Rob Ford tries to explain what he loves about Toronto, only to fail miserably
Rob Ford made his triumphant return to CBC Radio this morning (of course, nothing tops his previous appearance). In an interview with Matt Galloway, Ford discussed the Liberals’ minority government (“It’s excellent”), restated his belief that Bill Blair will find 10 per cent efficiencies or else, and reminded everyone that the city’s financial troubles are not his fault. Galloway was tough on Ford, responding to one of the mayor’s attempts to feign ignorance with “Well, you’re the mayor.” The interview also included the continued evolution of the word “gravy”—what was once defined as bloated expense budgets but now, apparently, means salaries for workers. But the most fascinating part of the exchange came at the very end, when Ford bumbled his way through what we would’ve thought was a relative softball from Galloway: what do you love about Toronto?
Ford’s response:
This is a great city. We’ve cleaned it up. There’s less graffiti than there was, obviously, a year ago. It’s a cleaner city than it was a year ago. And we’ve made this a safer city. We made it a cleaner city. Jobs are coming into the city now. So, you know what, this has been a very, very prosperous year. We had a zero per cent tax increase for the first time in 11 years last year, gave people some breathing room. I cut the $60 car tax—that’s $70 million in savings. That’s a large amount of money, when people said it couldn’t be done…
Galloway interjected here and reminded Ford that cutting the vehicle registration tax meant cutting off one of the city’s revenue streams. And while it’s not surprising to hear a politician answer this type of question in terms of their own accomplishments, Ford’s comments were certainly a stretch. We’re not sure what jobs Ford is referring to, or what changes he’s made since taking office that would have resulted in an employment spike. And wasn’t he just alluding to laying off city staffers? And how has he made the city safer? We know more police doesn’t necessarily mean more safety, but that’s a weird statement to make when you’re in the midst of a public spat with the chief. And couldn’t that zero per cent tax increase be blamed for part of the city’s budget problems? The mind reels.
Also, more basically, what Ford loves about Toronto is just lame.
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Rob Ford made his triumphant return to CBC Radio this morning (of course, nothing tops his previous appearance). In an interview with Matt Galloway, Ford discussed the Liberals’ minority government (“It’s excellent”), restated his belief that Bill Blair will find 10 per cent efficiencies or else, and reminded everyone that the city’s financial troubles are not his fault. Galloway was tough on Ford, responding to one of the mayor’s attempts to feign ignorance with “Well, you’re the mayor.” The interview also included the continued evolution of the word “gravy”—what was once defined as bloated expense budgets but now, apparently, means salaries for workers. But the most fascinating part of the exchange came at the very end, when Ford bumbled his way through what we would’ve thought was a relative softball from Galloway: what do you love about Toronto?
Ford’s response:
This is a great city. We’ve cleaned it up. There’s less graffiti than there was, obviously, a year ago. It’s a cleaner city than it was a year ago. And we’ve made this a safer city. We made it a cleaner city. Jobs are coming into the city now. So, you know what, this has been a very, very prosperous year. We had a zero per cent tax increase for the first time in 11 years last year, gave people some breathing room. I cut the $60 car tax—that’s $70 million in savings. That’s a large amount of money, when people said it couldn’t be done…
Galloway interjected here and reminded Ford that cutting the vehicle registration tax meant cutting off one of the city’s revenue streams. And while it’s not surprising to hear a politician answer this type of question in terms of their own accomplishments, Ford’s comments were certainly a stretch. We’re not sure what jobs Ford is referring to, or what changes he’s made since taking office that would have resulted in an employment spike. And wasn’t he just alluding to laying off city staffers? And how has he made the city safer? We know more police doesn’t necessarily mean more safety, but that’s a weird statement to make when you’re in the midst of a public spat with the chief. And couldn’t that zero per cent tax increase be blamed for part of the city’s budget problems? The mind reels.
Also, more basically, what Ford loves about Toronto is just lame.
• Rob Ford on Metro Morning [CBC]){kind=link}
You’re kidding me, right? How about the Sunshine List? $120,000 paid to union zeros to watch people put tokens in a pot? What’s funny is that everybody runs to any level of government when they want to do something. We have blue flag beaches, but people have to go to the public pool right beside the beach. People want funding for their religions, people want funding for their art exhibitions. The City isn’t a babysitter. Unions have to go.
Typical Ford. People like Ford don’t love cities, they don’t love Toronto. It’s painfully obvious. Everything he claims to love about Toronto are the things he claims to have done to it (some true, some are claims, like cancelling the vehicle registration fee. That isn’t a savings to the city at all, the city has less income because of it). He prefers to drive everywhere, he doesn’t like the streetcar, he spends weekends away up north during some of the festivals that make the city what it is. The list goes on and on. Ford answered this so foolishly because for some reason he’s still campaigning. You don’t ever have to ask Ford a question because his answer to everthing is always the same. Something about gravy, something about spending, something about taxpayers, the end. His entire platform was to change just about everything about Toronto, so how could he love it?
Ignorance.
Parades, conventions, festivals; they all attract tourists, jobs and revenue for the city. All that money goes to help pay to make the city to look a little nicer, safer, and grow.
(A public pool by the beach… maybe that has something to do with the fact our lake water is not as clean as you think.)
But if you cut everything you are suggesting, then Toronto won’t be worth visiting. And if as a city you aren’t worth visiting, then you aren’t worth investing in.
I am very happy about the $60 car tax cut. Thank you Rob Ford!
If $60 is so important to you, Ellen, you probably can’t really afford your car. Why not give it up and take TTC?
Mr. Ford is accountable for his actions (some of that accounting is described in the article above) and the voters of Toronto are accountable for theirs.
Mr. Ford had an infamous reputation well before the election and, and anyone who cared to could have found abundant evidence on youtube about his views and behaviour to inform their voting. Whatever else he may be, Rob Ford was not a Trojan Horse.
I sincerely hope we get a more impressive and inspiring mayor in the next election, but the main responsibility for Toronto’s growing dissatisfaction with its council lies with the people who were ignorant/angry/selfish/ill-informed enough to put Mr. Ford and his allies there in the first place, and not Mr. Ford, himself.
wow…another brutal outing for our mayor.
p.s. the canadian side of lake ontario has come a long way since the 1980s. now, we aren’t allowed to dump raw sewage in there. hooray!
Fuck you Stephanie!
You’re happy about the $60 car tax cut, but I’m sure you won’t be happy with the tax hike that is going to equate to more than $60.
That’s a very Fordian response Ellen.
Truth hurts eh Ellen… or should I address you as Queens Quay Karen?
thank you mayor ford for cutting taxes and saving me $60 a year. its not fair that transit users and biciclists never have to pay for anything, when are we going to end the war on cars and let me drive vroom vroom down the road in my big truck like i wanna? you leftists have no right to complain about anything, you could be a communists like mammoliti says. lol.
oh and dont complain about pollution, i dont have kids and dont care if the oceans drown everyone when I am dead. I am a True Conservative, and a True Patriot. :-)
To the person who suggested TTC collectors earn $120,000 per year.
You’re wrong about that.
The list only lists those salaries over $100 000. This means that all the Salaries under $100 000 are not listed.
The average salary isn’t $60.00 per hour.
You may want to check your facts.
Ford was a bully in highschool who saddly got away with it, because even teachers were afraid of him, his brother and his nasty father. He even beat up an older man who said he wasn’t allowed in to a party his kids were having. He has only one thing on his mind, a blind desire to change or destroy anything he doesn’t understand or like and doesn’t care what people think of him. He needs a shrink like his Toronto Sun reading followers who can’t seem to think for themselves. Miller left $700+ million in the city coffers, Ford says it’s all gone, gone where!? What did Ford do with it? The man is am embarrassment to Toronto.
The ‘gravy-train’ is a proven myth. The 774-million dollar shortfall is a proven myth. Both like to be used by Sun columnists and AM640 radio personalities as much as the US Republicans like to use ‘9/11’. I think these Fordists don’t want to own up to their being taken in by the ‘gravy train’ rhetoric that was spewed like cheap champagne during the municipal campaign. Ford is going to be a one-term, lame duck mayor – let’s console at least on that fact.
The people that voted for ford are all low income earners, thats who supports this donkey. Oh wow, $60 frickin dollars is going to be one of your deciding factors??? This guy is done, he wont get re-elected, Im a conservative and Im sort of glad Dalton was re-elected.
To Ford the Thug.
Do you have solid proof of your acusations? Or are you just pulling shit from your ass and hoping that it sticks to something. I’m no fan of Rob’s but I’m not into slandering the man and his family just to make some brownie points with the haters out there. Please think before you post something.
Please, please bring back the car tax, but double it, for I love my city. And triple it for Ellen, who is selfish and hates the city, and is not ashamed of being public about. Ellen and two fat guys = Ford Nation
Unions and the rights of collective bargaining are fundamental in a democracy. “Unions have to go,” is, in fact, a major plank in fascist ideology. Along with corporations running everything and government being run like a corporation. These things are all major fascist characteristics.
If the unions are so omnipotent, how did that happen? Via open negotiation with the city, that’s how. They haven’t won a THING that the city didn’t agree to – with the exception of arbitrated settlements, which Ford invited more of with the TTC now being an essential service – they now go to arbitration too.
Rob Ford has no business talking about what he doesn’t know about. He doesn’t know about being a mayor. Tax cuts don’t count for very much.
The man can’t even commit to himself to lose a few pounds and we expect him to commit to the city and the people. Get real people.