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Archive for March, 2013

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Posted on March 11th, 2013 – Be the first to comment

Day, or night?

The prime M.O.

Posted on March 8th, 2013 – 3 Comments

If you’re a Torontonian, here are two pieces for your consideration:

Three times more lobbyists signed up with the city in 2012 as in 2010. The number of subjects they’re pushing has doubled. Allegations of misconduct have tripled. And the daily communications logged between lobbyists and public office holders appears to be 10 times higher last year than the year before Ford took office, an analysis by the Star has shown.

And with the numbers on the rise, lobbyist registrar Linda Gehrke worries there is dwindling awareness around the “ethical” guidelines set out in the code of conduct.

But for many councillors, the most worrisome result of the new reality is that average citizens and community associations — people without the means to hire Bay Street professionals to plead their case — are being shut out.

This article easily demonstrates the dangers of getting too cozy with lobbyists, a prime M.O. in the Ford’s Toronto is “open for business” agenda. I recommend you read the whole thing, including all of the backroom connections and deals between the mayor’s office and the people who are responsible for all of the projects he’s pushing at any given time (no, the casino wasn’t his idea!)

Basically, if you’re okay with the mayor making hush-hush big-money deals behind pulled curtains, you’d really have to trust in him to be quite honest under such circumstances, no?

I’m going to suggest to you, then, that that mayor isn’t Rob Ford. I mean, the man (predictably) can’t even tell the truth, while (predictably) insulting a few supporters in the process, about that football charity for which he’s already received plenty of attention:

Ford called Don Bosco, in Rexdale, a “tough school” in a “tough area.” Players, he said, have told him they would be dead or in jail if not for the team.

Ford also praised the players as intelligent and hard-working. And he enthusiastically spoke of the happiness he feels when they succeed in life. “You’d be amazed what these kids can do when they have a reason to do it,” he said.

A group of teachers said in an anonymous letter to the board that Ford’s comments were “demeaning” and “filled with untruths.”

In a formal statement on Thursday, the board said some of Ford’s words represented “a completely inaccurate portrayal of our students, our school and the community in which the school is located.”

Filed under: Dispatches, Patrick Bay

Rob Ford plays grab ass with Sarah Thomson

Posted on March 8th, 2013 – 1 Comment

That’s not me saying it, that’s former mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson claiming that Ford decided that this was the way to go at the CJPAC Action Party last night.

She gave extra details in a later interview, but in what way will this come as a surprise to anyone at this point?

Sarah asks, “guess where his hand was in this picture?” —