An open letter to those who elected Rob Ford

[Goober]

An open letter to those who elected Rob Ford
An open letter to those who elected Rob Ford - The Globe and Mail

March 23, 2012

Dear people of Toronto:

Can we talk? Something has been bothering me. A lot of you have been acting all shocked and appalled at the performance of Mayor Rob Ford. The libraries fight. The Port Lands craziness. The 911-Marg Delahunty embarrassment. Now the transit cock-up.

But, hey, you voted for him. Yes, you – 47 per cent of you, anyway. You know who you are. Don't look sheepish, Mr. Cooper. Come out from behind the garden shed, Ms. Baltazar. It was you who gave this fellow his thumping mandate.

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Tell me something: What did you expect? Mr. Ford had been on city council for 10 years when he ran for mayor. Thanks to his antics, he was in the news quite a bit. Unless you were living under a rock, you had to have a pretty good idea what he was about.

You knew he was a cranky Etobicoke councillor who said “Oriental” people “work like dogs” and cyclists have it coming if they are run over by a car. You knew about the dodgy behaviour like the abusive rant he pitched at an unsuspecting couple at a hockey game. You knew he had been upbraided for breaking council's integrity rules, only to thumb his nose at city officials when he was caught. You knew that he came to city council meetings when he felt like it, delivered a few juicy lines and checked out.

If you were paying even minimal attention, you knew all of this. If you knew it and voted for him anyway, you can hardly complain now. If you were not paying even minimal attention and cast a vote for him regardless, shame on you.

And don't say the media didn't warn you. When Mr. Ford was running for mayor in 2010, reporters and, ahem, newspaper columnists published dozens of articles on the many holes in his platform. They told you his budget numbers were wildly out of whack. They told you his plan to build a subway to Scarborough was all talk, no funding.

You voted for him anyway – willingly, enthusiastically, heedlessly, with your eyes wide open. Why? Often for no other reason than, heck, you liked the cut of his jib. He wasn't like that earnest smarty pants David Miller. He was real folks, even if his wealthy family owned a huge spread with Chinese fountains in Etobicoke. He ate at Tim Hortons. He liked Don Cherry and Wendel Clark. He said what he thought, never mind that most of it was bunk.

Some of you voted for him not in spite of his blustering, bulldozing persona but because of it. Here was a guy, you thought, who could send a few thousand volts through those overfed desk jockeys down at city hall. If he was a bit out to lunch, well, so what? It was only the city government, after all, so it didn’t really matter. How's that working out for ya, Toronto?

Now, thanks to you, he's our mayor. With the chain of office around his neck, he is still the same Rob Ford he was when he was only a suburban councillor who sometimes ran off at the mouth. He hasn't changed one bit. Still, the shrill outbursts like the one he let loose on the floor of city council this week. Still, the casual contempt for the facts. Still, the complete lack of interest in working together with other councillors to get things done. Still, the black-and-white, with-us-or-against-us view of the world.

The refusal to take part in Pride Week. The threats to rally “Ford Nation” to defeat anyone who stands in his way. The slogan-filled, reality-free campaign for “subways, subways, subways.” All vintage Ford.

The idea that he would mature in office or learn to listen to his staff on key decisions has proved an illusion. Before this week’s transit defeat, he rejected the best counsel of even his closest advisers. He is as detached and as stubborn as ever.

Just like in his councillor days, he spends a lot of time answering phone calls about unfilled potholes or talking on the air with sympathetic talk-radio hosts. The messy, complicated business of running the city or grappling with tough policy choices? Meh. Not his thing.

And now you're acting surprised? Honestly, “folks” (to borrow Mr. Ford’s way of addressing you), you’ve got some nerve. With Rob Ford, what you see is what you get. You saw. Now you've got. And we all have to live with it.

 

[Just the Facts]

I don't know the details, I just heard it on the radio while driving, but as a point of interest, some poll pegged support for Ford's position on the subway at 66%. Seems he's representing the will of the people, and council is defying that will. Just thought I'd share that.

 

[CDNBear]

I don't know the details, I just heard it on the radio while driving, but as a point of interest, some poll pegged support for Ford's position on the subway at 66%. Seems he's representing the will of the people, and council is defying that will. Just thought I'd share that.

You'll note the Usual Suspect, defending the complete dismissal of the people's position.

http://forums.canadiancontent.net/canadian-politics/105100-toronto-council-fights-out-subways.html

Is it a surprise he's a Kneedipper?

 

[darkbeaver]

Trono has an under performer as mayor. That's heartbreaking to the people of Nova Scotia. Can we send you something?

 

[CDNBear]

Trono has an under performer as mayor. That's heartbreaking to the people of Nova Scotia. Can we send you something?

No dope thanks.

Look what it's done to you.

 

[lone wolf]

Trono has an under performer as mayor. That's heartbreaking to the people of Nova Scotia. Can we send you something?

Yeah... A subway ;-)

 

[Cannuck]

Is it any wonder Canadians love to make fun of TO?

 

[DurkaDurka]

The thing with Ford, he is not a conservative. Being a true fiscal conservative, he would have a plan on how to build his subway system. Mock as you may, being from Ontario and not from Toronto but that sort of cash has to come from somewhere.. he doesn't have it. He's adverse to any new revenue streams to build his subways other then the private sector. Sorry, but the private sector is not going to cough up 2 billion.

Ford is his own worst enemy, he could have had a third of his subway route built if not for his arrogance.

 

[Locutus]

And the other side is that his opponents (most of who don't know or give a sh it about Scarboro) will try to build an LRT here to mock their own enemies.

See, we won. Here's your stupid little transit system. Be thankful. Now bow to our magnificence peons. It's childish and quite insane.

None of this will likely happen anyway for a good long time anyway. Plenty of time to change things around in the hallowed halls of 100 Queen W.

 

[mentalfloss]

The thing with Ford, he is not a conservative. Being a true fiscal conservative, he would have a plan on how to build his subway system. Mock as you may, being from Ontario and not from Toronto but that sort of cash has to come from somewhere.. he doesn't have it. He's adverse to any new revenue streams to build his subways other then the private sector. Sorry, but the private sector is not going to cough up 2 billion.

Ford is his own worst enemy, he could have had a third of his subway route built if not for his arrogance.

This is the main issue.

People vote in members of council to make reasonable decisions on their behalf, and thankfully, they were able to thwart the stupidity of Ford. They came up with an excellent report that had a subway extension as an option - the only issue was funding.

Ford did not compromise to make ends meet. He was caught between "respect for taxpayers" and "subways, subways, subways". There needed to be a compromise in order to fund the subway extension, but Ford didn't work with the resources available to him and so his belligerence lost everything.

And with respect to the open, letter, I sure as hell knew Ford was a complete douche. Not that Smitherman was much better, but this election shows that people can always be bribed for a vote if you promise them lower taxes. It's the oldest trick in the book and still works in North America.

 

[CDNBear]

This is the main issue.

People vote in members of council to make reasonable decisions on their behalf, and thankfully, they were able to thwart the stupidity of Ford. They came up with an excellent report that had a subway extension as an option - the only issue was funding.

Ford did not compromise to make ends meet. He was caught between "respect for taxpayers" and "subways, subways, subways". There needed to be a compromise in order to fund the subway extension, but Ford didn't work with the resources available to him and so his belligerence lost everything.

T.O. Council hasn't had respect for taxpayers in years.

The LRT isn't what the people want. The LRT isn't what an already traffic congested T.O. needs.

Only partisan hacks can find ways to justify forcing it down the throats of the constituents.

 

[mentalfloss]

T.O. Council hasn't had respect for taxpayers in years.

The LRT isn't what the people want. The LRT isn't what an already traffic congested T.O. needs.

Only partisan hacks can find ways to justify forcing it down the throats of the constituents.

You're overly simplifying things. We trust politicians to make decisions that are reasonable and good for us. Sometimes we don't know what is good for us and that's why we elect them.

I've posted the data comparison on this issue many times and it clearly shows that LRT is the best option. No one ever responds to that and the media never published it, so it's no wonder the lay person has no idea about what's good for them.

I would even accept the subway extension and forsake this better option as long as it was funded. But Ford didn't make any real attempt to get funding except for his S.O.S. campaign, and that isn't raking in much - otherwise we would have heard something by now.

 

[CDNBear]

You're overly simplifying things.

You're overly complicating things, with partisan political hackery.

I sometimes pay more, for certain things, because they are what is needed. Not because purchasing something cheaper is better for me.

We trust politicians to make decisions that are reasonable and good for us. Sometimes we don't know what is good for us and that's why we elect them.

Give your head a shake.

I've posted the data comparison on this issue many times and it clearly shows that LRT is the best option.

The best option for what?

It won't be the best option for people who need to use surface transportation routes.

Something your cute data, completely ignores.

No one ever responds to that and the media never published it, so it's no wonder the lay person has no idea about what's good for them.

Dude, you sound like the quintessential nannystate'r.

 

[mentalfloss]

I don't know why you would +1 my post and then go on a complete rant, but o.k.

Look - here's a comparison of options for the entire project.

Let's discuss these options rationally and then we can point the finger at who's a "partisan hack" or not.

 

[CDNBear]

Look - here's a comparison of options for the entire project.

I've seen it. It's cute. Doesn't reflect T.O.'s actual needs. Doesn't reflect what the constituents want.

Let's discuss these options rationally and then we can point the finger at who's a "partisan hack" or not.

T.O. can not afford to further congest it's surface routes. Full stop.

The constituents know that. It's reflected in their position.

You have no problem with spending money, where your ideology dictates it should be spent.

Except here.

Do you prefer I point my finger in your chest, or your eye?

 

[Locutus]

Nothing is carved in stone here.

Most of the hackery (I like that one Bear) seems like a by-proxy vote against anything percieved as 'Con' by numbnuts that want to display their angst against Harper, Bush, Ford and GFPB (not that he'd care what happens in Scarboro either lol ). We must vote NO. We WILL vote no. We'll show them boy oh boy. Spite their faces. Bless their tardic hearts though.

If half these knuckleheads watched the traffic or took the buses along Eglinton, Lawrence or Sheppard, they'd see the nonsense that is todays' above ground TTC. But I'll wager most of these blowhards ( or maybe they're blowsofts) live outside the city or are hold-up in some trendy hipster loft downtown (apologies to Durkas' lofty space).

Any rate, it won't go away because of one vote (by just 5 votes too). There are a lot of councillors that will feel the continued heat until this gets sorted out and without heeding the advice of the oil sand-hating Pembina Institute tree huggers and their 'charts 'n' graphs'. :lol:

 

[CDNBear]

Nothing is carved in stone here.

Most of the hackery (I like that one Bear) seems like a by-proxy vote against anything percieved as 'Con' by numbnuts that want to display their angst against Harper, Bush, Ford and GFPB (not that he'd care what happens in Scarboro either lol ). We must vote NO. We WILL vote no. We'll show them boy oh boy. Spite their faces. Bless their tardic hearts though.

If half these knuckleheads watched the traffic or took the buses along Eglinton, Lawrence or Sheppard, they'd see the nonsense that is todays' above ground TTC. But I'll wager most of these blowhards ( or maybe they're blowsofts) live outside the city or are hold-up in some trendy hipster loft downtown (apologies to Durkas' lofty space).

Any rate, it won't go away because of one vote (by just 5 votes too). There are a lot of councillors that will feel the continued heat until this gets sorted out and without heeding the advice of the oil sand-hating Pembina Institute tree huggers and their 'charts 'n' graphs'. :lol:

 

[mentalfloss]

I've seen it. It's cute. Doesn't reflect T.O.'s actual needs. Doesn't reflect what the constituents want.

More Torontonians are served with the L.R.T. option and it costs less. That is exactly what people would want. Also, there's no indication at all that an LRT would clog up streets - in fact, many who would previously be in cars would now be taking public transit.

Lastly, let's also keep in mind that because a subway line is much shorter, there is less incentive for people to ride across greater distances. That means that it would only serve a small subsection of Scarborough instead of benefiting the GTA as a whole (which is what the city really needs).

 

[CDNBear]

More Torontonians are served with the L.R.T. option and it costs less.

Existing bus routes can be changed to connect to the subway. Something the green extremists at Pembina conveniently ignore.

Sometimes you have to pay a little more, to get what you need. Instead of what greenie "We know what's best for you" political hacks want.

That is exactly what people would want.

For someone who loves polls. You sure do like to ignore ones that don't support your ideology.

Also, there's no indication at all that an LRT would clog up streets - in fact, many who would previously be in cars now be taking public transit.

Ya, we heard the same story in the past.

How's that working out?

Oh ya, traffic increased. T.O. streets are extremely congested.

Lastly, let's also keep in mind that because a subway line is much shorter, there is less incentive for people to ride across greater distances. That means that it would only serve a small subsection of Scarborough instead of benefiting the GTA as a whole (which is what the city really needs).

Keep stretching the truth. I find it funny.

 

[mentalfloss]

It's not just that 'cute graph'. The council report confirms the same findings.

Also, LRT has been very successful in many other countries and our own. Vancouver's SkyTrain did a commendable job getting people around during the 2010 Winter olympics.