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Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 8:06 am
by jonovision_man
The leading contender to be the mayor of Toronto...
http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CT ... b=CP24HomeFord says marathons, runs and other events that shut down roads could be held in city parks, such as High Park or at Downsview Park.
He also said long runs could be held from James Gardens in Etobicoke and travel down to Lake Ontario from the Humber River.
That doesn't sound like a very fun marathon route!
It's clear Rob Ford hasn't really thought about the overall positive impact a world class marathon has on the city, only the negative impact on traffic. His suggestions are ridiculous, he obviously hasn't taken the time to understand the event or what would appeal to runners...
I'm just worried that as mayor, his stupid comments could become reality.
jono
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 8:17 am
by cbaker1
I wouldn't worry too much. The amount of money that the organizers pay to the city for use of the roads must be pretty large. I can't see the rest of council voting to give up the revenue from the running events. I don't think Ford is going to have support of council on many of his ideas either, so he might raise the idea, but I think (and hope) he wont get the council voting for it.
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 8:46 am
by erinmcd
There's a very interesting article of Rob Ford in the latest Toronto Life magazine. I thought their description of his vision for the city being based on Walmarts cost model (low cost being the #1 priority) was interesting and scary. Good luck to all you GTAers!
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 9:13 am
by jonovision_man
erinmcd wrote:There's a very interesting article of Rob Ford in the latest Toronto Life magazine. I thought their description of his vision for the city being based on Walmarts cost model (low cost being the #1 priority) was interesting and scary. Good luck to all you GTAers!
Absolutely. He looks at the cost of things, either in terms of money or inconvenience, but with no sense at all on what benefit they bring.
How much did this race raise for charity this year?? I believe it was in the millions. What about tourism, people coming to the city and staying in the city... it's a huge benefit.
I get that people are fed up with the waste at city hall... I'm fed up with it too! But whatever benefit Ford brings comes with all these other whack-job positions he takes, and as mayor I'd be concerned he'll actually implement some of them...
jono
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 9:20 am
by Double Bellybuster
The level of support for Ford appears to have a strong correlation to the number of embarassing and ridiculous things he says. That is absolutely frightening.
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 9:22 am
by erinmcd
Double Bellybuster wrote:The level of support for Ford appears to have a strong correlation to the number of embarassing and ridiculous things he says. That is absolutely frightening.
Perhaps this is one of the few times that low voter turnout could actually be a good thing.
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 9:23 am
by phorunner
You know what, I have to apologize to Rob Ford. It takes a lot of dedication to be that much of a lazy, drunk driving, slob....
Funny though, I was watching CP24 a few times last week, and there's all sorts of clips of his supporters causing slowdowns and shouting campaign slogans all over the city. He didn't seem to mind the traffic that caused....
Hopefully the cyclists take notice too, because if the marathon is gone, there's a good chance he's going to shut down any of the cycling events that go on as well. There's one event in particular (the name escapes me) that rides up and down the DVP. I doubt he'd let that fly.
I've had enough of this dude. I agree with some of his ideas (keeping government costs down), but there's ALWAYS traffic in the city. A few road closures don't really make that much of a difference. I don't bother driving south of Eglinton if I don't have to - it's just common sense. It's impossible to find parking, and even if you can, it's almost always unreasonably priced. Shutting down an event or two won't fix traffic problems - the real problem is the fact there just isn't enough road, and that transit in the city sucks.
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 9:24 am
by phorunner
erinmcd wrote:Double Bellybuster wrote:The level of support for Ford appears to have a strong correlation to the number of embarassing and ridiculous things he says. That is absolutely frightening.
Perhaps this is one of the few times that low voter turnout could actually be a good thing.
yeah, lets just hope that he doesn't motivate them to come out.
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 3:02 pm
by AlfiefromPickering
What can you expect from a fat and sedentary politician who would say anything to get a miserable vote.
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 3:29 pm
by turd ferguson
The only thing that amuses me about this is how the so-called progressives on the left degenerate into namecalling so quickly rather than talking about the issues.
The so-called liberals on other message boards never want to talk about what he has to say, just about how fat and funny-looking he is.
Basically the sort of ad hominem crap the left would whine about if anyone on the right did it.
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 3:49 pm
by dgrant
turd ferguson wrote:The only thing that amuses me about this is how the so-called progressives on the left degenerate into namecalling so quickly rather than talking about the issues.
The so-called liberals on other message boards never want to talk about what he has to say, just about how fat and funny-looking he is.
Basically the sort of ad hominem crap the left would whine about if anyone on the right did it.
In fairness, it's impossible to talk about his platform because he doesn't have one and stubbornly refuses to talk about or explain key issues. It's just been months of knee-jerk, facile soundbytes like this marathon thing. There isn't even an identifiable political bent... he's proposing more spending increases than budget cuts. Every election has an I-hate-everything fringe candidate, but it's truly fascinating that this guy has found a significant audience.
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 3:58 pm
by fingerboy
He's got an audience with the economy. People are looking for tax breaks and think that somehow he'll cut out all government spending so Toronto just runs itself - no property tax? I don't think that's in the offering.
He's an annoying opportunist. I finally found something now that he's personally offended me with. Before this I couldn't care less but yes, he's clearly looking to just say whatever he can to get "any attention is good publicity" attention. Somewhere in the news it was said that he didn't even know there was a marathon going on. Now tell me how does someone not know something is going on yet is angry about it? Douchebag comes to mind.
There were thousands of supporters along the streets mainly in the downtown core and Queen east area. I didn't see Ford and he wasn't missed.
I hope taxpayers aren't paying squat for any of the platforms or elections advertising or cost because in his view it seems, we shouldn't really even do that - why inconvenience people?
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 4:09 pm
by phorunner
turd ferguson wrote:The only thing that amuses me about this is how the so-called progressives on the left degenerate into namecalling so quickly rather than talking about the issues.
The so-called liberals on other message boards never want to talk about what he has to say, just about how fat and funny-looking he is.
Basically the sort of ad hominem crap the left would whine about if anyone on the right did it.
To be honest, I'm more a libertarian myself. That's why I agreed with some of his ideas on cutting costs.
That being said, his character leads me to believe thathe won't deliver. He doesn't have much integrity.
So political stance IS important, but if he doesn't have the integrity to follow through, it doesn't matter what he says. To be honest, I can't vouch for any of the mayoral candidates in Toronto or Vaughan.
I think the only person running for anything now that I can even think about putting my reco behind is Antonius Clarke - and I'm not sure where he even sits on the political spectrum. But he's promised to be accessable to everyone, he was raised in his ward, is active in his community, and by the looks of it, has the integrity to follow through.
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 4:14 pm
by turd ferguson
furunner wrote:turd ferguson wrote:The only thing that amuses me about this is how the so-called progressives on the left degenerate into namecalling so quickly rather than talking about the issues.
The so-called liberals on other message boards never want to talk about what he has to say, just about how fat and funny-looking he is.
Basically the sort of ad hominem crap the left would whine about if anyone on the right did it.
To be honest, I'm more a libertarian myself. That's why I agreed with some of his ideas on cutting costs.
That being said, his character leads me to believe thathe won't deliver. He doesn't have much integrity.
So political stance IS important, but if he doesn't have the integrity to follow through, it doesn't matter what he says. To be honest, I can't vouch for any of the mayoral candidates in Toronto or Vaughan.
I think the only person running for anything now that I can even think about putting my reco behind is Antonius Clarke - and I'm not sure where he even sits on the political spectrum. But he's promised to be accessable to everyone, he was raised in his ward, is active in his community, and by the looks of it, has the integrity to follow through.
I live in Calgary so I'm following Toronto municipal politics only to the extent it turns up in the national newspapers.
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 4:14 pm
by Doonst
What a
mashup this election is! My Toronoto includes 2 marathons! That's what she said!
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 5:57 pm
by canalrunner
Interesting I saw Rocco Rossi at the end of the marathon chatting with people in Nathan Phillips Square. I guess some of the other candidates for mayor have a different view of runners clogging the streets.
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 6:20 pm
by jonovision_man
canalrunner wrote:Interesting I saw Rocco Rossi at the end of the marathon chatting with people in Nathan Phillips Square. I guess some of the other candidates for mayor have a different view of runners clogging the streets.
Somewhere out there, I'm in a picture with Rocco Rossi... he handed out the awards at a 5k I did in July!
jono
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 8:11 pm
by Annelizabeth
My Rob Ford expereince:
Back when he was first elected to council I lived in his district and he spent alot of time door knocking, I think his standard was "I am Rob Ford and I am running for council, just want you to have sheet of faluse promises etc. etc." Anyways he was hot and sweaty from the effort of walking and was completly taken aback when I had questions for him. As I recall he didn't answer them and it seemed all he cared about was moving along.... and knocking on more doors. I honestly thought he won that campain based on his door knocking- getting his face known to masses. He also had 3:1 signs up vs his competors.
I think he is connected to the mob or the masonic lodge or something sinister.
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 8:19 pm
by La
Yet one more reason for me to hate Rob Ford. I hated him when he was a loud-mouth councillor from the burbs and I hate him even more now that he's running for mayor and spewing the same anti-city-of-Toronto rhetoric.
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 8:39 pm
by bigguy
I am glad to here that Rob Ford is going to build us parks and pathways that will hold 23,000 people events. It is another way that this candidate shows how small thinking reactionary politicians will say anything to try and get votes. Make sure you are out on election day and vote for who you think will best represent you for the next four years.
Think of what you say.
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 8:13 am
by Robinandamelia
What an idiot....
Anyone who didn't know there was going to be 22,000 people running on the streets of Toronto prior to the event shouldn't be mayor...how did he not know that?
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 10:07 am
by canalrunner
Wonder if anyone running for mayor in Boston, Chicago or New York would suggest this? Laps of Central Park perhaps for the New York Marathon?
Certainly not an election issue in Ottawa. Be good to see if the charities and hotels think it is a good idea. Planning and communication of events that affect road closures is important and needs to be managed but it is not necessarily just a marathon issue.
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 10:28 am
by Doonst
When reading Ford's comments, I couldn't help but think of the amazing New York Marathon. "Big time, Bill! Big time! Big time!"
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 9:41 pm
by UltraQueenga
Get Rob Ford off the streets.
Re: Rob Ford: get marathons off streets
Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 5:59 am
by MrBond
UltraQueenga wrote:Get Rob Ford off the streets.
Amen !!!!