11.27.2012 01:47 PM

Adam

I know him, and I know he is no extremist. He is the kind of person we need more of, in fact.

I’m proud of what he did, and how he did it. He did this city a great service.

12 Comments

  1. bigcitylib says:

    Everyone’s got an opinion. But this guy has enough EXPERTISE to actually get results. Kudos, and I’ll buy him a beer if we ever meet.

  2. Gus Tserotas says:

    The thing that has always amused me the most about conservatives is the fact they want to be known as the law and order gang, as long as those laws don’t apply to them. They want to be known as the kings of integrity, as long as they aren’t required to behave with integrity themselves. They believe in a pure, wholesome, black and white world, as long as they themselves don’t have to live that way.

    For example: conservatives will tell you over and over that only they stand for all that is pure in this world. Yet their number one weapon, to achieve their goals, is to smear, distort and lie, to ruin people’s reputations, and to sink in the gutter to humiliate anyone who stands in their way.

    Conservatives scream out for no-exception minimum sentences. In their world, giving judges even a tiny amount of discretion in sentencing only opens up the door to being soft on crime.

    That same mentality flies out the door the minute on of their own is exposed to cut and dried penalties. Witness the buffoon often known as Rob Ford. He broke the law, plain and simple. And now that the only punishment allowable under current legislation has been handed down on Ford, the cries from conservatives can be heard everywhere:

    “The punishment doesn’t fit the crime” they complain. “We need to change that legislation so the judge could give Ford a mere slap on the wrist” they reason.

    Welcome to the world of double standards.

    Harsh, no nonsense sentences make sense to conservatives, as long as they are never applied to their own.

    “Why should Ford pay such a price for simply wanting to help the kids play football” they ask. As if that has anything to do with this. “It’s such a small amount of money” they complain. As if there is a cutoff point for money involved during a conflict of interest.

    If conservatives were true to their beliefs, they would whole-hardily agree that the current law that has trapped Ford should NEVER be altered. The Ford case proves that this legislation against conflict of interest actually has teeth. The minute we water down these regulations to give judges the leeway to give politicians a mere slap on the wrist, is the day all politicians will get a mere slap of the wrist, no matter how much money is involved.

    Rob Ford took money from lobbyists, who only donated the money for one reason. To enhance their chances of getting want they wanted back from Ford. To avoid being blackballed by Ford for refusing to donate to his football team. And make no mistake about it, they weren’t donating to help kids play football all over the city. They were donating to Rob Ford’s team in particular. So his team could have the best equipment. So his team’s dressing room would be better than others that they compete against. So his team could attract talented players who had other options.

    When Ford says he didn’t stand to gain anything personally, he is not speaking the truth. Clearly, football is more important to him that being mayor is. If lobbyists can make his football program a stronger one, he will be indebted to them. If he doesn’t have to repay the $3,000, he clearly enjoys a personal financial gain.

    While some believe Ford’s refusal to abstain for voting on this issue is his biggest crime, I tend to disagree. Ford’s biggest crime is ignoring rules that have been put in place to prevent lobbyists from buying their way to special favours. If those strict rules end up costing a guy like Ford his job despite the small dollars involved, you can be damn sure those same rules will scare off a lot of other lobbyists who might otherwise be willing to throw around much bigger dollars to get what they are after.

    This law doesn’t need to be changed. It needs to be applauded. If a law doesn’t apply to everyone, then in reality it applies to no one. Normally, the holier than thou conservatives would agree with that. But there’s one consistent problem with conservatives. They only believe in law and order as long as it doesn’t apply to them.

    • Ted H says:

      Gus, an excellent analysis of the Ford case and the conservative double standard, amazingly articulate, thanks.

    • Nic coivert says:

      This should be taught in school, thanks for writing it!

    • smelter rat says:

      Gu, you should send this to letter to the editor at the G&M.

    • Bil H. says:

      i’m a conservative. i would have voted for Rob Ford, if i lived in Toronto.

      He’s an idiot, a stupid and horrible mayor, a liar, and just found out what playing by the rules means.

      you can make rob ford about how bad conservatives are, just like someone here is trying to make Fontana about how bad liberals are. Both arguments are stupid.

      maybe we should make rob ford, and fontana about what happens to dishonest politicians, regardless of political stripe.

      its getting harder to figure out which is the bigger disease in politics, dishonest politicians, or unwavering partisan voters.

  3. Peter says:

    This is the only way politicians are held to account. By that average private citizen. Our civil servants and public servants are threatened and extorted with the the very jobs at which they wish to uphold high standard and transparence.

    Look how Harper is shutting down and destroying our scientific community…Harper had the CFIA shut down a science institute in PEI because they made public that a virus was destroying salmon stock in western canada…

    The Fords and Harpers of this country know nothing about leadership. All they know is scorched earth policies…regardless of how “bright” a Stephen Harper maybe…individuals such as Harper have made faustian deals a long time ago…and Canadians believe their own myths…”Here in Canada? Never. Not us. No were are so specical.”

    We are not. We are vulnerable than most to political frauds and the likes of Harper whose secret agenda…is being quietly implemented behind closed doors and the media for the most part…does nothing.

  4. Michael Reintjes says:

    “The thing that has always amused me the most about conservatives is the fact they want to be known as the law and order gang, as long as those laws don’t apply to them.”
    …Yes ….just ask Joe Fontana…no wait…

    • Derek Pearce says:

      No one is defending Joe Fontana. No one is asking to bend the rules for him just this once. No one has said “it was only for his son’s wedding, not for his personal gain” etc etc etc. I despise Ford and am happy to see him punted from office for breaking the law– and when Fontana is found guilty by a judge for his breaking of the law, I look forward to his ouster as well.

  5. Michael S says:

    Interesting. Adam has a future given his most critical skill: Know when to STFU.

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