far.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/torontocouncil/article/853743–ford-s-vote-for-sole-source-contract-called-hypocritical
I don’t like bullies, never did, never will. His attitude towards so many issues completely turn me off. I doubt anyone could convince me otherwise.
As far as your comments in your original post go about taxes, I do agree with you. They are a complete rip-off, but again I doubt Rob ford in power would make a big difference.
Thank you for the link, Lily. I’ve been so busy that I missed that story. On the surface, you’re absolutely right. It seems like the most hypocritical move ever–and if it turns out to be as it appears, Ford’s going to drop very far in my books and I’m sure in others’. A few things about that:
1) As you know, I read The Star all the time and many of my stories come from there. When it comes to Ford, they’ve gone off the rails and have shown their bias as much as The Sun, The National Post or The Globe used to show their biases as well. The Star has always been like that but to a much less degree. I always found it to be the most balanced of the papers, but with Ford it’s thrown away any semblance of balance/objectivity. So I want to learn more about this story.
2) As much of a self-serving bully as Ford may be, NO ONE doubts his commitment to serving his constituents. He has people from OTHER wards calling him to take care of problems and he calls them back personally within minutes or hours. Maybe he’s saying “F You” to the other councillors but the bottom line is that he gets things done. Very few councillors realize that they are PAID to SERVE their constituents.
That’s the problem. That’s why a major shake-up is required. That’s why I want Ford. I want him to embarrass the hell out of these entitled babies. I want him as a symbol to seep over into every single ward so that people vote out the useless wastes of space in their own wards, being fuelled by the same anger as is being stirred up by Ford. I have NEVER seen such a change in sentiment re. City Council as I have this year, thanks to Ford. Even last year, when everyone bitched about the strike, you could see that nothing was going to change because the rules are set in favour of incumbents. We get the same pieces of garbage every year because there are few other options. I believe Ford’s mayoral run will change all that.
We may still get lots of garbage but I think voter sentiment will change and people are going to feel a lot more pressure to perform and earn their keep from here on in. And who knows? Maybe this change will last…
I’m off to work in a few minutes but I will address your points quickly, one at a time:
)
1. about The Star, could it be that you want a change of things so bad, that you are dismissing The Star’s comments, because they go against yours? You usually agree with their views and often praise them for exposing … whatever. Could it be that you don’t want to see the reality that Ford is indeed a creep? Just wondering…. You see, I don’t notice any change, to me they are still putting the facts straight forward…
2. I DO doubt Ford’s committment to serve his constituents. Maybe I missed something, but when an issue arises and his office ignores it; when he is told by the Integrity Commissioner to shape up (after two warnings) and he ignores it, I have concerns… I’m sorry but to me that’s a red flag that he doesn’t give a damn about anyone and he will do whatever he wants whevever he wants and in any way he wants.
I am not questioning the need to fix Council… I just don’t think Rob Ford is the man for it…
Now I’m late for work (and I’ll blame you if I have to
That’s fine…I’ve been blamed for far worse…
As for your comments, I hate to be wrong (I’ve heard that can happen occasionally…) but I’ve never said anything positive about Ford’s character, other than his ability to serve his “customers/employers,” we the citizenry. So I’m not dismissing the Star’s comments. However, the Star DID run a story about the football player that was apparently not true: Ford never touched him. Plus, one of the columnists wrote an insulting article, saying that Toronto has lost its mind if it votes for Ford:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/851914–mallick-rob-ford-as-mayor-are-we-nuts
Moreover, the Star has not condemned the Councillors who said they will IGNORE the voters and form their own cabal if Ford is elected. No, the Star is making it pretty clear that they are anti-Ford.
Also, where have you seen any evidence of Ford’s lack of commitment to serving his constituents? If you see anything, please let me know, as that is one of the few reasons I’m voting for him.
Remember, I’m not a Ford fan per se. I’m a fan of Ford as the ONLY candidate who might be able to save our city at present. If someone else comes along, I’ll go for them in a heartbeat.
I don’t have any “evidence” of Ford’s lack of commitment to serving his constituents. Not yet anyway. But based on everything I’ve read about him, I have the feeling that if elected, he would be very selective about who he will help/serve, at the expense of many others (i.e. those he has no interest in, such as cyclists, immigrants, people with AIDS, etc…).
I think we just have to agree to disagree on this one… Or maybe John Tory will change his mind before October and run again.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/marcus-gee/john-tory-could-enter-torontos-mayoral-race-late-and-win/article1655227/
Okay, forget John Tory. Apparently, he made a final decision not to run for sure
http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/08/05/14937841.html
In the absense of a decent candidate for Mayor , there was a choice between a red neck Ford and Smitherman a flaming homo.
There was no real candidate worthy of running this city in that group running for Mayor.
I am not surprized that Ford was elected though , Toronto voters have elected some real winners like Mel Lastman.
Regardless what this boorish man does it is not going to effect me in the least but it will make for good entertainment watching this jackass perform over the next 4 years.
Interesting that it was a Conservative who put us in this financial mess named Mike Harris downloading public housing and TTC on our backs, also cutting off transfer payments that helped the city operate.
Simple case of robbing Peter to pay Paul fixing the Provincial budget by downloading on Toronto by expanding it’s borders as a smoke screen to cause confusion meanwhile unloading the Provincial Governments responsibilities on the municipality.
So now we have another Conservative wanting to slash and burn Harris style decent paying jobs needed to live in this expensive city with Walmart paying jobs while the waste company owners become rich on your tax dollars.
A few people line their pockets at the expense of the majority , this is typically a rich mans way of operating.
And it is what keeps him rich living off the poor.