The only thing one can "convict" Ford of is lying. the test of any commenter is, are they consistent. As much as I support certain aspects of Ford's agenda, in particular reigning in the Union profligacy in Toronto, the fact is he is not going to be able to get ANYTHING done while this circus continues. He has been proven to have lied to his constituents and, much like when Clinton perjured himself, he needs to be removed from office for a lack of fitness for the office.
No, consuming drugs is not against the law. And since the police don't know what was inside the bags Lisi passed to Ford, no charges can stem from that. Even the fact that it is reasonable to assume that Ford drove drunk several times, they didn't pull over the mayor and therefore he cannot be charged.
But there is a lot more to come out. First of all the murder of the one guy in the photo may be connected to everything; still being investigated. Also the GFL contract for waste management has some interesting connections between Ford, Lisi, and DiBattista; still under investigation.
Ford pushed hard for GFL to get the contract even though their bid seemed extraordinarily low. Other bidders wondered how they could make money. The owner of GFL used to work for Romeo Di Battista Sr., whose son is good friends with Rob. Ford, Lisi and DiBattista hung out at an underground club that DiBattista owned near Ford's house. Coincidence?
If it came out that all could be explained by a heavy drinking problem would you change your opinion?
nope. he shouldn't be a politician.
to elaborate on my opinion, politicians should be held to way higher standards than the average person (same with teachers like myself i will admit). one DUI is enough to get him fired imho (yeah, i'm that harsh). if he can't handle being responsible in his daily life then he shouldn't have the responsibility of an entire city. plain and simple.
to elaborate on my opinion, politicians should be held to way higher standards than the average person (same with teachers like myself i will admit). one DUI is enough to get him fired imho (yeah, i'm that harsh). if he can't handle being responsible in his daily life then he shouldn't have the responsibility of an entire city. plain and simple.
By this comment 2/3 plus of all teachers should be fired! Wow lots of sudden job openings.
By this comment 2/3 plus of all teachers should be fired! Wow lots of sudden job openings.
speaking as a teacher, it's more than 2/3. trust me.
EDIT: just because it's been annoying me forever (and ranting helps me get the frustration out):
i work at probably one of the easiest teaching positions in ontario. yet more than 50% of the teachers that i work with i would consider bad teachers. they show up late, leave early, refuse to help students, can't create lessons, can't mark properly, lose students work, just generally don't care about the students, and/or are just completely incompetent in general (such as with basic paper work and organization).
teachers should:
be forced to explain their curriculum regularly
be evaluated regularly on classroom management and student assessment and evaluation
be trained more regularly on updated curriculum as well as updated technology
it should also be way more difficult to become a teacher and to stay in teaching. despite what many think, teachers deserve their high salaries. hell, they deserve higher salaries imo. but they should be held to much higher standards in general. also, the government should be putting WAY MORE money into education. i for one cannot fathom why the education budget isn't the largest budget by far. screw military, space exploration, and even health care (okay, maybe that could be 2nd in line). education is by far the most important aspect of society for not only all of humanity but for the entire planet.
I haven't read this thread in it's entirety, but if society were to judge all 'functional' alcoholics, marijuana users, cocaine users, etc. as unemployable...
Say goodbye to the construction industry for sure, apparently teachers, lawyers, police... Screw it, basically everything.
I haven't read this thread in it's entirety, but if society were to judge all 'functional' alcoholics, marijuana users, cocaine users, etc. as unemployable...
Say goodbye to the construction industry for sure, apparently teachers, lawyers, police... Screw it, basically everything.
police? yes. teachers? yes. construction workers? no. lawyers? i think i could possibly put together an argument to remove all lawyers. they may be completely unnecessary lol.
point is, i don't think ALL jobs. but certain ones require a type of person that should necessarily be held to higher standards. politicians who are supposed to be responsible for all the people? higher standards required. teachers who are supposed to educate all the future population? higher standards required. guy who picks up my garbage? extremely necessary but i don't mind if he smokes up from time to time.
now, i should also mention that i think salaries should be based on necessity as well. i'm fine with garbage men being paid well as they serve a very important and necessary function in society. say actors, for example, or pro athletes? fuck 'em. they should be making minimum wage.
A little sensitive? I happen to live in the city limits and was wondering how he is perceived outside the city.
There is no doubt he has done good things for Toronto, I am a supporter but the gong show does need to stop.
If it came out that all could be explained by a heavy drinking problem would you change your opinion?
Not sensitive at all. I do doubt that he's done good for Toronto. Looks like he raised taxes, gave a lucrative contract to a friend of his friend, he's on the wrong side of the subway debate, gave in to the police union (fat raises) at the same time as busting other unions. Like to see your list.
It's obvious he's got an alcohol problem; he leaves his empty vodka bottles lying in the street. But you don't inhale alcohol through a glass pipe.
So, you're ok with the guy that runs the crane lifting 2 ton I-beams up to the top of buildings using cocaine or drinking all night but not teachers?
Personally, I couldn't care less if teachers get boxed on whatever they want every night. When they show up for work, as long as they do their job well I could care less. Same with painters, same with police, etc. If you have a problem and want help or it starts to negatively affect your work we address it. If things don't get better, you're gone.
If you want actors and pro athletes to be making minimum wage, I hope you don't pay much attention to either. That is actually a pretty funny idea though. Just imagine what things would be like if that was the actual case.
police? yes. teachers? yes. construction workers? no. lawyers? i think i could possibly put together an argument to remove all lawyers. they may be completely unnecessary lol.
point is, i don't think ALL jobs. but certain ones require a type of person that should necessarily be held to higher standards. politicians who are supposed to be responsible for all the people? higher standards required. teachers who are supposed to educate all the future population? higher standards required. guy who picks up my garbage? extremely necessary but i don't mind if he smokes up from time to time.
now, i should also mention that i think salaries should be based on necessity as well. i'm fine with garbage men being paid well as they serve a very important and necessary function in society. say actors, for example, or pro athletes? fuck 'em. they should be making minimum wage.
So, you're ok with the guy that runs the crane lifting 2 ton I-beams up to the top of buildings using cocaine or drinking all night but not teachers?
no, i'm not okay with it obviously. however, i don't think that a crane operator who does cocaine at night should be automatically fired because of it. i do think a teacher or a politician should be though.
Personally, I couldn't care less if teachers get boxed on whatever they want every night. When they show up for work, as long as they do their job well I could care less.
perhaps you don't care, but i'd suggest to you to consider that point of view next time you send your little children to school all day every day to be taught by that teacher. children are with these teachers maybe even more than they are with their parents. functioning alcoholics or drug addicts are one thing, but to suggest that just because they are functioning adequately means they are still good enough to teach all future generations seems like not the best idea to me. i guess we can agree to disagree on this point.
If you want actors and pro athletes to be making minimum wage, I hope you don't pay much attention to either. That is actually a pretty funny idea though. Just imagine what things would be like if that was the actual case.
why can't i pay attention? i don't get it. college/university sports are just as good if not better in a lot of ways and they don't get paid. trust me, there would still be sports and athletes would still try to win (in fact, it might actually be more about winning than just going through the motions just to make millions).
actors/celebrities are a completely different story. we in north america just worship them and i personally have no fucking clue as to why we do that. i'd love to hear your reasoning because i have no idea why anyone would think actors/celebrities deserve millions of dollars a year. hells no in my book.
and yeah, i know i have some crazy opinions lol. i just don't take things for granted and i question everything around me.
Yeah, I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on the teacher thing. To me, it's a job like any other. I love it that some teachers maintain a love and desire to excel at what they do with all their heart. I also really appreciate it when I meet a general contractor who does the same thing, or a painter or bus driver for that matter.
I 100% agree that college/university/hell even high school athletes are often more entertaining to watch. I just think that if pro athletes were paid minimum wage, I sincerely doubt many would aspire towards a career as one.
Same with actors. I agree they're overpaid, but it's market driven. Nobody is going to watch amateur theater clubs on TV or in movies. No company will pay for advertising.
I think we may actually be agreeing on both points to an extent, but disagreeing with particular elements. It's an interesting hypothetical idea, just never going to happen.
I think we may also have somewhat derailed this thread from it's original theme. I personally don't live in TO, don't know TO's issues, don't know their politics. From what I've seen and heard of Ford in the media I couldn't care less if he snorts coke of a hookers butt cheek. The lad's batshit crazy and there's no way he should be in charge of Canada's largest city.
Oh. I must add (you knew it was coming) FK U TRIGS.
Don't get me wrong. It isn't about all the dickish things that Ford has done (getting into drunken argument at hockey game, giving a little girl the finger, dui and possession charge in Fla., smoking crack, etc.). The problem is that he has lied about everything at every turn, only to finally admit wrongdoing when there is irrefutable proof. If that is the type of person you want as mayor, then have at 'er.
Everyone knows how the right wingers' heads would explode if a "lefty" mayor lied as much as Ford does.
I happen to live in the city limits and was wondering how he is perceived outside the city.
Ford is a populist politician . . . that is ALWAYS going to play well with voters. When he has to get things DONE is the acid test, so to speak. The main perception I have of him is that he is a buffoon . . . it is NOT the Mayor's job to be calling voters on an individual basis to deal with their issues. It plays well come election time, but is about as efficient as having Bill Gates come to your house to solve your Windows 11 installation issues.
There is no doubt he has done good things for Toronto, I am a supporter but the gong show does need to stop.
That is true . . . contracting out the garbage collection, the Union agreement without a strike, all are accomplishments that he can hang his hat on. But there are so many things to distract from that . . . the "subway subway subway" nonsense, coaching football, ALL of it feeds into the rest of the buffoonery that takes away from the prestige of the Office.
If it came out that all could be explained by a heavy drinking problem would you change your opinion?
No. As I said earlier and elsewhere. He has perjured himself to the only court that really matters . . . the voters. He has turned his Mayoralty into one gigantic clown act. City Council will no doubt begin distancing itself from Ford ASAP. Anything he brings forward will be dead on arrival from a legislative standpoint. whether he is ever charged with a crime or not is no longer relevant . . . sort of like his status as Mayor. He is the very definition of "lame duck".
The only question in my mind is who is going to be the next Mayor. I think we will see a two and a half horse race. I say two and a half, because Ford HAS to run . . . his personality will not allow for anything else . . . but the race will be between Tory and Chow.
Everyone knows how the right wingers' heads would explode if a "lefty" mayor lied as much as Ford does.
Though not a "right winger" (more libertarian than anything, if a label is required), Ford DOES make my head explode . . . just as Clinton did, and McGuinty for that matter. I can tolerate a person holding a different viewpoint than mine (such as Mark re: God), what I cannot tolerate is the deceitful nature with which so many try to have things BOTH ways in politics. It is why I can respect a politician like Ron Paul . . . you may not agree with him, but he will tell you where he stands, and mean it.
haha.....this guy reminds me of Ralph Klein....good old mayor of Calgary for many years back in the day, and probably the most popular mayor of all time there....he was a legendary piss-tank even with the limited print available in the 80's
I can only imagine him in today's social media / technology, Ralph would probably end up just as Mr Ford will inevitably end in resignation disgrace.
I'm not one who believes that Politicians need to be squeaky clean, hookers and blow.....no problem.....but I draw the line at crack pipe on video
Though not a "right winger" (more libertarian than anything, if a label is required), Ford DOES make my head explode . . . just as Clinton did, and McGuinty for that matter. I can tolerate a person holding a different viewpoint than mine (such as Mark re: God), what I cannot tolerate is the deceitful nature with which so many try to have things BOTH ways in politics. It is why I can respect a politician like Ron Paul . . . you may not agree with him, but he will tell you where he stands, and mean it.
Exactly. McGuinty is a case in point. He's not nearly as bad as Ford and yet the vitriol thrown his way by the right wing is unending, even though he's been gone for months. And no one is defending McGuinty, not even Liberals. But Ford still has people defending him no matter what he does.
And I don't think Klein lied like Ford does either.
Not nearly as bad as Ford? Ford has lied about stuff in his personal life (that admittedly impacts his ability to lead) . . . all McGuinty did was lie about NOT raising our taxes prior to getting elected (and then promptly reversed himself). He lied about shutting down the coal plants, which led to this ridiculous "green energy" debacle that we were told would be good for our economy despite all the evidence to the contrary. The capper though is the BILLION dollars of OUR MONEY that Dalton spent ensuring his party stayed in power for one more election cycle, and the lies told about the cost, not to mention the reasons behind it.
The people defending Ford are the intellectual equivalents of 9/11 Truthers . . . but, forced to choose between Ford and McGuinty, I would take Ford. At least his train wrecks do not come out of my wallet.
Not nearly as bad as Ford? Ford has lied about stuff in his personal life (that admittedly impacts his ability to lead) . . . all McGuinty did was lie about NOT raising our taxes prior to getting elected (and then promptly reversed himself). He lied about shutting down the coal plants, which led to this ridiculous "green energy" debacle that we were told would be good for our economy despite all the evidence to the contrary. The capper though is the BILLION dollars of OUR MONEY that Dalton spent ensuring his party stayed in power for one more election cycle, and the lies told about the cost, not to mention the reasons behind it.
The people defending Ford are the intellectual equivalents of 9/11 Truthers . . . but, forced to choose between Ford and McGuinty, I would take Ford. At least his train wrecks do not come out of my wallet.
Sorry, nope. I know it's hard but try to see past the partisan rhetoric. McGuinty was not the best premier Ontario ever had, I won't defend him. But he was far from the worst. The only debacle with regards to Ontario energy was privatizing Ontario Hydro. Thanks Mike Harris. Totally fucked Ontario forever. There's no going back. All of the problems Ontario now faces can be traced back to that, even the gas plants (read second link). The "capper" you speak about, Hudak and Horwath both agreed to cancel the gas plants. There was no avoiding it. So, if that's your "capper," it's pretty weak. Besides, McGuinty had the sense to resign.
You want Ford? You can have him. I can't wait to hear you complain about the tax hikes that will be necessary to pay for Ford's and Hudak's subways. Haha, even Hazel has come out and called Hudak a dolt.
So one of your sources that a Liberal Premier was "not so bad" is a long time Liberal bag-man, and your other citation fails to note that the Libs could have exited those contracts with much less cost to the taxpayer, but didn't do so because it was more expedient for them to wrap things up quickly due to the election? Sorry . . . the gas plant scandal is the WORST sort of political scumbaggery. They did it to save their asses, and they did so in a fashion that ENSURED it cost you and I more $$$ in the process.
and Hudak might be a dolt on transit, but lets bear in mind that Hazel is no angel either. She is Queen of Mississauga, and is not to be questioned, lest you feel her wrath. You want to talk tax increases? City of Mississauga is heading for double digit property tax increases shortly after Hazel (conveniently) retires, because she pushed off infrastructure projects well selling land to Developers in order to ensure her 0% tax increase mantra. Now that there is no more land to sell, and the chickens are coming home to roost (not to mention people becoming more aware of just how shady an operator she is), she is set to retire, leaving someone else to hold the bag . . . sort of like Dalton.
Do you deny Kinsella's time line of events, or just don't like him because he's liberal? Do you deny that Hudak and Horwath would have cancelled the plants?
And no, they didn't exit those contracts because it would have meant getting sued by the private corp and taking their/our chances in court. Who is to say it wouldn't have cost a lot more? Everyone is to blame. This explains it in a nutshell.
It was those private operators who unilaterally selected controversial sites in Mississauga and Oakville, relying on high-priced lawyers to bulldoze their way past local objections rather than consulting with grassroots community groups. Inevitably, when NIMBYism became too strong a political force to resist, the Liberals (and Tories and NDP) acquiesced to the pressure - and we all paid a price.
Also, the $1B is the HIGH end of the ESTIMATE of what it might cost, spread out over 20 years. No one knows exactly how much it will end up costing. But you'd never hear that from the Opposition. The worst case scenario is always presented to the people to make the government look as bad as possible.
Aborting an Oakville gas plant in 2010 may cost $675 million (and as much as $140 million in additional gas delivery charges that are hard to predict), the auditor concludes
McGuinty and the Liberals made mistakes no doubt about it. And they were the party in power so he had to fall on his sword. But to hold him solely responsible is both wrong and irrational. You're basing your opinion on partisan rhetoric. I don't blame you. I blame the Opposition for not being truthful, and the faux outrage that Hudak exhibits at every opportunity. Of course every party does the same. That's the way our political system works. Like Harper says the truth doesn't matter, only the "perception of the base."
Do you deny Kinsella's time line of events, or just don't like him because he's liberal?
Just pointing out that he is not exactly unbiased in his viewpoint.
Do you deny that Hudak and Horwath would have cancelled the plants?
Whether they would have or not is not relevant . . . Dalton DID cancel them, but not out of any sense of listening to the voters, he did it to save his ASS.
And no, they didn't exit those contracts because it would have meant getting sued by the private corp and taking their/our chances in court. Who is to say it wouldn't have cost a lot more?
Urm . . . the Auditor General said EXACTLY that in her report.
Also, the $1B is the HIGH end of the ESTIMATE of what it might cost, spread out over 20 years. No one knows exactly how much it will end up costing. But you'd never hear that from the Opposition. The worst case scenario is always presented to the people to make the government look as bad as possible.
McGuinty and the Liberals made mistakes no doubt about it. And they were the party in power so he had to fall on his sword. But to hold him solely responsible is both wrong and irrational. You're basing your opinion on partisan rhetoric.
Nope, basing it on the AG's report, and the fact that the Liberal Party did EVERYTHING they could to prevent the release of the documents surrounding this fiasco. and now we have Wynne spouting off about her desire for a more "open government", while she is hurriedly jumping BACK into bed with the teacher's Unions.
I don't blame you. I blame the Opposition for not being truthful, and the faux outrage that Hudak exhibits at every opportunity. Of course every party does the same. That's the way our political system works. Like Harper says the truth doesn't matter, only the "perception of the base."
Aah . . . the Opposition is not being truthful . . . now who is choosing which facts they believe?
They will not even be able to "prove" it is pot . . . the issue is never the "crime" with politicians, it is the cover-up. That is what nailed Nixon, it is why they impeached Clinton, and why Dalton headed for the hills.
Ford is simply too stubborn, stupid, or both to save his own backside.
Kinsella is only laying out the timeline of events that occurred. His political leanings are irrelevant to that timeline. If you dispute the timeline then show where there are errors. A common tactic of the right is to dismiss facts merely because of who is saying them.
Great Mayor Ford? Saving taxpayer billions? Cutting "gravy train?"
To recap: The city’s surplus this year is smaller than Miller’s was in 2010. City spending has gone up about $200 million per year under Ford, and he’s increased the taxes and fees Torontonians pay to the city by about $200 million per year as well. We can debate whether taxes and spending could have or should have gone up more, and we can debate whether this is the best way to measure the city’s health. But there’s really no debate about one thing: Ford’s billion-dollar boast is a flat-out lie.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not illegal to consume drugs. So, it doesn't matter what he was smoking in the pipe. No charges can be brought even if they knew it was crack. Same as when Trudeau admitted he smoked weed. It is not illegal. Possession is illegal but it is impossible to prove possession from a video, or a confession years after the fact, hence no charges.
I think there will be charges against Ford eventually. There is a missing woman who was last seen at the "crack house" of Fabio Basso, that Ford was paying the bills for. This scandal will get bigger. This is just the beginning.
Ford sounds like an addict at an intervention . . . saying whatever he thinks will satisfy folks just enough to let him keep the Big Chair at Council.
And Steve, where did you get the idea that it is not illegal to consume drugs like pot or crack, etc. If it is illegal to purchase them, if it is illegal to possess them, if it is illegal to be under their influence, it is de facto illegal to consume them.
That said, I have said all along that the use of drugs is not the issue, it is the covering up of that consumption that is going to end Ford's political career.
Comments
No, consuming drugs is not against the law. And since the police don't know what was inside the bags Lisi passed to Ford, no charges can stem from that. Even the fact that it is reasonable to assume that Ford drove drunk several times, they didn't pull over the mayor and therefore he cannot be charged.
But there is a lot more to come out. First of all the murder of the one guy in the photo may be connected to everything; still being investigated. Also the GFL contract for waste management has some interesting connections between Ford, Lisi, and DiBattista; still under investigation.
Ford pushed hard for GFL to get the contract even though their bid seemed extraordinarily low. Other bidders wondered how they could make money. The owner of GFL used to work for Romeo Di Battista Sr., whose son is good friends with Rob. Ford, Lisi and DiBattista hung out at an underground club that DiBattista owned near Ford's house. Coincidence?
It’s not over: Police revelations | Toronto Star
Toronto's new garbage magnate stickhandles his way to the front - The Globe and Mail
Ford is now the very definition of a LAME DUCK. If only the Robertson folks were available to put this clown show out of it's misery.
A little sensitive? I happen to live in the city limits and was wondering how he is perceived outside the city.
There is no doubt he has done good things for Toronto, I am a supporter but the gong show does need to stop.
If it came out that all could be explained by a heavy drinking problem would you change your opinion?
nope. he shouldn't be a politician.
to elaborate on my opinion, politicians should be held to way higher standards than the average person (same with teachers like myself i will admit). one DUI is enough to get him fired imho (yeah, i'm that harsh). if he can't handle being responsible in his daily life then he shouldn't have the responsibility of an entire city. plain and simple.
By this comment 2/3 plus of all teachers should be fired! Wow lots of sudden job openings.
speaking as a teacher, it's more than 2/3. trust me.
EDIT: just because it's been annoying me forever (and ranting helps me get the frustration out):
i work at probably one of the easiest teaching positions in ontario. yet more than 50% of the teachers that i work with i would consider bad teachers. they show up late, leave early, refuse to help students, can't create lessons, can't mark properly, lose students work, just generally don't care about the students, and/or are just completely incompetent in general (such as with basic paper work and organization).
teachers should:
- be forced to explain their curriculum regularly
- be evaluated regularly on classroom management and student assessment and evaluation
- be trained more regularly on updated curriculum as well as updated technology
it should also be way more difficult to become a teacher and to stay in teaching. despite what many think, teachers deserve their high salaries. hell, they deserve higher salaries imo. but they should be held to much higher standards in general. also, the government should be putting WAY MORE money into education. i for one cannot fathom why the education budget isn't the largest budget by far. screw military, space exploration, and even health care (okay, maybe that could be 2nd in line). education is by far the most important aspect of society for not only all of humanity but for the entire planet./rant
Say goodbye to the construction industry for sure, apparently teachers, lawyers, police... Screw it, basically everything.
police? yes. teachers? yes. construction workers? no. lawyers? i think i could possibly put together an argument to remove all lawyers. they may be completely unnecessary lol.
point is, i don't think ALL jobs. but certain ones require a type of person that should necessarily be held to higher standards. politicians who are supposed to be responsible for all the people? higher standards required. teachers who are supposed to educate all the future population? higher standards required. guy who picks up my garbage? extremely necessary but i don't mind if he smokes up from time to time.
now, i should also mention that i think salaries should be based on necessity as well. i'm fine with garbage men being paid well as they serve a very important and necessary function in society. say actors, for example, or pro athletes? fuck 'em. they should be making minimum wage.
Not sensitive at all. I do doubt that he's done good for Toronto. Looks like he raised taxes, gave a lucrative contract to a friend of his friend, he's on the wrong side of the subway debate, gave in to the police union (fat raises) at the same time as busting other unions. Like to see your list.
It's obvious he's got an alcohol problem; he leaves his empty vodka bottles lying in the street. But you don't inhale alcohol through a glass pipe.
Personally, I couldn't care less if teachers get boxed on whatever they want every night. When they show up for work, as long as they do their job well I could care less. Same with painters, same with police, etc. If you have a problem and want help or it starts to negatively affect your work we address it. If things don't get better, you're gone.
If you want actors and pro athletes to be making minimum wage, I hope you don't pay much attention to either. That is actually a pretty funny idea though. Just imagine what things would be like if that was the actual case.
no, i'm not okay with it obviously. however, i don't think that a crane operator who does cocaine at night should be automatically fired because of it. i do think a teacher or a politician should be though.
perhaps you don't care, but i'd suggest to you to consider that point of view next time you send your little children to school all day every day to be taught by that teacher. children are with these teachers maybe even more than they are with their parents. functioning alcoholics or drug addicts are one thing, but to suggest that just because they are functioning adequately means they are still good enough to teach all future generations seems like not the best idea to me. i guess we can agree to disagree on this point.
why can't i pay attention? i don't get it. college/university sports are just as good if not better in a lot of ways and they don't get paid. trust me, there would still be sports and athletes would still try to win (in fact, it might actually be more about winning than just going through the motions just to make millions).
actors/celebrities are a completely different story. we in north america just worship them and i personally have no fucking clue as to why we do that. i'd love to hear your reasoning because i have no idea why anyone would think actors/celebrities deserve millions of dollars a year. hells no in my book.
and yeah, i know i have some crazy opinions lol. i just don't take things for granted and i question everything around me.
I 100% agree that college/university/hell even high school athletes are often more entertaining to watch. I just think that if pro athletes were paid minimum wage, I sincerely doubt many would aspire towards a career as one.
Same with actors. I agree they're overpaid, but it's market driven. Nobody is going to watch amateur theater clubs on TV or in movies. No company will pay for advertising.
I think we may actually be agreeing on both points to an extent, but disagreeing with particular elements. It's an interesting hypothetical idea, just never going to happen.
I think we may also have somewhat derailed this thread from it's original theme. I personally don't live in TO, don't know TO's issues, don't know their politics. From what I've seen and heard of Ford in the media I couldn't care less if he snorts coke of a hookers butt cheek. The lad's batshit crazy and there's no way he should be in charge of Canada's largest city.
Oh. I must add (you knew it was coming) FK U TRIGS.
Everyone knows how the right wingers' heads would explode if a "lefty" mayor lied as much as Ford does.
No. As I said earlier and elsewhere. He has perjured himself to the only court that really matters . . . the voters. He has turned his Mayoralty into one gigantic clown act. City Council will no doubt begin distancing itself from Ford ASAP. Anything he brings forward will be dead on arrival from a legislative standpoint. whether he is ever charged with a crime or not is no longer relevant . . . sort of like his status as Mayor. He is the very definition of "lame duck".
The only question in my mind is who is going to be the next Mayor. I think we will see a two and a half horse race. I say two and a half, because Ford HAS to run . . . his personality will not allow for anything else . . . but the race will be between Tory and Chow.
Though not a "right winger" (more libertarian than anything, if a label is required), Ford DOES make my head explode . . . just as Clinton did, and McGuinty for that matter. I can tolerate a person holding a different viewpoint than mine (such as Mark re: God), what I cannot tolerate is the deceitful nature with which so many try to have things BOTH ways in politics. It is why I can respect a politician like Ron Paul . . . you may not agree with him, but he will tell you where he stands, and mean it.
I can only imagine him in today's social media / technology, Ralph would probably end up just as Mr Ford will inevitably end in resignation disgrace.
I'm not one who believes that Politicians need to be squeaky clean, hookers and blow.....no problem.....but I draw the line at crack pipe on video
Exactly. McGuinty is a case in point. He's not nearly as bad as Ford and yet the vitriol thrown his way by the right wing is unending, even though he's been gone for months. And no one is defending McGuinty, not even Liberals. But Ford still has people defending him no matter what he does.
And I don't think Klein lied like Ford does either.
The people defending Ford are the intellectual equivalents of 9/11 Truthers . . . but, forced to choose between Ford and McGuinty, I would take Ford. At least his train wrecks do not come out of my wallet.
Sorry, nope. I know it's hard but try to see past the partisan rhetoric. McGuinty was not the best premier Ontario ever had, I won't defend him. But he was far from the worst. The only debacle with regards to Ontario energy was privatizing Ontario Hydro. Thanks Mike Harris. Totally fucked Ontario forever. There's no going back. All of the problems Ontario now faces can be traced back to that, even the gas plants (read second link). The "capper" you speak about, Hudak and Horwath both agreed to cancel the gas plants. There was no avoiding it. So, if that's your "capper," it's pretty weak. Besides, McGuinty had the sense to resign.
The truth about the gas plants | Warren Kinsella
Truth about gas plants is as tragic as it is banal - Power Engineering International
You want Ford? You can have him. I can't wait to hear you complain about the tax hikes that will be necessary to pay for Ford's and Hudak's subways. Haha, even Hazel has come out and called Hudak a dolt.
Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion calls Tim Hudak ‘confused’ on transit | Toronto Star
and Hudak might be a dolt on transit, but lets bear in mind that Hazel is no angel either. She is Queen of Mississauga, and is not to be questioned, lest you feel her wrath. You want to talk tax increases? City of Mississauga is heading for double digit property tax increases shortly after Hazel (conveniently) retires, because she pushed off infrastructure projects well selling land to Developers in order to ensure her 0% tax increase mantra. Now that there is no more land to sell, and the chickens are coming home to roost (not to mention people becoming more aware of just how shady an operator she is), she is set to retire, leaving someone else to hold the bag . . . sort of like Dalton.
And no, they didn't exit those contracts because it would have meant getting sued by the private corp and taking their/our chances in court. Who is to say it wouldn't have cost a lot more? Everyone is to blame. This explains it in a nutshell.
Also, the $1B is the HIGH end of the ESTIMATE of what it might cost, spread out over 20 years. No one knows exactly how much it will end up costing. But you'd never hear that from the Opposition. The worst case scenario is always presented to the people to make the government look as bad as possible.
McGuinty and the Liberals made mistakes no doubt about it. And they were the party in power so he had to fall on his sword. But to hold him solely responsible is both wrong and irrational. You're basing your opinion on partisan rhetoric. I don't blame you. I blame the Opposition for not being truthful, and the faux outrage that Hudak exhibits at every opportunity. Of course every party does the same. That's the way our political system works. Like Harper says the truth doesn't matter, only the "perception of the base."
Aah . . . the Opposition is not being truthful . . . now who is choosing which facts they believe?
Ford is simply too stubborn, stupid, or both to save his own backside.
"It's gonna be a bloodbath."
Great Mayor Ford? Saving taxpayer billions? Cutting "gravy train?"
Rob Ford
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/10/28/rob_fords_billiondollar_boast_not_worth_a_dime.html
I think there will be charges against Ford eventually. There is a missing woman who was last seen at the "crack house" of Fabio Basso, that Ford was paying the bills for. This scandal will get bigger. This is just the beginning.
And Steve, where did you get the idea that it is not illegal to consume drugs like pot or crack, etc. If it is illegal to purchase them, if it is illegal to possess them, if it is illegal to be under their influence, it is de facto illegal to consume them.
That said, I have said all along that the use of drugs is not the issue, it is the covering up of that consumption that is going to end Ford's political career.