Quote
Toronto Mayor Rebuffs Calls to Resign
By ALISTAIR MACDONALD
Nov. 3, 2013 7:38 p.m. ET
TORONTO—Toronto Mayor Rob Ford called on police to release a video that they say appears to show him using crack-cocaine, as the embattled politician rebuffed growing calls for him to resign and made an emotional apology to Canada's largest city for past mistakes.
But during dramatic remarks Sunday on his weekly talk show, the mayor didn't fully address the accusations that have captivated Canada, that he has used the drug. Instead, the mayor apologized for excessive public drinking, while portraying himself as a hard-working public servant at the center of a media conspiracy to depose him.
The saga began last week when the chief of Toronto police said investigators had recovered a video file that depicted activity "consistent" with media reports about images showing alleged drug use by Mr. Ford.
Adding to the controversy in a case that is bringing global attention to a city that often strives for it, the police also announced Thursday that a man with close ties to Mr. Ford was arrested on for "extortive efforts" to retrieve a video recording.
The police chief, Bill Blair, said Thursday there was nothing in the video that could lead to an arrest and said it would be up to the courts to determine whether to pursue charges against the mayor.
During his address, Mr. Ford said Mr. Blair should release the video so people could judge for themselves. "Chief, I am asking you to release the video now," he said on a weekly radio show that he hosts with his brother Doug Ford, who is a Toronto city councilor.
Striking a characteristically defiant tone, Mr. Ford said he wouldn't step down.
"I have made mistakes and all I can do is apologize," he said. Mr. Ford said those mistakes were mainly related to two widely reported episodes when he had been seen drunk in public. "I shouldn't have got hammered" those nights, he said.
Mr. Ford didn't address allegations of drug abuse or the content of the video, which police say show him smoking crack-cocaine. He declined to answer one caller who asked "what drugs you have ingested through a glass pipe," repeating that he couldn't comment on a video he hasn't seen. In the past, Mr. Ford has said that he doesn't use and isn't addicted to crack-cocaine.
But even as Mr. Ford says he wants to "move forward," he is facing growing calls to step down from city councilors, business groups and once-sympathetic editorial writers.
While Thursday's revelations triggered a media frenzy that stretched beyond North America's fourth-largest city, the mayor's approval rating inched up that day. Some observers say Mr. Ford retains a core support of Torontonians who believe that he has reduced taxes and is the victim of a liberal media conspiracy.
The mayor and his brother used their show to portray the mayor as a hard-working public servant and his family as being harassed by the media.
"It's full-on attack," Doug Ford said.
Most callers to the show offered support for Mr. Ford, while some suggested he address his "troubles" and step down. The radio show opened with a clip from the Bee Gee's 1970s hit "Stayin' Alive."
A poll by Forum Research, quoted in the Canadian press, showed Mr. Ford's approval rating rose five percentage points to 44% on Thursday, the same day the police revealed investigators had recovered a computer file they said shows images consistent with media reports that Mr. Ford has used crack-cocaine.
Mr. Blair also said police have arrested and charged with extortion Alexander Lisi, a 35-year-old who sometimes chauffeured Mr. Ford to events, according to photos in the media. Police said Mr. Lisi, who is also referred to as Alesandro, "made extortive efforts to retrieve a recording."
Mr. Lisi's lawyer and Mr. Ford have declined to comment on any of the allegations. On Sunday, the Toronto police department declined to comment.
It was in the course of investigating Mr. Lisi that the police said they recovered, in a June 13 raid, a hard drive from which the police's computer-technology section recovered files last week that had been deleted.
Police documents also released Thursday, which were used to obtain a warrant for Mr. Lisi's arrest, reveal a close relationship between Mr. Ford and Mr. Lisi, who is also facing charges on drug trafficking and other offenses, after an arrest last month. According to the heavily redacted documents, the two met in parking lots and once in "the woods" and Mr. Lisi was observed placing an envelope and, on a several occasions, bags in Mr. Ford's car.
Mr. Ford's tumultuous tenure began in October 2010, after he was elected by a wide margin, winning support from Toronto's suburbs with pledges to reduce wasteful spending and cut down on government perks that plagued previous city administrations.
But his reign proved controversial from the start as he embarked on a long-standing feud with the Toronto Star, Canada's largest newspaper by circulation, and faced a litany of allegations, from conflicts-of-interest lapses to reading while at the wheel of his car.
The constant stream of controversy has made Mr. Ford an unusual object of fascination in Canada. In Toronto, his defenders say Mr. Ford has been targeted by "the downtown liberals" and a media at odds with him and his conservative suburban supporters. Mr. Ford points to a number of achievements in the city, including reducing taxes, cutting costs and driving a hard bargain with transport unions.
But detractors say Mr. Ford is hurting Toronto's reputation and arrived at City Hall already with a history of gaffes, controversy and brushes with the law. Mr. Ford was arrested and convicted in Florida in 1999 for drinking and driving. As councilor, Mr. Ford referred to Chinese-Canadians as "Orientals" who "work like dogs" and in 2006 was ejected from a Toronto Maple Leafs' hockey game for unruly behavior. He apologized for the Chinese-Canadian and hockey-game incidents.
On Sunday, Mr. Ford promised he will run for Mayor again. "My name will be on that ballot on January 2," he said.
Write to Alistair MacDonald at [email protected]
I guess I don't follow the news in Canada closely enough, I'm sure this is big news up there. Since when does Toronto elect an obese crack head to be Mayor? :huh:
Someone doesnt follow the Canada Politics thread as closesly as he should. :P
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 04, 2013, 03:13:53 PM
Someone doesnt follow the Canada Politics thread as closesly as he should. :P
Yes, I certainly must apologize. I never would have imagined such an interesting debacle/character would exist north of the border.
It's almost like Toronto is an American city now or something. I thought only we elected obese crack head mayors. :hmm:
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 04, 2013, 03:09:31 PM
I guess I don't follow the news in Canada closely enough, I'm sure this is big news up there. Since when does Toronto elect an obese crack head to be Mayor? :huh:
You'd have to see the guys they had before to try and understand why voters would elect Ford. Even when first elected people knew he wasn't going to be more than a bit different as mayor...
Who cares? Canada is not a important country.
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 04, 2013, 03:15:46 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 04, 2013, 03:13:53 PM
Someone doesnt follow the Canada Politics thread as closesly as he should. :P
Yes, I certainly must apologize. I never would have imagined such an interesting debacle/character would exist north of the border.
You also think most of the threads here aren't interesting but still continue to post...
Quote from: Siege on November 04, 2013, 05:19:28 PM
Who cares? Canada is not a important country.
Canada's relative global insignificance is to me one of the greatest attractions of living there.
I was joking. Canada, Australia and New Zeland are pretty high in my list of countries I like.
Quote from: garbon on November 04, 2013, 07:47:47 PMYou also think most of the threads here aren't interesting but still continue to post...
I've posted here for over a decade, I think I have the right to insult the forum as a whole from time to time.
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 05, 2013, 08:34:04 AM
Quote from: garbon on November 04, 2013, 07:47:47 PMYou also think most of the threads here aren't interesting but still continue to post...
I've posted here for over a decade, I think I have the right to insult the forum as a whole from time to time.
your wife's gonna be pretty sad at your 10 year anniversary, isn't she? :( :P
:lol:
Quote from: HVC on November 05, 2013, 08:50:21 AMyour wife's gonna be pretty sad at your 10 year anniversary, isn't she? :( :P
She would probably be particularly angry about it being in the future tense, since it was four years ago. :lol:
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 05, 2013, 09:17:37 AM
Quote from: HVC on November 05, 2013, 08:50:21 AMyour wife's gonna be pretty sad at your 10 year anniversary, isn't she? :( :P
She would probably be particularly angry about it being in the future tense, since it was four years ago. :lol:
To be fair, HVC wasn't exclusively using future tense.
Let's diagram Hillary's sentence.
Which, BTW Hillary, was very well constructed. :)
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 04, 2013, 03:09:31 PM
I guess I don't follow the news in Canada closely enough, I'm sure this is big news up there. Since when does Toronto elect an obese crack head to be Mayor? :huh:
the last one was skinny pothead dressing in rainbow colours.
Now Ford admits to smoking crack "in one of my drunken stupors". :lol:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/mayor-rob-ford-yes-i-have-smoked-crack-cocaine-1.2415533
QuoteToronto Mayor Rob Ford admitted he smoked crack cocaine about a year ago in a "drunken stupor."
"Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine but ... am I an addict? No. Have I tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably approximately about a year ago," Mr. Ford said during a City Hall scrum on Tuesday.
If he had just come clean about smoking crack in the first place this story would have gone nowhere except for the puritans. This goes to the odd defence that there was no video and not addressing the question of whether he was smoking crack with drug dealers.
Second, even now he is deflecting and giving the impression of being dishonest. If he knows he tried it how does he not know when and in what circumstances. If he was in a drunken stupor how does he know he tried it?
I don't consider myself a puritan, but I'd probably have some qualms with my Mayor strolling around town meeting with drug dealers that his driver knows, and smoking crack cocaine. Crack cocaine is a poor hood drug, I don't really know what a respectable member of the ruling class is doing using it when he could have been snorting coke or something more appropriate for his economic/societal station.
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 05, 2013, 01:16:39 PM
I don't consider myself a puritan, but I'd probably have some qualms with my Mayor strolling around town meeting with drug dealers that his driver knows, and smoking crack cocaine. Crack cocaine is a poor hood drug, I don't really know what a respectable member of the ruling class is doing using it when he could have been snorting coke or something more appropriate for his economic/societal station.
You don't seem to appreciate what Rob Ford's "economic/societal station" is.
How did a street thug become mayor of a major metropolis?
He wears a "chain of office" I was hoping that meant at minimum he was upper middle class. It says his family is loaded and owns some company with $100m/year in revenue. That is enough that he should be elevated to coke instead of crack.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on November 05, 2013, 01:22:32 PM
How did a street thug become mayor of a major metropolis?
My research in the wake of this indicates Toronto basically annexed a bunch of the suburbs because the lefties who lived in the city didn't like the suburbanites "freeloading" off of Toronto city services, but didn't realize that also would make the electorate more prone to elect a conservative from...the suburbs. Which is basically what appears to have happened. He made a name for himself as a hardcore fiscal conservative in a city long ran by profligate liberals.
Quote from: Barrister on November 05, 2013, 01:20:30 PM
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 05, 2013, 01:16:39 PM
I don't consider myself a puritan, but I'd probably have some qualms with my Mayor strolling around town meeting with drug dealers that his driver knows, and smoking crack cocaine. Crack cocaine is a poor hood drug, I don't really know what a respectable member of the ruling class is doing using it when he could have been snorting coke or something more appropriate for his economic/societal station.
You don't seem to appreciate what Rob Ford's "economic/societal station" is.
Bingo
Otto, Ford got elected on a platform which proudly declared his anti-establishment, anti-intellectual and anti ruling-class status. If someone in one of those groups had been around to advise him he probably could have turned this story to his advantage early on. Who knows he still might do.
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 05, 2013, 01:24:35 PM
My research in the wake of this indicates Toronto basically annexed a bunch of the suburbs because the lefties who lived in the city didn't like the suburbanites "freeloading" off of Toronto city services, but didn't realize that also would make the electorate more prone to elect a conservative from...the suburbs. Which is basically what appears to have happened. He made a name for himself as a hardcore fiscal conservative in a city long ran by profligate liberals.
OK, how did a street thug become mayor of one of the suburbs of a major metropolis?
White people aren't supposed to do this.
Not enough blacks in Canada :(
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 05, 2013, 01:25:24 PMBingo
Otto, Ford got elected on a platform which proudly declared his anti-establishment, anti-intellectual and anti ruling-class status. If someone in one of those groups had been around to advise him he probably could have turned this story to his advantage early on. Who knows he still might do.
Maybe this is a cultural difference, here in America crack is overwhelming a complete black, ghetto drug with some very white trash whites using it. Rich people, no matter their being anti-establishment or not, simply don't do this kind of thing in America. They snort coke, like Bush or Obama did.
Quote from: Caliga on November 05, 2013, 01:27:41 PM
Not enough blacks in Canada :(
But Canadians are black. :huh:
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 05, 2013, 01:16:39 PM
it when he could have been snorting coke or something more appropriate for his economic/societal station.
Maybe in 1989. Crack doesn't have the stigma anymore, is more conveniently portable and, of course, gets you higher faster than powdered coke all stepped on with incense or baby laxative.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on November 05, 2013, 01:29:42 PM
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 05, 2013, 01:16:39 PM
it when he could have been snorting coke or something more appropriate for his economic/societal station.
Maybe in 1989. Crack doesn't have the stigma anymore, is more conveniently portable and, of course, gets you higher faster than powdered coke all stepped on with incense or baby laxative.
I feel like the world has passed me by.
Welcome to the club.
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 05, 2013, 01:25:24 PM
Quote from: Barrister on November 05, 2013, 01:20:30 PM
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 05, 2013, 01:16:39 PM
I don't consider myself a puritan, but I'd probably have some qualms with my Mayor strolling around town meeting with drug dealers that his driver knows, and smoking crack cocaine. Crack cocaine is a poor hood drug, I don't really know what a respectable member of the ruling class is doing using it when he could have been snorting coke or something more appropriate for his economic/societal station.
You don't seem to appreciate what Rob Ford's "economic/societal station" is.
Bingo
Otto, Ford got elected on a platform which proudly declared his anti-establishment, anti-intellectual and anti ruling-class status. If someone in one of those groups had been around to advise him he probably could have turned this story to his advantage early on. Who knows he still might do.
There were stories when this first came out that Ford's right hand man (whose name escapes me) was fired because he point-blank told Ford he needed to come clean about his alcohol / drug use and seek treatment. He'd be doing about a million times better right now if he'd followed that advice.
Crack ain't just black anymore. Hasn't been for a long time.
You people need to get out more.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on November 05, 2013, 01:32:47 PM
Crack ain't just black anymore. Hasn't been for a long time.
You people need to get out more.
Rob Ford and Seedy. Leading us into the new millenium. :)
Quote from: CountDeMoney on November 05, 2013, 01:32:47 PM
Crack ain't just black anymore. Hasn't been for a long time.
You people need to get out more.
Now that I'm in the south and no longer doing drug prosecutions I'm a little bit out of the loop, but certainly in the north poor whites would use crack. Powdered coke was very rare to see.
Quote from: Barrister on November 05, 2013, 01:32:06 PM
There were stories when this first came out that Ford's right hand man (whose name escapes me) was fired because he point-blank told Ford he needed to come clean about his alcohol / drug use and seek treatment. He'd be doing about a million times better right now if he'd followed that advice.
I suppose you missed my first post where I said:
QuoteIf he had just come clean about smoking crack in the first place this story would have gone nowhere except for the puritans.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on November 05, 2013, 01:32:47 PM
Crack ain't just black anymore. Hasn't been for a long time.
You people need to get out more.
Okay but it still has the stigma of poverty.
Crack is a ghetto drug
Meth is where it's at for the poors of the bleached variety
get it right people, sheesh.
Quote from: garbon on November 05, 2013, 01:37:11 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on November 05, 2013, 01:32:47 PM
Crack ain't just black anymore. Hasn't been for a long time.
You people need to get out more.
Okay but it still has the stigma of poverty.
And again you miss the point of the constituency that elected Ford
Unfortunately, unless he resigns voluntarily, or is tried and convicted of something, there appears to be no mechanism for removing a mayor for being a drunken and drugged-up wreck.
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 05, 2013, 01:38:09 PM
Quote from: garbon on November 05, 2013, 01:37:11 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on November 05, 2013, 01:32:47 PM
Crack ain't just black anymore. Hasn't been for a long time.
You people need to get out more.
Okay but it still has the stigma of poverty.
And again you miss the point of the constituency that elected Ford
I wasn't caring about that but just replying to Seed's campaign to rehabilitate crack.
Quote from: garbon on November 05, 2013, 01:37:11 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on November 05, 2013, 01:32:47 PM
Crack ain't just black anymore. Hasn't been for a long time.
You people need to get out more.
Okay but it still has the stigma of poverty.
If only they had worked harder and got better jobs, they'd be able to afford better drugs.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on November 05, 2013, 01:40:23 PM
Quote from: garbon on November 05, 2013, 01:37:11 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on November 05, 2013, 01:32:47 PM
Crack ain't just black anymore. Hasn't been for a long time.
You people need to get out more.
Okay but it still has the stigma of poverty.
If only they had worked harder and got better jobs, they'd be able to afford better drugs.
Easier to abuse hydrocodone when you have a prescription. :)
Quote from: Malthus on November 05, 2013, 01:39:32 PM
Unfortunately, unless he resigns voluntarily, or is tried and convicted of something, there appears to be no mechanism for removing a mayor for being a drunken and drugged-up wreck.
I am not sure if this is a form of social commentary predicting he will be re-elected or not :hmm:
:D
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 05, 2013, 01:16:39 PM
I don't consider myself a puritan, but I'd probably have some qualms with my Mayor strolling around town meeting with drug dealers that his driver knows, and smoking crack cocaine. Crack cocaine is a poor hood drug, I don't really know what a respectable member of the ruling class is doing using it when he could have been snorting coke or something more appropriate for his economic/societal station.
That might be part of it. If he was snorting coke that might be different. But crack? That's for white trash, blacks and hoes.
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 05, 2013, 01:25:24 PM
Quote from: Barrister on November 05, 2013, 01:20:30 PM
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 05, 2013, 01:16:39 PM
I don't consider myself a puritan, but I'd probably have some qualms with my Mayor strolling around town meeting with drug dealers that his driver knows, and smoking crack cocaine. Crack cocaine is a poor hood drug, I don't really know what a respectable member of the ruling class is doing using it when he could have been snorting coke or something more appropriate for his economic/societal station.
You don't seem to appreciate what Rob Ford's "economic/societal station" is.
Bingo
Otto, Ford got elected on a platform which proudly declared his anti-establishment, anti-intellectual and anti ruling-class status. If someone in one of those groups had been around to advise him he probably could have turned this story to his advantage early on. Who knows he still might do.
Maybe that's what they say out west. he was nver anti-establishment. Anti-intellectual, obviously, since he didn't belong to that club. He got elected simply on a "I will cut the fuck out of your taxes, and on wasteful government spending."
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 05, 2013, 01:41:16 PM
Quote from: Malthus on November 05, 2013, 01:39:32 PM
Unfortunately, unless he resigns voluntarily, or is tried and convicted of something, there appears to be no mechanism for removing a mayor for being a drunken and drugged-up wreck.
I am not sure if this is a form of social commentary predicting he will be re-elected or not :hmm:
:D
:P
The odd thing is that, so far, the circus hasn't affected his poll numbers much. :lol:
Quote from: Josephus on November 05, 2013, 01:45:22 PM
Maybe that's what they say out west. he was nver anti-establishment. Anti-intellectual, obviously, since he didn't belong to that club. He got elected simply on a "I will cut the fuck out of your taxes, and on wasteful government spending."
When one considers wasteful government spending to be public libraries what do you call that back East?
QuoteToronto Mayor Rob Ford is expected to make an unspecified announcement shortly after admitting earlier Tuesday to smoking crack cocaine _ a stunning development that came as councillors drafted motions to limit many of his mayoral powers.
On his way out?
Now what are Josephus and I going to disagree on? :(
Quote from: Malthus on November 05, 2013, 01:45:44 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 05, 2013, 01:41:16 PM
Quote from: Malthus on November 05, 2013, 01:39:32 PM
Unfortunately, unless he resigns voluntarily, or is tried and convicted of something, there appears to be no mechanism for removing a mayor for being a drunken and drugged-up wreck.
I am not sure if this is a form of social commentary predicting he will be re-elected or not :hmm:
:D
:P
The odd thing is that, so far, the circus hasn't affected his poll numbers much. :lol:
It's not very odd. Some people tend to have loyal followers, no matter what. Look at Laval, 2nd biggest city of the province, the island North of Montreal.
It is a very corrupt city. Well, at least it was, we have no proof it is corrupt now (neither do we have proofs it's a clean city either).
Nothing got done without the old mayor's interventions. he was there since the 80s, the guy before him was just as corrupt.
He offered cash to some politicians, wich they claim they refused. He had millions in offshore accounts, hundreds of thousands in bank vaults in Quebec, multiple properties, nice, expensive sports cars. Everyone in the city knew how he was, but they kept electing him. When his story became officially public, even when he was first arrested and accused, he still had the support of the majority.
It seems that when it comes to city politicians, people are willing to tolerate a lot more than on the provincial&federal scene.
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 05, 2013, 03:47:28 PM
When one considers wasteful government spending to be public libraries what do you call that back East?
"mayor".
Had one like this in my city for a while. The other city we pay taxes into had a candidate like too, she got 40% of the vote, no more libraries, no more ice-ring, no more soccer field, nothing.
These kind of politicians seem popular in very small cities, what's unusual is seeing them in big cities like Toronto.
When we talk about Ford I'm somewhat reminded of good ole Ralph Klein. Same kind of aw shucks man of the people persona, fairly strident right-wing politics, and his alcoholism was an open secret. Klein at least used to habitually hang out in a really old, run down hotel that served a semi-transient population. And he was loved by the people of this province.
What did him in, oddly enough, was one incident were he was drunk and he became verbally abusive with a homeless man. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. He went out into rehab, and came back a sober, humourless asshole.
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 05, 2013, 04:16:26 PM
QuoteToronto Mayor Rob Ford is expected to make an unspecified announcement shortly after admitting earlier Tuesday to smoking crack cocaine _ a stunning development that came as councillors drafted motions to limit many of his mayoral powers.
On his way out?
Now what are Josephus and I going to disagree on? :(
Apparently not.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/mayor-rob-ford-not-stepping-down-1.2415533
Quote from: Barrister on November 05, 2013, 05:03:08 PM
When we talk about Ford I'm somewhat reminded of good ole Ralph Klein. Same kind of aw shucks man of the people persona, fairly strident right-wing politics, and his alcoholism was an open secret. Klein at least used to habitually hang out in a really old, run down hotel that served a semi-transient population. And he was loved by the people of this province.
What did him in, oddly enough, was one incident were he was drunk and he became verbally abusive with a homeless man. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. He went out into rehab, and came back a sober, humourless asshole.
Ford doesn't need rehab for that last bit. :D
Quote from: Barrister on November 05, 2013, 05:03:08 PM
Klein at least used to habitually hang out in a really old, run down hotel that served a semi-transient population.
Doing what?
Quote from: Admiral Yi on November 05, 2013, 05:06:57 PM
Quote from: Barrister on November 05, 2013, 05:03:08 PM
Klein at least used to habitually hang out in a really old, run down hotel that served a semi-transient population.
Doing what?
Drinking, of course.
Here's a picture of him from the mid 80s when he was Mayor of Calgary (Klein is in the middle):
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frodlove.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F05%2FRod-and-Ralph-at-the-Louis.jpg&hash=b4cd4a9be1f6c4169d85904e4bbaea68a882e09e)
That's my kind of politician.
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 05, 2013, 04:16:26 PM
QuoteToronto Mayor Rob Ford is expected to make an unspecified announcement shortly after admitting earlier Tuesday to smoking crack cocaine _ a stunning development that came as councillors drafted motions to limit many of his mayoral powers.
On his way out?
Now what are Josephus and I going to disagree on? :(
Well....we really haven't touched the Mike Duffy thing yet... ;)
But in any case, I don't think he's resigned has he?
Quote from: Josephus on November 05, 2013, 07:38:49 PM
But in any case, I don't think he's resigned has he?
not as of yet. Probably won't. I may vote for in the next election just to keep the fun going :lol:
Quote from: HVC on November 05, 2013, 07:40:15 PM
Quote from: Josephus on November 05, 2013, 07:38:49 PM
But in any case, I don't think he's resigned has he?
not as of yet. Probably won't. I may vote for in the next election just to keep the fun going :lol:
Yeah, but as BB pointed out in relation to Klein, once these alcoholics go sober, they get boring fast.
Although I can't see Ford going straight.
If the other option is Olivia Chow? Ford still looks pretty good.
Quote from: Josephus on November 05, 2013, 07:38:49 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 05, 2013, 04:16:26 PM
QuoteToronto Mayor Rob Ford is expected to make an unspecified announcement shortly after admitting earlier Tuesday to smoking crack cocaine _ a stunning development that came as councillors drafted motions to limit many of his mayoral powers.
On his way out?
Now what are Josephus and I going to disagree on? :(
Well....we really haven't touched the Mike Duffy thing yet... ;)
I doubt there would be much we could disagree on there either. Mulcair is going to have to come out with a policy statement we can discuss or the politics thread is going to die.
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 05, 2013, 06:33:37 PM
That's my kind of politician.
I think you would have liked Ralph Klein. Some memorable moments of his (all quotes from this CBC article: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/5-memorable-ralph-klein-moments-1.1347249)
Quote
'Bums' and 'creeps'
In 1982 Ralph Klein, then Calgary's mayor, slammed people who moved to the city from eastern Canada to work, calling them "bums" and "creeps" and calling on city police to "kick ass" and get unwanted newcomers out of town.
"You're welcome to stay here a couple of weeks at government expense, but if you can't make it after that particular time then don't go out and rob our banks ... get the hell out of town," Klein told CBC News at the time.
Quote
Battle with alcohol
In 2001, a drunken Klein barged into an Edmonton homeless shelter and berated those inside about being unemployed.
Days later, then premier Klein held a tearful news conference to discuss his alcoholism.
Klein admitted to drinking the equivalent of a bottle of wine a day, and that he sometimes drank at his office to get over bad hangovers. Klein remained in office after the admission, largely with the support of Albertans.
Quote
Stronach jab
In 2006, nearing the end of his political career, Klein continued to spark controversy. At a Calgary charity roast, he told an audience: "Now Belinda roasted me as a Conservative but of course now she's a Liberal ... And I wasn't surprised she crossed over — I don't think she ever did have a Conservative bone in her body. Well, except for one."
The joke was in reference to Stronach's relationship with Conservative MP Peter MacKay.
Stronach criticized the comment, calling it exactly the kind of remark that puts women off entering politics.
Klein stood by his joke. "A roast is a roast is a roast," he told reporters.
Stronach has entered Austrian politics, btw. His party "Team Stronach" is a huge mess - he's trying to run it like his companies and top level personnel come and go all the time and after winning some seats in the recent election, even a few of the ones who would sit in parliament got shuffled out. Not to mention that his TV debates were like the bizarre ramblings of a senile old man.
Quote from: Syt on November 06, 2013, 12:25:21 AM
Stronach has entered Austrian politics, btw. His party "Team Stronach" is a huge mess - he's trying to run it like his companies and top level personnel come and go all the time and after winning some seats in the recent election, even a few of the ones who would sit in parliament got shuffled out. Not to mention that his TV debates were like the bizarre ramblings of a senile old man.
Heh.
The Stronach in Canadian politics, is his daughter.
Quote from: Jacob on November 06, 2013, 11:34:44 AM
Quote from: Syt on November 06, 2013, 12:25:21 AM
Stronach has entered Austrian politics, btw. His party "Team Stronach" is a huge mess - he's trying to run it like his companies and top level personnel come and go all the time and after winning some seats in the recent election, even a few of the ones who would sit in parliament got shuffled out. Not to mention that his TV debates were like the bizarre ramblings of a senile old man.
Heh.
The Stronach in Canadian politics, is his daughter.
I guess it's like father, like daughter, then. Belinda Stronach's political history was a huge mess as well.
Quote from: Barrister on November 05, 2013, 01:02:28 PM
Now Ford admits to smoking crack "in one of my drunken stupors". :lol:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/mayor-rob-ford-yes-i-have-smoked-crack-cocaine-1.2415533
'Drunken stupor' is one of the most honest and wonderful excuses I've ever seen a politician give.
I hope this ends with him trying to run into the Rockies with Toronto's treasury falling from his overstuffed pockets while being chased by Mounties and helicopters. And I wouldn't bet against it.
Quote from: Sheilbh on November 06, 2013, 12:28:40 PM
Quote from: Barrister on November 05, 2013, 01:02:28 PM
Now Ford admits to smoking crack "in one of my drunken stupors". :lol:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/mayor-rob-ford-yes-i-have-smoked-crack-cocaine-1.2415533
'Drunken stupor' is one of the most honest and wonderful excuses I've ever seen a politician give.
I hope this ends with him trying to run into the Rockies with Toronto's treasury falling from his overstuffed pockets while being chased by Mounties and helicopters. And I wouldn't bet against it.
I wouldn't lay any bets on any possible conclusion to this story - including the fact I wouldn't bet against him being re-elected either, nor would I bet against him being charged as a party to extortion.
I think the moral to the Rob Ford is to prove the HST quote "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro".
Where does the extortion come from? I missed that.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on November 06, 2013, 12:42:57 PM
Where does the extortion come from? I missed that.
A confidant of Ford is being charged with extortion in his attempt to retrieve the video.
New Ford video - he's drunkenly ranting about killing someone in it.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/11/07/rob-ford-video-i-need-f-ing-10-minutes-to-make-sure-hes-dead/
Oh my God. Is this the guy he smoked crack with? The one who was murdered? They mentioned this on Bloggingheads yesterday and said it was a possibility. This is amazing. :D
Quote from: Queequeg on November 07, 2013, 01:52:55 PM
Oh my God. Is this the guy he smoked crack with? The one who was murdered? They mentioned this on Bloggingheads yesterday and said it was a possibility. This is amazing. :D
There are rumours floating about that there is another tape yet to come - a Rob Ford sex tape. :yuk:
:lmfao:
Quote from: Malthus on November 07, 2013, 03:23:56 PM
Quote from: Queequeg on November 07, 2013, 01:52:55 PM
Oh my God. Is this the guy he smoked crack with? The one who was murdered? They mentioned this on Bloggingheads yesterday and said it was a possibility. This is amazing. :D
There are rumours floating about that there is another tape yet to come - a Rob Ford sex tape. :yuk:
"I think I had sex about year ago - probably in a drunken stupor"
Quote from: Caliga on November 04, 2013, 03:18:00 PM
It's almost like Toronto is an American city now or something. I thought only we elected obese crack head mayors. :hmm:
A canuck embarrassment
Quote from: 11B4V on November 07, 2013, 04:29:30 PM
Quote from: Caliga on November 04, 2013, 03:18:00 PM
It's almost like Toronto is an American city now or something. I thought only we elected obese crack head mayors. :hmm:
A canuck embarrassment
A Toronto embarrassment. :contract:
You know, that does make sense though. Toronto has always aspired to be an American city, and now with their mayoral scandal, ethnic ghettos and high number of shootings, it can be.
They need to appoint crazy canuck as the next mayor in order to help combat that attitude. :sleep:
Smug v. Crack
Quote from: Malthus on November 07, 2013, 01:46:48 PM
New Ford video - he's drunkenly ranting about killing someone in it.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/11/07/rob-ford-video-i-need-f-ing-10-minutes-to-make-sure-hes-dead/
It was filmed after he saw the New Maclean's:
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/738408_178956898964794_1550540881_o.jpg)
:P
QuoteRob Ford admits smoking crack in NFL tie from 1995
Sean Gentille Sporting News
Depending on the sort of circles you run in—if you're, say, a hockey writer—there wasn't a bigger story Tuesday than Toronto mayor Rob Ford's admission that he smoked crack cocaine. He seemed to imply that it happened once during a "drunken stupor."
It's a huge deal, as Ford's conduct has been for months; the existence of the Rob Ford "crack tape" was first reported by Gawker, and then the Toronto Star. Toronto police confirmed its existence on Halloween.
It hit bottom—for now—on Tuesday with Ford's admission, followed by an afternoon press conference at which he asked forgiveness. Throughout the day, Ford, a huge football fan, wore an NFL tie—and Twitter took note.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F3PNS5nb.png&hash=7cc4a084ee2c1e8a6f9dc81d684d819b4bc9ff83)
It's from 1995. The Philadelphia Eagles logo on the left side, which the team stopped using that year, gives it away. The fact that Jacksonville and Carolina logos are there as well means that it couldn't have been used after.
This shit is hilarious. It is like Chris Farley, mayor edition.
Quote from: Neil on November 07, 2013, 04:38:56 PM
You know, that does make sense though. Toronto has always aspired to be an American city, and now with their mayoral scandal, ethnic ghettos and high number of shootings, it can be.
Malthus is as Canadian as you are.
I guess HVC could be an honorary American though. :hmm:
I love this picture of Rob Ford opening Toronto Pride:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nowtoronto.com%2F_assets%2Fimages%2Fcontent%2F2013%2F5%2F17%2FWavinPFLAG_large.jpg&hash=f4ac063592902970af3ff7cf43fcfcf912faae8b)
Quote from: Sheilbh on November 08, 2013, 07:37:46 AM
I love this picture of Rob Ford opening Toronto Pride:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nowtoronto.com%2F_assets%2Fimages%2Fcontent%2F2013%2F5%2F17%2FWavinPFLAG_large.jpg&hash=f4ac063592902970af3ff7cf43fcfcf912faae8b)
:lmfao:
Reminds me of a line I heard from Rick Mercer about Ford the other day when he said "Ford lies like a kid" - "No I didnt - prove it"
That picture is of a kid throwing a temper tantrum - "I dont wanna open the Pride Parade - You're not the boss of me"
:lol:
He really is a throbbing boil of a man.
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 08, 2013, 09:15:57 AM
Quote from: Sheilbh on November 08, 2013, 07:37:46 AM
I love this picture of Rob Ford opening Toronto Pride:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nowtoronto.com%2F_assets%2Fimages%2Fcontent%2F2013%2F5%2F17%2FWavinPFLAG_large.jpg&hash=f4ac063592902970af3ff7cf43fcfcf912faae8b)
:lmfao:
Reminds me of a line I heard from Rick Mercer about Ford the other day when he said "Ford lies like a kid" - "No I didnt - prove it"
That picture is of a kid throwing a temper tantrum - "I dont wanna open the Pride Parade - You're not the boss of me"
To me it seems like he's going to puke.
Quote from: Ed Anger on November 08, 2013, 02:15:03 AM
This shit is hilarious. It is like Chris Farley, mayor edition.
:lol:
I'm just waiting for David Spade to show up.
R.I.P. Chris Farley. He was a comic genius.
This dude would have been great to dress up as for Halloween.
Quote from: Malthus on November 08, 2013, 09:19:18 AM
:lol:
He really is a throbbing boil of a man.
Ugh...what a description. :yuk:
Quote from: derspiess on November 08, 2013, 11:09:15 AM
This dude would have been great to dress up as for Halloween.
Ten pillows and a crack pipe? ;)
Quote from: jimmy olsen on November 08, 2013, 11:31:25 AM
Quote from: Malthus on November 08, 2013, 09:19:18 AM
:lol:
He really is a throbbing boil of a man.
Ugh...what a description. :yuk:
Look at the pic. Is it inaccurate? ;)
Quote from: Sheilbh on November 08, 2013, 07:37:46 AM
I love this picture of Rob Ford opening Toronto Pride:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nowtoronto.com%2F_assets%2Fimages%2Fcontent%2F2013%2F5%2F17%2FWavinPFLAG_large.jpg&hash=f4ac063592902970af3ff7cf43fcfcf912faae8b)
The context of course is that he really, really did not want to go, and resisted for a few years saying he always spent that weekend at his family cabin.
Quote from: Malthus on November 08, 2013, 11:31:56 AM
Quote from: derspiess on November 08, 2013, 11:09:15 AM
This dude would have been great to dress up as for Halloween.
Ten pillows and a crack pipe? ;)
Plus that epic smiley-face tie.
Plus some rouge and a tufty bald wig.
And just because...
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.gifbay.com%2F2013%2F06%2Fmatt_foley-53422.gif&hash=8b160a63313f1ee038e68263178875ee7ffeefd5)
Is that pointy-headed gel job considered a good look in Toronto homosexualist circles?
Quote from: Capetan Mihali on November 08, 2013, 10:29:47 AM
R.I.P. Chris Farley. He was a comic genius.
:yes: :(
If he was still alive there would have been a hilarious SNL skit about this guy this weekend starring Chris, I bet.
Wow, I just read this guy's bio on Wikipedia and (assuming it's accurate) this guy sounds like a complete fucking loser who achieved nothing in life without daddy's help. I can't for the life of me understand how he managed to get elected to office.... and here I was thinking that everyone in Canada is an amazing enlightened genius. cc has led me astray :(
Quote from: Caliga on November 08, 2013, 12:28:21 PM
Wow, I just read this guy's bio on Wikipedia and (assuming it's accurate) this guy sounds like a complete fucking loser who achieved nothing in life without daddy's help. I can't for the life of me understand how he managed to get elected to office.... and here I was thinking that everyone in Canada is an amazing enlightened genius. cc has led me astray :(
I thought the same thing, though ironically, CC was the one to disabuse me of that notion.
Yeah, a small snippet from the rather large "Substance abuse incidents" section in his Wiki page:
QuoteOn St. Patrick's Day in March 2012, Ford was "very intoxicated" at City Hall and a downtown restaurant. According to those attending, Ford held a "wild party" in his office. Ford knocked down a staffer, insulted others, then went to the BierMarkt restaurant. After "flailing around" on the restaurant's dance floor, Ford returned to City Hall by cab, making racial slurs to the driver. The Mayor then wandered around City Hall after 2 AM with a bottle of brandy, swearing at his staffer Earl Provost before security arranged for him to be taken home. The incident was revealed after an e-mail from a City Hall security guard describing the incident was found through Access to Information requests.
I can't stop laughing about this dude. He is hilarious.
On Stern the other day they played a clip from a Toronto radio show where the host was talking about the Rob Ford scandal, and this dude called in to (rather incoherently) defend Ford. About halfway through the call the host goes "Wait a minute, is this you Mr. Mayor?" and the caller ignored the comment and kept ranting on. The host interrupted him again like 30 seconds later and said "Rob Ford, I know this is you... I recognize your voice" at which point Ford hung up. :lol:
Quote from: Caliga on November 08, 2013, 12:28:21 PM
Wow, I just read this guy's bio on Wikipedia and (assuming it's accurate) this guy sounds like a complete fucking loser who achieved nothing in life without daddy's help. I can't for the life of me understand how he managed to get elected to office.... and here I was thinking that everyone in Canada is an amazing enlightened genius. cc has led me astray :(
Wait a second... HOLY SHIT. This guy is literally the real-life incarnation of Tommy Callahan! :lmfao:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F13movies.files.wordpress.com%2F2013%2F07%2Ftommy-boy-spade-farley-desk-fire.jpg&hash=e5c73991ab94f2272d2dce4496ab1a1a439c2c94)
Awesome.
Quote from: Caliga on November 08, 2013, 12:28:21 PM
Wow, I just read this guy's bio on Wikipedia and (assuming it's accurate) this guy sounds like a complete fucking loser who achieved nothing in life without daddy's help. I can't for the life of me understand how he managed to get elected to office.... and here I was thinking that everyone in Canada is an amazing enlightened genius. cc has led me astray :(
This is the view from afar, and I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to Toronto municipal politics, but it was on my radar...
Toronto has been poorly managed, with some reasonably incompetent mayors, for as long as I can remember. Very left-wing ivory tower types, more concerned with diversity and sensitivity than, you know, making sure the streets are clean. Rob Ford was a councillor for 10 years before becoming mayor. He was a blowhard back then too, but he had a very simple, straight-forward message for that entire time "stop the gravy train". He wanted to cutback on expenses, get taxes under control. Oh and he had a thing about subways as opposed to above ground rail that I didn't understand.
So in the last mayoral election, when the previous mayor wasn't running, and the other leading contender seemed like yet another egghead, the suburbs voted fairly convincingly for Ford.
And hell - even after all this, depending on who was running I wouldn't rule out voting for Ford in the next election...
I keep reading this as "What's the deal with Mayor Rob Halford".
You'd think Ford would be popular on Languish.
QuoteOn March 7, 2007, Ford made controversial comments about cyclists' use of the roads, saying, "What I compare bike lanes to is swimming with the sharks. Sooner or later you're going to get bitten... Roads are built for buses, cars, and trucks, not for people on bikes. My heart bleeds for them when I hear someone gets killed, but it's their own fault at the end of the day."
:lol:
Seriously, though - everyone knew Ford was an anti-intellectual clown (though the public didn't know he was as big a drunk, druggie and all-around fuckup as he later proved). To a large extent, that's why he got elected.
The background: Toronto as a city is the result of a recent amalgamation of a bunch of cities, with very different cultures. Toronto proper is left-leaning and full of egghead intellectual types who love diversity programs and bike lanes, that sort of stuff. They tended to elect egghead mayors who spend freely on stuff like that. Moreover, these guys seemed absolutely helpless in dealing with the public service unions, who seemed to strike when they felt like it and get whatever they wanted.
Ford was elected by people in the suburbs, who tended to be right-leaning, hate all that egghead shit, and wanted the unions hammered. Ford promised to 'stop the gravey train' and the more Ford mouthed off ignorantly insulting his opponents, the better these voters in the burbs liked him.
Looks like Ford's gomnna hit the rehab highway.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/rob-ford-prepared-to-take-some-downtime-deputy-mayor-1.2419605
Quote from: Malthus on November 08, 2013, 02:11:58 PM
Looks like Ford's gomnna hit the rehab highway.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/rob-ford-prepared-to-take-some-downtime-deputy-mayor-1.2419605
You know, if (and this is a big if) he went and took a leave of absence, checked himself into a rehab program, and was successful (which, likely would also help him lose some weight), he'd actually be a pretty formidable candidate for re-election.
Best of luck to him in rehab, but something tells me he's a few months away from a heart attack.
Quote from: Barrister on November 08, 2013, 01:22:49 PM
And hell - even after all this, depending on who was running I wouldn't rule out voting for Ford in the next election...
Don't think the GTA stretches all the way to Alberta.
yet.
Grand Theft Auto? :unsure:
Greater Toronto Area.
Which, incidentally goes on forever.
So what are the odds this guy actually ordered someone killed? Please say greater than 20%.
Quote from: Queequeg on November 09, 2013, 02:51:45 PM
So what are the odds this guy actually ordered someone killed? Please say greater than 20%.
19%
20% on the nose.
12.2% give or take 7.8%
0% chance Squeelus will latch on to the Mayor. He's not a swarthy barbarian.
Being a dick, ordering people killed? That sounds like Chicago politics. Spellus will squee.
Quote15 November 2013 Last updated at 11:19 GMT
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford apologises for oral-sex remarks
Flanked by his wife, Renata, in a city hall news conference, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford apologised for his graphic remarks
Continue reading the main story
Troubled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has apologised for obscene comments he made on live TV while denying he had offered oral sex to a female staff member.
The Canadian politician used what he called "unforgivable language", in remarks to reporters.
He also threatened to take legal action against former employees who made claims about his drinking and drug use.
It is the latest scandal to engulf 44-year-old Mr Ford, who last week admitted smoking crack cocaine.
Police documents released on Wednesday quoted Ford associates as saying that the mayor had driven drunk, used racially abusive language, threatened staff, consorted with a woman suspected of being a prostitute and made a sexual proposition to a female staff member.
On Thursday morning, he told reporters the allegations were "outright lies", although he conceded he might have driven after taking alcohol.
"The things we are seeing and hearing about Mayor Rob Ford are truly disturbing"
However, reporters were left gasping by his profane outburst as he denied having once offered oral sex to a former female employee.
The father of two young children said that he was "happily married" and crudely commented that he enjoyed enough oral sex at home.
Later on Thursday, Mr Ford was flanked by his wife, Renata, as he expressed regret for the "graphic" language, the latest in a string of apologies.
He said his integrity as a father and husband had been attacked, prompting him to "see red".
"I acted on complete impulse in my remarks," he said.
Mr Ford also announced he was getting help from healthcare professionals.
"If you can't get rid of an ogre, at least weaken him and lessen the damage he does," says an editorial in the Toronto Star, which refers to measures being considered by the Toronto authorities to cut Rob Ford's mayoral power. "The proposed actions aren't enough, of course. Anything that leaves this abusive, drunken, drug-using, out-of-control con man at the helm of Canada's largest city necessarily falls short."
The Globe and Mail backs Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne's suggestion that Toronto ask the provincial government based at Queen's Park to intervene: "City council alone can't save Toronto from its disgrace of a mayor. But together with Queen's Park, it can."
The Toronto Sun refers to an Ipsos Reid poll of Toronto voters, a year ahead of mayoral elections, which placed Rob Ford third in a list of candidates. "The bad news for Ford, as Ipsos Reid notes, is that he is 'not terribly competitive in any scenario' and his 'hopes for re-election are bleak'."
Christie Blatchford in the National Post says the Toronto police probe into the city mayor has been flawed. "The police did by the back door what for some reason they were unwilling to do by the front, that is, with an arrest and charge."
The erratic mayor was wearing a Toronto Argonauts jersey when he made the sexually charged comments.
The Canadian Football League team said in a statement: "These latest remarks, while wearing our team's jersey, are particularly disappointing."
Councillor Karen Stintz later said the city had suspended all school trips to city hall indefinitely because staff deemed it unsafe.
Meanwhile, many of the 44-member city council turned their backs on the mayor as he addressed political matters.
"This is one of the most stubborn, pig-headed people I think we have ever seen," said Councillor Janet Davis.
"He seems to have no self-awareness, no core of moral character. It is stunning."
In his initial remarks on Thursday, the mayor had vowed legal action against his former chief of staff and two other aides over allegations they made to police, detailed in legal papers released on Wednesday.
The police interviews were conducted to obtain a search warrant for Alexander Lisi, Mr Ford's friend and occasional driver, whom police accuse of marijuana possession and trafficking.
The mayor also threatened litigation against a waiter who said he believed Mr Ford and a woman had snorted cocaine in a private room at a restaurant on St Patrick's Day 2012.
On Wednesday, the city council voted 41-2 requesting he take leave, but they have no authority to remove him. Mr Ford has vowed to stay on and run for re-election in October 2014.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne suggested the provincial government could intervene, as she made a televised statement on Thursday.
"The things we are seeing and hearing about Mayor Rob Ford are truly disturbing," she said.
But it was not all bad news for the conservative mayor, who was elected in 2010 on a pledge to tackle wasteful spending at city hall.
It was announced that Mr Ford and his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, would get their own TV talk show next Monday, entitled Ford Nation.
The deal with Sun News Network follows last week's cancellation of the brothers' popular weekly radio show with a local broadcaster.
He needs to hire Mike Flaherty to shield him from himself.
How can there be no process in place to simply remove/impeach him?
And it was said Miller's garbage strike was an international embarrassment. :P
Quote from: Maladict on November 15, 2013, 08:30:29 AM
Councillor Karen Stintz later said the city had suspended all school trips to city hall indefinitely because staff deemed it unsafe.
^_^
:lol:
One of their students could get squooshed by a falling mayor.
Quote from: Berkut on November 15, 2013, 08:54:17 AM
How can there be no process in place to simply remove/impeach him?
It's not in the British tradition of governance. Plus, since Cities are product of the provincial government, it provides the mayor with some political immunity from a changing provincial governmental policy.
Do youse guys have recall petitions?
Nope. Well, not in Ontario & Quebec.
I assume ROC is like Ontario but it could be different.
At the municipal level. We have one at the federal level.
Kind of an interesting twist on the old theme of decadent, dangerous urban center vs. uptight puritanical suburbs.
Quote from: Admiral Yi=topic=10678.msg667372#msg667372 date=1384527742
Kind of an interesting twist on the old theme of decadent, dangerous urban center vs. uptight puritanical suburbs.
I know good material when I steal it.
Quote from: Berkut on November 15, 2013, 08:54:17 AM
How can there be no process in place to simply remove/impeach him?
There is, but he has not been charged with any crime.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on November 15, 2013, 09:58:40 AM
Do youse guys have recall petitions?
That's an American thing, like an elected head of state or an elected senate. We don't like this kind of tyranny over here, as we were reminded last summer that French & English fought side-by-side to end this threat 200 years ago :shutup:
Quote from: Berkut on November 15, 2013, 08:54:17 AM
How can there be no process in place to simply remove/impeach him?
There is, but it isnt the kind of recall initiative used in the US.
Municipalities are creatures of Provincial Legislation and the legislation in most Provinces allowes for the Provincial government to intervene in certain circumstances. I believe Ontario has something like that. It is likely the Premier of Ontario is seeking advice about that at this moment. I cant recall this kind of drastic intervention being required before. Normally people voluntarily step down.
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 15, 2013, 12:11:32 PMMunicipalities are creatures of Provincial Legislation and the legislation in most Provinces allowes for the Provincial government to intervene in certain circumstances. I believe Ontario has something like that. It is likely the Premier of Ontario is seeking advice about that at this moment. I cant recall this kind of drastic intervention being required before. Normally people voluntarily step down.
Yeah at a certain point a sense of shame kicks in. Given his comments about his wife, I'm not sure we can depend on that here :lol:
Quote from: Sheilbh on November 15, 2013, 12:15:30 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 15, 2013, 12:11:32 PMMunicipalities are creatures of Provincial Legislation and the legislation in most Provinces allowes for the Provincial government to intervene in certain circumstances. I believe Ontario has something like that. It is likely the Premier of Ontario is seeking advice about that at this moment. I cant recall this kind of drastic intervention being required before. Normally people voluntarily step down.
Yeah at a certain point a sense of shame kicks in. Given his comments about his wife, I'm not sure we can depend on that here :lol:
Yeah, no kidding. That is why I think the Premier is probably huddled with her legal advisors as we speak. There was probably some hope he would eventually step down. But it is clear the man is beyond the pale.
I can't wait for the outrage when he starts claiming his pension :lol:
Quote from: Maladict on November 15, 2013, 08:30:29 AM
However, reporters were left gasping by his profane outburst as he denied having once offered oral sex to a former female employee.
The father of two young children said that he was "happily married" and crudely commented that he enjoyed enough oral sex at home.
Here's the video. The language is bleeped, but it may still not be safe for work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg80V79kvDg&feature=player_embedded
Quote from: merithyn on November 15, 2013, 01:02:06 PM
Quote from: Maladict on November 15, 2013, 08:30:29 AM
However, reporters were left gasping by his profane outburst as he denied having once offered oral sex to a former female employee.
The father of two young children said that he was "happily married" and crudely commented that he enjoyed enough oral sex at home.
Here's the video. The language is bleeped, but it may still not be safe for work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg80V79kvDg&feature=player_embedded
What's almost better than the insane comment is the audible disbelief from the reporters in what they've just heard. :lol:
Why is he doing press conferences? :(
I feel like donating some money to his reelection campaign.
Squares everywhere.
Quote from: Grey Fox on November 15, 2013, 01:44:41 PM
Squares everywhere.
To be fair, not everyone criticizing him is a square. Many people hate him because he's not part of the weird group of leftists that have traditionally run Toronto.
Gay Fox gets the politicians that he deserves. :(
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 15, 2013, 12:11:32 PM
Quote from: Berkut on November 15, 2013, 08:54:17 AM
How can there be no process in place to simply remove/impeach him?
There is, but it isnt the kind of recall initiative used in the US.
Municipalities are creatures of Provincial Legislation and the legislation in most Provinces allowes for the Provincial government to intervene in certain circumstances. I believe Ontario has something like that. It is likely the Premier of Ontario is seeking advice about that at this moment. I cant recall this kind of drastic intervention being required before. Normally people voluntarily step down.
This is the key: in Canada, there is a very strong tradition of disgraced politicians resigning voluntarily. A guy like Ford, who flat-out refuses to resign, is messing up the system, which never needed a removal system before.
City council has voted to strip him of all his powers and stipends for his office (down to what a regular council member has), more or less ostracizing him.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/rob-ford-stripped-of-key-powers-in-council-vote-1.2426988
So it's just like the ultra-Orthodox get. :hmm:
Quote from: Caliga on November 15, 2013, 01:54:25 PM
Gay Fox gets the politicians that he deserves. :(
You mean by that interesting & who actually dont always spew PC Bullshit? Yes.
Altho, Toronto != Laval. My mayor as cop, before that it was the head of a mafia like empire.
BTW, any recent polls?
Quote from: Grey Fox on November 15, 2013, 02:39:37 PM
You mean by that interesting & who actually dont always spew PC Bullshit? Yes.
Altho, Toronto != Laval. My mayor as cop, before that it was the head of a mafia like empire.
I was just messing with you my blanc-negra :hug:
Quote from: Caliga on November 15, 2013, 03:07:38 PM
Quote from: Grey Fox on November 15, 2013, 02:39:37 PM
You mean by that interesting & who actually dont always spew PC Bullshit? Yes.
Altho, Toronto != Laval. My mayor as cop, before that it was the head of a mafia like empire.
I was just messing with you my blanc-negra :hug:
:ultra:
:lol:
If this guy emigrated to the US, in which city would he stand the greatest chance of getting elected mayor ?
Quote from: Admiral Yi on November 15, 2013, 02:41:22 PM
BTW, any recent polls?
I dont think anyone is going to bother with that after yesterday.
He leads in my heart.
Quote from: mongers on November 15, 2013, 03:53:05 PM
If this guy emigrated to the US, in which city would he stand the greatest chance of getting elected mayor ?
If he got a really deep tan he'd run away with the vote in D.C.
DC has elected squares ever since Barry got sent to the Big House.
The last I read the Provincial Premier said she would pass legislation or enact whatever power it is she has to remove Ford, but only after a unanimous vote of city council requesting it. In several of their resolutions against him he seems to have kept five hard core allies that won't vote against him...and of course his brother is also on council which makes a unanimous vote unlikely.
We have a pretty strong tradition here in America of disgraced politicians resigning as well. I can only think of a very limited number that have needed to be impeached. Recall is a different thing, as that's almost never based on abuse of office/malfeasance/disgrace, but is partisan and honestly has no place in representative government.
Rod Blagojevich was one of the few recent exceptions, he refused to take the graceful exit out to the bitter end and actually made the Illinois legislature impeach him (which they did with essentially unanimous votes in each house.)
Well, except for that one time we re-elected Barry. :blush:
Quote from: Admiral Yi on November 15, 2013, 04:38:02 PM
DC has elected squares ever since Barry got sent to the Big House.
True, in all honesty even pre-crack video Ford would be hard to elect in most American cities. Even the more sprawling of our cities don't go into the suburbs so much that you have the more conservative suburban voters running the government. Even in cities in Texas, Georgia etc where the suburbs are indeed quite conservative you don't really have the city limits extending enough to give those conservatives enough voting clout to actually win a city-wide election, most of the suburbs are just outside the city limits by design in these parts.
Probably the closest city I can quickly think of where the burbs would take over would be Cleveland. Cleveland itself is a mismanaged hell hole to the point the voters of Cuyahoga County created a new elected executive position for the County that basically has vast power to the diminishment of the municipal government of Cleveland. The first executive is a white dude from the burbs, but even the suburbs of Cleveland are heavily Democratic so he's also a Dem, but not a CdM style corrupt black Democrat, at least.
Suburban voters would be the absolute last type of voters to elect Ford.
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 15, 2013, 04:38:23 PM
The last I read the Provincial Premier said she would pass legislation or enact whatever power it is she has to remove Ford, but only after a unanimous vote of city council requesting it. In several of their resolutions against him he seems to have kept five hard core allies that won't vote against him...and of course his brother is also on council which makes a unanimous vote unlikely.
Not exactly. The Premier has said she'd need the unanimous support of the provincial legislature, not city council. This is because although municipal politics are nominally non-partisan, Rob Ford closely aligned himself with the Conservatives. So the governing Liberals do not want this to be a political issue used against them and want the provincial PCs to be on board with any change to the legislation.
Quote from: Barrister on November 15, 2013, 04:47:15 PM
Not exactly. The Premier has said she'd need the unanimous support of the provincial legislature, not city council. This is because although municipal politics are nominally non-partisan, Rob Ford closely aligned himself with the Conservatives. So the governing Liberals do not want this to be a political issue used against them and want the provincial PCs to be on board with any change to the legislation.
So the Premier has the power, but wants some political cover?
Quote from: Admiral Yi on November 15, 2013, 04:48:16 PM
Quote from: Barrister on November 15, 2013, 04:47:15 PM
Not exactly. The Premier has said she'd need the unanimous support of the provincial legislature, not city council. This is because although municipal politics are nominally non-partisan, Rob Ford closely aligned himself with the Conservatives. So the governing Liberals do not want this to be a political issue used against them and want the provincial PCs to be on board with any change to the legislation.
So the Premier has the power, but wants some political cover?
Well she has the power to change the law to allow for a procedure to impeach mayors, but otherwise yes.
Quote from: Barrister on November 15, 2013, 04:50:40 PM
Well she has the power to change the law to allow for a procedure to impeach mayors, but otherwise yes.
Asoka
When you say she has the power to change the law, I suppose you mean because she's the leader of a party with a majority, right?
Quote from: Admiral Yi on November 15, 2013, 04:46:00 PM
Suburban voters would be the absolute last type of voters to elect Ford.
Like I said, pre-crack head. From what I understanding his platform was basically to ridicule ordinary staff spending that he considered excessive that the council was using (like drivers to drive them around, lavish staff budgets etc), and advocate slashing waste and spending and lowering taxes. That's actually a pretty popular message in the American suburbs, least as far as I can tell.
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 15, 2013, 04:53:56 PM
Like I said, pre-crack head.
I don't feel the need to read your posts before responding to them.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on November 15, 2013, 04:52:53 PM
Quote from: Barrister on November 15, 2013, 04:50:40 PM
Well she has the power to change the law to allow for a procedure to impeach mayors, but otherwise yes.
Asoka
When you say she has the power to change the law, I suppose you mean because she's the leader of a party with a majority, right?
Actually she is 1 seat shy of a majority, though the NDP seems to be in support.
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 15, 2013, 04:44:33 PM
so he's also a Dem, but not a CdM style corrupt black Democrat, at least.
:lol:
Michigan has a similar set up to Canadian provinces by the sound of it. The governor can remove mayors, but would only do so under the most extraordinary of circumstances. Jenny Granholm did remove Kwame from office, but she had held off doing so for a very long time. (Kwame had even spent time in jail and she had done nothing.)
Granholm and Kwame were from the same party; and Kwame was clearly hurting the Democrats by the time she removed him. If I were a Liberal Premiere I'd do everything in my power to keep Conservative Chris Farley as mayor of Toronto.
Quote from: Savonarola on November 15, 2013, 05:31:16 PM
Michigan has a similar set up to Canadian provinces by the sound of it. The governor can remove mayors, but would only do so under the most extraordinary of circumstances. Jenny Granholm did remove Kwame from office, but she had held off doing so for a very long time. (Kwame had even spent time in jail and she had done nothing.)
Granholm and Kwame were from the same party; and Kwame was clearly hurting the Democrats by the time she removed him. If I were a Liberal Premiere I'd do everything in my power to keep Conservative Chris Farley as mayor of Toronto.
And the difference of course is that while Kwame had already done some time in jail, Rob Ford has not been charged with any offence, never mind convicted. I believe if he was convicted of an offence he'd be easy to remove.
Quote from: Barrister on November 15, 2013, 05:34:43 PM
And the difference of course is that while Kwame had already done some time in jail, Rob Ford has not been charged with any offence, never mind convicted. I believe if he was convicted of an offence he'd be easy to remove.
Kwame went to jail (while in office) for violating the terms of his bail; although he had a large number of charges against him when he was removed.
The way the Detroit City Charter was written (it's since changed) even if convicted a person wouldn't lose their office. Monica Conyers wasn't automatically removed from the city council after pleading guilty to taking bribes; though, with uncharacteristic wisdom, she did resign.
We can't allow this thread to die.
Today's incidents:
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/11/18/rob-ford-city-council-begins-unprecedented-meeting-to-strip-ford-of-most-mayoral-powers/
Canadians get pretty rowdy! What was up with his odd little run? It said he was charging at a spectator, but he just gave up when he hit the council woman?
I'll be lighting up an extra rock tonight in honor of Hizzoner. :sleep: :canuck:
I think this is my favourite Rob Ford thing:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BY9-PjLCIAAF3vX.jpg:large)
Quote from: Barrister on November 18, 2013, 06:12:29 PM
We can't allow this thread to die.
Today's incidents:
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/11/18/rob-ford-city-council-begins-unprecedented-meeting-to-strip-ford-of-most-mayoral-powers/
Just for those who didn't click on the link:
QuoteCouncil voted 36-6 to cut his office budget.
"You guys have just attacked Kuwait," Mayor Ford said a speech just prior to the vote on the special motion. "This is going to be outright war in the next election."
"Am I mad, of course I'm mad, because every one of you guys have sinned. What goes around comes around friends. Remember what I am saying."
....
Earlier, the mayor took off running after brother Doug Ford got into a verbal argument with the crowd, hitting veteran Councillor Pam McConnell, knocking her backwards, before catching her and helping her steady herself. McConnell, a grandmother, would later be seen in council icing her lip.
Councillor Ford, who had earlier denounced the "special interest groups" and union members he said were sitting in the audience, began yelling at them: "You got your hands in the cookie jar!" as the incident unfolded.
"Saving money? You don't like saving money? I save money!" Mayor Ford yelled, as city hall security guards descended, raising their hands in an attempt to get everyone to calm down.
Quote
ROB FORD's DEFIANT 'IRAQ INVASION' SPEECH
"Everybody's had their say...the critics, the media, the opposition. I want people to listen to me, tonight, from eight to nine on Sun News. You'll get my side of the story, OK? Unfiltered.
This, folks, reminds me of when I was watching with my brother when Saddam attacked Kuwait and President Bush said, I warn you, I warn you, I warn you, do not.
Well, folks, if you think American-style politics is nasty, you guys have just attacked Kuwait. And you will never, you will never see something that you have—mark my words, friends, this is going to be outright war in the next election and I'm going to do everything in my power, everything in my power to beat you guys.
What you're doing to me is kicking me out of my office, and it's the worst thing that you can do. I was elected by the people—
[Are you mad?]
You're absolutely right I'm mad. Every one of you guys have said—
[Speaker interruption]
And it is absolutely the worst thing you can do for democracy and the City of Toronto. What goes around comes around, friends. Remember what I'm saying." [/quote
To unironically quote the Madison (WI) protestors, 'This is what democracy looks like.' Thank God I live in a republic.
Fucking wastoids.
Quote from: Scipio on November 19, 2013, 12:57:22 PM
To unironically quote the Madison (WI) protestors, 'This is what democracy looks like.' Thank God I live in a republic.
Ah outdated 18th century distinctions.
Republics dont have locally elected municipal governments?
Quote"You guys have just attacked Kuwait," Mayor Ford said a speech
I'd have more respect for him if he had mentioned Dunkirk, or the Ia Drang Valley. YOU GUYS HAVE JUST CROSSED THE YALU
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 19, 2013, 01:06:40 PM
Republics dont have locally elected municipal governments?
I'm not sure what AmScip's thing had to do with Rob Ford. I think the Wisconsin protesters were just protesting the individuals who had pushed for a recall election against Governor Scott Walker, which was not successful. I think the point being that in a Republic, I guess, you're supposed to accept when someone is elected they get to hold office until their term is up and should not be subject to the random democratic whims of the "mob." But I don't really know, people who hold signs up are so stupid it's hard to meaningfully articulate a reasonable concept out of what is probably a dangerously stupid idea.
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 19, 2013, 01:15:14 PM
people who hold signs up are so stupid it's hard to meaningfully articulate a reasonable concept out of what is probably a dangerously stupid idea.
Like fucking
Jaron. Crazy Canuck.
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on November 19, 2013, 01:33:05 PM
Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on November 19, 2013, 01:15:14 PM
people who hold signs up are so stupid it's hard to meaningfully articulate a reasonable concept out of what is probably a dangerously stupid idea.
Like fucking Jaron.
Which one of you holds the sign when you engage in the act?
You made a good choice to become a lawyer instead of a logician.
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on November 19, 2013, 02:01:49 PM
You made a good choice to become a lawyer instead of a logician.
If you dont want to reveal more details about your love life, I can respect that.
Nah, that's ok. I fixed my post so it's all out in the open now. :)
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on November 19, 2013, 02:28:47 PM
Nah, that's ok. I fixed my post so it's all out in the open now. :)
I will add you to my list of admirers. But please know that its never going to happen.
I'm not sure there is a robust job market for logicians.
QuoteCrack-smoking Toronto mayor taking leave to seek help, lawyer says
TORONTO — The lawyer for Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says Ford will take a leave of absence to seek help for substance abuse.
Dennis Morris, Ford's lawyer, said Wednesday night that Ford acknowledges he has a substance abuse problem and he wants to do something about it.
Ford, who is seeking re-election in the October election, acknowledged last year after months of denials that he smoked crack in a "drunken stupor" after police said they obtained a video that appears to show him smoking crack. The video has never been released to the public.
News reports of the crack video's existence first surfaced last May, igniting a media firestorm around Ford. He careened from one scandal to another, becoming a national embarrassment for many Canadians.
:(
Is he still getting enough to eat at home?
Betrayed by his crack dealer. :(
It is a sad day when you can't even trust your crack dealer ...
Beam me up, Robby!
I'm sure Karen is ... flattered.
Not exactly "disparaging" ...
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/04/30/rob-ford-tape-full-text-the-audio-tape-of-the-toronto-mayor-at-an-etobicoke-bar-disparaging-karen-stintz/
Quote from: Malthus on May 01, 2014, 12:27:38 PM
I'm sure Karen is ... flattered.
Not exactly "disparaging" ...
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/04/30/rob-ford-tape-full-text-the-audio-tape-of-the-toronto-mayor-at-an-etobicoke-bar-disparaging-karen-stintz/
Entertaining but not exactly a bombshell and he's entitled to his private conversation without some jerk recording him.
But this begs the poll/thread: "Would you jam Karen Stintz?" :D
Quote from: derspiess on May 01, 2014, 12:38:05 PM
Quote from: Malthus on May 01, 2014, 12:27:38 PM
I'm sure Karen is ... flattered.
Not exactly "disparaging" ...
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/04/30/rob-ford-tape-full-text-the-audio-tape-of-the-toronto-mayor-at-an-etobicoke-bar-disparaging-karen-stintz/
Entertaining but not exactly a bombshell and he's entitled to his private conversation without some jerk recording him.
But this begs the poll/thread: "Would you jam Karen Stintz?" :D
She doesn't want ...
;)
I honestly wish we had a mayor like this. Maybe with a little less crack smoking. Yeah, we had Jerry Springer but Rob Ford is just way more entertaining in every possible way.
Quote from: derspiess on May 01, 2014, 12:38:05 PM
Quote from: Malthus on May 01, 2014, 12:27:38 PM
I'm sure Karen is ... flattered.
Not exactly "disparaging" ...
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/04/30/rob-ford-tape-full-text-the-audio-tape-of-the-toronto-mayor-at-an-etobicoke-bar-disparaging-karen-stintz/
Entertaining but not exactly a bombshell and he's entitled to his private conversation without some jerk recording him.
But this begs the poll/thread: "Would you jam Karen Stintz?" :D
Before anyone asks...
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cp24.com%2Fpolopoly_fs%2F1.964517%21%2FhttpImage%2Fimage.jpeg_gen%2Fderivatives%2Flandscape_620%2Fimage.jpeg&hash=bfe207698688347f6b8182d84fc5877479834cc4)
Tried to pick a representative pic. -_-
I would not. :hmm:
Maybe if I was as drunk and high as Rob Ford, and single.
Quote from: Malthus on May 01, 2014, 07:58:47 AM
Betrayed by his crack dealer. :(
It is a sad day when you can't even trust your crack dealer ...
This week we've learned that you can't trust your gold-digging mistress or your crack dealer. There's nothing left to believe in. :(
Quote from: Malthus on May 01, 2014, 12:27:38 PM
I'm sure Karen is ... flattered.
Not exactly "disparaging" ...
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/04/30/rob-ford-tape-full-text-the-audio-tape-of-the-toronto-mayor-at-an-etobicoke-bar-disparaging-karen-stintz/
[Languish] I don't believe that's Rob Ford. Really. We can't trust newspapers. They make stuff up all the time. That can be anybody. Shoddy journalims. How do we know it's not doctored. I mean the only source we have is this:
An anonymous patron Obviously an NDP-er. [/Languish]
It wasn't all languish, it was mainly CC :D
Anyway, I'll miss him. He was fun at least.
Quote from: HVC on May 01, 2014, 07:17:58 PM
It wasn't all languish, it was mainly CC :D
Anyway, I'll miss him. He was fun at least.
CC still posts here :huh:
Quote from: Jacob on May 01, 2014, 07:19:33 PM
Quote from: HVC on May 01, 2014, 07:17:58 PM
It wasn't all languish, it was mainly CC :D
Anyway, I'll miss him. He was fun at least.
CC still posts here :huh:
For now. :menace:
Quote from: Jacob on May 01, 2014, 07:19:33 PM
Quote from: HVC on May 01, 2014, 07:17:58 PM
It wasn't all languish, it was mainly CC :D
Anyway, I'll miss him. He was fun at least.
CC still posts here :huh:
:P Ford, I'll miss Ford
I took it that way too.
CC rage quit? When ? :lol:
Someone mentioned California champagne once too often.
Quote from: Josephus on May 01, 2014, 07:12:32 PM
Quote from: Malthus on May 01, 2014, 12:27:38 PM
I'm sure Karen is ... flattered.
Not exactly "disparaging" ...
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/04/30/rob-ford-tape-full-text-the-audio-tape-of-the-toronto-mayor-at-an-etobicoke-bar-disparaging-karen-stintz/
[Languish] I don't believe that's Rob Ford. Really. We can't trust newspapers. They make stuff up all the time. That can be anybody. Shoddy journalims. How do we know it's not doctored. I mean the only source we have is this:
An anonymous patron Obviously an NDP-er. [/Languish]
They do make stuff up all the time.
Evidence?
Le Devoir. Pride itself on being the only independant media in Quebec. Frequently, they make "mistakes".
One of the most memorable? "Désormais" (Henceforth).
Paul Sauvé succeeded Maurice Duplessis as Premier in 1959. Le Devoir reported that in speech at the National Assembly he pronounced the word "Désormais" to distance himself from Duplessis' era.
Problem is, he never used the word. But it's recored in history. Everywhere except in the National Assembly's archives, wich some modern historians dug up to prove he didn't say it. Nonetheless, the newspapers version remains "canon".
Another one?
La Presse. One of the columnist accused the Conservatives of considering their adversaries as pedophiles. The sentence used was something along "We must also protect our adversaries children from pedophiles". Clear enough to understand the meaning. Muddy enough for twisted minds to 'think' the Conservatives want to protect children from neo-democrats pedos.
So yeah, journalists make stuff up all the time when it's not their "option" they're talking about. See the thread about Kerry and the dangers of Israel becoming an apartheid state, how it got twisted by medias from left to right.
So yeah, all the stuff about Rob Ford, at first, when there was no evidence, it could have been faked, twisted, distorted, exagerated.
Of course, now, we have evidence.
But I still don't care, he's not my mayor, he's not even in my province, it's up the good people of Toronto to decide if they want him as their mayor.
Quote from: viper37 on May 02, 2014, 01:30:56 AM
it's up the good people of Toronto to decide if they want him as their mayor.
It's mainly up to their neighbors.
New Rob Ford pic released:
http://worldnewsdailyreport.com/toronto-mayor-rob-ford-astonishing-new-video-leaked/
Warning: parody site. ;)
Ford's wild and crazy night (warning links to a Toronto Star article...not for cynics)
http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2014/05/09/rob_ford_one_wild_night_in_march.html
Just saying, before I let the matter drop:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto-star-wins-public-service-journalism-award-for-ford-investigation/article19130793/
Quote from: Josephus on May 09, 2014, 09:21:22 PM
Ford's wild and crazy night (warning links to a Toronto Star article...not for cynics)
http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2014/05/09/rob_ford_one_wild_night_in_march.html
Sounds like a fun guy to party with ... if you don't mind the occasional punch in the face. :D
Real hospitable, too. Why, he'll offer to share his wife.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FZWYuBwK.jpg&hash=a288eb66ddc1e67ca1a2d5802659039f657ac553)
Rob Ford out, Doug Ford in.
Rob Ford has pulled out of the mayoral race because of his stomach tumor - to be replaced by his brother, Doug Ford.
However, Rob is still running for councellor - his nephew, Mike Ford, has withdrawn to make a place for him.
A general shuffling of the Fords.
:(
It will be interesting to see if Doug polls better or worse than Rob.
Well he can't be half as entertaining.
Quote from: derspiess on September 12, 2014, 03:11:25 PM
Well he can't be half as entertaining.
They both have exactly the same policies (the two more or less formed a unit). So the issue is whether his brother's - entertaining - habits helped him politically, or hurn him politcally.
My own theory is that part of Rob Ford's appeal was exactly that he drove his enemies (meaning, most of us :P ) nuts with his reprehensible antics, and that this actually made his followers like him the more - that he was, in effect, trolling us (albeit not wholly conciously): as in 'look at those effite downtown elitists clutching their pearls and fainting as our "bad boy from the 'burbs" Rob gets wasted and stirs up shit'. Doug lacks that bizzare form of charisma.
What kind of third world tin pot dictatorship are you guys running up there?
Quote from: Admiral Yi on September 12, 2014, 03:17:33 PM
What kind of third world tin pot dictatorship are you guys running up there?
:huh:
Quote from: Malthus on September 12, 2014, 03:13:40 PM
My own theory is that part of Rob Ford's appeal was exactly that he drove his enemies (meaning, most of us :P ) nuts with his reprehensible antics, and that this actually made his followers like him the more - that he was, in effect, trolling us (albeit not wholly conciously): as in 'look at those effite downtown elitists clutching their pearls and fainting as our "bad boy from the 'burbs" Rob gets wasted and stirs up shit'. Doug lacks that bizzare form of charisma.
I can totally see that.
Quote from: HVC on September 12, 2014, 01:47:12 PM
Rob Ford out, Doug Ford in.
Rob and Doug? Was the primary campaign issue that there weren't enough parking spaces at the take out doughnut shops? :Canuck:
Quote from: derspiess on September 12, 2014, 03:25:54 PM
Quote from: Malthus on September 12, 2014, 03:13:40 PM
My own theory is that part of Rob Ford's appeal was exactly that he drove his enemies (meaning, most of us :P ) nuts with his reprehensible antics, and that this actually made his followers like him the more - that he was, in effect, trolling us (albeit not wholly conciously): as in 'look at those effite downtown elitists clutching their pearls and fainting as our "bad boy from the 'burbs" Rob gets wasted and stirs up shit'. Doug lacks that bizzare form of charisma.
I can totally see that.
The truly odd thing about Rob Ford is that he - and his family - exuded hard-assed street cred - drug dealing, sister was a hard drug addict, had guys beaten up in jail, drinking "purple Jesus" in parks and smoking crack, etc. - while actually being from a very wealthy upper class background and living in a very nice shady old neighbourhood (not far, in fact, from me!).
Carl's gonna have a great political career :P
Yeah, I could see why people would vote for him: "he's hilarious, and he can't break anything".
Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 12, 2014, 03:33:44 PM
Yeah, I could see why people would vote for him: "he's hilarious, and he can't break anything".
ya, he has little enough power that I don't care he's mayor. It's like a Chris Farley as mayor movie, but live.
:lol:
So if Doug gets booted out next will their dog Hosehead take over? :hmm:
Take off, eh.