Raise the Hammer

Why did Rob Ford tap in to "our outrage" ? Because that outrage is there and it is justified. I work for the City of Toronto, and have for 20 years. I've seen mayors come and go. June Rowlands, Barbara Hall, Mel Lastman, David Miller. They have gone from center to right to left and left again on the political spectrum. For the last seven years under David Millers tenure, unless you were part of his inner cabal your voice on council did not matter. From stupidity like unrestrained or unreasoned traffic calming, to hundreds of millions of dollars wasted on TTC projects on St Clair Ave, to continued and unaccountable funding for special interests, to the bungling of delivering services and the trash strike, the Miller crew pissed away tax payers money and did so with an arrogance and contempt reminiscent of past federal Liberal governments. Rather than control spending they simply found ways to get their hands deeper into taxpayers pockets.

If you questioned or argued against the Millerites you were branded a bigot or a homophobe or regressive, or out of touch etc etc.

Ryan it is ironic for someone who obviously sees himself as "progressive" and left of center to opine and judge another's qualifications to lead because of their point of view on different matters in society. So what if Rob Ford supports a pastor opposed to same sex marriage? A very large percentage of the population of this country feels the same. (Personally I could'nt care less about it) Does that invalidate their rights as citizens or make their opinions worthless? Whether certain groupls in society want to admit it or not, HIV/Aids in western society is still largely a disease transmitted through unprotected gay sex and intravenous drug use. Yes in the third world where women have almost no personal or property rights and education levels are low and there is no access to contraceptive aids HIV among women is largely spread by heterosexual unprotected sex. But that is a whole different debate. His comment about Asian people was intended as a compliment if not verbalized in the most adroit way.

As for his denials of his actions that may have been less than admirable. Remember this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiIP_KDQm...

It didn't seem to hurt Mr Clinton's reputation as the darling of progressive thought in the U.S. (I've actually seen the guy speak at Carmen's. While I don't always agree with him he is an interesting dude)

I would not and will not defend Mr Ford at all costs. I've said I don't know the guy. I will however defend his right to run for, win decisively with a huge mandate, and hold office in Toronto. He has not yet served one day as mayor and the whining from (and let's be honest, it is whining) from the left is piercing. If anyone can find an opponent to Mr Ford who has vilified him in ink or video that is not identified with being from the left, please share with me.

Good public policy is not the exclusive domain of those that come from the left of the political spectrum. We live in a society where people from both sides died so that we can sit here and piss and moan about the other. To condemn Rob Ford before he has had an opportunity to act on his fairly won mandate is simply sour grapes. If in four years he has been an abject failure as mayor, I'll be one of the first ones to say so.

Comment edited by Shempatolla on 2010-10-28 09:47:01