Ford Campaign Pulled a Sandra Bussin Against Tory

[nicky10013]

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/886530--did-ford-campaign-s-tricks-knock-tory-out?bn=1

Kouvalis said he warned Ford and his brother/campaign manager Doug that a Tory campaign would poach their donations and volunteers, and devised a four-point plan aimed at letting Tory know his integrity would be attacked if he jumped in.

The plan, Kouvalis said, included a YouTube video in which a cartoon Tory is run over by a “gravy train”, and a campaign spokesperson highlighting Tory’s disastrous 2007 election promise as Ontario Conservative leader to expand religious school funding.

Then, when Tory returned to radio from a late July holiday, Kouvalis said: “They were talking about some issue that had nothing to do about the campaign, but the first call he took was from one of our guys — Karen Philby? Anybody know who Karen is, the Twitter account that was a fake person? Well, that person called into the radio show and challenged his integrity again. And then John decided not to get into the race and that was a huge victory for Rob, so he took John out and Rob won because of it.”

In an interview Tory remembered the call well, saying the woman misled his call “screener” about what she planned to ask, and on air “she said something to the effect that ‘If you ran it would totally show you’re a person of no integrity.’”

Tory, who once famously received an anonymous on-air call from now-defeated Councillor Sandra Bussin who later apologized, had little to say about the Ford campaign deception except that none of the tactics Kouvalis described influenced his decision to remain on the sidelines.

More of the same from Ford. Lies about how badly the city is doing (200 million surplus) and now the hypocrisy over tactics. It's going to be a long 4 years.

Edited November 6, 2010 by nicky10013

[KeyStone]

Kouvalis must be desperate for attention.

He obviously fashions himself as the Canadian Karl Rove.

The key difference of course, is that Karl Rove knows when to keep his mouth shut.

The next campaign to hire Kouvalis, pretty much signals to the voters that the campaign is all about dirty tricks and not substance.

[treehugger]

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/886530--did-ford-campaign-s-tricks-knock-tory-out?bn=1

More of the same from Ford. Lies about how badly the city is doing (200 million surplus) and now the hypocrisy over tactics. It's going to be a long 4 years.

I guess you must of missed the many many "tricks" that was done to Rob Ford. John Tory (bighead) had to come down a few pegs anyway.

But at the end of the day. Tory may be working with Ford at city hall. So you and the star are the two upset ones.

[a.nonimous]

IMO John Tory had no intention of running against Rob Ford, ever. It was, in my little conspiracy laden world, a rather thinly veiled attempt by the infamous Backroom Boys, of Mel Lastman fame, to strong arm Ford into supporting another greeedy little plan to fill their pockets with some more mega subway action. I find the timing very convenient that just after the threat of a John Tory entry into the race, and what would have resulted in a sure loss to Smitherman, with the attendant split of the right vote. That two weeks later Ford suddenly decided that new subways were a critical part of his transit plan. So much so, that the already financed transit city plan had to die. Does it not seem out of character that the guy who paid for his councillor office supplies out of his own pocket, is suddenly prepared to pay tens/hundreds of millions of dollars in contract penalty's to change course on his first day. Without any consultation or even so much as a motion in council.

Edited December 7, 2010 by a.nonimous

[Keepitsimple]

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/886530--did-ford-campaign-s-tricks-knock-tory-out?bn=1

More of the same from Ford. Lies about how badly the city is doing (200 million surplus) and now the hypocrisy over tactics. It's going to be a long 4 years.

Long for you maybe.

Edited January 4, 2011 by Keepitsimple

[nicky10013]

Long for you maybe.

Ah, so you like debt and mismanagement on a grand scale? Oh yeah, that's right. It doesn't matter as long as a guy who claims to be a member of your team gets into power. Funny how Conservatives have the tendency to be anything but conservative when they get into office.

[Keepitsimple]

Ah, so you like debt and mismanagement on a grand scale? Oh yeah, that's right. It doesn't matter as long as a guy who claims to be a member of your team gets into power. Funny how Conservatives have the tendency to be anything but conservative when they get into office.

So lets see, the guy has been mayor for all of a month.....and you are accusing him of debt and mismanagement when in fact, this is a guy who wants to service the public better and stop going to the province cap-in-hand every year for a bail-out. The Miller years clearly didn't work - that's why Ford was voted in. The least you could do is give the man a chance. So far, he has done nothing to indicate that he will ruin Toronto - as The Star implied through the runup to his mayoral win. As for him being on "my team".....yes, I like the fact that he has a Conservative value set - live within your means, provide good service, help those truly in need.....but the other thing I like is that he has no formal allegiance to the Provincial or Federal parties - he's a Municipal guy who truly wants to help. He's got money - he doesn't NEED to do this - he WANTS to do it......and anyone who knows Rob Ford also knows that it's not about power - it's about helping - it's about doing what he thinks is right. It's not often we get a "politician" with no motives other than making things better for constituents. Ford has done that every day of his municipal career - and I have no doubt he will encourage and cajole council and city staff to emulate that back-to-basics approach. That's what's missing in the City Hall culture - a strong will - a purpose - an unfailing understanding that every day you come to work, you are representing the people of Toronto and they are expecting your best efforts. A good leader does a lot of "management by walking around" - letting people know you're there - letting them know thatyou're interested in what they do - setting an example. Sure, City Hall is a big place - but walking the different floors once a week is important to employees - standing in the front lines and watching them work - it's amazing what leadership can accomplish in terms of dedication and productivity.....if you've ever had the good fortune of working for an extraordinary leader, you'd intuitively know how valuable those inherent skills are. The true worth of a leader is their ability to make the people around them better......and that's what I expect out of Rob Ford and his team......hign expectations for sure - but we deserve no less.

Edited January 5, 2011 by Keepitsimple

[Black Dog]

So lets see, the guy has been mayor for all of a month.....and you are accusing him of debt and mismanagement when in fact, this is a guy who wants to service the public better and stop going to the province cap-in-hand every year for a bail-out. The Miller years clearly didn't work - that's why Ford was voted in. The least you could do is give the man a chance. So far, he has done nothing to indicate that he will ruin Toronto - as The Star implied through the runup to his mayoral win.

Well, as you said, he's only been mayor for a month: he's got lots of time to ruin things.

I like the fact that he has a Conservative value set - live within your means, provide good service, help those truly in need.....but the other thing I like is that he has no formal allegiance to the Provincial or Federal parties - he's a Municipal guy who truly wants to help.

Yeah if you ignore his family connections to the Harris Tories and the endorsements by federal Cons...

He's got money - he doesn't NEED to do this - he WANTS to do it......and anyone who knows Rob Ford also knows that it's not about power - it's about helping - it's about doing what he thinks is right.

Personally I don't care if Rob Ford is a cynical idealogue or a well-meaning fool: the end result is the same.

The true worth of a leader is their ability to make the people around them better......and that's what I expect out of Rob Ford and his team......hign expectations for sure - but we deserve no less.

Interesting that Ford has surrounded himself with people so much smarter than him.

[nicky10013]

So lets see, the guy has been mayor for all of a month.....and you are accusing him of debt and mismanagement when in fact, this is a guy who wants to service the public better and stop going to the province cap-in-hand every year for a bail-out. The Miller years clearly didn't work - that's why Ford was voted in. The least you could do is give the man a chance. So far, he has done nothing to indicate that he will ruin Toronto - as The Star implied through the runup to his mayoral win. As for him being on "my team".....yes, I like the fact that he has a Conservative value set - live within your means, provide good service, help those truly in need.....but the other thing I like is that he has no formal allegiance to the Provincial or Federal parties - he's a Municipal guy who truly wants to help. He's got money - he doesn't NEED to do this - he WANTS to do it......and anyone who knows Rob Ford also knows that it's not about power - it's about helping - it's about doing what he thinks is right. It's not often we get a "politician" with no motives other than making things better for constituents. Ford has done that every day of his municipal career - and I have no doubt he will encourage and cajole council and city staff to emulate that back-to-basics approach. That's what's missing in the City Hall culture - a strong will - a purpose - an unfailing understanding that every day you come to work, you are representing the people of Toronto and they are expecting your best efforts. A good leader does a lot of "management by walking around" - letting people know you're there - letting them know thatyou're interested in what they do - setting an example. Sure, City Hall is a big place - but walking the different floors once a week is important to employees - standing in the front lines and watching them work - it's amazing what leadership can accomplish in terms of dedication and productivity.....if you've ever had the good fortune of working for an extraordinary leader, you'd intuitively know how valuable those inherent skills are. The true worth of a leader is their ability to make the people around them better......and that's what I expect out of Rob Ford and his team......hign expectations for sure - but we deserve no less.

All I have to say to this is if this guy is going to do exactly what he says he's going to do, the city is going to go bankrupt. How is he going to pay for everything he wants WHILE slashing taxes?

[Keepitsimple]

Interesting that Ford has surrounded himself with people so much smarter than him.

That's another common trait of good leaders.....knowing that they are not the smartest men in the room - the best at everything. Surround yourself with good people and let them do what they do best. The right people in the right jobs at the right time. I doubt that Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Jean Chretien and Stephen Harper have IQs that are off the chart.....but they know how to lead.

[Black Dog]

That's another common trait of good leaders.....knowing that they are not the smartest men in the room - the best at everything. Surround yourself with good people and let them do what they do best. The right people in the right jobs at the right time. I doubt that Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Jean Chretien and Stephen Harper have IQs that are off the chart.....but they know how to lead.

It's less a mark of leadership on Fird's part as it is a sign that he'd have to work pretty hard to find anyone dumber.

[Keepitsimple]

It's less a mark of leadership on Fird's part as it is a sign that he'd have to work pretty hard to find anyone dumber.

That's actually pretty funny....good one. Give the guy a chance - being a football coach, he knows all about the strengths and weaknesses of a team - and a team is what will be running city hall. I really have no reason to believe that Ford will fulfil all that I think a leader should......but it's refreshing to see someone come in and try to do things that make some sense in terms of what a city SHOULD do and what a city shouln't do. I like the mentality of the people who will be leading the charge - Doug Holiday, Karen Stintz, Michael Del Grande, Doug Ford. No "Grand Plans".....just good service and live within our means.

[Black Dog]

That's actually pretty funny....good one. Give the guy a chance - being a football coach, he knows all about the strengths and weaknesses of a team - and a team is what will be running city hall.

Yeah: running city hall and a high school football team are pretty much the same thing.

Jesus wept

I really have no reason to believe that Ford will fulfil all that I think a leader should......but it's refreshing to see someone come in and try to do things that make some sense in terms of what a city SHOULD do and what a city shouln't do. I like the mentality of the people who will be leading the charge - Doug Holiday, Karen Stintz, Michael Del Grande, Doug Ford. No "Grand Plans".....just good service and live within our means.

That's a great philosophy for Bumfuck, Nowheresville, population 700. But this is Toronto, the cultural and economic hub of the country, a fast-growing city of 2.5 million people facing challenges that go far beyond filling potholes and worrying about 5 cent bag fees.

Edited January 6, 2011 by Black Dog

[Michael Hardner]

Further to BD's post - I really doubt that there are no grand plans, especially if they want to make cuts on the scale they're talking about.

[Keepitsimple]

That's a great philosophy for Bumfuck, Nowheresville, population 700. But this is Toronto, the cultural and economic hub of the country, a fast-growing city of 2.5 million people facing challenges that go far beyond filling potholes and worrying about 5 cent bag fees.

That's where Toronto has gone off the rails.....they've neglected the basics of running the city - like filling potholes, handling garbage and clearing sidewalks......because they were too busy "greening" the city, introducing bag taxes, encouraging the homeless industry, and wasting our money. Sometimes you have to take a step back before you can move forward. Ford is not a troglodyte - he voted in favour of raising the per-capita Art Funding to $25 per person. He has already taken a step in favour of bicycles......and he wants to get moving on subways. Like his transit plan or not, every major world city has a backbone of subways from which other modes can connect to. Problem is, Toronto has been fiddling for so many years that our transit backbone never got built.

[Oleg Bach]

Some one mention John Tory? - I have one observation about this corporate mouth piece...The ancient definition of demon was "a fast and rapid spirit....Tory like McGinty fit this old bill...From an observational point of view..both of the mentioned personalities will say anything - do anything to maintain the status quo..corrupt or not.

[Black Dog]

That's where Toronto has gone off the rails.....they've neglected the basics of running the city - like filling potholes, handling garbage and clearing sidewalks......because they were too busy "greening" the city, introducing bag taxes, encouraging the homeless industry, and wasting our money.

I call bullshit on that. Can you provide some evidence?

Sometimes you have to take a step back before you can move forward.

Meaningless piffle.

He has already taken a step in favour of bicycles

Point of order: the separated bike lane plan did not come from Ford.

and he wants to get moving on subways. Like his transit plan or not, every major world city has a backbone of subways from which other modes can connect to. Problem is, Toronto has been fiddling for so many years that our transit backbone never got built.

And that's what Transit City, for all its flaws, was supposed to accomplish. All Ford is offering is more dicking around, while his handpicked stooges on the TTC board propose fare increases and service cuts.

Edited January 10, 2011 by Black Dog

[nicky10013]

That's where Toronto has gone off the rails.....they've neglected the basics of running the city - like filling potholes, handling garbage and clearing sidewalks......because they were too busy "greening" the city, introducing bag taxes, encouraging the homeless industry, and wasting our money.

You must not live anywhere near Toronto. I flatly refuse to drive into the city in the summer because road construction - doing they very things you say they aren't doing - is so bad. As an example - something you've yet to provide - Bloor between parliament and Avenue was reduced to 1 lane for almost 3 years.

Sometimes you have to take a step back before you can move forward. Ford is not a troglodyte - he voted in favour of raising the per-capita Art Funding to $25 per person.

What is this even supposed to mean?

He has already taken a step in favour of bicycles......and he wants to get moving on subways. Like his transit plan or not, every major world city has a backbone of subways from which other modes can connect to. Problem is, Toronto has been fiddling for so many years that our transit backbone never got built.

I'd say you're right on subways if it wasn't a subway no one would use. No one uses the Sheppard line as it is and an extension won't make things better. The current Sheppard Line actually only uses 4 subway cars as opposed to the 6 used on the YUS line and the B/D Line and in the height of rush hour the trains are only half full. So, he's robbing the suburbs, the place he supposedly represents best, of better transit to build a line no one will use. Now, if he cancelled some projects to build a subway across Eglinton, or the Downtown Relief Line - subway projects that have been planned and actually are really needed to relieve congestion along YUS and B/D, I'd agree with it. He isn't though. This planning is the absolutely height of stupidity.

[nicky10013]

And that's what Transit City, for all its flaws, was supposed to accomplish. All Ford is offering is more dicking around, while his handpicked stooges on the TTC board propose fare increases and service cuts.

Bingo. 10 cent fare increase plus a whopping 5 dollar increase in the metropass. This is going to cost transit riders between 50-60 dollars a year extra. Interesting coincidence, that's how much drivers are going to save for the vehicle registration tax.

Now, I've heard much rhetoric over the "war on the car." However, I've yet to encounter any policy that confirmed such suspsicions floated by Conservatives. Nor have they backed any of their claims with, you know...any proof at all. However, jacking up TTC fares to pay for a car tax break? How can that be viewed as anything but war on public transit?

http://www.thestar.com/news/transportation/article/919082--ttc-fare-hike-riders-lose-what-motorists-gained?bn=1

[Black Dog]

I'd say you're right on subways if it wasn't a subway no one would use. No one uses the Sheppard line as it is and an extension won't make things better. The current Sheppard Line actually only uses 4 subway cars as opposed to the 6 used on the YUS line and the B/D Line and in the height of rush hour the trains are only half full. So, he's robbing the suburbs, the place he supposedly represents best, of better transit to build a line no one will use. Now, if he cancelled some projects to build a subway across Eglinton, or the Downtown Relief Line - subway projects that have been planned and actually are really needed to relieve congestion along YUS and B/D, I'd agree with it. He isn't though. This planning is the absolutely height of stupidity.

It's stupid if you think the purpose of Ford's plan is to improve transit. If you think about it in terms of facilitating and promoting car ownership, though, it all makes perfect sense.

[nicky10013]

It's stupid if you think the purpose of Ford's plan is to improve transit. If you think about it in terms of facilitating and promoting car ownership, though, it all makes perfect sense.

Absolutely. However, no matter how horribly his plans fly in the face of conventional wisdom, the masses will follow...until the massive tax hike. Probably even after that. More and more I'm getting the sense that Conservatives don't really care about conservatism or even pragmatic policy, it's all about the team. It doesn't matter what the team does (even if it flies in everything you believe in), you're a part of that and that's final.

Edited January 10, 2011 by nicky10013

[Black Dog]

Absolutely. However, no matter how horribly his plans fly in the face of conventional wisdom, the masses will follow...until the massive tax hike. Probably even after that. More and more I'm getting the sense that Conservatives don't really care about conservatism or even pragmatic policy, it's all about the team. It doesn't matter what the team does (even if it flies in everything you believe in), you're a part of that and that's final.

I'm not even sure I'd consider Ford a conservative. His braintrust (brother Doug and that Kouvalis prick to name a couple) probably are, but Rob strikes me as a well-intentioned useful idiot for those other interests. In that sense, he's probably pretty close to those who vote for him: he reads The Sun and gets the sense that things are going to hell in a hand basket, but doesn't really understand the complexities, so he just rages away.

[treehugger]

All I have to say to this is if this guy is going to do exactly what he says he's going to do, the city is going to go bankrupt. How is he going to pay for everything he wants WHILE slashing taxes?

What taxes has he slashed??

[nicky10013]

All I have to say to this is if this guy is going to do exactly what he says he's going to do, the city is going to go bankrupt. How is he going to pay for everything he wants WHILE slashing taxes?

What taxes has he slashed??

So far it isn't about what taxes he has slashed (he has cut the Vehicle Registration Tax, btw [cost the city 67 million dollars]) but the combination of tax cuts and supposed service increases he's promised while simultaneously claiming he can cut a billion of waste out of city hall with absolutely no specifics. Never did I say that he has already accomplished something, I'm saying if he does accomplish what he wants, Toronto is in for a world of hurt.

All that waste added up to what? 57 million? That's about 950 million short.

Edited January 11, 2011 by nicky10013

[Black Dog]

ame='treehugger' date='10 January 2011 - 07:07 PM' timestamp='1294704472' post='614799']

So far it isn't about what taxes he has slashed (he has cut the Vehicle Registration Tax, btw [cost the city 67 million dollars]) but the combination of tax cuts and supposed service increases he's promised while simultaneously claiming he can cut a billion of waste out of city hall with absolutely no specifics. Never did I say that he has already accomplished something, I'm saying if he does accomplish what he wants, Toronto is in for a world of hurt.

All that waste added up to what? 57 million? That's about 950 million short.

He's also targeting the land transfer tax which brings in $200M a year in revenue.