The Toronto Star versus Rob Ford: the paper returns fire with a call to the commish

12 thoughts on “The Toronto Star versus Rob Ford: the paper returns fire with a call to the commish”

1. oh the irony of The Star complaining about “democracy.” Get with it. It’s the 21st Century, and people don’t want slow, inefficient governments and institutions anymore. We want quick answers and facile solutions to complex problems. Democracy is slow and inefficient, and the press is equally useless in this day and age. Rob Ford should just ban all the press except his official reporters in the Sun. We don’t need conflicting information, and our Mayor deserves respect and deference as he tries to tame the out-of-control Gravy Train and end the War on Cars.

2. @ Joe Tory: I’m gay for you.

   @ TOLife editors: Please would you have some decency and photo-shop a few yards of chin off Ford’s face? In these tough economic times, I like my food to stay digested.

3. Look, it’s not all that hard to understand. There are left wing voters and right wing voters. There are left wing media and right wing media. Toronto has a right wing mayor who followed a left wing mayor, and it will continue to have right and left wing mayors in the future. You wouldn’t want Miller or his ilk to cut off the Sun or the Post, just as Ford should not cut off the star. It’s amateur, childish, not intelligent and very much not world-class-city. How stupid does Ford think he really is?

4. Rob Ford is hurting other conservatives when he does things like this. Does the man not know that he has a court ruling in regards to the audit of his campaign upcoming? I’m sure the star will make it simple a headline…

   ‘Open Rob’s Books’ or
   ‘Did Rob Ford Cheat?’ or maybe… ‘CHEATER’

5. The Toronto star has made ityself teh story. Big Mistake. Even if they hadn’t run that story it’s good political sense to not talk to any media source whose mission is to bring you down. Being nice to your enemies does not turnthem into friends. And the Toronto star with its endless stream of personal insults and snide anti-Ford comments and cartoons has clearly positioned itself as the mayors enemy. Just as Toronto Life has. I hope the Star is prepared to suck this up for the next three years. It looks good on them.

6. Yes, it does make perfect sense to be deliberately antagonistic towards the country’s largest newspaper, and deliberately exclude them from receiving press releases from the OFFICE OF THE MAYOR OF TORONTO because they write unfavourable articles about you. If that’s the criteria, then really he should only be sending releases to the Sun, since I’ve read many critical articles about him in the Globe and the Post. Only the Sun appears immune to his many, many faults.

   He’s such a child. Sadly though, typical of right-wing politicians, who seem to be the only ones who engage in media boycotts. God forbid the press doesn’t simply fawn over their every word and idiotic idea without criticism.

7. You make it sound like it’s a bad political move for Ford to ostarasize the Star when in reality they will flay him incessantly and viciously no matter what he does. Personally, I think its a terrific political strategy that will have no negative outcome for Ford at all. In fact, I bet if you quantified all the cost in time, energy and labour that the Star has dedicated to this little quarrel, I bet it’s cost them tens of thousands of dollars. And soon t will be in teh six figures. To have rich boy Honerich wasting his precious time here on earth writing a column about thisis exceptionally gratifying and quite hilarious. Ford must be laughing at their self absorbed arrogance. And so am I.

8. Interesting you use the term “rich boy” in a derogatory manner towards Honderich, when Ford is exactly the same – or are you one of those Ford supporters who like to gloss over that untidy fact while claiming that Rob understands and relates to working people because he’s one of them.

   I know Ford’s stance with the Star will score him points with his fans – they seem to have blinders on when it comes to this guy and much like the Toronto Sun, refuse to see or acknowledge his many faults. Problem is, much of his support came from folks who supported him, albeit reluctantly, because they thought he might clean things up a bit. They certainly didn’t intend to vote for a Mayor with the emotional maturity of a six year old.

   I’m simply saying his stance is childish and is not the behaviour voters should reasonably expect from their political leaders. His constant squabbles with everyone and everything detract from whatever it is he is trying to accomplish and actually harms his agenda as fewer council allies will want to be associated with such a nimcompoop. You can already see it in that he’s constantly having to spin his many defeats on council as “wins” in order to keep up the appearance that he’s actually doing something.

   For the record, I would take the same stance with a left-leaning politician who chose to boycott the Sun in the manner that Ford is doing with the Star. Hell, Obama and members of his staff and cabinet appear on Fox News from time to time and no one can reasonably say that they’re fans of his. No one’s suggesting Ford sit down for a one on one interview with the Star, but surely Rob can handle letting his staff email a press release to them from time to time. Let’s not forget, even his own allies on council are suggesting he drop it because of the distraction its causing.

   Rob, you chose to run for Mayor, which means dealing with media that may be critical of you. Miller had to contend with the Shrieking Sue-Ann Levy for 7 years and somehow he survived without resorting to a boycott of the Sun. If you can’t handle dealing with the media like an adult, then step down. No one will miss you.

9. I think most of the discussion is beside the point…whether it’s a good financial, political, or whatever move for Ford or for the Toronto Star the bottom line is that it is an attempt to restrict freedom of speech and an abuse of power. Whether you are right or left it doesn’t matter. We as the public have a right to hear all sides and decide for ourselves. Ford’s abuse of power in trying to prevent any form of media from reporting is fundamentally wrong.

10. It is heartbreaking to see that Mayor Rob Ford is taking Toronto from World Class to classless during his tenure

11. There’s a lot of “World Class Cities” built on the backs of middle class taxpayers with an unsustainable economic trajectory. Personally, I’d rather live in a humble, no-frills Canadian city that pays it’s bills and doesn’t have a Greece style meltdown than one that tries to be all things to all people and erects monuments toits own glory and clooapses underthe weight of its own financial irresponsibility. School Pools are a perfect example – since when are pools a priority for a society that can’t balance its books? tax funded pools are a privilege, a luxury that we can no longer afford.

12. Out here in the region of Ontario you Toronto types label on your maps as “Here be Conservatives” (Beyond “Muskoka” “Wine Country” and “The County” for those who have never looked farther) we hick types often refuse to wrap fish with the Toronto Star, for fear the poisonous ink will taint our catch.
    Sadly, the beacon glow of “Toronto the Good” and it’s ivory towers and streets of gold is dulled somewhat when viewed from the hinterland, in part from the yellow-brown cloud of smog and in part from the hot air generated by the Toronto media.
    It is a fittingly self-absorbed paper for what must be one of the most self-absorbed cities in North America. In that regard, Toronto is truly world class.

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