Tuesday’s Headlines

12 comments

1. That Star writer is clued out about “underdogs”? First Ken Woods dropped out 3 weeks ago. Ana Bailao, supported by the construction and development industry raised more money than Giambrone the last time she ran, almost 2 to 1, more than all the candidates combined. Underdog? Hardly.

2. Speaking of the Star, wasn’t Royson’s last story about how great the candidates were ? James you are nothing if not inconsistent.

3. I wrote on my Twitter that Royson James is a purveyor of “Seinfeld journalism”…750 articles where lots happens, but it’s ultimately about nothing. 

4. Scottd,
   The Toronto Star DID NOT say Bailao was an underdog … it merely reported that: “Also running for the seat are Giambrone’s former assistant, Kevin Beaulieu, and Ana Bailao, who lost to Giambrone by 1,200 votes in 2003.”… please give it a rest… or maybe we should talk about Bombardier hosting a fundraiser for the former councillor.

5. Scottd,
   The Star didn’t say Bailao was an underdog… what it said was that Ken Wood was running in Ward 18 and also “running for the seat are Giambrone’s former assistant, Kevin Beaulieu, and Ana Bailao, who lost to Giambrone by 1,200 votes in 2003”. Yes, Wood dropped out BUT he has reentered the race. Also, if we’re going to talk about Bailao (who I don’t support) and her developer support, why don’t we talk about the former councillor and the fundraiser hosted for him by Bombardier. Or maybe that doesn’t fit your agenda.

6. Re: What recession? Businesses snap up Toronto office space
   Falling prices are not an indication of strong demand. Having offices move from the suburbs to the Core is not job creation. From July to August Toronto lost 51,000 jobs while the rest of the CMA gained 15,200.

7. I stand corrected, Ken Woods dropped out but then dropped back in with minutes to go. (?)

8. When ScottD – who clearly wishes he still lived in Giambrone-land tries to distort things, I really must respond. Everything I felt, did and said about running for election inward 18 is logged and timestamped in my blog. I was clear about the reasons I was forced to withdraw on July 21 and explained in the Junction Triangle website: http://www.junctiontriangle.ca/node/441?page=1#comment-1931 – another site where ScottD strives to tear down anything and anyone that doesn’t agree with his myopic NDP vision. I have nothing to apologize for and I am running to win just like every candidate who plunks down their $100 and commits to having their name on the ballot. That’s democracy. Get over it ScottD. I am an independent and not tied to any party machine – and proud of that.

9. Ken – It’s too bad you couldn’t correct ScottD without also attacking him. Is that how you’re going to work “WITH” people, as you so emphatically state on your campaign blog? Or does the Ward 18 administration of Ken Wood plan to conduct tests of a constituents myopathy before decided whether or not a specific complaint or request has merit? Will ardent NDP supporters even be allowed into your office?

   You might consider that when posting on a civic affairs site like Spacing that you will likely be exposed to potential voters. And in that case, you’d do well to be a bit more…democratic. Or at the very least, more politically savvy when addressing a member of the general electorate, even if said person doesn’t live in your riding. 

   And if I could air a personal beef. Not being tied to a political party doesn’t mean you aren’t tied to an ideology. Parties are handy in that they help put one’s ideology on full display. An independent like yourself can claim to be free of baggage, but in reality you’re just hiding your baggage under this blanket of “independence”. Rob Ford claims to be free of party nonsense, but he’s the most obvious Harris Tory, since Big Mike himself.

   You must have an ideology, why else would anyone vote for you? And it’s likely your ideology meets with the ideology of any number of political parties, at certain points. So maybe you’re a closet Liberal and don’t want to admit it. Or a secret Conservative and want to keep it that way. How should I know? You might be a loon. At least if you were waving the flag of the “Looney Party” I’d know. We’re communal animals. At some point people are not only going to want to know where you stand, but also who you stand with. 

10. Josh, thank you for your posting. You are right – I need to not be drawn into attacking back a person whose method of communicating is to attack someone they don’t even know – and vice-versa. I don’t think I’ve met Scott face to face, although he may have been at some of the debates.
    So far the campaign in ward 18 has been pretty civil, although there has been some significant background noise on some commentary websites and especially on Twitter, where anonymous people can slag at will without disclosing their identity.
    Politicians, whether from partisan parties or independents are people just like anyone else. Running for public office should not mean that you sit back and just ‘take it’ when someone repeatedly tries to tear you down. I guess that’s why campaigns bring out the best and worst in people. Perhaps that is still okay, since I doubt any of us want someone too meek to stand up for the ward at city council.
    As to your point on ‘independents’: again right – partially in my view. Yes, independents must have an ideology, a set of beliefs, values, perspectives – otherwise how could anyone know what they stand for? The partially is that political parties are like guilds or cults or clubs (choose whatever is least offensive). They demand that members subscribe to certain points of ideology, whether the member fully believes that or not. They demand loyalty and expect once elected they deliver on those beliefs, which sometimes may be at odds with what constituents want. Thus, they are tainted and restricted in what they cfan or must accomplish. Independents at least have no such apparatus that they must be beholden to. Anyone claiming independence has a right to say what he or she believes is in the best interest of voters.
    Again thanks for your post. Point and lesson taken.

11. looks like scottd has performed his Sean Avery role admirably once again.

12. Ken – Thanks for the gracious reply. Indeed one should not stand by and let others sully their name.