Big rally calling for Rob Ford to resign at noon, City Hall

[Jennifer_]

Exactly my point.

I am sure that big media companies would fork out 200k without blinking, just to get the exclusive report on 6pm news.

I have a lot of friends who live downtown and don't know a single person who is a Ford supporter, (well other than some of my clients lol). I know a lot of people who have become passionate about politics since Ford became our Mayor.

From what I see and hear every day, the media is representative of a huge portion of Toronto.

That said I'm glad that the Star didn't pay for the video, (as is their policy).

I stopped by city hall after the actual protest. (I didn't even know what time it started though I did get the Facebook invite - just didn't read it thoroughly)

People were everywhere writing chalk messages and taking pictures. There were far more than 300 people voicing their disdain for Robbie throughout the day.

 

[Fred Zed]

Not sure if it is apropro to mention it but I recall that there was a low rent escort "review" website that played on the TERB name and accused you and otehr people in the industry of some pretty heinous things. The accusations on their face were so ridiculous and expressed by someone who is clearly out of their mind that I paid them no heed whatsoever. And I suspect that you did not either

LOL, because we could not find him. The website was registered in a foreign country and his webhost would not release his info. Internet laws in that country are different than Canada or the US. Not to mention that everything under that website's registration was fake.

 

[Rockslinger]

There were far more than 300 people voicing their disdain for Robbie throughout the day.

CTV estimated around 500 heads but they were really really LOUD heads so a blind person might mistakenly think there was a mob of 100,000.

 

[Jennifer_]

CTV estimated around 500 heads but they were really really LOUD heads so a blind person might mistakenly think there was a mob of 100,000.

I'm not blind and can count lol

As I just said, not everyone who stopped by today was there during the actual time the rally was being held (including me)

 

[Lexxi]

I have a lot of friends who live downtown and don't know a single person who is a Ford supporter, (well other than some of my clients lol). I know a lot of people who have become passionate about politics since Ford became our Mayor.

From what I see and hear every day, the media is representative of a huge portion of Toronto.

That said I'm glad that the Star didn't pay for the video, (as is their policy).

I stopped by city hall after the actual protest. (I didn't even know what time it started though I did get the Facebook invite - just didn't read it thoroughly)

People were everywhere writing chalk messages and taking pictures. There were far more than 300 people voicing their disdain for Robbie throughout the day.

I am not FOR or AGAINST Ford. I just don't see why media picks on Ford left, right and centre. As far as I know, he hasn't done anything serious to harm the city. (In my opinion, something serious would be: using city's money for personal use, stealing from the budget, assigning city contracts to relatives or friends...etc.) One the other hand, Harper's team has defrauded Canadians out of billions (of the top of my head: Fighter jets, useless submarines, useless helicopters) that has been proved by facts....why aren't people calling for his resignation?

 

[RemyMartin]

I have a lot of friends who live downtown and don't know a single person who is a Ford supporter,

Fugi said : You made that up, you have no friends.

 

[SchlongConery]

LOL, because we could not find him. The website was registered in a foreign country and his webhost would not release his info. Internet laws in that country are different than Canada or the US. Not to mention that everything under that website's registration was fake.

What if someone said you did not try hard enough to find him to restore your good name? Or in the case of Ford, what if you DID try hard to find him? What if people said because you run an internet business that deals with and you cavort with pimps, hookers and John's that you could not be trusted and that -who knows- maybe Dellen Millard has funded TERB? :eyebrows:

Not that I beleive any of this shit but I am just making the point of how there are many ways to deal with unsubstantiated allegations. Ignoring them is often the most prudent.

Or you can go all Miss CaLoki on someone! LOL!

 

[ericdf11]

Miller is not the mayor anymore, thankfully

 

[Ref]

Mel may have been clownlike

LOL! Mel was an international embarrassment to the city and the country.

You keep on forgetting (which seems a familiar theme for you...) that:

* Racist Comment re Kenya: Per Wikipedia - "What the hell do I want to go to a place like Mombasa?... I'm sort of scared about going out there, but the wife is really nervous. I just see myself in a pot of boiling water with all these natives dancing around me." The remarks sparked a firestorm of controversy, with much speculation that they would offend African IOC members and endanger Toronto's bid. Lastman apologized profusely for those remarks.

* Hells Angels: Per Wikipedia - In January 2002, Lastman was ridiculed for hugging and shaking hands with members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang when they held a convention in Toronto. Lastman later claimed that he didn't know that the Hells Angels were involved in selling illegal drugs.

* Death Threat: Per Wikipedia - After his wife Marilyn was caught shoplifting from an Eaton's store in Toronto, he threatened to kill CITY-TV reporter Adam Vaughan unless he stopped reporting on his family

* CNN & SARS: Per Wikipedia - During the 2003 SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) crisis, Lastman did an interview on CNN. When he was asked what the World Health Organization was doing about the crisis, Lastman replied "They don't know what they're talking about. I don't know who this group is. I've never heard of them before."

* Father of the Year: Per Wikipedia - During his reign as mayor, Lastman and his wife held a surprise news conference announcing that he had a 14 year long extramarital affair with Grace Louie, a former Bad Boy employee. Louie, along with her two sons by Lastman, sued for 6 million dollars claiming that they were his illegitimate children but had not received sufficient child support. Lastman denied responsibility for the two children and successfully fought them off when they tried to claim a share of his estate, although it was already revealed that he was indeed their father

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Lastman

A few more famous quotes from Mel (courtesy of The Star):

1. "Too many parents think all they have to do is give birth and walk away." Spoken in 1979, before it was revealed Lastman's mistress's children were living in poverty at the time.
2. "You will never be mayor of this city because you say stupid and dumb things!"
Spoken to David Miller in 2002, a year before Miller was elected mayor.
3. "(There are) no homeless in North York."
Spoken during his 1997 bid to become mayor of Toronto, a day before a homeless woman was found dead at a North York gas station.
4. "Take a look at Yonge St., it looks like a flea market. It's the longest street in the world, but it looks like hell. There's a big store that hangs jeans and ladies' clothes outside, and that's bulls---."
Media interview, 1998.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2009/07/10/five_controversial_quotes_from_mayor_mel_lastman.html

Straight to Mel!

A hilarious site highlighting the numerous goofs and embarrassing moments of the former mayor...

http://harriscide.tripod.com/mel.htm

A snap shot in time - A look at how people felt about Mel near the end of his tenure... http://www.tribemagazine.com/board/tribe-main-forum/10233-quote-year-mel-lastman.html Similar to Ford now...

Lastman & Ford - Twins?

* Mel and Ford both received the ticket to the Mayor-ship with strong support from the suburban cities, while their chief opponent took the old Toronto vote
* Mel won his second term by a landslide - Gee, wonder ho Ford will do?
* They both have looney spouses
* They both say the dumbest things
* They both hate Adam Vaughan

But, for OJ, he was a clown!

 

[KBear]

LOL, actually it's 500+ and btw CTV just reported a rally was also planned for Ford supporters at Nathan Phillips sq but no one showed up.

More left wing propaganda put out to deflect attention away from the dismal turnout at the antiFord rally.

The pro Ford rallies were held at Tim Horton’s locations throughout the GTA suburbs. Turnout was excellent, and no graffiti was left behind by the supporters.

 

[GPIDEAL]

I think the unions, NDP and OCAP will be the logical attendees.

...and it will be the vocal extreme minority

 

[Fred Zed]

The pro Ford rallies were held at Tim Horton’s locations throughout the GTA suburbs. Turnout was excellent, and no graffiti was left behind by the supporters.

I guess the Ford rallies were not shown on tv due to a left wing conspiracy too.

 

[KBear]

Exactly my point.

I am sure that big media companies would fork out 200k without blinking, just to get the exclusive report on 6pm news.

Maybe, but the asking price was supposedly more like $20K-$40K at first, Gawker came up with the $200K, guessing because it sounds better and makes the video seem more legit/valuable.

Is too bad the alleged guys trying to sell the alleged video never connected with CTV, or CP24, CBC, CityNews, Global, CFRB, 640News, etc, some of them even have helicopters/$$$. But they never got the chance to view or bid on the video. Only The Star and then US blog site Gawker were involved.

 

[Jennifer_]

Maybe, but the asking price was supposedly more like $20K-$40K at first, Gawker came up with the $200K, guessing because it sounds better and makes the video seem more legit/valuable.

Is too bad the alleged guys trying to sell the alleged video never connected with CTV, or CP24, CBC, CityNews, Global, CFRB, 640News, etc, some of them even have helicopters/$$$. But they never got the chance to view or bid on the video. Only The Star and then US blog site Gawker were involved.

They contacted the Sun too but the editor at the Sun turned it down before being told what was on the video.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle12218301/

Toronto Sun editor was given pitch for Ford video, but declined



An editor in the Toronto Sun newsroom received a call from someone shopping around the video that is alleged to show mayor Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine before Gawker and the Star broke the story almost two weeks ago, but the offer was short on specifics and did not mention drug use, according to the paper’s editor, so it was dismissed.

“The question that was put, was – would we be willing to pay for a Rob Ford story, there was some video that they had,” James Wallace said in an interview on Tuesday afternoon. “My understanding is there was no mention of crack, no mention of the mayor smoking. It was a generic inquiry whether we paid for stories, and that there was a video that would be embarrassing to the mayor.”

Noting that would not be unusual – he cited the video showing the mayor emerging from a KFC outlet during a public weight-loss campaign – Mr. Wallace said the editor likely dismissed the potential news value of the offer.

If there had been more details, “we would have absolutely tried to take a look at it, tried to get a hold of it,” said Mr. Wallace, who explained that he learned about the call in the last couple of days. “The editor didn’t talk with me, and I’m pretty sure was under the impression that it was a crank call,” he said. “Do I feel a little bit stupid about that now? Yes, because, had I known, I would have had someone follow up.”

The news that the Sun, one of the mayor’s staunchest allies in the press, had been offered the video comes as both Rob Ford and his brother Doug Ford dismiss the scandal as the work of “one news organization” – the Toronto Star, which has a notoriously toxic relationship with the Fords. In the past week, Sun editors and columnists have repeatedly chastised the mayor for his clumsy handling of the allegations.

Mr. Wallace said no one on his staff has seen the video, but they are actively working to track it down. “The allegations will at some point be either proven wholly or in part,” he said. “There’s a lot of media working on the story now, it’s gone too far down the road now. At some point the facts of the matter will come out.” He added: “If we had the video, if we determined the video was legitimate, we would post it in a New York minute.”

 

[Rockslinger]

You really think he is just like Hazel McCallion,

Hazel may have to resign if found guilty of conflict of interest (for the second time in her career).

If you really think all Mayors are that bad, heaven help us all.

Former mayors of Laval and Montreal are the subjects of corruption investigations. Mayor Joe Fontana is fighting fraud charges in court (plus other charges and allegations of misdeeds). And Hazel is waiting for a court decision in her conflict of interest case,

 

[KBear]

They contacted the Sun too but the editor at the Sun turned it down before being told what was on the video.

I posted the link yesterday in another thread - no time to find it right now.

Yes, I know someone contacted a few news agencies about a video. CFRB tried to see the video, but the sellers flaked out.

 

[Rockslinger]

I just don't see why media picks on Ford left, right and centre. As far as I know, he hasn't done anything serious to harm the city. (In my opinion, something serious would be: using city's money for personal use, stealing from the budget, assigning city contracts to relatives or friends...etc.)

I hear you. If Mayor Ford committed a crime then let the police and the courts do their jobs. Isn't that why we have the police and the courts (the courts are where Hazel McCallion and Joe Fontana are having their fates decided)? We stopped public lynching 150 years ago.

 

[Rockslinger]

And that reverse onus is unfair.

It is totally unfair. For example, if The Star accuses Schlong of possessing a 1" cock, is the onus on Schlong to prove that he doesn't (or does he?)?

 

[geezer]

I hope he does not resign. Regardless of your opinion of Rob Ford, it would be an outrage to have him removed from office based on unproved allegations. As far as pursuing litigation against the Toronto Star, there is little to pursue. If you read the articles they are very careful to say that the video 'appears' to be Rob Ford, not that it is Rob Ford. Every published attack on Ford has been vetted by the corporate legal team to minimize their exposure. If Ford is out of office for any other reason than a public election, then you might as well let the Star appoint the next mayor. I am not a big Rob Ford fan, but this endless harassment and persecution by the Star goes too far.

 

[wigglee]

It is totally unfair. For example, if The Star accuses Schlong of possessing a 1" cock, is the onus on Schlong to prove that he doesn't (or does he?)?

is it also totally unfair that 6 of Ford's staff would rather quit their job than play along with the lies? This video story didn't just come out of thin air in an otherwise typical mayoral term. His term has been a shit show of epic and outrageous proportions. The dude has fucked up from day one and it just keeps getting exponentially worse . Blaming the Star is a tired and lame attempt at deflecting the spotlight from the star of this shit show....the one , the only, his lordship, the Tim Horton's Doughboy himself, the Royal Flatulence, the man with the velcro tongue....RRRRRRRRRRRRob Foooooord!!!!