Ford Desecration Pt IV - the march to Detroit continues
December 6, 2011 - 10:33am
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Re: the talk about KWT - I don't think Kristyn's going anywhere other than councillor for a long, long time. She's made herself very visible on a number of issues, including (but not only) Pride, and if/when she reoffers in 2014, it won't even be close. She'll be posting Kyle Rae-like majorities, and it would take dynamite to lever her out. She might be willing to hunker down in her ward for a few terms, build up her reputation, and so forth, before she ventures on to other political office. She has a sure thing in Ward 27. Why risk it?
Shelley Carroll, on the other hand …
I havent been looking at this threads.
It was the cover that got my attention.
Is that 'march to Detroit' a commonly used phrase?
No one, nobody, can match Detroit. Not even get in its league.
I agree KenS.
In other news....
Fees proposed for swimming, Riverdale Farm, library DVDs
Right-leaning Toronto councillors want residents to start paying to swim in the city's outdoor pools, visit Riverdale Farm, and borrow feature films from the public library.
All three activities are currently free, and charging for library borrowing is illegal under Ontario law.
.....
Councillor Adam Vaughan argued that the proposals would hurt poor families. Del Grande, a staunch fiscal conservative, responded that council's left-leaning faction refuses to endorse necessary fiscal fixes because of an excessive focus on the city's "most vulnerable."
"If every argument always boils down to the most vulnerable - if every single argument, because everything you can do, the argument goes down to the most vulnerable - then we might as well not do absolutely anything," Del Grande said after a budget committee meeting.
The city already charges for indoor swimming.
.....
The provincial government would have to amend the Public Libraries Act before Toronto could impose fees on circulating materials. The library board, not council, would make the final decision.
Del Grande has a point.
I havent been looking at this threads.
It was the cover that got my attention.
Is that 'march to Detroit' a commonly used phrase?
No one, nobody, can match Detroit. Not even get in its league.
It's not a commonly-used phrase. I used it in the sense that Ford and company see Detroit as not what to avoid, but more of a goal.
Del Grande has a point.
But not quite in the way he (probably) meant it.
Heavens to Betsy, if the government is going to start taking care of vulnerable people, then we might as well quit now! /sarcasm
Sadly, there are already user fees in lots of places in Canada. I'm glad people in Toronto think it's beyond the pale (as it should be), but some library users already have to pay to borrow DVDs or request books, to go to swimming pools ,etc.
Link to previous thread-chunk (See? It's not rocket science!)
CUPE National: Move Your War Room To Toronto Now! (YouTube)
Ford's War on Children
http://www.thestar.com/news/cityhallpolitics/article/1106678--treat-audit-case-as-new-rob-ford-s-lawyers-argue?bn=1
In documents filed Friday, his lawyers asked the court to treat the residents’ compliance audit request as an entirely new case rather than dealing with the matter as a regular appeal. In an appeal, Ford’s lawyers would have to convince the court that the compliance audit committee had made an error.
Ya, sorry if I find fault in the media:
“What’s changed since the last time events made the headlines is that he has a designate on the police service board and he is involved directly with negotiations around the budget . . . the mayor can’t handle this the same way he handled it before.
“He has a higher burden of responsibility here. If he’s involved with the police, either with calling them or having them called against him. . . he’s got to be much more clear how he’s exercising this authority and whether or not there is any potential conflict.”
That probably would mean making a public declaration about what’s going on, he said.
“That being said, clearly he is dealing with some significant private issues. . . he needs the time and the space to deal with that.”
How the fuck is this guy mayor? People of Toronto need to grow up.
Rob Ford may be responsible for an increasing police budget in more ways than one.
Early Christmas morning, police were called to the home of Mayor Rob Ford about a reported domestic dispute. It was the second such call in as many months.
On Oct. 25, less than 15 hours after Ford himself called 911 regarding the intrusion of the comedy show This Hour has 22 Minutes on his property, officers from 22 Division were back at the Etobicoke residence on a domestic call.
On Christmas, Ford’s mother-in-law called police between 4 and 5 a.m. to report that the mayor had been drinking and was taking his children to Florida against the wishes of his wife, Renata.
TTC chair Karen Stinz experiences a sudden burst of rationality. It's also the only way to save the misguided Sheppard subway proposal which is not - surprise! - going to be built for free by the private sector.
Karen Stintz argues it makes more sense to put the LRT underground only along the most congested part of the route, in midtown, while building it on the surface in the spacious suburbs.
Ford compares Councillors to Stalin:
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1120634--mayor-rob-ford-compares-riv...
Ah, Godwin goes dyslexic.
Ah, Godwin goes dyslexic.
Shouldn't go there, much as my first implication was to laugh...
Ya, that's not cool. I'm laughing at dyslexia. That's not cool. How do we unprogram ourselves?
One of the first things, is getting over my hate. I'm going to adopt a Conservative friend?
Onward!
If Matlow is a "left-wing NDPer", does that make me the secretary of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada?
City and outside workers reach agreement
Thoughts?
Initial thoughts: ironic that Miller couldn't avoid a strike while Ford could. The workers knew they'd get locked out, and the public largely wasn't on their side.
When has the public ever been largely on the side of the civic workers?
Can't offer too many thoughts until we hear about the details of the deal. Will the parties be able to dot the "i"s and cross the "t"s? Is it a deal the members will accept?
The City negotiators definitely played hardball with their "final offer" - threatening to stop remitting dues to the union among other cutbacks to the benefits and working conditions. It was a divisive offer pitting parts of the bargaining unit against each other while making the union itself pay a very high price (that I'm not even sure was "legal").
Why not legal, Pol2? Mind you, I don't know the Ontario legislation. Are you referring to the refusal to apply the Rand formula once the parties acquire the right to strike/lockout?
No, I was referring to the idea that the employer would impose a new 4-year "agreement" which did not include application of the Rand formula at all. I was questioning whether an employer can opt out of dues check-off without the unions permission?
In a strike or lock-out situation, there is an essential services regime. Those employees who are working are still paying dues I think. In my bargaining unit, dues rose to 30% for those who are working uring our two strikes against the Harris Cons. I don't know the mechanics of it but those dues were remitted by the employer when we were on strike. (The union also paid the employer 100% of the premiums for a bare-bones medical plan in both our strikes if I'm not mistaken but there was no requirement to do so).
Well Pol2, the OLRA seems to say the following:
That would mean that the Rand formula is a mandatory clause of the collective agreement - so, when the statutory freeze period is over (as it must be before there can be strikes or lockouts), there's no requirement to apply the Rand formula, even for those employees who remain at work.
Unless I'm wrong. But this has happened to one of our units before, under a different jurisdiction with a similar provision to Section 47(1).
When has the public ever been largely on the side of the civic workers?
Generally speaking, support for unionized workers declines as fewer people enjoy the benefits of union membership. I'm referring specifically to CUPE's militant stance during the last round of contract negotiations, when they were dealing with Miller, who negotiated in good faith.
The impression we have (talking about this in a bar with some friends), without knowing the details of the deal as yet, is that a deal was struck because Ford is willing to say "Fuck you!" to the workers. While a protracted strike was possible last time because Miller would put up with it, and continued to negotiate as garbage piled up in parks. not going to the province to get back to work legislation passed, for instance.
Thanks for digging that up Unionist. It shows that their proposal to scrap the Rand formula in any new collective agreement was hot air.
The impression we have (talking about this in a bar with some friends), without knowing the details of the deal as yet, is that a deal was struck because Ford is willing to say "Fuck you!" to the workers. While a protracted strike was possible last time because Miller would put up with it, and continued to negotiate as garbage piled up in parks. not going to the province to get back to work legislation passed, for instance.
Are you saying you prefer Ford's approach to Miller's?
The impression we have (talking about this in a bar with some friends), without knowing the details of the deal as yet, is that a deal was struck because Ford is willing to say "Fuck you!" to the workers. While a protracted strike was possible last time because Miller would put up with it, and continued to negotiate as garbage piled up in parks. not going to the province to get back to work legislation passed, for instance.
Are you saying you prefer Ford's approach to Miller's?
God, Spector, that was gratuitous.
I'm honestly trying to understand her point of comparison between Miller and Ford.
Now you've got me wondering and re-reading Sineed's post. I could have sworn she was praising Miller by saying he negotiated in good faith, and was willing to pay the heavy price of free collective bargaining. But maybe I'll let her comment herself rather than continuing with my Talmudic exegesis...
Just to clarify: I think the recent events set an unfortunate precedent in labour relations. Miller negotiated in good faith, and was almost universally vilified for it. Ford was a bully, and got a quick deal.
I knew it! Thanks, Sineed. And I agree.
I don't know if Miller was responsible for the City's refusal to put a wage offer on the table until the union agreed to give up its banked sick leave, but I recall that tactic was roundly and correctly denounced at the time as bad faith bargaining. That may be one of the reasons Miller was vilified.
I don't know either, M. Spector. Miller wasn't always the most effective communicator. At the time, getting rid of the banked sick time was pretty contentious, even though it's not a progressive benefit, and most unions have got rid of it (mine did in the 1980s).
I'm hoping for a better resolution on Wednesday, when TTC chair Karen Stintz will hold a special meeting that may see a partial resumption of the Transit City plan. Ford has been insisting that the entire Eglinton LRT line be buried, including under the Don Valley, and Stintz, after losing a vote at the last TTC board meeting on the topic, then successfully collected enough signatures from other counsellors to bring the issue before counsel. And the Premier says he'll listen to what counsel decides...
TTC chief Gary Webster fired
TTC chief general manager Gary Webster has been relieved of his duties, following a vote during a special meeting of transit commissioners Tuesday.
In a motion describing termination "without just cause," the transit commission voted 5-4 to fire Webster, who has worked at the service for 35 years, just two weeks after he expressed open defiance to a subway plan championed by Mayor Rob Ford. His ouster comes a year before he was set to retire.
"This was not how I expected this to end — certainly not how I wanted it to end," Webster told reporters shortly after his termination. "But clearly the choice has been made to replace me as chief general manager and I accept that."...
Calling Webster a "consummate professional," Coun. Maria Augimeri's voice broke with emotion as she faced the commission members who wanted to dump the TTC veteran.
"You're kicking success out the door. You're throwing away success with both hands. What are you thinking?" she said, moments before the vote came down.
At one point, Augimeri raised her voice to a yell, accusing those loyal to Ford of "abuse of power" for getting rid of a dissenting voice.
Also: The Torontoist's liveblog of today's hearing.
"Call it the unthinking trying to sell the uninformed on the unaffordable."
An editorial in the Toronto Star published on Saturday gives a good summary of the Sheppard subway expansion issue.
This is what happens when no-brain fuckwad bullies run the city.
Councillor Doug Ford tangles with verbally abusive bike courier
Doug Ford then said that last week he was accosted downtown by a bike courier, who said "some real nasty, nasty words" into the councillor's SUV and then circled back to give him another earful.
The councillor, trying to drive into underground parking, got out because the courier was blocking him from pushing a button, he said.
"I told him if I wasn't an elected official I'd kick his ass in about 10 seconds," Doug Ford said. But the courier was still cursing him when he walked up from the garage, he said.
"All these construction guys are watching and he's going at me full tilt and I'm thinking ‘Is this all part of the job, Rob never told me. . . ," he said.
Mayor Rob Ford interjected: "There'd be one less courier because, trust me, Doug has been a kick boxer 10 years . . . I guarantee you that guy would have been history in about two seconds."
So, joking about violence is funny? Bragging about it on the air is just a story to tell?
Awwww, the construction guys were watching him! Awwww poor Dougie. Waah waah!!
And "that guy would have been history"?? Who the fuck talks like this? I say, that's a death threat.
See, Fords, here's the thing. When you fuck up the city, and destroy services, it actually affects real people's lives. And you know what else? People are going to get fucking pissed off about it. You clearly don't care when we're polite. And now you get some of your macho bullshit served back at you, verbally, for a few minutes. Cry me a fucking river.
OMG breaking news.
Clayton Ruby filing application to remove Rob Ford from office
There's a briefing at City Hall at 11am (in 15 minutes). Stay tuned.
But in the meantime: WOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Update from the Torontoist:
Prominent Toronto lawyer Clayton Ruby has filed an application with the Ontario Superior Court on behalf of Toronto resident Paul Magder, alleging that Rob Ford has violated the Province of Ontario's Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.
That act sets out rules that govern how municipal politicians must conduct themselves while in office; one of those rules is that members of a council cannot take part in a debate if it involves their own private financial concerns. Ruby alleges that Ford did this last month, when the mayor gave a speech and cast a vote during a debate on whether he should have to repay certain donors to the Rob Ford Football Foundation. When he did so, according to Ruby, he breached the rules that are supposed to keep municipal government free from personal interests.
The penalty set out in the Conflict of Interest Act for violations of this kind: removal from office.
What a great day this has turned out to be.
Crossing my fingers that this bid is more successful for Toronto folks than Larry O'Brien's legal saga was for Ottawans.
Thank you Toronto for furnishing me with this melodrama of endless political comedy. With the CBC's assualt on political satire through its travesties (and not in a good way) Air Farce and 22 Minutes, I am grateful to still have reason to chuckle.
Update from the Torontoist:
Prominent Toronto lawyer Clayton Ruby has filed an application with the Ontario Superior Court on behalf of Toronto resident Paul Magder, alleging that Rob Ford has violated the Province of Ontario's Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.
That act sets out rules that govern how municipal politicians must conduct themselves while in office; one of those rules is that members of a council cannot take part in a debate if it involves their own private financial concerns. Ruby alleges that Ford did this last month, when the mayor gave a speech and cast a vote during a debate on whether he should have to repay certain donors to the Rob Ford Football Foundation. When he did so, according to Ruby, he breached the rules that are supposed to keep municipal government free from personal interests.
The penalty set out in the Conflict of Interest Act for violations of this kind: removal from office.
What a great day this has turned out to be.
True 'dat.
yes, Happy spring break week!
Clayton Ruby was interviewed on P&P. I am not a lawyer (IANAL) but it sounds to me that he has an extremely weak case, and I'm surprised a lawyer of his reputation would take it on. Nevertheless, I hope Ford is thrown out of office - he's a world class prick.
Paul Magder, his client, has plenty of money to fund the litigation, even if it's a longshot. For Ruby it's a chance for more self-promotion. Think of it as a strategic lawsuit.
Can't be very strategic if it's almost a sure thing that Ruby will lose, and not much good for his reputation.
Before he loses he will get much attention from the media, and many opportunities to denounce Rob Ford. He will further his reputation as a crusader against the powerful and corrupt.
The reason certain lawsuits are called "strategic" is that their importance doesn't depend on whether you ultimately win or lose. By the time you get a verdict, the lawsuit has already served its purpose.
If you lose, you can say it was an uphill fight, but worth undertaking. If you win, you look like a hero.
Oh - okay - understood. Thanks!
Rob Ford in fight to save mayoralty
Ha ha.
On Friday he was slapped with an unprecedented legal application that seeks to remove him from office.
The action, filed by prominent lawyer Clayton Ruby on behalf of Toronto resident Paul Magder, stems from allegations Ford acted improperly when, as a city councillor, he solicited donations from lobbyists and others doing business with the city to his football foundation using city letterhead. In 2010 the integrity commissioner directed him to repay the money, but at a council meeting last month councillors voted to waive that penalty.
Ford however spoke and voted on the issue at that February 7 meeting, and Ruby says doing so was a clear violation of the Municipal conflict of Interest Act.
"It's a very serious breach of statute," said Ruby at a press conference at City Hall Monday morning. "It's not a minor political poke. It's something we take very seriously in a democracy."
.....
Rob Ford is facing a legal challenge to his mayoralty.
On Friday he was slapped with an unprecedented legal application that seeks to remove him from office.
The action, filed by prominent lawyer Clayton Ruby on behalf of Toronto resident Paul Magder, stems from allegations Ford acted improperly when, as a city councillor, he solicited donations from lobbyists and others doing business with the city to his football foundation using city letterhead. In 2010 the integrity commissioner directed him to repay the money, but at a council meeting last month councillors voted to waive that penalty.
Ford however spoke and voted on the issue at that February 7 meeting, and Ruby says doing so was a clear violation of the Municipal conflict of Interest Act.
"It's a very serious breach of statute," said Ruby at a press conference at City Hall Monday morning. "It's not a minor political poke. It's something we take very seriously in a democracy."
actually BB, it isn't a weak case at all. Conflict of interest is not considered weak and is pretty cut and dry. Ford put a motion forward to rescind a sanction below:
Legal experts weigh in on application to remove Mayor Rob Ford from officeSome key statements: violating the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act for financial gain.
Lawyer Clayton Ruby alleges Ford breached the act in February when he asked council to remove a year and a half old sanction placed upon him by the city’s integrity commissioner. Ford had been ordered to repay $3,150 worth of donations to his football foundation he solicited using councillor letterhead. Ford then voted on the issue, which passed.
So he not only put a motion forward but voted on it - it was a clear conflict of interest. Ruby won't lose. Oh, and there has been previous municipal and school trustees dinged for the same thing.
Well, Rosie Barton - not that I put much stock in anything she says - pointed out that she has legal information that all Ford has to do is pay back the $3000 or whatever it was, and maybe an apology, and he's off the hook.
I'll make sure to remember that defence next time I rob a bank.
MS:
I think Ford is digging in his heels from what I saw on the CBC lst night - maybe he expects Toronto City Council to back him up on this?
So what if the majority on council does "back him up"? How is that relevant to the courts?
Testify on his behalf and suggest a compromise whereby he pay the $3000+ and make a pubic statement - maybe an apology? His defense attorney might make the argument that this is all a bit much, and ask for the charges to be dropped - with the support of Council? There could be other avenues to pursue as well.
I would love to see Ford thrown out of office, but I'm not holding my breath.
Ontario's Municipal Conflict of Interest Act
Yeah, that was shown on P&P last night. I'll be watching this case as best as I can, because I can't stand Ford, and I don't even live there. I still think Ford will survive this, however, but hope springs eternal.
Thank Writer for posting the law on conflict of interest:
Duty of Member
When present at meeting at which matter considered
5. (1) Where a member, either on his or her own behalf or while acting for, by, with or through another, has any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in any matter and is present at a meeting of the council or local board at which the matter is the subject of consideration, the member,
(a) shall, prior to any consideration of the matter at the meeting, disclose the interest and the general nature thereof;
(b) shall not take part in the discussion of, or vote on any question in respect of the matter; and
(c) shall not attempt in any way whether before, during or after the meeting to influence the voting on any such question. R.S.O. 1990, c. M.50, s. 5 (1).
So Ford had an "indirect interest" in the matter in which he brought up. At least he could have been wiser (I know, I know) and had his brother bring up the matter but R. Ford is not wise. R. Ford than went on and violated (a), (b), and (c).
It's not relevant at this time what city council has to say as it is before the courts. He is either guilty or not. The charge "conflict of interest" is not about paying the money and thus it too is irrelevant to the case before the courty. The leeway would be whether he knew or should have known he was in conflict. Thus here is where R.Ford could play dumb and thus be found guilty but get some lenancy. But since he has shown in the past to declare "conflicts of interest" it could be shown that he knew he was in conflict but decided to "abuse his position of power" on city council when he knowingly became the mayor and having a majority on his side to vote the matter down.
And jealous of the fact that there is no mechanism in place to have the mayor of Winnipeg removed from office.
well Aristotleded 24, it requires activitist citizens to attend meetings and read minutes of meetings to ensure correct goverance processes are followed. Conflict of interest must be citizen led. So a politician does not have to disclose their conflict and it is not the role of mandate or responsibility of the governing body to tell the politician they may have a conflict.
Sometimes those who are elected and more often are elected in more lofty positions such as majors think that the position comes with "special privleges" and they become blind or ignore their conflicts.
This is what happens when no-brain fuckwad bullies run the city.
Councillor Doug Ford tangles with verbally abusive bike courier
Doug has been a kick boxer 10 years . . . I guarantee you that guy would have been history in about two seconds."
It is to laugh. A kick boxer?? really??
This guy couldn't lift his leg higher than his knee. Anybody ever see Beverly Hills Ninja with Chris Farley?
And from the Toronto Public Library, another appeal:
"Our public library needs your support once again.
Librarians and staff have been standing firm, refusing to accept Mayor Ford’s agenda to diminish our public library. At the same time the Mayor’s negotiators have pushed us to the brink, demanding measures that will reduce service for those who depend on our world class public library and setting the stage for branch closures next year.
It has not been an easy road. We are quickly reaching the point where the threat of a city-wide closure of our cherished public library may become a reality.
As early as March 18, libraries in Toronto may go dark.1
But, working together I believe we can inject some much needed sense into the City’s negotiators.
Please take action to defend our public library.
Remember, we are dealing with the same appointees who tried and failed to slash neighbourhood branches and vital library programs. This same intent and behavior has been playing out in contract negotiations for several weeks since I last wrote to you.
Right now, we’re trying to reach a new agreement that protects the quality of your library services.
But the City insists on more cuts to front line staff.
They want to make even more librarians and staff part-time and open the door for further reductions to both staff and services. The effect of this would be to starve our library system.
If this happens, there is simply no way to maintain the quality of library service citizens expect and count on. You and 1.25 million Torontonians who hold a library card deserve better.
Please take action to defend Toronto Public Library services.
Today, too many library staff are limited to working part-time, even though there is a crying need for full-time career library workers to maintain the quality of service that is the hallmark of our system.
The City's decision to increasingly rely on part-timers is a slow but sure way to deteriorate service standards. What took decades to build - a truly wonderful library system that is the envy of the world - is being dismantled hour by hour, even as the popularity of the service grows.
It’s a travesty and we won’t stand for it.
Toronto's library system is the world's busiest , and is getting busier by the month. Yet library staff has been cut more than any other frontline public service - nearly 20% since city amalgamation in 1998.2
If you love your local library, and want to protect the services we provide, please contact your City Councillor right now!"
And they are the first on strike against the destruction of their livelihood, and against the anti-intellectualism of Ford and the Bean Counters.
From the library employees:
"We worked around the clock last weekend, extending the deadline several times trying to find a solution. At the end, the City’s negotiators would not budge from their demand for the right to fire librarians and staff anytime they want, for whatever reason they want.
This is the stumbling block.
In all good conscience, it is a demand that we cannot accept. Especially after you and thousands of others defended our public library with such passion and conviction. For if we did, the door would be wide open for Mayor Ford and his allies on Council to fire the staff that run your neighbourhood branch, then close it. Or, to fire staff to make it easy to privatize entire library services.
The key for Mayor Ford is to have the unfettered right to fire library staff. That would allow him to close branches, cut programs and privatize services at will.
When the 2012 Library budget was passed, we escaped deeper cuts by just one vote. Luckily for library lovers, one of Mayor Ford’s allies on Council was absent that day. So we will have the same struggle to protect our public library during next year’s budget process. In the meantime, Mayor Ford is preparing by trying to win the right to chop over half the entire staff of the Toronto Public Library.
Don’t forget, since 2011 Toronto Public Library service for the Hospital for Sick Children has been cut, service to Bridgepoint Hospital has been cut, the Urban Affairs Library closed, and the service desk for the Centre for People with Disabilities at Toronto Reference Library has been closed.
The Library Board refuses to say why they are so keen to have these new powers to fire staff. But it must be so important that they are willing to shutter our public library to win this right.
After Mayor Ford campaigned on a promise to cut gravy but not services, I will leave it to others to draw their own conclusions."
<double post>
It makes me want to raise the word 'fascist' but I know that kind of behaviour gets us in to trouble - it just reduces the argument to his level.
After today I won't be too surprised if Rob Ford ends up in a padded room mumbling "Subways...people want subways...subways, subways" to himself. He's halfway there.
a lot of comments after this:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/an-open-letter-to-those-who-elected-rob-ford/article2380049/
Tell me something: What did you expect? Mr. Ford had been on city council for 10 years when he ran for mayor. Thanks to his antics, he was in the news quite a bit. Unless you were living under a rock, you had to have a pretty good idea what he was about.
You knew he was a cranky Etobicoke councillor who said "Oriental" people "work like dogs" and cyclists have it coming if they are run over by a car. You knew about the dodgy behaviour like the abusive rant he pitched at an unsuspecting couple at a hockey game. You knew he had been upbraided for breaking council's integrity rules, only to thumb his nose at city officials when he was caught. You knew that he came to city council meetings when he felt like it, delivered a few juicy lines and checked out.
If you were paying even minimal attention, you knew all of this. If you knew it and voted for him anyway, you can hardly complain now. If you were not paying even minimal attention and cast a vote for him regardless, shame on you.
And don't say the media didn't warn you. When Mr. Ford was running for mayor in 2010, reporters and, ahem, newspaper columnists published dozens of articles on the many holes in his platform. They told you his budget numbers were wildly out of whack. They told you his plan to build a subway to Scarborough was all talk, no funding.
That was a beaut. Unfortunately, the librarians who hit the bricks more than a week ago, might be reassured that they are on the side of the angels, but what hope that the Great Misled will ride to the rescue? Librarians are dispensable in the IT world. Why would the kids with the ass out of their pants need books? (Oh yeah, McGuinty has just dissolved the program meant to aid them...and there's zero increase for social welfare. Forgot.
"I am so happy to be writing to tell you that our public library re-opens today!
I am even more pleased to let you know that we now have an agreement that provides some insurance against unilateral service cuts for library patrons.
Without a doubt, we did not achieve this alone. You and tens of thousands of others who have defended our public library during the past year proved to be key in achieving this happy outcome.
Thank you for all you have done in support of our public library and its staff.
Yours sincerely,
Maureen O’Reilly
President
Toronto Public Library Workers Union
OurPublicLibrary.to
well thank the angels for that
One would hope they are not on the side of Ford.
Small victories:
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/04/11/holyday-urges-voters-to-clean-up-co...
Hopefully, council keeps Ford as a lame duck until next election.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is threatening to freeze out all city hall media unless a Toronto Star reporter he got into a tense confrontation with outside his home is removed from the municipal affairs beat.
Ford told AM640's John Oakley on Thursday morning he "can't even find a word to describe how low" the Toronto Star has gone after his altercation with city hall reporter Daniel Dale.
"If Daniel Dale's ... down at city hall, I will not be talking to any reporters if he is part of that scrum. They have to take him out of city hall," said Ford.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/05/03/rob-ford-reporter...
After millionaire councillor Doug Ford insisted that he had seen the home security videos of the incident, the National Putz reports that the millionaire mayor won't be releasing the video.
When asked why not release the video to the public, considering Dale's and the mayor's versions of the events differ sharply, Doug Ford demurred.
"It's with the police right now, you can see his head bobbing up and down behind the fence, it's a distance from the cameras to the fence, but you can see distinctly his head bobbing," he responded.
The latest incident is in relation to the millionaire mayor's bid to expand his backyard by purchasing land held by the Toronto Region Conservation Authority.
I cannot believe this monster hasn't been arrested yet (N.B. I can believe it)
#fencegate, humour, masculinityPlease. That’s embarrassing.
I certainly hope that the people mocking him have never been in similar situations or experienced violence, or the threat of violence. I hope that they’ve never known the fear of being hit or hurt. In fact, I’ll assume they haven’t because once you’ve felt that kind of fear, you find it difficult to laugh at.
I think it’s fair to say that when someone much larger than you who has a history of lying and violent behaviour—nicely summarized here—is charging at you, it’s reasonable to be afraid. I don’t like using examples like this, but if Ford was charging at a woman and she reacted the exact same way, no one would be mocking her. But because Dale is A MAN he needs to behave in MANLY WAYS. He didn’t, so he’s a wuss. He overreacted. He’s lesser.
Just another reminder that one of the worst things a person can be is not a man—in the stereotypical sense, of course.
Rob Ford is a liar and has no credibility - his past actions speak for him, and yet because he was not been charged and convicted he keeps getting away with it. This guy needs a police record to prevent him from running for any political office.
I found this image very helpful to understand what happened. Thanks Polunatic who posted it on FB.
P.S. I of course am furious about this, on political and personal levels. His behaviour is disintegrating and he's clearly irrational and not capable of doing his job. I hope everyone who voted for him remembers this in fall 2014.
And, I fear for his spouse and family.
I saw this comment posted in the Globe site and I am reprinting parts of it with links - very interesting that the pics are now different and no one is talking much now.
"On the night of the incident those two cinder blocks were not "sitting one on top of the other"
Here is what they looked like:
http://nationalpostnews.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/dsc_2931.jpg
The next day - as can be seen below - the blocks had been rearranged and stacked on each other when Ford presented them to the media as "evidence" that Dale used this perch to peek into his back yard and allegedly spy on his young family.
https://twitter.com/#!/JProskowGlobal/status/198179328343805952/photo/1
Who rearranged the cinder blocks and why?
The neighbors have suddenly clammed up after shadowing Ford for two days during his press scrums and chiming in with their version of events.
While they are being tight lipped now, notice how they wanted to make sure that the G&M reporter could see how - from the second floor - they had a clear line of sight to the cinder blocks!
They may be able to see the cinder blocks from their second floor window now that they have been rearranged but what about the night of the incident? Were they even on the second floor when they spotted Dale?
I suspect the police will be reviewing all the media interviews given by Ford and his neighbors and looking for inconsistencies in their statements".
They come for us first until we do something about it. I'm dumb.
Does everyone know the mayor has a radio show? Yeah. Yesterday's inspired this article by a friend. The headline softpedals what happened.
Rob Ford’s stupid and offensive radio show demeans us all
Dear world: please help us. Please.
help is on it's way writer - sgl or dbl shot?
Seriously, I wonder if the Fords *are* in the middle of some kind of suicide act--in the hopes that they'd be deemed "martyrs for their cause", of course...
lol adma, we wish.
Sadly I think their egos and sense of entitlement as well as their dysfunctional macho dynamic are for real. They mean it, and yeah, they are THAT clueless about how they are coming across.
"Fencegate" - LOL!
Toronto's mayor refused to speak to reporters on Tuesday during a very brief photo opportunity outside his office inside City Hall.
Rob Ford, who started a public weight loss campaign earlier this year - hoping to lose 50 pounds by the end of June - appeared in public for about 20 seconds, stepping on a scale outside his office door, then retreating back into his office.
This week the mayor gained four pounds from the 310 pounds he weighed eight days ago - but he was down 16 pounds overall since January.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/05/08/toronto-ford-weig...Stress, caused by chasing that threatening reporter.
I love that Dale's presence keeps Ford silent!
BB, you are absolutely right - good one!
I love that Dale's presence keeps Ford silent!
Keeping him silent deprives Toronto of the greatest comedy act. Every day we check for the latest gaffe ...