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.

Advertisement

Mayoral debate on development, transit

Top candidates talk transportation and city’s financial health
Forum at Board of Trade moderated by John Tory
By Kris Scheuer
(Written June 21 for Town Crier.)

Mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson wants to build subways not LRTs, if elected. Photo by Josh Freeman/Town Crier file.

Six top mayoral candidates faced off on development, transit and city-building at the Toronto Board of Trade this morning.
John Tory moderated the debate that was hosted by the Urban Land Institute and attracted over 150 property owners, investors, developers, lawyers, architects, planners and engineers.
Less than 10 minutes into the debate came one of the first heated exchanges between mayoral candidates Rob Ford and George Smitherman seen as the frontrunners in recent polls.
“I can’t believe George Smitherman would have the nerve to come here and run for mayor of the city when he blew and squandered $1 billion when he was the health minister?” Ford said.
Smitheman retorted, “The allegations of $1 billion expediture on E-health counts the time when your father’s (Douglas) colleague Elizabeth Witmer was the minister of health in the province.”
Ford, “My dad passed away three year’s ago. Thanks.”

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.”

Toronto election mayoral race

Guide to who’s running for city’s top political job
Mayoral candidates in Toronto election
By Kris Scheuer
(Updated Oct. 21.)

 

Councillor Joe Pantalone is running for mayor of Toronto.

 

The Toronto election campaign officially began Jan. 4 and *40 people are registered for mayor’s race.
Coun. Rob Ford registered March 25.
Coun. Joe Pantalone made it official Jan. 13. Former MPP George Smitherman filed his nomination papers Jan. 8.
They are not alone.
As of Sept. 10 (last day to register or withdraw), here’s the list: lawyer Rocco Achampong, Michael Alexander, George Babula, Christopher Ball, Michael Brausewetter, Douglas Campbell, Jaime Castillo, Kevin Clarke, Keith Cole, Charlene Cottle, Diane Devenyi, James Di Fiore, David Epstein, Selwyn Firth, Michael Flie, Councillor Rob Ford, Abdullah-Baquie Ghazi, Howard Gomberg, Barry Goodhead, Monowar Hossain, Dewitt Lee, John Letonja, Colin Magee, Carmen Macklin, Joseph Pampena, deputy mayor Joe Pantalone, former MPP George Smitherman, Vijay Sarma, Mark State, Tibor Steinberger, Himy Syed, Weizhen Tang, Phil Taylor, David Vallance, Ratan Wadhwa and Daniel Walker.
And Gerald Derome who, on his website that he links to from his Twitter account, has written some disturbing passages about wanting to have sexual contact with girls as young as nine (see blue shaded post with heading Ecto Gamma.)
Also running is Don Andrews, who is head of the Nationalist Party of Canada and a white supremacist. You should know he is a proud racist. I interviewed him when he ran  for mayor in 2003. He has been convicted and done time for hate crimes in the 1970s.
*Businesswoman Sarah Thomson withdrew after the nominations closed, so she’ll remain on the ballot.
*Liberal strategist Rocco Rossi dropped out on Oct. 13, but will still be on the ballot.
Other Withdrawn candidates: Giorgio Mammoliti officially withdrew his candidacy July 9. Adam Giambrone held a press conference Feb. 10 to apologize for affairs while maintaining a committed relationship and by March 10 had withdrawn from the race. Perpetual mayoral candidate Kevin Clarke withdrew March 31 but is now registered again. Stephen Feek, Ange Maniccia, Mark Cidade, Mell Findlay, Wendell Brereton, Nasseb Husain, Carmen Macklin, Jim McMillan, Sonny Yeung and Andrew Barton.

Who do you like for the next mayor?

Toronto election 2010

Who’s running for mayor and council
Hot races to watch for city election
By Kris Scheuer
(For update, click here.)

The Toronto election is a hot one and it’s only day two of the campaign. I will be updating the who’s who of candidates throughout the 10-month race. You can check for yourself on the city’s election site.
Candidates started registering Jan. 4 and already some fascinating decisions are being made.
Race for mayor
As of Jan. 12 sixteen mayoral candidates have registered including councillor Giorgio Mammoliti and Liberal strategist Rocco Rossi. The eight others so far are: Rocco Achampong, Douglas Campbell, Stephen Feek, Monowar Hossain, John Letonja, Colin Magee, Baquie Ghazi, Mark State and Sarah Thomson.
Ange Maniccia was registered on day one, but withdrew.

Candidates for Toronto Election 2010

First day to register and dozens sign up early
Some incumbents back again and challengers line up
By Kris Scheuer
(See update here.)

Today, Toronto’s municipal election race officially started with candidates filing nomination papers at city hall.
FAMILIAR FACES
So far, some incumbents have made it clear they want to be re-elected including: councillors Janet Davis (Ward 31), Glenn De Baeremaeker (Ward 38), Mike Del Grande (Ward 39), Paula Fletcher (Ward 30), Adrian Heaps (Ward 35) Norm Kelly (Ward 40), Joe Mihevc (Ward 21), John Parker (Ward 26), Gord Perks (Ward 14), Bill Saundercook (Ward 13), Cesar Palacio (Ward 17) and so far none of them have any challengers.
HOT RACES

Toronto’s next mayor

Who will you vote for when there may be over 40 candidates?
Major players, fringe candidates, unknown names, up-and comers
By Kris Scheuer
(Updated Feb. 5. Frequent updates here.)

Mayor David Miller not seeking re-election in 2010. Who should be the next to run the city?

Who will be the city’s next mayor? As of Feb. 5, two dozen candidates have signed up.
I have started the ball rolling with some who have expressed interest.
Let me know if there are others who you see running or think should run for the city’s top political job.
As well in my eight years writing about politics, I’d say there are two categories of candidates, well maybe four. I will let you decide where you think the mayoralty candidates belong in these categories…
But first  the contenders.
The serious and well known so called “front runners”. These are higher profile candidates.
So far MPP George Smitherman, Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, and Liberal strategist and fundraiser Rocco Rossi, Councillor Joe Pantalone, Councillor Adam Giambrone have announced they will all run for mayor.
Others who were considering and would have been frontrunner but decided against it are Conservative leader John Tory, current city councillors Adam Vaughan and Shelley Carroll.

Here are a couple of the lesser known people planning to run for mayor…
JP Pampena is running. So what does he stand for? Well check out his site for the full scoop. But here are two of his ideas: set up a Public Expense Registry so we can keep track of how city hall spends our money and try to reduce Toronto’s land transfer tax for first time buyers. It’s my recollection first time buyers are exempt already from this tax.
John Letonja wrote me at the end of September to say he’s running for mayor and he is registered.

Now my perspective on the different categories of candidates. This is an observation having interviewed dozens and dozens of candidates in elections at all levels of government in the past seven years.

Toronto mayor and council candidates

Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone has expressed interest in running for the top job in 2010.

By Kris Scheuer
(For update, click here.)

For political junkies, like me, elections are a fun time to be a journalist.
There’s change, drama, personality clashes, issues debated, suspense, scandals, disappointment, joy, surprise upsets, unpredictability…
Okay maybe it’s just me, but I know I am not the only one who gets excited by politics and electi
Someone back me up here and write to tell what you think.

So last night, I was at a party with a bunch of left-leaning strategists, politicians, journalists and lobbyists. I am not a card carrying member of any political party and never have been. But it so happened this evening’s party was packed with NDPers.
As I was not working this past weekend,yesterday was my first chance to officially confirm what’s been reported on Friday that Councillor Kyle Rae is out of the game. He won’t run in Toronto Centre-Rosedale in the 2010 municipal race.
I interviewed him today, so click here for a teaser of the full interview I am writing for the Town Crier and will post on my site this Thursday.
But that’s not the only story.
Today Liberal fundraiser and strategist Rocco Rossi made it official that he, along with MPP George Smitherman and councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, is running to be Toronto’s next mayor.
But that’s not all. On a range of rumour all the way to sure bet – others are set to announce their mayoralty hopes too including current city councillors: former journalist Adam Vaughan, Budget Chief Shelley Carroll, Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone and TTC chair Adam Giambrone.