[Monarch Butterfly]

Because of the current fiscal conservatism we have at City Hall, we are slowly turning Toronto into a Canadian Detroit, by the looks of things. The city can't even afford to clean up the weeds growing out of the sidewalks.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

We can't afford another four years of Rob Ford. In 2018, vote for a candidate that will clean up this city, and make Toronto great again.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Because of the current fiscal conservatism we have at City Hall, we are slowly turning Toronto into a Canadian Detroit, by the looks of things. The city can't even afford to clean up the weeds growing out of the sidewalks.

Under mayor Tory, Toronto has become a decrepit third world dump. More similar to North Korea (Googles "country worse than North Korea") or Eritrea than any cosmopolitan world city. Did you see what Kiefer Sutherland had to go through?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/kiefer-sutherland-ttc-1.3754432

 

[JWBF]

Except for the greening of the lines in the sidewalk of one pic, the growths are contained in the "boulevards"... just saying.

Because of the current fiscal conservatism we have at City Hall, we are slowly turning Toronto into a Canadian Detroit, by the looks of things. The city can't even afford to clean up the weeds growing out of the sidewalks.

 

[Videodrome]

I would be down with a left leaning challenger. No one wants to take it up though...

 

[DSCToronto]

Because of the current fiscal conservatism we have at City Hall, we are slowly turning Toronto into a Canadian Detroit, by the looks of things. The city can't even afford to clean up the weeds growing out of the sidewalks.

I think you are exaggerating just a tad.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I would be down with a left leaning challenger. No one wants to take it up though...

The problem is how do you separate the left from the fairly indefensible unionism that promotes the status quo - not because of a love for services that matters per se but because their members are the beneficiary of such stasis?

AoD

 

[MetroMan]

I would be thoroughly entertained if Miller ran in 2018 and again defeated Tory. I'm sure he's at least considered the idea. Surely this editorial didn't come out of nowhere

David Miller is very happy at WWF.

... I heard that Vince McMahon is going to make him World Champion.

I doubt he'd want to re-enter politics. He left so he could focus on his children who I assume are nearly grown up at this point. But just as they're leaving the nest, why would he want to work 18 hour days as Mayor when he has a cushy CEO position at an internationally respected organization with worldwide influence?

I'd love it if he ran again and won though I have a feeling he'd meet Barabara Hall's embarrassing fate.

 

[sixrings]

Tory wanted to be mayor post 60 and Ford never worked anything resembling a 18 hour day

 

[TheTigerMaster]

I think you are exaggerating just a tad.

I'm pretty sure that post was in humour.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

David Miller is very happy at WWF.

... I heard that Vince McMahon is going to make him World Champion.

I doubt he'd want to re-enter politics. He left so he could focus on his children who I assume are nearly grown up at this point. But just as they're leaving the nest, why would he want to work 18 hour days as Mayor when he has a cushy CEO position at an internationally respected organization with worldwide influence?

I'd love it if he ran again and won though I have a feeling he'd meet Barabara Hall's embarrassing fate.

Politicians don't write editorials for the sake of writing editorials. Maybe this is Miller's attempt of testing the waters and seeing if the left would be accepting of him and his arguments, or maybe he's simply dissatisfied with Tory's performance and is trying to scare Tory back to the left. What's certain is that Miller understands that this editorial would get political insiders and observers from across the city musing about him potentially running in 2018. That has me thinking that it's more probable than not that he is considering running in some significant capacity. Do I expect him to run in 2018? No. But would I be surprised if he did? Not really.

Regarding his children, Miller has expressed openness to the idea of running once his children were grown up. Perhaps his care for the city is deep enough to leave his cushy WWF job.

As for his electoral chances, remember that we elected city-building John "CivicAction" Tory. What has been delivered is John "Rob Ford" Tory (analogy stolen from @shawnmichallef). It can't be taken for granted that the progressive wing of the city would be willing to vote for him again. Tory's poll numbers may be high now, but he has an incredibly weak record (especially on progressive issues, city building, etc...) and its possible a talented orator could expose Tory's weak record to Torontoninans (who, during the current mid term, are politically disengaged) and convince the more progressive Torontoninans not to vote for him again. Miller is capable of playing that role. In an election between two conservatives (Ford and Ford Lite) and one progressive, the progressive has a good shot at winning. It's no slam dunk, but there is a path to victory.

Perhaps the better question is whether or not the left has anyone better than Miller to run in 2018?

 

[adma]

Perhaps the better question is whether or not the left has anyone better than Miller to run in 2018?

I can see Wong-Tam faring better than Chow did in '14.

 

[salsa]

As for his electoral chances, remember that we elected city-building John "CivicAction" Tory. What has been delivered is John "Rob Ford" Tory (analogy stolen from @shawnmichallef).

John Tory didn't run as a progressive city-builder in this election. He ran as a right wing Ford Lite candidate, and delivered.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

John Tory didn't run as a progressive city-builder in this election. He ran as a right wing Ford Lite candidate, and delivered.

Those aren't mutually exclusive. As usual, Tory was trying to be all things to all people. Selling himself to conservatives as someone who will keep taxes low, while enticing more progressive minds with the $7 Billion, 60 kilometre, 22 station SmartTrack "surface subways" plans, and other commitments, such as not increasing TTC fares. This should be quite apparent if you witnessed more progressive minds singing praises of Tory and his SmartTrack plan during the campaign (including right here on UT).

SmartTrack was the centrepiece of his campaign. It has now been diluted down to essentially nothing, in perhaps the greatest bait-and-switch in Toronto's political history. Will progressives that voted for Tory vote for this again?

 

[animatronic]

Re: the Miller memo, don't forget there are about to be NDP leadership races at the federal and most likely provincial levels in the near future.