WTF is wrong with Toronto

Actually, the 905ers have nothing to do with the election in Toronto. It is the inner 'burbs, such as Ford's own Etobicoke that are showing their fear of the poor and marginalized and their contempt for downtown 'hipsters'.

Lard Tunderin Jeezus wrote:

Actually, the 905ers have nothing to do with the election in Toronto. It is the inner 'burbs, such as Ford's own Etobicoke that are showing their fear of the poor and marginalized and their contempt for downtown 'hipsters'.

except for the fact that here in Etobicoke, immigrants overwhelming vote for him

http://www.thestar.com/news/elections/article/879260--hume-thinking-outside-the-ballot-box?bn=1

The papers - particularly the Star - have indulged in sustained strong-arming. I think Ford got a lot of his momentum from that paper's hamfisted efforts to pull down Miller to set the stage for its preferred candidate - stupidly creating a "gravy train" vacuum - then single-mindedly flogging Smitherman, despite the clear, sustained indications that Toronto really wasn't warming to the guy.

I started my life in Toronto commuting from a basement apartment in Scarborough to a job downtown by bus and subway. With a 10-15 minute walk on a dark street with no sidewalks – often with no other people around – to and from the bus stop. It was a commute of more than an hour each way.

In the winter, I basically saw the sun on weekends. During the week, sometimes at lunch, and fleeting glimpses through the open doors of executives' offices. (The pink-collar pool sat in the middle, closer to the elevator shafts.)

A few short years later, women in Scarborough were warned not to travel alone at night, especially those taking buses. Nice. I guess that means no work in winter. Because women all have that kind of choice.

The reason for the warning? The Scarborough rapist. And we all know how that story went.

I do not believe the public transportation has significantly changed since those years in that area, despite a growing population – in an area far more affordable than downtown – it's an area where a lot of immigrants live.

The alienation often comes from real shit. And being told you are an unsophisticated suburban rube doesn't necessarily make you feel warm and fuzzy about those with that message. It doesn't necessarily inspire you to do what you are told is best for you. As a result, a lot of the superior condescension thrown at Ford only succeeded in solidifying his vote.

Quote:

Certain neighbourhoods in Scarborough are popular destinations for new immigrants to Canada. As a result, Scarborough is one of the most diverse and multicultural areas of the Greater Toronto Area, being home to various religious groups and places of worship. It includes some of Toronto's popular natural landmarks, such as the Scarborough Bluffs and the Rouge River. Scarborough has been declared to be greener than any other part of Toronto.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarborough,_Ontario

There is a gap between the inner burbs and the core that needs to be addressed. And quickly. I'm actually seeing this as an incredible, transformative opportunity.

Stargazer wrote:

I have my theory on why Ford is winning. The outer burbs hate downtown Toronto and this is their way of giving us the finger. And yes, a lot of that is tied in to racism and bigotry and I will completely stand by my words. Toronto is not behind Ford, the 905ers and the burbs are. They are giving us Ford. They don't even know the issues (only "gravy train" and "wasteful spending") but hey, they can have a beer with him and he hates downtown Toronto - so they vote for him.

At the same time the polls all show that while Ford is not going to win downtown Toronto - he seems to get a consistent 30% or so of the vote in the old City of Toronto. He wouldn't have any chance of winning if about 1 in 3 people in downtown Toronto weren't apparently planning to vote for the candidate who is the "anti-downtown Toronto candidate". Any explanation for that?

Not really Stock, a one size fits all explanation isn't going to explain Ford (and it didn't explain Harris). I'm not sure what the difference is between the "Old City of Toronto" and downtown Toronto. I was born in York, which is the old City of Toronto and to me both terms have been interchangeable.

writer, I've lived in Scarborough for most of my life. I live here now. I went to U of T one year after Paul Bernardo and lived right by U of T's Scarborough campus. I worked far from my place by Military Rd and had to travel by bus every single night because I bartended evenings. The bus took me over 1.5 hours there and back (and that's just going TO another place in Scarborough) I rode that bus back late every evening, worried about being followed by the Scarborough Rapist. I lived in a horribly economically depressed area (Ontario Housing) with a high crime rate and no expectations, so I know exactly what that is like in Scarborough, and I know what it is like to be dirt poor with no expectations of anything getting better.

However, I did not take my frustrations out on the people who lived downtown. I was far too worried about my life to do that. What I am reading now is that there are a bunch of people who want to punish downtown Toronto. Perhaps it is partly the fault of the media for stirring anti-Miller/anti-downtown rhetoric, because something has changed, but I blame most of it on these ward councillors here, in Scarborough. Their entire platforms seem to deal only with two things - more police and economic growth. I have seen no signs that they actually give a rat's ass about transit (it hasn't been in any of the literature I have read) or the diversity of communities. It's about tough on crime and local economic development and nary a word about improved housing, or community policing, or anything even remotely progressive. The councillors are right out of touch with people's actual needs here, and I stand by that, with possibly a couple of exceptions this place is chock full of centre right politicians.

There are a lot of left leaning people here but our voices haven't been heard and they aren't going to be. Every single candidate has the exact same platform, promising more police. There are NO options to vote anything but centre and centre right. None. So if these people are so pissed at downtown Toronto how is it going to improve for them by going against Transit City? Someone will have to explain how people can so easily vote against their own interests. There is a gap, that's for sure but I think that gap is more superficial than real. If people want change, then they sure aren't going to get it voting in the same people over and over and over again and it still does not explain how come people are so anti-downtown. Maybe everyone has become used to this place looking like a depressed suburb with far too many giant malls, I don't know. But either way, voting for the same people isn't changing anything and Ford isn't going to help any one here.

Addition - and maybe this explains the appeal of Rob Ford.

But that is not the norm here Stock, it is the exception. Look up the platforms of the candidates in my ward - 37 - and you'll notice all of their platforms are essentially the same. The main goal of most of these ward councillors appears to be this - at all costs avoid the appearance of siding with ethic minorities on any issue - and appeal to middle of the road white, middle class voters. Avoid using any terms that may hint you are listening to other people besides the white middle class (or the Asian middle class), stay clear of calling for changes in housing, and stay right away from any indication you are thinking of the environment, or transit improvements.

Stargazer, we will talk Monday. I've got some ideas about how we move ahead. We absolutely need to do something about the divide.