Once again, Rob Ford bends the truth; this time, Marcus Gee politely points out his fibs
Rob Ford has been busy bending the truth in a series of year-end interviews, and Marcus Gee has been busy following along closely. In a recent column, the Globe columnist takes Ford to task on a few key items: for one, there was Ford’s claim that the $65-million price tag for cancelling Transit City was “pulled out of the sky,” and for another, there was Ford’s claim that the Eglinton Crosstown “should be done” in time for the 2015 Pan Am Games. Still, Gee writes “all criticism seems to roll off Mr. Ford’s back.” Perhaps the columnist’s tongue is planted firmly in cheek here, but we suspect Ford is simply putting on a brave face for the cameras. Because if he doesn’t realize things aren’t going according to plan, then, well, city hall is really in trouble. Read the entire story [Globe and Mail] »
As a proud conservative and Rob Ford supporter, I can safely say that Marcus Gee is just another communist hack reporter. He criticizes without offering Real Solutions, and doesn’t recognize Ford’s greatest successes to date ie: singlehandedly fixing TCHC, singlehandedly fixing the budget, singleghanedly fixing Toronto Waterfront, singlehandedly fixing Transit City. He’s doing a great job, though he doesn’t always use big words which upsets latte-huffing NDP spin doktors like Marcus Gee.
I hope the criticism continues to roll off Mayor Ford’s back. We just went through the ordeal of having a Mayor whom for eight arduous years spent more time being too concilatory of every last NIMBY, union and advocacy group’s whim than actually accomplishing diddly squat (besides implement of series of freedom-hating taxes and bylaws).
Everything Ford’s critics laud him for, leads me to believe that they’d rather the City go up in smoke than allow Ford to get any substantial infrastructure built in this City (be it the Portlands or the subway projects or a football stadium). They want Toronto to lag behind as a 1970s era City in the 21st century in perpetua.
You think he’s doing a great job? Wow. Nice job in reciting his speaking notes.
The capacity of Ford supporters to delude themselves is astonishing. I bet the spin doctors in North Korea look on with envy at how he’s managed to pull the wool over your eyes.
How pray tell has he “fixed” TCHC – he fired everyone, appointed a one-man dictator to run the show and last I checked, nothing’s actually been fixed as yet – although a bunch of people have been kicked out of their homes right before the winter. Yeah, I guess that’s fixed.
Fixed Waterfront Toronto? You mean generating such a sh*t storm of protest from residents that he had to almost completely backtrack from the ludicrous plan he and his brother cooked up in secret, behind closed doors (something he would typically rail against as a councillor).
Fixed Transit City? Really? You mean by ensuring those very areas of the City that are woefully underserviced by transit (and ironicall, supported him the most) will continue to be for many, many more years to come by cancelling a fully-funded transit expansion project without any clear plan as to how to make up that shortfall? Are you referring to his grand plan for a privately funded Sheppard Subway, that his high-priced, hand picked consultation has recently asked for an additional $10 million so that he can fully confirm to council that the idea is folly at best?
Fixed the budget? You mean by chopping out revenue sources, lying repeatedly about the deficit and then claiming we have a fiscal crisis to justify randomly determined cuts after swearing up and down during the campaign that no services would be cut?
Ford’s problem is that he doesn’t have a clue about what he’s doing and he’s either too stupid, stubborn, or ignorant (most likely a combination of the three) to realize it.
But yeah, I guess you’re right – huge success so far. Heck, the only reason he hasn’t been able to cause more damage thus far is that some councillors have developed a spine and are no longer willing to simply do his bidding without asking questions.
If anything , I would say the most significant achievement that Ford has accomplished thus far is to raise the level of civic engagement. We now hopefully realize that we can’t be complacent about municipal politics, because complacency gets guys like Ford elected.
Sadly for you Chris, average Toronto voters don’t read torontolife.com. Even if your (pro communist) posting WASN’T a pack of left-wing lieberal … um lies, people are happy to just listen to dumb talk radio jocks on their way to and from work, and that’s why it’s more important that Ford ‘project’ an image of success than to actually do anything to improve city government – which, lets face it, is not why we elected him.
We want a bad government to prove ourselves right about how bad the government is, right? Rob Ford is just fulfilling his mandate.
Its cute when Ford Nation tries to put a positive spin on Mayor McCheese. Singlehandedly saved the Waterfront. By saving it do you mean having him and his idiot brother’s plans CRUSHED by overwhelming opposition? Have a seat and put your helmet back on Corky.
Ummm… I thought Toronto was a CITY not a business… ooops! My mistake!!
I need a job at the Toronto Corp.
Chris has it absolutely right and anyone who’s not in deep denial can see it. Ford is digging his own grave deeper with every word out of his mouth. He’s going to go down in history as the worst mayor Toronto has ever had and likely will ever have. I’m just waiting for the Boardwalk Pub case to be resolved. More of Ford’s stupidity coming back to haunt him.
Joe Tory said: “…doesn’t recognize Ford’s greatest successes to date ie: singlehandedly fixing TCHC, singlehandedly fixing the budget, singleghanedly fixing Toronto Waterfront, singlehandedly fixing Transit City. He’s doing a great job, though he doesn’t always use big words which upsets latte-huffing NDP spin doktors like Marcus Gee.”
Singlehandedly fixing TCHC — You mean how almost the whole board quit, or how the properties are being sold off for a quick buck? One-time solution (against ongoing promises) and an inability to manage the TCHC “business”; yeah, great success.
Singlehandedly fixing the budget — When Miller left there was a budget SURPLUS (look it up, 100% public fact). Ford’s “fix” was to literally create a deficit through his lust for cutting taxes and then he had to figure out a way to make up the shortfall he had created through his asinine decisions. Besides, every other mayor in the history of Toronto has been able to manage the budget, why is Ford the first one ever who couldn’t come up with revenue ideas? Of course this is a GREAT success too!
Singlehandedly fixing Toronto Waterfront — When Ford’s Ferris Wheel — his ONLY contribution to the Waterfront — materialized and makes the insane sums of money he’s expecting to fill city coffers because of his ineptitude, gimme a shout. Until then we’ll call this one an UNMITIGATED success, okay?
Singlehandedly fixing Transit City — By cutting all agreements and funding and essentially tossing it in the trash, then grovelling before McGuinty and whining about how the Liberals won’t honour a deal that Ford made up on the spot. Let’s not forget the joke that the Eglington line is (read about track gauges for a start), or the fact that services are being cut while the cost of a ride is increasing every year (no other mayor pushed up prices like this). Now that’s a FANTASTIC success!
For all you meatheads that continue to spout these lies, this false rhetoric that is diametrically opposed to what’s ACTUALLY happening, think for a moment what a screwed up city you’re helping to create. Imagine if Ford’s brilliant ideas and failed “guaranteed” promises actually fully came to fruition: Parks would be paved over, the poor would be left to starve, school kids would have to fend for themselves, traffic would be a nightmare with no viable alternatives, and YOU would be paying $0.12 per day less because in your brilliance you decided that all this “gravy” was just way too expensive. Well, when you get EXACTLY what you asked for, run on over to your bloated overlord and see if he’s receptive to your foolish pleas.
Joe Tory said: “Rob Ford is just fulfilling his mandate.”
Election Mandate 1 – “services will not be cut, guaranteed” – BROKEN; TTC service will be cut (just one example).
Election Mandate 2 – “No more closed-door deals” — BROKEN (didn’t disclose K$50 for Ferris Wheel designs, refuses to have election financing opened, etc.)
Election Mandate 3 – “Respect for taxpayers” — BROKEN (how many times has he given people the finger or cursed them out now? What about refusing to share PUBLIC information with the Star [this despite shelling over taxpayer money for a subscription]?)
Election Mandate 4 – “Cut the gravy” — BROKEN (Well? Where is it? Where’s all this golden gravy that the mayor “guaranteed” was flowing through City Hall and wouldn’t even be felt when it’s cut? Clearly those public depositions to discover which cuts to make indicate that his mandate is achievable exactly as he stated. And by the way, for a guy who’s been at City Hall for over a decade, the “I didn’t know” or “I don’t know how to count” excuses don’t work — his “guarantees” are straight up lies).
Those are just 4 of the main election mandates that were directly broken by Rob Ford. No, he’s not doing what he said he’d do, he’s broken just about every single promise and “guarantee” he’s made. Do you not read the newspapers or are you just purposefully ignorant of Rob’s ongoing failures?
You just have to read between the lines, Patrick.
When electing Rob Ford, voters thought that Toronto’s government was bloated, ineffecient and serving the interests of the wealthy few.
That may not have been true, but Ford is merely making their dreams a reality.
It’s similar to Harper’s governing strategy. For example, people expect the government to be useless and disorganized, so he cuts back on Service Canada to disrupt unemployment payouts, etc. Then those people learn not to rely on government services, because the service is terrible, and vote for a politician who rants about how terrible government services are because they can relate (even if that politician is in charge of the useless government!).
It’s genius, I tell you.
geez joe tory! love the sarcasm! but your left wing is beginning to show.
Joe Tory is fatter than Rob Ford.
Joe – There’s a trail of cupcakes from your keyboard to my bed. Breed me now.
Are you trying to seduce me, G.?
Joe – We can use municipal gravy as lube, since there’s so much to spare… Let’s make right wing babies.
To those who defend Rob Ford:
Its not up to his critics to offer any solutions, because Transit City was the original plan, and he thought his solution was better alternative.
Now you see that Rob Ford didn’t think his plan through if things went wrong.
“Now you see that Rob Ford didn’t think his plan through if things went wrong.”
Things haven’t gone wrong – he’s managed to shift the whole discussion from “what should we build after Transit City” to “how can we pay for the status quo?” Now people debate whether to cut libraries and lunch programs, or cut bus routes, social housing or health services. That was his plan, and it’s working.
“Joe Tory is fatter than Rob Ford.”
I presume you meant phat.
Who gives a darn if he’s overweight? If you don’t like him for his policies or ideology, fine. Fatties aren’t unique to us conservatives, plenty of lefties stuff their faces with the same hamburgers and whipped cream and beers.
He’d probably lose the weight if he weren’t under constant attack for being fat by Angry Anarchists like you.
Joe Tory – absolutely nothing you wrote is true. None of it. This is why the mayor has lost support in even areas of the city where people stupidly voted for him. Everything you wrote or attributed to the mayor either didn’t happen or doesn’t exist and enough people have given proof of it. Where’s your proof? Oh right, you are a conservative, you don’t deal in facts. You deal in “unreported” facts.
Who cares about Rob Ford, who elected Carroll or Vaughan as the conscious of Toronto.
Has the annual budget increased every year? Has taxation lagged behind? Is the TTC underfunded? Is Toronto and Ontario overstaffed?
Now get off your asses (and political party talking points) and start addressing the crisis in funding, negative credit rating reviews and endless deficit funding. Stop running government like a VISA card.
Or fight. Fight fight and Ontario appoints a manager like they did dot the TDSB.
Please