Council debates removing housing board

Kris Scheuer
(For March 10 update click here.)

Mayor Ford shown on the big screen at city council tonight speaking about wanting the current TCH board removed. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

 

Council has been debating for three plus hours now on Mayor Rob Ford’s request that the last four board members of Toronto Community Housing be removed tonight. He wants them replaced tonight by an interim managing director – Case Ootes.
Read the mayor’s letter to council on what he is seeking.
While there are a number of motions be city councillor being debated now (9pm), the main issue comes down to this: the mayor’s request the last four board members councillors Maria Augimeri and Raymind Cho and the two tenant reps Catherine Wilkinson and Dan King be removed as they refuse to step down. Mayor Ford wants those four replaced by one person, former councillor Case Ootes, as the interim managing director.
And the main alternative being debated  tonight is Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam’s motion that the four current reps stay on the board and the interim managing director be added but that he not be paid because as an ex councillor Ootes is already getting severance.
See all the councillors’ motions here.
The debate and media scrum didn’t end until almost 12:30 am Thurs March 10. Here’s the update on the results.

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Heated Ward 26 debate

Don Valley West race a hot one and it shows
Debate in Leaside drew laughs, shouting and boos
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Oct. 20)

WARD 26 CANDIDATES Salim Nawab Khan, left, Shaukat Malik, Yunus Pandor and John Parker answered questions from a packed house at the Leaside Memorial Gardens. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

A Ward 26 all-candidates debate was hot last night and not just because 250 people packed a room inside Leaside Memorial Gardens.
There were questions on job creation, heritage, the arts, transit among others, but things got quite heated when resident Lise Lareau asked who distributed anonymous literature denouncing Mohamed Dhanani’s record.
The one-pager, accuses Dhanani of inflating his resume, being involved in the billion dollar e-health spending scandal when he worked for former health minister George Smitherman. It also questions what Dhanani has promised in exchange for an endorsement of the Toronto York Labour Council.
Lareau asked each candidate to own up or denounce it.
“I had nothing to do with it,” joked Dhanani later adding the info was all lies.

Joe Pantalone debates himself

Pantalone only mayoral hopeful who shows up
A hundred people listen to him talk about why he should be mayor
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Oct. 20)

Joe Pantalone at the YMCA debate as the only candidate who showed up.Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

Is it still a debate if only one mayoral candidate shows up?
The YMCA and Toronto Community Foundation hosted a mayoral debate this morning with George Smitherman, Rob Ford and Joe Pantalone all confirming attendance. But within an hour of the scheduled event, Ford’s campaign pulled out of the debate and then Smitherman followed suit leaving Pantalone as the only one on stage.
Veteran councillor Pantalone had the audience of 100 to himself as he outlined his vision for the city and was asked for commitments on arts, sports and poverty reduction.

Ward 22 all-candidates debate

St. Paul’s council candidates hash out issues 
Kris Scheuer
(Written Oct. 6 for Town Crier.)

 

Ward 22 candidates Josh Matlow, William Molls, Chris Sellors at the Town Crier-sponsored debate. Photo by Francis Crescia/Town Crier.

 

Transit was the hot issue of the night at the Town Crier’s all-candidates debate for St. Paul’s Ward 22.
Seniors, parents with young children came out to the First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto to hear what council candidates Chris Sellors, Josh Matlowand William Molls had to say about development, resident engagement and the TTC.
Sellors doesn’t support the currently approved Transit City plan for light rapid transit lines as he favours subways instead.
“About 96 percent of people I talk to say we should still be in the business of building subways,” said Sellors, who was the executive assistant to retiring councillor Michael Walker.

Toronto mayoral debate on development

Wit and barbs between candidates brightens up debate
Kris Scheuer
(Written for the Town Crier Sept. 16)

Mayoral candidate Rob Ford, "It's hard to miss 300 lbs of fun" he said at debate. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

A few dozen people attended a somewhat lackluster mayoral debate focused on development issues.
Understandably debate’s organizers, the Building Owners and Managers Association, tailored their questions to issues about development charges, commercial property taxes and over-regulation of the industry.
But what made the Sept. 16 debate more lively was the banter, digs and comments between Joe Pantalone, Sarah Thomson, Rob Ford, Rocco Rossi, George Smitherman, considered to be the frontrunners in the race for mayor.
When candidates were asked what they would do in the first 100 days in office to address spending, Ford was inadvertently passed by.
“You missed me. It’s hard to miss 300 pounds of fun,” Ford joked.

Lawrence Heights mayoral debate

Debate in high needs needs ‘hood draws tough questions
Five Toronto mayoral candidates face off on their city vision
Kris Scheuer
(Written July 26 for Town Crier newspaper.)

L-R: Candidates Thomson, Ford, Smitherman, Pantalone, Achampong and debate moderator David Mitchell. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

His opposition to plans to redevelop of Lawrence Heights put mayoral candidate Rob Ford in the hot seat at a recent debate held in the neighbourhood.
At the July 23 debate, one resident accused Ford of carrying a virtual axe to “kill things” as his campaign symbol.
Ford was one of only three councillors who voted against the Lawrence Heights plan July 6 at city council.
Ford responded by saying he didn’t support the plan to replace 1,208 rent-geared-to income units to the area and add around 5,000 private homes because he’d heard opposition from among the 4,000 people who he said signed a petition against the project. But he did support helping residents with access to affordable housing.
“When I drove along Lawrence, every single private apartment that I drove by said bachelor, one bedroom, two bedroom for rent,” said Ford. “We can subsidize your income or rent and put you into private buildings.”

Ward 27 election debate

Game show format tests candidates’ knowledge of area
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for the Town Crier.)

Perry Missal, left, next to Robert Meynell, Kristyn Wong-Tam, Simon Wookey, Enza Anderson and Ken Chan at the debate. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

Rob Salerno listens as Chris Tindal, to his right, Susan Gapka and Ken Chan wait to weigh in. Photo by Kris Scheuer.

It wasn’t your typical debate.
First off, it was held at Fly nightclub. Second, it was done game show style to test the knowledge of the candidates in the most crowded council race in Toronto.
A dozen of the 13 registered Toronto Centre-Rosedale candidates hit the stage for a rowdy session organized by Vote Toronto and hosted by comedian Maggie Cassella.
The event deemed “So you think you can council?” focused on issues from the serious to the fun.
In the spotlight was on Ward 27 candidates Kristyn Wong-Tam, Chris Tindal, Simon Wookey, Rob Salerno, Ella Rebanks, Perry Missal, Robert Meynell, Susan Gapka, Joel Dick, Evan Dean, Ken Chan and Enza Anderson. Paul Spence was the only candidate not in attendance at the June 10 event.

Mayoral hopefuls debate development

Ideas range from status quo to reducing city planners
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier June 17.)

MAYORAL CANDIDATES Rob Ford, Giorgio Mammoliti, Joe Pantalone, Rocco Rossi, George Smitherman and Sarah Thomson (not pictured) debated development and design issues at a June 16 forum. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

Six top Toronto mayoral contenders were on the hot seat at a debate on their vision to make the city more development and design-friendly.
The standing-room only June 16 event at the Art Gallery of Ontario preceded the annual PUG Awards for architectural excellence.
Mayoral candidate Rob Ford focused a lot on his skills as a businessman heading his late father’s company Deco Labels and his plan to save the city money by cutting expenses such as cutting council from 44 to 22 councillors.
But he got heckled more than once to answer the questions related to development and city planning.
Ford did mention there needs to be more public input on planning.
“I have had so many people frustrated at the process,” he said. “The residents don’t get listened to at all. I stick up for the little guy. There person who doesn’t have a voice at city hall.”

St. Paul’s trustee debate

Outgoing trustee Matlow hosts all-candidates’ debate
Trustee candidates square off in heated race
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier June 4.)

St. Paul's trustee candidates Shelley Laskin, Mike Wiener, Adam Chaleff-Freudenthaler, Mark Tishman at debate. Photo by Kris Scheuer.

About 30 parents and educators peppered St. Paul’s school trustee candidates with questions at a June 3 debate hosted by outgoing trustee Josh Matlow.
Matlow’s running for a council seat and five trustee candidates have registered for the wide-open race. Candidates Adam Chaleff-Freudenthaler, Shelley Laskin, Mark Tishman and Mike Wiener debated issues raised by parents in the audience at Maurice Cody PS. A fifth registered candidate, Maya Worsoff, wasn’t there because Matlow wasn’t able to find contact information to invite her.

Future mayor listens to Toronto

How next mayor can relate to Torontonians
Sharing a meal, public forums, citizen debates
By Kris Scheuer

I was watching the new Kids in the Hall comedy show premiere tonight and it gave me ideas of how Toronto’s next mayor can best relate to and get input from the public.
Give me a second to explain my ideas here.
One of the main characters on the new show is Mayor Larry Bowman of Shuckton played by comedian/actor Bruce McCulloch. He plays a sleazy mayor so I am not suggesting Toronto elect this character in the 2010 race. But he did something that at first seemed like a good idea.
He walks into the local diner and says, “who’s it gonna be?” I assumed mayor Bowman was going to pick one local Shuckton resident to share a meal with. It didn’t turn out that way, but it got me thinking of ways the next mayor could engage the public.