“I haven’t ruled it out.”
- Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong – a member of Mayor Rob Ford’s executive committee – when asked if he’s planning his own run for mayor.
Posts Tagged ‘city hall’
The unanswered questions and Mayor Rob Ford’s answers so far in this scandal
Mayor Rob Ford has been clear he’s not answering any more questions about the crack cocaine allegations. But what are the questions he won’t answer? Here’s a rundown:
- Have you ever smoked crack cocaine?
- Have you used any illegal drugs while in office?
- How do you know murder victim Anthony Smith?
- What are the circumstances around that photograph of you and Anthony Smith?
- If that is where the photo was taken, why were you at the house on 15 Windsor Road?
- How do you know the family that lives at 15 Windsor Rd.?
- Why did your former chief of staff Mark Towhey want you to go to rehab?
- Why did your two spokesmen quit just days after you gave your only statement about the crack allegations?
- Why are you so confident there is no video of you smoking crack cocaine?
- Did you tell your staff that the video could be found at a Dixon Rd. apartment building?
- Is there “anything else” that residents should know about you?
Three weeks after the crack cocaine allegations first surfaced, here’s a synopsis of what Mayor Rob Ford has said about the scandal:
- The day after Gawker.com broke the story, he called the allegations “ridiculous”.
- A week later, Ford gave a short statement saying: “I do not use crack cocaine nor am I an addict of crack cocaine.”
- In the same statement, Ford said he couldn’t comment “on a video that I have never seen or does not exist.”
- Ford also claimed he was being “judged by the media without any evidence.”
- The mayor has said the allegations have “taken a great toll on my family and my friends and the great people of Toronto.”
- He blamed his silence in the first week of the scandal on advice from his lawyer who advised him “not to say a word.”
- Ford has maintained it is “business as usual at City Hall” and that “everything is fine.”
- Amid a flurry of resignations from his office, Ford said he wouldn’t speak about personnel issues but wished departing staff all the best.
- In response to a question about the video and the picture from a caller into his radio show Ford said: “Number one, there is no video, so that’s all I can say. I can’t comment on something that doesn’t exist … And I take pictures with everybody. Everywhere I go, as of last night, I take pictures with everyone.”
- On the same radio show, Ford called the media a “bunch of maggots”. The next day, he apologized for that comment.
- Since his radio show, Ford has refused to answer any further questions about the scandal responding to questions with either the phrase “anything else?” or “I’ve already addressed this.”
- On Tuesday, Ford told the Sun he believes he’ll “absolutely” survive this controversy because: “I’m a hard worker and I watch taxpayers’ money. I’ve saved a billion dollars over two years and I help people out and I return every single phone call and every email that comes into my office — like a great politician should do and there is very few of us left.”
- Asked if he’ll ever address the outstanding questions, Ford maintained “I’ve addressed them already.”
Quote of the Day: Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon on “Ford Fatigue”
“I have Ford fatigue. Every time I open the paper it is something to do with our mayor and not usually in a good light. We did great stuff at audit committee this morning and that’s not being profiled in the media. I wish the great things we were doing at City Hall were profiled more.”
- Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon on the ongoing Mayor Rob Ford crack scandal.
Go Leafs Go: Mayor Rob Ford
Ahead of the start of the Toronto Maple Leafs playoff run, Mayor Rob Ford declared Monday Blue and White Day. Here’s the proclamation he signed and read out Wednesday:
Blue and White Day
May 6, 2013
WHEREAS after nine seasons without playoff hockey, the Toronto Maple Leafs will host the Boston Bruins for game three of the best of seven series.
Having captured Lord Stanley’s Cup 13 times in the team’s history, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ long journey back to the playoffs is finally over after a successful regular season of hard work, determination and perseverance.
This Eastern Conference quarter-final matchup is the first time since 1974 that these two storied Original Six franchises have met in post-season action.
The thrill of playoff hockey is in the air throughout our city. The intense excitement leading up to this first home playoff game since the 2004 season, truly brings out “the passion that unites us all.”
At the heart of the greatest hockey market in the world, Toronto Maple Leafs fans bleed blue and white. It is through enormous loyalty, support and pride from Leafs Nation across the globe that makes Toronto the world’s greatest hockey city, and Leafs fans some of the most dedicated in all of sports.
It is time for new memories to be made, heroes to emerge and fans to unite as we wish the Toronto Maple Leafs the best of luck in the 2013 National Hockey League playoffs.
NOW THEREFORE, I, Mayor Rob Ford, on behalf of Toronto City Council, do hereby proclaim May 6, 2013 as “Blue and White Day” and encourage everyone to wear blue and white to support our Toronto Maple Leafs in their quest for the Stanley Cup.
Mayor Rob Ford
… The last time City Hall went Cup crazy
Back in 2004, the last time the Toronto Maple Leafs made the playoffs, it didn’t end well for the Buds or Toronto City Council.
Here’s a picture from our Sun archives of then-Mayor David Miller wearing a Philadelphia Flyers jersey to settle a bet on the Leafs. Miller was joined in the photo by Councillors Michael Thompson, David Soknacki, George Mammoliti, Mark Grimes, Bill Saundercook and Norm Kelly.
The caption at the time pointed out despite the Flyers jerseys, as you can see, “underneath they are true Leafs fans.”
Hopefully this playoff run goes a little better for the Leafs – and Toronto city council.
Go Leafs Go!
Mayor Rob Ford wants the province to go to the polls
Mayor Rob Ford at City Hall on April 3, 2013 (Dave Abel, Toronto Sun)
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford thinks Ontario should go to the polls this May.
Ford said Wednesday there should “absolutely” be a provincial election this spring.
“I’m in favour of having a provincial election,” he said. “I think people want to go to the polls and send a message.”
The mayor said “there could be a lot of interesting issues” the province could debate during an election.
Ford’s comments come as his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, is openly musing (again) about running for the provincial Progressive Conservatives and daring Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne to call a May election (story here).
Fishy news out of Mayor Rob Ford’s office
The fish tank inside the staff area of Mayor Rob Ford’s office at City Hall
Mayor Rob Ford’s office is short a fish.
One of the goldfish in the fish tank inside the mayor’s office staff area died last week. The aquarium is a familiar sight to anyone walking around the second floor of City Hall.
I’m told the fish that was found floating in the tank was named Olivia after former mayor’s office staffer Olivia Gondek.
There is also a fish named Earl – after Ford’s deputy chief of staff Earl Provost – but he’s still swimming around.
No word yet if Ford has plans to replace the lost fish.
Mayor Rob Ford is not on reddit
Mayor Rob Ford at Newstalk 1010 on Sunday, March 10, 2013 (photo by Michael Peake/Toronto Sun)
A Mayor Rob Ford reddit account (link here) caught a lot of people’s attention recently.
While Ford’s office maintains a Facebook and Twitter page, a reddit account would be a new online medium for the embattled mayor. The account has generated a fair number of comments from reddit users asking serious questions about the mayor’s policies along with the Internet’s usual jokes and jibes.
But Ford’s spokesman confirmed Tuesday the reddit page isn’t an official account.
“It’s not ours,” press secretary George Christopoulos told the Sun.
“That post is not from the mayor’s office.”
It’s probably not Ford’s biggest problem right now (story on Sarah Thomson’s allegations here) but it is another weird story to roll out of this mayor’s City Hall.
Ass-Gate in quotes
Sarah Thomson speaks to reporters in front of City Hall on Friday (Don Peat/Toronto Sun)
Here’s a rundown from beginning to end of who said what Friday after Sarah Thomson alleged Mayor Rob Ford grabbed her “ass” and made an inappropriate remark:
“Thought it was a friendly hello to Toronto Mayor Rob Ford at the CJPAC Action Party tonight until he suggested I should have been in Florida with him last week because his wife wasn’t there. Seriously wanted to punch him in the face. Happy International Women’s Day!”
- Sarah Thomson’s caption on her Facebook page early Friday morning of her photo with Mayor Rob Ford
1) “I’ve never seen him so out of it. I know I shouldn’t be pissed but after spending 10 months on the campaign trail together you expect a little bit of respect at the very least for my husband.”
2) “Frederick guess where his hand was in this picture? I must go shower….”
3) “Anyone who talked to him tonight could see he was out of it – I’m venting because I thought on the respect for women level he was better than that.”
4) “Is grabbing someone ass assault?”
- Sarah Thomson’s four subsequent comments on her Facebook photo of her and the mayor.
“He put his hand down and grabbed my ass.”
“I think he now needs to apologize. I think the best thing to do would be to say, I’m sorry this happened and move on.”
- Sarah Thomson speaking to reporters in front of City Hall Friday morning.
“I put it on Facebook because I believe in Facebook. I think it is a great way to get people talking about issues.”
- Sarah Thomson on why she raised the issue on Facebook
“(She said to her assistant) I’m going to go upstairs, we’re going to set up the mayor, get a picture of his hand near your ass and then I’m going to use that picture in the next mayor’s election because I’m going to be the next mayor.”
- Richmond Hill Councillor Carmine Perrelli in an interview with the Sun
“Early this morning, false allegations were made regarding a number of disgusting actions. I am shocked, dismayed and surprised. I can say without hesitation that they are absolutely, completely false. What is more surprising is that a woman who has aspired to be a civic leader would cry wolf on a day where we should be celebrating women across the globe.”
- Mayor Rob Ford’s statement released around 12:30 p.m. Friday
“If someone can explain to me how we can set up an ‘ass grab’ I would like to know. The worst part of this experience is seeing how the boys club of politics stick together. Those that were commenting on my physique last night are calling me liar today. This being my first big political outing with my new boss at my new job has really taught me a lot.”
- Sarah Patterson, Sarah Thomson’s executive assistant, in an interview with the Women’s Post magazine posted online Friday.
“I don’t screw around (and) I never have … You can accuse me of all kinds of things but never accuse me of stealing or screwing around.”
- Mayor Rob Ford in an interview Friday with the Sun’s Sue-Ann Levy
“I would like to take a lie-detector test and prove to people he said it to me. I’d like him to come down with me, let’s go down to the police station, let’s get a lie-detector test and see who is telling the truth here.”
- Sarah Thomson on Newstalk 1010′s John Tory show
“There was definitely something wrong with (Ford) … I have no idea whether he was intoxicated, whether he was on drugs or whether he was having a breakdown. I have no idea what happened.”
- Sarah Thomson on Newstalk 1010′s John Tory show
Quote of the Day: Lessons from Mayor Rob Ford’s election
“I think we now know that anyone can get to the mayor’s chair through the ballot box.”
- Councillor John Parker speaking Wednesday about next steps if Mayor Rob Ford loses his appeal Friday. Parker was asked if he would support appointing someone to be the city’s next mayor if he believed they couldn’t be elected mayor at the ballot box.