Starting where we left off, Maysie said,
P.S. - FUCK
Issues Pages:
Toronto after the election, Part 3
Fri, 2010-10-29 14:54
#1
Toronto after the election, Part 3
Fri, 2010-10-29 22:12
#2
As in, "fat"?
Sun, 2010-10-31 13:40
#3
The Toronto Star sent a survey to the candidates-elect. 32 out of 44 councillors responded. Looks like Ford's proposal to cut the number of councillors in half is going nowhere with some of the right-wingers opposed. Some of new ones, like Kristyn Wong-Tam are already showing their stuff on the fair wage policy.
Ford faces stiff fight on council
“The fair wage policy was created to raise the employment standards and the city should be a ‘model employer.' If we start to remove policies and laws that were created to protect workers, what's next? Pay equity?” Wong-Tam said.
Sun, 2010-10-31 14:10
#4
While I'm pleased that KWT is starting the opposition to dumb ideas earily, I have to wonder about the folks who didn't reply. Twelve votes is over a quarter of council. More than a few of their arms could be twisted to make dicey propositions squeak through. But unless Ford has got an overpowering argument, I really can't see councillors voting themselves out of existence. One thing that the returning incumbents are good at is keeping their jobs, and they want to keep them, Ford or no Ford. After all, being cast into a grudge match with an incumbent from a neighbouring ward is the last thing the councillors want.
The whole 'cut the size of council' was and is just red meat to the gallery. It's never going to go anywhere, but Ford had to say it and can now shout, 'conspiracy!' when this proposal goes down in flames.
Sun, 2010-10-31 14:12
#5
Another bad omen for the Ford administration. Yesterday the Globe had this very extensive article about the Ford campaign and in it - Ford's own people stupidly revealed that they did things like setting up phony twitter accounts and used various dirty tricks during the campaign. Now Ford apparently wants to make this Kouvalis guy who ran his campaign his chief of staff - even though as a far as i know, while the guy may know a thing or two about the retail politics of running a campaign - he actually lives in Windsor and knows nothing about how to run a city...the fact that the would blab to the media about tactics he used in the campaign and should probably not have been revealed - is not a good sign of his talent for the job.
In any case, one of the commonest and most consistent mistakes that politicans make is taking the people who helped them win an election and having them be the central figures in the actual administration.
Sun, 2010-10-31 14:17
#6
While I'm pleased that KWT is starting the opposition to dumb ideas earily, I have to wonder about the folks who didn't reply. Twelve votes is over a quarter of council. More than a few of their arms could be twisted to make dicey propositions squeak through.
If you look at the list of the 12 who did not reply - almost half are people who who are likely to be against most Ford red-meat initiatives: Paula Fletcher, Anthony Perruzza, John Filion, Josh Colle and Jaye Robinson.
Mon, 2010-11-01 11:18
#7
Cueball
Another bad omen for the Ford administration. Yesterday the Globe had this very extensive article about the Ford campaign and in it - Ford's own people stupidly revealed that they did things like setting up phony twitter accounts and used various dirty tricks during the campaign. Now Ford apparently wants to make this Kouvalis guy who ran his campaign his chief of staff - even though as a far as i know, while the guy may know a thing or two about the retail politics of running a campaign - he actually lives in Windsor and knows nothing about how to run a city...the fact that the would blab to the media about tactics he used in the campaign and should probably not have been revealed - is not a good sign of his talent for the job.
In any case, one of the commonest and most consistent mistakes that politicans make is taking the people who helped them win an election and having them be the central figures in the actual administration.
Underestimating Ford and his team's intelligence and abilities, along side wishful thinking and self-serving spin, has been the hallmark of the left during this campaign.
Much has been made in the Toronto press of Ford's history at city hall-10 years and little evidence he has any talent for marshalling support among councillors to back his agenda. Some take comfort in this: Ford's plans are so radical, they say, but there's no need to worry he'll ever cobble together a coalition to push them through council. Yet four years of stasis at city hall isn't likely-Kouvalis has committed himself to staying on for the Ford transition. "We made a lot of promises," he says. "I think I know how to get them done." And such concern over Kouvalis's proven effectiveness should extend up to McGuinty's Queen's Park. "I think the Liberals are going to want to see Rob happy," he says. "They're going to have to write a lot of cheques."
Mon, 2010-11-01 11:31
#8
Underestimating Ford and his team's intelligence and abilities, along side wishful thinking and self-serving spin, has been the hallmark of the left during this campaign.
Just a week ago when you were obsessed with making sure that Smitherman didn't win, you were reassuring us that Ford wouldn't be that bad and would not have the power to do anything ...now suddenly you've come around to thinking that he's a dangerous fanatic who could do real harm. Why the great "Saul on the roda to Damascus"-style conversion?
Mon, 2010-11-01 20:05
#9
Cueball-so Ford is a porblem now!
Mon, 2010-11-01 22:06
#10
Cueball
Of course he is a problem. Smitherman was a different problem.
Mon, 2010-11-01 22:24
#11
Cueball
Underestimating Ford and his team's intelligence and abilities, along side wishful thinking and self-serving spin, has been the hallmark of the left during this campaign.
Just a week ago when you were obsessed with making sure that Smitherman didn't win, you were reassuring us that Ford wouldn't be that bad and would not have the power to do anything ...now suddenly you've come around to thinking that he's a dangerous fanatic who could do real harm. Why the great "Saul on the roda to Damascus"-style conversion?
Absurd. I hardly think that having someone demand some "cheques" from the province is a bad thing for Toronto. Mel Lastman calling Harris a liar was a great moment in an otherwise not very interesting career. Indeed Mel got his cheques. One day you NDP guys should check into the way politics gets done.
Kouvalis is walking all over you.
Mon, 2010-11-01 22:46
#12
Yawn.....oh the tediousness of some people.
Mon, 2010-11-01 23:00
#13
Cueball
What can I really say about someone who interprets my statement that Ford is not a complete imbecile and is someone who has hired competent people does not amount to my saying that Ford is a "dangerous fanatic".
Please get a grip. Ford is the mayor. Deal with it. Enough of this idiotic panic mongering. It was precisely that kind of hysteria the sewrered your candidate for Mayor.
Mon, 2010-11-01 23:23
#14
I have a question. Adam Vaughan is probably the one councillor who is vulnerable from a labour centric campaign if he plays too much footsie with Ford. Especially on the contracting out question.
What do we need to do now to make sure he really runs that risk, and that he knows it?
Are there other suspect councillors that are vulnerable?
Mon, 2010-11-01 23:33
#15
Please get a grip. Ford is the mayor. Deal with it. Enough of this idiotic panic mongering. It was precisely that kind of hysteria the sewrered your candidate for Mayor.
I thought what killed Pantalone was that he had no message, no charisma and no strategy? As someone who represented the opposite of Ford - he should have benefitted from hysteria about Ford. But he failed and I'm still grieving about it.
I'm not sure who is "panic mongering". I'm actually feeling quite sanguine about Ford and his gang of abrasive know-nothings. They may have been in the right place at the right time in the election campaign - but the signs are that they know zilch about actually running a city and have no capacity for working with anyone or making any deals. I think Ford will get a few early high profile "feathers in his cap" - city councillors will no longer get to go to the Zoo for free etc...!!! Beyond that, he'll essentially play the role of a mascot for the city.
Tue, 2010-11-02 05:33
#16
This is what I think will happen in the short run.
There will be a honeymoon for Ford. He will strike aliiances with enough "moderate counsilors" to get passed several of his less-controversial neasures. He will rely on his mandate and patronage powers in appointing the executive and committe chairs.
There will be both Federal and Provincial elections in the next year. It will be very important to both Harper and Hudak that Ford avoids major screwups until then because they both see openings for gains in Toronto. This will be more important if Generalissimo Fantino wins the Vaughn byelection.
Therefore the pros willl step in to manage Ford. I remember speaking with a neighbour (nameless for now) who was high up in the Harris campaign's. He was very dismissive of Harris's intellect but very smug in the ability of his handlers to control him and his message. I see this happening with Ford.
Inevitably,Ford being Ford, he will embarass himself and the City. But we can't count on this happening before Harper and Hudak get their shots at breakthroughs in Toronto.
Tue, 2010-11-02 09:27
#17
Cueball
Yes.