Let's continue that discussion here
(Since opening posts can't be edited, I hope I don't regret posting this!)
Toronto council races part 2
Wed, 2010-09-22 20:37
#1
Toronto council races part 2
Wed, 2010-08-25 14:44
#2
In Ward 6 (Mimico/New Toronto/Long Branch), Michael Laxer is running on an explicitly leftwing platform. I doubt Michael will object to my posting this statement on the G20 in its entirety.
Where is the Tommy Douglas of today?The one who will stand up, knowing that 40 years later the whiff of grapeshot that was the "War Measures Act" will not seem so sweet.
Well, he or she is not on City Council.
36-0 to commend "the outstanding work” of Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair, his officers and other police forces working during the G20 summit in Toronto.
Astounding.
So where is the "left" that many of the naive and the right-wing press claim run council? And where are their critics?
During the G20 summit in the city of Toronto, the Integrated Security Unit (ISU) and the Toronto Police used the alleged actions of a small group (50-100 people) of apparent anarchists to justify placing an entire city under what amounted to a state of martial law.
While internationally respected human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, and other political organizations and movements, are calling for the immediate creation of an Independent Judicial Inquiry to investigate the conduct of police over the course of this disastrous weekend in Toronto, our city council does nothing. It cowers before the power of the police and their apparent media allies. A weekend that saw the civil liberties of all citizens, including business owners, workers, tourists, and anyone who fell inadvertently into the police riot, or those who strayed into the the "civil-liberties free zone" created by our liar police chief Bill Blair, was turned into a weekend where we should praise police conduct.
This is the clearest call yet for supporters of liberty, freedom, the right to be clear of police oppression and the right for all citizens, who pay the salaries of the police, to demand oversight of police conduct, to stand up to our city council, the supposed right or left, and demand that council be something other than a group of gutless opportunists who cave into the special interest group that is our law enforcement community.
One billion dollars in cop welfare was handed out to this force and they were unable to prevent 50-100 people from rioting on Yonge St? And these are the same councillors who were angry that a TTC worker fell asleep in a booth?
These are pure, unadulterated handouts of the worst kind. We give a billion dollars to the police, we see them do nothing while our streets are vandalised and terrorized, standing by in their tax-payer created safe-zone with the many agencies of other governments, but unable to do anything to help the citizens they claim to represent.
They then gutlessly round up innocent by-standers and peaceful protesters on your dime.They corral them illegally into public pens for the satisfaction of the feds, they suspend civil liberties and transparently violate our rights as citizens. The rights of those that pay them!
Like It?
Well evidently your council does.
While many outside of the city are calling for an obvious review, these sycophantic white washers standby and say OK to the suspension of YOUR rights, as citizens, for an entire 48 hour period of time and before.
In fact, they praise police incompetence that cost you out of your pocket.
One Billion dollars spent.
A downtown vandalised by a tiny group while 20,000 civil servants paid by you stood by and did nothing.
Hundreds of innocent people rounded up and charged at your expense and then released because they had done nothing.
A civil servant that YOU pay the salary of lies to you about your own liberties.
Your own city council unanimously, right or so-called left, covers it up.
This is, indeed, a dark day for the city of Toronto.
Michael is facing off against the homophobic pastor who received Rob Ford's endorsement. Incumbent councillor Mark Grimes hasn't declared if he is running again yet.
Wed, 2010-08-25 15:02
#3
In Ward 19 (Trinity), Mike Layton is endorsed by Pantalone and unsurprisingly, Jack. The labor council hasn't endorsed anyone there as Karen Sun is also progressive and seems to be running a strong campaign.
Today Mike Layton, City Council candidate for Ward 19, and Joe Pantalone, the long-time Ward 19 Councillor and current Mayoral candidate, expressed their support for each other’s campaigns. At a press conference at Il Gatto Nero in the heart of Little Italy both candidates officially stated their support.“I’ve served Ward 19 for thirty years, and want to see it continue to thrive,” said Joe Pantalone. “I believe that with Mike Layton as Councillor, the community’s interests will be well served at City Hall."
http://www.mikelayton.ca/press/layton_pantalone.html
Wed, 2010-08-25 16:02
#4
And in ward 15 (Eglinton-Lawrence west):
Long-time councillor Howard Moscoe is refuting rumours (also heard here at TEN) that he plans to drop out of the contest in Ward 15 in the face of stiff competition from former Trustee Josh Colle and current Trustee Rob Davis:“Not going anywhere,” Moscoe said Wednesday. “The more opponents I have, the better it is for me. It splits up the anti-Moscoe vote. I’d like another 10 opponents.”
http://www.mytowncrier.ca/moscoe-in-for-the-long-election-haul.html
Wed, 2010-08-25 17:56
#5
I wish some organization could do a mayoral poll that shows voting intentions and ward districts. My guess is that Rob Ford is doing well in the 'burbs while George Smitherman strengths are downtown.
Wed, 2010-08-25 18:11
#6
I wish some organization could do a mayoral poll that shows voting intentions and ward districts. My guess is that Rob Ford is doing well in the 'burbs while George Smitherman strengths are downtown.
Some polls have done a geographical breakdown - they showed Ford leading in North York/Etobicoke/Scarborough with Smitherman in the lead in the Old City of Toronto. No surprise there. City vs. suburb is the main political fault line since amalgamation.
Now on the old boundaries, Smitherman would have been clearly identified with business and the right, like Art Eggleton in the 80s or June Rowlands vs. Jack Layton in 1991.
Wed, 2010-08-25 20:04
#7
Interesting w/Laxer--and *where* he's running, too: former Grier/Lawlor/Jones country...
Thu, 2010-08-26 12:35
#8
Incumbent councillor Mark Grimes hasn't declared if he is running again yet.
According to the elections website, Grimes filed his papers on August 11. So while I know Michael and wish him all the best, defeating an incumbent who won with 40% of the vote in 2006 is not going to be easy.
Thu, 2010-08-26 12:38
#9
Smitherman is going to need to obliterate all opposition in downtown to counteract the Ford hordes in the suburbs. Pantalone not going anywhere is complicating his plans greatly.
Thu, 2010-08-26 12:57
#10
You mean it complicates his plans that Pantalone is not going anywhere as in his campaign is not gaining any momentum or that he's not going anywhere as in he is staying in the race?
If I were Smitherman I'd be using Liberal connections like crazy to get Rossi to drop out and endorse a fellow Liberal.
Thu, 2010-08-26 12:59
#11
bagkitty
Ward 32 - Beaches-East York
If anyone needs advice on who to vote against, you might consider reading this. Of course not being a Torontonian (or any sub-species of Central Canadian Overlord for that matter) my advice is of theoretical value (at best), but as the incumbent this joker is running against was the sole member of your council who voted against putting caveats on funding for Pride, I would be sorely tempted to donate to and vote in support of her campaign. Does that make me a single-issue kinda guy?
Thu, 2010-08-26 13:27
#12
Looks like we have a puppet of Bernie Farber and the CJC running in the Beaches.
Fri, 2010-08-27 07:00
#13
You mean it complicates his plans that Pantalone is not going anywhere as in his campaign is not gaining any momentum or that he's not going anywhere as in he is staying in the race?
The latter. Rossi has some votes that would be useful to Smitherman, but Pantalone has more that would (reluctantly) drift into his column if Pantalone dropped out. Such a boost could turn the tables on his opponent, sending the Ford express into a siding.
Fri, 2010-08-27 08:01
#14
Cueball
Which would be a bad thing. Toronto needs a little bit of the right wing boot in the face right now, just in case it didn't get the message from the G20. Better the boot than the right wing velvet glove. Ford can't do anything in council except embarass the people who voted for him. That should shake some heads up. Ford is in for 4 years and someone more sensible will be in the next round.
Slitherman is just too sleazy (he looks like a gangster and acts like a gangster) for anyone to vote for him, other than to oppose Ford. At least people know who Ford is: he is a stupid dickhead. Every time Slitherman opens his mouth he says "hidden agenda". What's to like? Slitherman has been running hard against Ford now for months, and simply can't make any traction: Translation: Smitherman has already lost to Ford. Anyone who is banking on Slitherman to take down Ford is might as well take stock tips from these guys.
I'd invite the stupid dickhead to dinner long before the sleazy con man, even if only because I wouldn't want to have to count the sliverware after the guests leave.
Pantalone needs a push, and if he can make any traction at all may pick up well on the anti-Ford vote. After all, he is Millers deputy, and Miller would still win against all comers if the vote were held today.
Fri, 2010-08-27 12:23
#15
I don't think Miller sweeping in at the last minute on the last day of nominations is going to happen, much as I would like it to. Remembering that politics is the art of the possible, progressives might want to start thinking about 2014, when people will be heartily sick of Ford, and anything will look better than him. Shelley Carroll, possibly?
Fri, 2010-08-27 12:27
#16
Cueball
I didn't say Miller was going to run. I pointed out that Panatlone is in his tradition. Logically from that point of view of pure politics, it is clear that the Miller agenda is fundamentally strong. This is partly why Smitherman will lose. He has tried to campaign from the right, when in fact there need to be a candidate of compromise.
Fri, 2010-08-27 12:38
#17
I wasn't trying to disagree with you, Cueball. I was just musing on a follow-on thought I had reading your post. Sorry I didn't make it clearer.
The Miller agenda is strong because it has been successful, but no-one's interested in reality these days. Why have reality, when you can have the narrative? Toronto does have a funding problem, thank you *addressing a certain someone from Etobicoke*.
Fri, 2010-08-27 12:38
#18
.
Fri, 2010-08-27 12:47
#19
For all the hoopla about Ward 27, I think Ward 26 is going be equally interesting for different reasons. Mohamed Dhanani is in a rematch with John Parker, who beat him by just over 200 votes last time. Abdul Ingar (a close-ish third) is not running (yet), which should in theory mean the anti-incumbent choice would be simplified for voters there. But with Jon Burnside, a former cop and community leader in the race also, this complicates matters for Dhanani. Added spice is the fact that this ward had the highest turnout for any ward in the city in 2006. I wouldn't necessarily expect it to be quite that high this time, but high turnout does usually suggest the incumbent is ripe for the plucking. Parker, according to my back-of-envelope calculations, didn't even get 25% last time, but was aided by a highly-fractured opposition.
Mon, 2010-08-30 01:39
#20
Burnside is likely to split the Leaside vote with Parker.
Mon, 2010-08-30 12:30
#21
Thanks, milord. I don't have handle of anything much outside the race I'm helping with, so I'm always grateful for more informed observations. In that case, it would seem Dhanani has got a good shot at defeating Parker (assuming Dhanani's vote stays solid).
Mon, 2010-08-30 12:31
#22
Incumbent councillor Mark Grimes hasn't declared if he is running again yet.
According to the elections website, Grimes filed his papers on August 11. So while I know Michael and wish him all the best, defeating an incumbent who won with 40% of the vote in 2006 is not going to be easy.
Rob Ford has endorsed Wendell Brereton in Ward 6 against Grimes. If Ford's endorsement is enough to swing the right against Grimes, it could be one of the more interesting races in the city.
Mon, 2010-08-30 12:38
#23
Council sessions would certainly be entertaining with Ford and Laxer in the same room. I can only imagine what Sue-Ann would make of him.
Tue, 2010-08-31 21:21
#24
[url=http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/08/31/veteran-councillor-howard-moscoe... Moscoe to retire[/url]
Larger than life, quick-witted North York councillor Howard Moscoe is retiring from municipal politics.
A 32-year veteran of North York and Toronto councils, Mr. Moscoe had planned to announce he will not seek re-election in October to his constituents through a letter tomorrow, but the information leaked out and he confirmed the news on John Tory’s radio show on Newstalk 1010 this evening.
A former chair of the Toronto Transit Commission, and fierce opponent to former mayor Mel Lastman, the 70-year-old recently earned a standing ovation from colleagues after council approved plans he had championed to overhaul the Lawrence Heights public housing complex.
Admittedly prone to “outrageous” comments, Mr. Moscoe said last week that if ally Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone dropped out of the mayoral race, he was ready to jump in and take on front runner Rob Ford. He also handed out bumper stickers in the spring emblazoned with “Stabbed in the back by Dalton McGuinty” after the province delayed $4-billion in transit funding.
Tue, 2010-08-31 22:01
#25
No Yards
Ran into this Mayoral Candidate Friday evening at a bar in Toronto and had a little chat with him (went to get some cash out of the ATM which was beside his table, and happened to hear them discussing politics, and couldn't help myself from getting in on the conversation.)
He wants to make Toronto the 11th province, and while I don't think that would be good for Ontario, but if the rest of Ontario wants us out of the province (not totally sure it does, but at times it sure feels that way) and the province continues to screw us over at every turn, then I say why the hell not ... might send a message to the province if he can grab a decent percentage of the vote (one can dream!)
Wed, 2010-09-01 00:05
#26
Cueball
No Link.
Thu, 2010-09-09 19:25
#27
OldManActivist
WARD 18 DAVENPORT Want to know about who is running and what's happening?
Go to:
http://davenportdemocracy.blogspot.com/2010/09/campaigning-moves-to-high...
Wed, 2010-09-22 11:59
#28
I was looking at the Toronto Labour Council list of endorsements for mayor and city council. No many surprises - they have endorsed all the people on council who are progressive as well as obvious choices like Mike layton, Kevin Beaulieu and Mary Fragedakis and Kristin Wong-Tam. For some reason I see no endorsement of Michael Laxer in Etobicoke who is clearly the only remotely progressive candidate in his ward.
Wed, 2010-09-22 20:35
#29
I think it's a shame they endorsed Mike Layton over Karen Sun. She was a leading figure in the Good Green Jobs for All coalition, and was welcomed in the parade. It's not as if the candidate must be NDP-affiliated to get an endorsement. They made no endorsement in Adam Vaughan vs. Helen Kennedy in 2003, and they're endorsing big-"L" Liberals elsewhere like Josh Colle and Mohamed Dhanani.
(and don't make me laugh by suggesting that the TSN broadcaster has a chance so we must vote "I Like Mike.")
Wed, 2010-09-22 21:53
#30
But I agree about Laxer...
Wed, 2010-09-22 22:12
#31
For some reason I see no endorsement of Michael Laxer in Etobicoke who is clearly the only remotely progressive candidate in his ward.
How about Jem Cain? (At least, as a potential default endorsee--but *nobody* was endorsed there)
Thu, 2010-09-23 01:09
#32
Its possible that this is not a final list of endorsements and that they may yet add endorsements in wards that currently have no endorsed candidate.
I don't know what process or criteria the Labour council uses to endorse. I assume that it is some combination of positions taken on the issues as well as tactical considerations (i.e. who is the strongest progressive candidate). They have clearly endorsed some big "L" Liberals like Shelley Carroll or Josh Colle etc...because those people have good positions on labour-related issues and quite frankly, they are running in parts of the city where the NDP is quite moribund and a very progressive Liberals is as good as it gets - and is a whole lot better than some Rob Ford-clone Tory.
I think that in some cases like the aforementioned Adam Vaughan-Helen Kennedy battle - they declined to endorse anyone because they felt that these two candidates were equally good on labour issues and that since they were the only two serious candidates running in that ward - it wasn't necessary to endorse anyone in the interests of being a sort of "guide to strategic voting" since there was never the slightest chance that a split vote on the left would allow a rightwing candidate to come up the middle.
In Ward 19 we have a situation where the local Liberals are doing a full-court press to elect Sean McCormack. He has all the lists of people who voted for Ianno and his wife and access to all the lists of Liberal volunteers. He is probably less of a threat now since Smitherman's mayoral campaign has been such a flop and so he is less likely to have any coat-tails - but you never know. He could be a threat - and i suppose that by any objective standard - given that name recognition etc... is so key in municipal elections - you have to figure that someone like Mike Layton who has lived in the ward most of his life, has the Layton name and has the endorsement of Joe Pantalone, Rosario Marchese and Olivia Chow - is going to have an enormous advantage of over any other vaguely left of centre candidate.
There is actually a fourth serious candidate in the race - Karlene Nation - and it will be interesting to see what impact she has. She is an Afro-Canadian TV personality - so she may take some votes from Karen Sun from people who just like the idea of supporting a visible minority woman. On the other hand, she is running on a very rightwing Rob Ford-like platform - so she may also take votes from McCormack!
Thu, 2010-09-23 08:30
#33
Michael Laxer is, to the best of my knowledge, the only explicitly pro-Labour candidate in the entire municipal race. He is the only one who put it right on his pamphlet. Perhaps this is some new Labour Council tactic where they don't endorse potential allies in the hopes that their adversaries will show them mercy for their lack of principle.
By that logic, maybe they should support Rob Ford as a gesture of kindness in the hopes that he won't privatize everything in the city once elected?
Thu, 2010-09-23 14:47
#34
Of all the candidates I've looked at, Jonah Schein has the best transit platform I've seen:
User fees just aren’t a fair way to pay for the public utilities that benefit all of us.As your City Councillor, Jonah Schein will work tirelessly to get a fair deal for Toronto. He will work with city partners to restore funding for public transportation from higher levels of government. He will push for fare reductions to ease the burden of transit fees in these tough economic times. And Jonah will set goals for eventually eliminating user fees for everyone who rides our public transit system. As a first step towards free transit, Jonah will fight to make the TTC free for children and seniors.
Thu, 2010-09-23 14:57
#35
This week's NOW has a piece on the race in Ward 27 (TC-Rosedale). It seems the frontrunners are Kristyn Wong-Tam and Ken Chan.
Among all the hopefuls, Kristyn Wong-Tam, co-founder of the Church Wellesley Village BIA, exhibits the most polish. She’s endorsed by Adam Vaughan and poverty activist Cathy Crowe and identifies development in Ward 27 as one of the key campaign issues. It’s not so much that it’s happening, she says, but how residents are consulted along the way. She’s also a strong advocate for the arts, Transit City and cycling.The gallery owner and former real estate agent’s outlook offers a refreshing positivity: “The city is not falling apart,” she insists. “I’m hoping not to get caught up in this downward conversation about how we’re going to tear this city apart.”
Ken Chan is another strong contender. A police officer in the GTA for four years before moving to Queen’s Park as an aide to then minister of health George Smitherman, in 2008 he began a stint as an adviser to London, England’s mayor, Boris Johnson.
His resumé is no doubt credible (he brings it up a lot), and he’s collected endorsements from Rae and Smitherman. Chan gets points for acknowledging that tax dollars serve a higher purpose than just a simple exchange of goods and services.
“I do not hear any of the mayoral candidates talk about social inclusion and what it is to tackle issues of poverty and homelessness and affordable housing,” he says.
Lawyer Joel Dick, who’s done advocacy work in the area, impresses with his wariness of potential public entanglements with the private sector, particularly when it comes to transit. “It’s not all about cost recovery,” Dick says. “It’s about citizenship and making our cities work. You need to service communities that most need it, and that’s only ever going to be done in a public model.”
Candidate Chris Tindal has campaign experience with the Green party, and his platform includes keeping transit public, building complete streets and raising Toronto’s green development standard.
Sentimental underdog and one-time mayoral candidate Enza Anderson advocates term limits and an overhaul of City Hall red tape. She’s absolutely for real, despite the fact that groups keep forgetting to invite her to debates. “It’s frustrating,’’ says Anderson, who won’t say outright that the cold shoulder has anything to do with the fact she’s transgendered. “Maybe people are afraid of me,” she says.
Thu, 2010-09-23 16:42
#36
As a resident of Ward 17, I'd say that Jonah Schein has a pretty good chance. Remember, people in this ward were some of the hardest hit by the St. Clair streetcar debacle, and generally felt that Palacio didn't stand up for them at all. As someone who has tried to talk to Palacio, I can tell you the the man is useless. I spoke to him following the city council's nearly unanimous vote to congratulate the police on a job well done following the G20. I asked him how he could support th epolice given everything that happened. He said that he didn't really know what happened because all I he knew was what he saw in the news. So how could he vote in favour of congratulating the police, I asked. He told me this was "how the council wanted to vote".
Thu, 2010-09-23 17:06
#37
In the last election, Alejandra Bravo came within 300 votes of taking out Palacio. But there was a third candidate, Fred Dominelli, who also pulled around 10% of the vote or so. He may have taken some anti-Palacio votes that may have gone to Bravo, but he also spent most of his time attacking Bravo. Either way, Palacio doesn't have it in the bag.
Thu, 2010-09-23 17:44
#38
Its interesting that Ken Chan tries to position himself as a progressive candidate backed by everyone from Kyle rae to Bob rae to George Smitherman - but then he also tries to brag about being an ADVISOR TO LONDON MAYOR BORIS JOHNSON.. Boris Johnson is a very rightwing Tory who is regarded as the Rob Ford of london. I'd like to know how Chan thinks there is anything "progressive" about being on the staff of a rightwing crackpot like Boris Johnson???
Thu, 2010-09-23 20:12
#39
Cueball
There is actually a fourth serious candidate in the race - Karlene Nation - and it will be interesting to see what impact she has. She is an Afro-Canadian TV personality - so she may take some votes from Karen Sun from people who just like the idea of supporting a visible minority woman. On the other hand, she is running on a very rightwing Rob Ford-like platform - so she may also take votes from McCormack!
Perfect example of the kind of thinking that makes the NDP unappealing to non-white activists, a constituency that should be the natural domain of the NDP. There seems to be simply no understanding that there are actual issues relating to race in the Canadian political scene, and that colour goes beyond mere aesthetics.
My impression is that there is a very large block of non-white voters who are disenchanted with the NDP because consistently they talk the right talk, but when it comes down to walking the walk, their main interest is mobilizing non-white people to work for them, not actually addressing issues of economic disparity between non-white people and white people.
For example, Miller has had many years to address the issue of non-compliance of city hall sub-contractors with city hall equity policy, but it seems that nothing has been done.
Thu, 2010-09-23 20:47
#40
But Cueball, the white male son of a federal party leader is so much more ELECTABLE.
Thu, 2010-09-23 21:41
#41
Returning to Ward 27, Sue-Ann Levy describes Kristyn Wong-Tam as the "frontrunner", then proceeds to attack her.
She paints herself as an “independent” candidate who vows, on her campaign website, to “prioritize the needs of Ward 27 constituents over narrow, partisan interests.”She bills herself — also in her campaign materials — as a socially progressive entrepreneur “who believes in fiscal responsibility.”
But the political ties of lesbian art gallery owner, real estate agent and founding member of the Church-Wellesley Village BIA, Kristyn Wong-Tam, suggest quite the opposite.
Wong-Tam is widely seen to be one of the frontrunners — against 14 candidates — in the race to replace retiring NDPer Kyle Rae in my former downtown riding, also home to a sizable gay community. The race appears to be between Simon Wookey, vice-president of business development for a property development company, former Peel cop Ken Chan, who’s been endorsed by George Smitherman and Rae, and Wong-Tam.
According to information obtained by the Toronto Sun, Wong-Tam, a self-professed community advocate, is not just affiliated with the controversial fringe group, Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAIA).
But from June 14, 2009 when it was created until less than a month ago, Wong-Tam was the registered owner of the group’s website.
Paperwork obtained on the queersagainstapartheid.org website shows that the “independent” candidate listed her home address in the registration but gave the contact number as her Coldwell Banker real estate office on Yonge St.
On Aug. 31 — just three weeks ago — similar paperwork shows that the registrant for the website was changed to Tim McCaskell, a well-known spokesman for the group.
Despite claims that she’s a “community advocate,” Wong-Tam does not mention her affiliation with QuAIA anywhere on her campaign website.
After months of controversy over QuAIA’s involvement in this year’s parade, council put the Pride organizers on notice that no grant money will be forthcoming next year unless all participants — specifically QuAIA — comply with the city’s anti-discrimination policies.
While her website does offer endorsements by homeless handwringer Cathy Crowe and NDP councillor Adam Vaughan, nowhere is there any mention that the so-called “independent” and fiscally responsible candidate has the nod from the Toronto & York Region Labour Council and CUPE.
“You have to be open and transparent about who you are,” said Wookey, 38, the only candidate to “out” Wong-Tam’s ties as a QuAIA founder at a recent all-candidates debates.
“For me it’s about integrity and transparency,” adds Chan, 35. “People have to ask themselves if this is the kind of person they want to lead the ward.”
http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/sueann_levy/2010/09/23/1545...
Thu, 2010-09-23 21:58
#42
Cueball
But Cueball, the white male son of a federal party leader is so much more ELECTABLE.
You mean the son of the son of white male tory cabinet minister.
Thu, 2010-09-23 22:14
#43
When I was referring to "people who just like the idea of supporting a visible minority woman" - I wasn't even thinking of voters in the ward who are visible minorities themselves - I expect them to vote for who they think is the best candidate irrespective of race or gender. I was thinking more of guilt-ridden, yet patronizing, fourth generation "white liberal" Canadians who like that "idea".
There is actually a fourth serious candidate in the race - Karlene Nation - and it will be interesting to see what impact she has. She is an Afro-Canadian TV personality - so she may take some votes from Karen Sun from people who just like the idea of supporting a visible minority woman. On the other hand, she is running on a very rightwing Rob Ford-like platform - so she may also take votes from McCormack!
Perfect example of the kind of thinking that makes the NDP unappealing to non-white activists, a constituency that should be the natural domain of the NDP. There seems to be simply no understanding that there are actual issues relating to race in the Canadian political scene, and that colour goes beyond mere aesthetics.
My impression is that there is a very large block of non-white voters who are disenchanted with the NDP because consistently they talk the right talk, but when it comes down to walking the walk, their main interest is mobilizing non-white people to work for them, not actually addressing issues of economic disparity between non-white people and white people.
For example, Miller has had many years to address the issue of non-compliance of city hall sub-contractors with city hall equity policy, but it seems that nothing has been done.
Thu, 2010-09-23 22:14
#44
double post
Thu, 2010-09-23 22:36
#45
Cueball
The point is that here we have a perfect example of privilege working to the deteriment of the NDP and its relations with non-white communities in the long haul. In the short run, Mike Layton is obviously more electable, but in the grand scheme of things this comes down to the fact that Layton and his family are essentially establishment politicians. In the long run this makes the NDP seem not very credible on the equity issue.
This seems very much like a political gift to the family of the NDP elite establishment.
Running a safe white candidate in a safe seat, against progressive people of colour who have worked hard to establish themselves only reinforces this message. Mike's name recognition might very well have been used in a tougher ward to cement another seat, or at least build a base for the future.
Thu, 2010-09-23 22:41
#46
What makes you think its a "safe seat"?
Thu, 2010-09-23 23:03
#47
Cueball
It's as safe a seat as any seat for the left in Toronto. Now, less so, since the left will be divided. And indeed, a certain segment of the activist core will be working against the NDP camp.
Bad overall. Not surprised that Good Jobs for All has not endorsed Pantalone. In fact, its probably a good thing that they stay away from endorsements per se, until the NDP gets the message.
Sat, 2010-10-02 03:31
#48
Sat, 2010-10-02 14:23
#49
You would have preferred the Dion approach?
Was there a nomination process for that ward this year?
Sat, 2010-10-02 17:31
#50
Was there a nomination process for that ward this year?
Not the know of. Of course being Jack's son had nothing to do the fact that the Layton-Chow machine is behind him.
Sat, 2010-10-02 18:41
#51
Why would there be a "nomination process"?? Nobody is running as the "official" NDP candidate since there are no municipal parties and the NDP logo is no where to be seen on Mike Layton (or anyone elses) literature. The only time the NDP tried having a municipal nomination meeting was in Ward 20 in 2006 to decide on whether to endorse Helen Kennedy or Tam Goosen. I think the idea was that whoever agreed to compete in that process would also close ranks behind whoever won. It seems that the loser in that race had hard feelings and picked her marbles and went home rather than closing ranks - defeating the whole purpose of having a nomination meeting.
As for the "Layton-Chow machine". I only wish it actually was a "machine" like Tammany Hall or Mayor Daley's machine in Chicago - machines that had tens of thousands of members and that could guarantee hundreds of thousands of votes just like that and that had the power of life and death over anyone running for municipal office. Instead, there are NDP members in Trinity-Spadina who volunteer in campaigns and who expect and get nothing in return. No one is being forced to work for or donate to anyone municipally. Calling it a "machine" implies it is about 100 times more powerful than it is.
That being said - it should come as no surprise that Jack Layton and Olivia Chow themselves are backing their son/step-son. What did you think was going to happen "sorry son, I'd love to vote for you - but I think Sean McCormack is a better candidate".? I assume that since many of not most of the people who volunteer for Jack and Olivia have been to their house, know them personally and probably knew Mike since he was a child. So people support people that they know - this is nothing new. Also, it makes sense that if the NDP was going to informally endorse anyone in this race - it would endorse the one candidate in the riding who is an NDP member/supporter. From what I have read Karen Sun may have been involved in some progressive movements - but she has never been an NDP supporter and is coy about what federal/provincial party she supports and she claims to be "neutral" in the race for mayor - so far all we know she supports Rob Ford!