MetaFilter posts tagged with robford

For Sale: A Video of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Smoking Crack Cocaine

(Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:39:46 -0800

"Rob Ford, Toronto's conservative mayor, is a wild lunatic given to making bizarre racist pronouncements and randomly slapping refrigerator magnets on cars. One reason for this is that he smokes crack cocaine. I know this because I watched him do it, on a videotape. He was fucking hiiiiigh. It's for sale if you've got six figures." [single link Gawker]

The gravy won

mightygodking — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 07:49:12 -0800

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford (previously, also previously) has been kicked out of office for violating the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act after being found to have deliberately voted at city council on a measure related to his own pecuniary interests (previously). Full decision here. Ford may run for Mayor again in 2014. (Ford is widely expected to appeal the decision and request that the order be stayed in the meantime.)

Going off the rails on a Gravy Train

spoobnooble II: electric bugaboo — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 12:38:43 -0800

Don't look now, but Toronto mayor (and perennial Metafilter favourite) Rob Ford may be kicked out of office due to a conflict of interest charge. Not that it needed to come to this. Still, this could put an end to one of the strangest mayoralties in Canadian history (and this is coming from the city that elected Mel Lastman twice, no less). Ford's term as mayor has become of topic of conversation among many Torontonians, with even his brother Doug and his niece Krista getting in on the ongoing controversy. As for the man himself, Rob Ford believes the voters and not the courts should decide whether he stays or goes.

Being fired for being honest

mightygodking — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:20:04 -0800

Gary Webster is the general manager for the Toronto Transit Commission. Last year, Mayor Rob Ford (previously), after cancelling the Transit City light rail expansion in favour of a subway into Toronto's east end (also previously), asked Webster to prepare a report on the viability of such a subway line. Webster did so, and gave his honest opinion, which was that the Sheppard subway was not economically viable. Ford buried the report, and after the Toronto Star discovered its existence, Ford then requested that Webster speak to City Council about the pros and cons of subways and light rail. Webster advised against subways as City Council overruled Ford and reinstated a light rail-based transit plan. Ford's allies on the Toronto Transit Commission then petitioned for a special meeting to fire Webster (despite severance clauses that could cost the city more than a million dollars). They voted 5-4 to fire Gary Webster this afternoon. (Torontoist's liveblog of the meeting.)

Toronto's own little war on an abstract noun.

ricochet biscuit — Mon, 30 May 2011 08:30:47 -0800

Mayor Rob Ford of Toronto (previously, previouslier, and previousliest) is cracking down on graffiti in Hogtown with a Graffiti Abatement Program. However, with small business owners facing steep fines for failing to remove graffiti, independent removal services charging handsomely to remove it (with power washers which can damage building facings and which also sweep aerosol paint residue into the sewers and Lake Ontario) and taggers being regularly presented with fresh canvasses to work on, which starts the cycle once again, the system seems insupportable. As an aside, Ontario has a provincial election in October, and Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak says if elected, he will use Ontario prisoners to clean up graffiti.

Murray 4 Mayor: Let's just call it Skydome

krunk — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 08:42:02 -0800

As mentioned previously, Toronto's mayoral candidates are almost farcical, with the most boring candidate caught in a sex scandal, another candidate who has the world's worst case of foot in mouth disease, and another who thought that presenting himself as a Mafia Don was a good idea. Thankfully, there's still Steve Murray. Because Toronto deserves something. If only he hadn't missed the registration deadline. Steve's job when he isn't running for mayor is columnist, cartoonist and illustrator for the National Post. Here's his post announcing his candidacy.