Toronto Sun photographer Craig Robertson got this shot of Mayor Rob Ford and his brother city councillor, Doug Ford, getting a visit from one of the Toronto Zoo’s marmots during the Mayor’s radio talk show on Sunday May 12, 2013. Robertson reports the Ford brothers didn’t want to get too close to the agitated animal.
Posts Tagged ‘rob ford’
For whom the road tolls
Mayor Rob Ford was in Scarborough Tuesday to kick off the start of Toronto’s 2013 road construction season.
When Ford makes public appearances in the suburbs he usually gets an enthusiastic welcome and sure enough, residents seemed pretty happy to see him along Kingston Rd.
One truck driver even used the L-word as he passed by Ford’s roadside presser.
“We love you baby, we love you,” he shouted at Ford as he drove by.
A handful of residents that came out to watch the press conference applauded Ford when he spoke about pushing for a casino in the city.
But it wasn’t all compliments.
One resident – who seemed more like a card-carrying member of Ford Nation than a “bike riding pinko” normally dismissed by the mayor – jumped in when reporters were asking questions and gave Ford an earful on road tolls. The unidentified man told Ford the only way the city would get money to repair the roads properly is through tolls on 905 residents coming into the city.
“They’ve got to pay for it not the people of Toronto,” he said.
Ford stuck to his no new taxes and tolls mantra.
“I don’t support these new taxes or revenue tools, whatever you want to call it,” Ford said. “I appreciate the input.”
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: Mayoralty candidate (?) Olivia Chow
“I am considering it.”
- Olivia Chow on running for mayor of Toronto in 2014. Chow made the comment on CBC’s George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight on Wednesday (clip here).
It’s like a slow march to a campaign announcement but it is a step towards the epic political showdown between Chow and Mayor Rob Ford. The NDP MP has moved from saying she’s “listening” to residents telling her to run for mayor of Toronto (story here) to she’s “considering” running for the city’s highest office – that’s a little closer to the buzz we’re hearing at City Hall.
Jose Canseco takes a swing at Mayor Rob Ford (again)
Jose Canseco speaks with This Hour Has 22 Minutes star Mark Critch (Handout photo)
Former Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Canseco is still talking about running for Mayor of Toronto – at least to This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
I’m told Canseco is on the CBC comedy show tonight (Feb. 19, 2013) at 8:30 p.m. talking about why his mayoralty run would be a “grand slam”.
Canseco made headlines in January when he openly talked about running to replace current Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. Although Canseco can’t run for mayor unless he moves to Toronto, he still takes swings at Ford – he calls him Rod rather than Rob – on his Twitter account from time to time.
In a promo clip of tonight’s 22 Minutes episode it looks like Canseco will take a couple more whacks at Ford. No really, he’s going to hit a baseball with Ford’s picture on it (see photo below). Be curious to hear what Ford thinks of that.
Should be worth watching just to see whether this sketch is a comedic home run or it strikes out.
Batter up!
Jose Canseco holds a baseball with Mayor Rob Ford’s face on it (handout photo)
Mayor Rob Ford on why he OK’d $6.8 million in spending
“Let’s call a spade a spade. The left would have taken it and just wanted to spend it on crazy, stupid things like more social programs, more government housing and more this and that and people have had enough.”
- Mayor Rob Ford explains why he changed the 2013 budget at executive committee (story here) to AM640 host Bill Carroll
He’s Baaaaack
Mayor Rob Ford was back in Toronto Wednesday – a week and a half after he left for “personal time off” in Florida.
Ford’s office confirmed he was back from Florida late in the day but have yet to say when he’ll make a public appearance. The last time the mayor was out in the public spotlight was Dec. 9 when he hosted his weekly radio show on Newstalk 1010.
George Christopoulos, Ford’s press secretary, told the Sun that Ford was now at “home with his family”.
Ford’s vacation came just a few days after he won a stay of the court decision ousting him from office.
It’s been a hectic few months for the mayor capped off with a judge’s decision throwing him out of the mayor’s chair back in November. Ford goes to court Jan. 7 to fight for an appeal of the ruling he violated the municipal conflict of interest act and has to vacate his office.
The mayor’s vacation was no vacation for Ford’s brother Councillor Doug Ford. He’s spent the last 10 days defending the mayor’s absence.
“We have bigger things to worry about than Rob going on vacation for a week,” Ford said Monday (story here).
Turns out Mayor Rob Ford correctly called the U.S. election
As U.S. President Barack Obama won re-election Tuesday night you may have heard cheers coming from Mayor Rob Ford’s house in Etobicoke.
Why is the right-wing mayor of Canada’s largest city cheering on a Democrat? Because Obama’s win proves Ford’s brother, Councillor Doug Ford, wrong. Better than that, the brothers bet on it and the Ward 2, Etobicoke North councillor now owes the mayor a dinner.
The Ford brothers made the public bet on the outcome of the U.S. election during their radio show on Sunday (story here).
Ford predicted Obama was going to “smoke” Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
“You’ve heard it first, Obama is going to take it hands down,” the mayor told his Newstalk 1010 show audience.
Brother Doug disagreed.
First, he called the mayor a “leftie” – possibly one of the biggest insults in the Ford family – for prognosticating an Obama victory. Then, he predicted (wrongly as it turns out now) a “landslide for Romney.”
Now with an Obama win, it sounds like Councillor Ford will have to shell out for that nice Italian dinner the mayor put on the line. Mayor Ford specifically wanted that dinner to include veal parmesan, Caesar salad and bruschetta – good thing they still aren’t on that weight-loss campaign.
“I’m going to soak you alive (for that dinner),” the mayor crowed.
It probably probably won’t help Doug’s wallet that he joked: “OK, what’s on the line, what are we betting? Two buckets or three buckets of KFC?” during the election bet discussion on Sunday.
Can’t wait to see that receipt.
Councillor Shelley Carroll’s vote to kill the bag ban isn’t in the bag
Councillor Shelley Carroll (Toronto Sun files)
City council is poised to debate banishing the plastic bag ban this week (story here).
I’m told the vote to reopen the item could be a close one (the member’s motion requires 30 votes).
Mayor Rob Ford went on the radio Sunday and encouraged residents to call their councillors and urge them to toss the ban. Councillor Shelley Carroll sent an email to councillors Monday letting her council colleagues know she’s not on-board with reopening the ban.
One of Carroll’s colleagues passed that email along to the Sun so now you can read it for yourself.
Here’s Carroll’s email:
Hello Dear Colleagues,
I have been asked multiple times this morning my position on Councillor Milczyn’s member motion regarding the Plastic Bag Ban. To save time and to ensure ‘no surprises’, I’m communicating with the whole group.
Since the beginning, I have been sympathetic to a motion to re-open expressly for the purpose of changing the date of implementation. As I pointed out to Peter earlier last week, this has the dual purpose of upholding the will of Council but also acknowledging the necessary implementation work for professional staff.
The current motion, however, is far too broad and could subvert the original position taken by strong majority of Councillors. I informed Peter this morning that I will not be supporting the motion in its current form.
Sincerely, Shelley Carroll