Q&A: TDSB trustee Michael Ford on being the newest member of the Ford family’s political dynasty

37 thoughts on “Q&A: TDSB trustee Michael Ford on being the newest member of the Ford family’s political dynasty”

1. So just to recap:

   – at 21, rich enough to go on an expensive weight-loss program *and* enjoy prime rib at the Keg

   – lives with his millionaire grandmother in an upscale Etobicoke home with room in the back to hold a modest party of a few thousand friends

   – had a Camaro given to him for his 17th birthday by his grandmother

   – was able to get a pilot’s licence despite having no income of his own to pay for it

   – has a flexible enough schedule that he can be home to watch Y&R during the afternoons

   – he loves adventure… but he’s not a party animal… drinks tea… but enjoys prime rib… responsible with money… but passionate about social issues… wants to create his “own name” in politics… but chose to ran as a Ford instead of a Stirpe…

   I dunno, maybe he’s a nice kid who will turn out very differently from the rest of his family — but I can’t help feeling like his answers to these questions were calculated to make him seem like a “regular guy” who’s more palatable than his overbearing uncles.

   And if that’s the case, then maybe someone should have coached him a little more in how most people in this city live day to day. For starters, we don’t all get red Camaros from our Nana for turning 17. And I think that’s a problem, if “a year at Humber for business admin” is the best he can do for explaining how he’s qualified for the job.

2. I don’t mean to be cruel but I know many are thinking it. I think it would serve him well to do more to… ahem… physically distinguish himself from the rest of his family. The Ford’s have earned a reputation of being fat, boorish slobs and while this kid cleans up nicely, it would be great to mitigate that association to name only which unfortunately he can’t do anything about.

3. actually, he changed his name from Michael Stirpe to Michael Ford shortly before the election, so any whining from him that he “can’t get away from the family name” are BS.

4. I just can’t take a politician who lives with his “Nana” seriously.

   Does he have a degree in something or just do a year here and there?

5. I’m impressed. Admittedly, after hearing the last name my expectations were not very high.

6. He sounds like the anti-Ford to me.

7. Colour me impressed – he sounds a fair bit more genuine and pragmatic than most politicians!

8. He’s 21. Why be such an asshole? It’s not his fault who his parents are, or what his uncles’ legacies are. He hasn’t done anything wrong yet, and you’ve already got him tried and convicted because of his last name.

9. WE all have family baggage and he certainly has his. Give him a chance to stand on his own two feet, he is learning to walk. If he doesn’t walk his talk then attack, until then just watch and hold him accountable. If he does a bad enough job he will get re- elected like Wynne and Wong-tam because that’s what we do in Ontario. If he turns out to be good, he will move on to better things.

10. So I guess you missed where I said “maybe he’s a nice guy”…?

    With respect, I have tried and convicted him because of his last name. I’m simply pointing out that, regardless of who he’s related to, he’s a young person who has enjoyed extremely good fortune in his youth and has wanted for nothing.

    No offence against kids who grew up that way, but it takes a bit more than a life of privilege to gain the kinds of skills needed to run a city.

    To Rob’s credit (and I can’t believe I’m saying this), at least he put in the legwork as a councilor and built his support network the old-fashioned way. His nephew appears to think (and note the word “appears,” I’m not saying he actually thinks this) he has to to is show up, offer the right name and the right opinions on some lifestyle choices (“I drink tea!” “I love Pride!” “I’m into customer service!”) and we’ll hand over the keys.

    I fail to see how I’m an a–hole because I’m raising a few pointed questions about his inexperience in, well, anything that doesn’t involve surviving a dysfunctional family.

11. Haha… I didn’t realize that. Certainly sounds like much of the same although I guess we’ll have to wait and see. From the sounds of things, he doesn’t have an actual degree which would probably be a good start on the path to legitimacy.

12. You’re an asshole because you’re sneering at a 21 year old for landing on his feet and starting a political career at a time that most of his peers still think they’re teenagers. You’re an asshole because you mock a 21 year old for living with “his millionaire grandmother” when his father is in prison for murder and his mother is part of a train-wreck family, apparently oblivious to the fact that she may have been his sole source of emotional stability, though you act like you know what it must have been like to grow up as Michael Ford. You’re an asshole because you mock a 21 year old’s phrasing in what is likely his first widely-read interview. You’re an asshole because you mock his education. You’re an asshole because you think he’s demanding that “we hand over the keys” when he has specifically stated that’s not what he’s doing, even when asked about future political plans. Most of all, you’re an asshole because all of this seems to somehow elude you.

13. On the contrary, it’s quite obvious that you mean to be cruel. Just own it.

14. Then remember that regarding Justin T.

15. There is no way a 21 year old dropout should be a school trustee in a flea blown hamlet, never mind in a major metropolis. This is just more of the Fords showing contempt for their city. None of them are fit for anything but gross self indulgence.

16. You don’t do Michael any favours by bringing his age up repeatedly. He’s taken on an adult job, with adult responsibilities and adult consequences, he can’t hide behind his age. His age is irrelevant.

    People have the right to question his experience, education and background, he’s a public figure responsible for the city’s children.

    He’s a school trustee yet has only completed one semester of university and one year of college. While I don’t think you need a degree to be a school trustee I think four months here and eight months there make it difficult to convince people you’re committed to education. The reason you get a post secondary education is so that you make up for the lack of experience your youth bring.

    The fact remains, Michael lacks a post secondary education (university, college or an apprenticeship) and any real world experience. He knew that when he ran for City council.

    He can’t hide behind the fact that he is only twenty-one no more than you can defend his short comings. He’s twenty one, an adult and he knew or at least should have known what he was getting into.

17. I agree but all of this information was presented to the electorate before the election. The people of Etobicoke knew all of that and still elected him to his position. If there is anyone to blame it is those who will vote for anything with a Ford last name. This is exactly why he changed his last name to Ford just prior to the election.

18. Well, now just you’re being mean.

    >> You’re an asshole because you’re sneering at a 21 year old for landing on his feet

    Yeah, it sucks his dad went to jail. It also sucks my family was the victim of a horrific crime. We all have stories. But his is not exactly Horatio Alger territory — it’s pretty clear he had a lot of help landing on his feet, help that a lot of other decent people never get. And it would be nice if, just once, one of these “self-made” scions of rich families acknowledged that.

    >> and starting a political career at a time that most of his peers still think they’re teenagers.

    He’s civic-minded, good for him. But wouldn’t we see a little more of that in his teenaged years? Where’s the evidence he started a youth action group, or did something other than “listened to whatever his uncles told him to do”? I’m not anti-youth — God love Morgan Baskin for running in the last mayoral election — but I need a little more than “I love helping people!” on a resume before I’m ready to believe someone is ready for the job.

    The irony, of course, is that Harper’s Cons just dropped a hilariously awful “Not ready for the job” attack ad on Trudeau. And yeah, we can have an honest discussion about Trudeau’s readiness for a job like PM. But at least JT finished school, started a family and did a few other adult-related things in his life. Why are we piling him on for being a noob and giving Mikey a free “let him prove himself” pass?

    >> You’re an asshole because you mock a 21 year old for living with “his millionaire grandmother” when his father is in prison for murder and his mother is part of a train-wreck family,

    I’m not mocking him for living with his grandmother; we all do what we have to do to survive in this world, and he was extremely lucky to have that person to take him in when his family was falling apart. I’d just like to see some acknowledgement of sheer luck in how his life turned out, is all, (Though looking at all the Ford siblings, it does make one wonder how they all got so messed up in the first place. Hey, they’re public figures who wag their fingers at the rest of us, so it’s fair game to comment on their eventful family affairs. You don’t like it, the door to get out of the kitchen is over there.)

    >> apparently oblivious to the fact that she may have been his sole source of emotional stability, though you act like you know what it must have been like to grow up as Michael Ford.

    I… honestly don’t know where this is coming from. Where did I say I must have known what it was like to grow up like him? I simply took quotes from the article and juxtaposed them to suggest that maybe the answers from him are a little more calculated than he’s letting on.

    >> You’re an asshole because you mock a 21 year old’s phrasing in what is likely his first widely-read interview.

    And you’re not even questioning why it’s his first widely read interview. He ran for council and then the school board (after meekly stepping aside when Uncle Rob needed a safe seat) on nothing but his family name — no interviews, no platform, nada. He won over other candidates — some of whom were likely far more qualified for the job — simply because of his family name. So now I’m supposed to feel sympathy for him because he’s new to the media game? For real?

    >> You’re an asshole because you mock his education.

    Where did I mock his education? Humber’s a fine school. I mocked the fact he only has a year of business admin under his belt and that’s apparently enough to give him the wisdom to handle a billion-dollar budget. And perhaps I would be less prone to mock his education (or lack thereof) if there were some evidence he had any political aspirations before he suddenly decided to run for his uncle’s old seat.

    >> You’re an asshole because you think he’s demanding that “we hand over the keys” when he has specifically stated that’s not what he’s doing, even when asked about future political plans.

    Oh, well, a politician *specifically* said he didn’t want something. Can’t argue with that logic. ;) Of course he’s going to play coy about future plans — that’s what all politicians do, except the dumb ones who squawk about how they’re going to be premier one d– oh, hi, Uncle Doug!

    >> Most of all, you’re an asshole because all of this seems to somehow elude you.

    Trust me, a lot of what you are trying to say eludes me. And I’m okay with that.

19. Skipping meals will help me lose weight
    Weight Loss Fact: Skipping meals may actually cause you to gain weight! You will become too hungry and will eventually have to eat. This will knock your metabolism off track and will eventually slow it down. Think of a car running low on gas (food), if you do not fill it up, it will eventually stop working. Same goes for our body, we need to keep it fueled constantly.

    http://tinyurl.com/q2esxcc

20. You’re the asshole here buddy.

21. Unfortunately, Mike, some people seem to want it both ways: they want us to praise Mikey Ford for being fresh and young and “his own man”… but then, when we ask why being young and fresh is better than having some relevant background experience, we’re supposed to lay off him and not criticize him for anything because he’s just a babe in the woods, cut him some slack, wait until he’s had a chance to prove himself, etc.

    If we lived in a world where any 20-year-old could run for office and win, sure. But we don’t live in that world. We live in a world where most 20-year-olds are busy studying, or paying for their studies. And even if they had the time or wherewithal to run for office, they don’t have the deep pockets or family connections to help ease their way into the corridors of power.

    So I think it’s very valid to ask why this Ford thinks he can handle the job he’s been given by voters. Because a “I like customer service!” quote ain’t going to cut it.

22. He says he’s a “big supporter of the Pride Parade”. I say prove it because besides crack abuse, bullying, alcoholism, heroin abuse, drug dealing and criminal associations, the Fords are known as being bald faced liars. Time for Stirpe to nut up and get down with his gay bros in public. Let everyone see how big a supporter he really is. Nana could help him manscape and one of Uncle Robbie’s good buddies could film the sordid deed and then call the media.

    Yes indeed…. Canada’s Kennedys. It’s just so fracking obvious.

23. Justin T. finished earned his bachelor of arts and bachelor of education, chaired Kitimavic while he was working on his masters degree (unfinished), then became a teacher. Later, he entered politics. He’s in his mid-40s. He lives with his wife and children.

    This is not a fair comparison to Mike Ford (who studied on year in a college program and one year at university), he’s 21 and lives with his grandmother. This is his first full-time job.

24. One year in college and one in university. No degrees or certificates.

    He served on student council in high school, so that experience will have to suffice. He’s there for the students, after all.

25. This is the same nana who insisted that her son Rob only needed to lose weight and he’d be fine, right?
    I suppose that she is the one person Mikael should be debriefing with every evening.

26. Trudeau has a Bachelor of Arts degree in literature from McGill University and a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of British Columbia. After graduation, he worked as a French and math teacher at West Point Grey Academy and Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School inVancouver, British Columbia.[12][13] From 2002 to 2004, he studied engineering at the Université de Montréal.[14] He also started a Master of Arts degree in Environmental Geography at McGill University before suspending his program to seek public office.[ 15]

27. Not too shabby.

28. I was keeping the description as simple as possible for “guest” but it’s very helpful to have a fuller description for those who still compare Justin Trudeau with Michael Ford strictly based on their youth and their family connections.
    As I wrote above, clearly, there’s no comparison.

29. I can’t believe that a young man who’s been quoted as suggesting that his only real experience with school issues was his time spent on his high school student council, and he was also quoted to say that he was there for the kids. Getting help from nana during evening debriefings (is that the new term to discuss “how your day went” with a relative?) isn’t the professional course to take while learning.

    Don’t forget that it was moments before the candidates deadline for paperwork was to be filed, when Rob Ford swooped in to run for councillor where Michael had been running for councillor.
    Doug registered for the mayoral race as Rob dropped out of the mayoral race to run for councillor. Mike was previously registered as a candidate for council and dropped out of his bid to be a councillor so his uncle would be the only Ford running for councillor, then Mike dropped out as a candidate for councillor and immediately registered to run for public school trustee.

    This was political musical chairs.

    To be a public school trustee was not Mike’s long-term goal.
    Becoming a candidate for that position only “happened” shortly prior to the election.

30. It seems that the same sense of entitlement without actually working towards the goal is what he did. Didn’t finish his education. Doesn’t have experience in the field of education. But felt that he wanted to provide excellent customer service to people. (What does providing excellent customer service to people mean when it involves the position of public school trustee?)

    If it were an actual job position that people had to apply for and interview for, then there’s no way a college and university drop out with no other real world experience with education other than serving on his high school student council would ever be considered for the job. Michael Ford was not permitted (by Doug Ford) to speak to the media to publicize his candidacy for councillor, and was not permitted to do the same when he switched to the public school trustee candidacy.

    The voters in Wards 1 and 2 seemed to believe that a Ford – ANY Ford – was their best choice. The other candidates were qualified and had real world experience and educational backgrounds that could support the position.

    If Michael Ford had been some high school graduate with student council experience with first year education in a college course and a university course, and he wanted to be considered to as public school trustee… he wouldn’t have been elected, and maybe not if he had kept his name as Michael Stirpe and didn’t change it to Ford.

31. A semester at Laurier in Political Leadership. There is a degree at Laurier called Political Leadership? I think there is one called Political Science. Funny he doesn’t even know what program he was in at Laurier. How many hours a week does a trustee spending working on TDSB issues? Is it a fulltime job for other Trustees or is it only a fulltime job for Mikey?

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33. I wish they would all go and do something else instead of ganging up on Torontonians publicly embarrassing our city and weeing on the the poor. They care nothing for anyone but themselves and their 15 minutes of fame. This one has nothing more to offer than his older brothers have let’s move on from this family folks.

34. that being said I say he should be proud for at least trying to manage his inherited weight issues instead of doing nothing. Otherwise I think he is making a mistake trying to ride of the coat-tails of his older brothers into politics.

35. woops meant Uncles I dunno who can keep track of this lot and never understand why this kid thought to change his name for not going to win him any favours. I guess he has no self confidence to stand on his own name and not associate himself. Too young obviously and whomever is advising him he should fire them if he is serious about being in politics.

36. Maybe it was a class called “political leadership” but mistook it for an entire course?

37. Mkey “Don’t call me Stirpe” is a fraud. The Ford”s are good at getting the taxpayer to support them….gravy….zero education….and he wants to set direction for education…hahaha

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