“Tony Grenco” in his own words

That’s what the PCs called the rubenesque Tony at his nomination meeting tonight. “Tony Grenco.”

Here’s some of the stuff Grenco has said in the past. I and others will enjoy seeing Greg Sorbara put this loser through a meat grinder.

TONY GENCO ON THE HARRIS/HUDAK CONSERVATIVES

“The Tory wrecking crew has gone too far. Let’s put our families and community first.”
Tony Genco, Candidate Card, 1999

“(The Ontario PCs) have increased the debt by $24 billion – they closed hospitals and increased classroom size. Our children will be paying for (the Ontario PCs) promises. Let’s put an end to policies that have hurt our community and mortgaged our children?s future.” Tony Genco, Campaign brochure, 1999

“Ontario has somehow become a meaner place for seniors, the poor and the sick” since the Conservatives got control of the purse strings, Genco said. “They’ve taken the care out of health care and learning out of education. They think government is a business, but it’s not. It’s the guardian of the public trust.” Tony Genco, Toronto Star, June 1, 1999

“First they fire the nurses and then they rehire them just before the election,” Genco said. “They want an American-type, credit card health-care system. One system for the rich, another for the rest of us.” Tony Genco, Toronto Star, May 20, 1999

Genco said Harris is the ‘Gordon Gekko’ of politics (after a movie character who is a greedy 1980s-style stockbroker). “He’s trying to condition us to be selfish and intolerant, to make greed good.” Tony Genco, Toronto Star, June 1, 1999

Cutting income taxes before retiring the provincial deficit, he added, is irresponsible. “They’ve put my daughter $23.2 billion in debt,” Genco said. “I don’t know any business that would borrow to pay shareholders a dividend.” Tony Genco, Toronto Star, June 1, 1999

“The air we breathe and the water we drink know no borders. Maybe Mike Harris and company want us to think we don’t need municipal governments – let’s get rid of them all and save big bucks. Or maybe the real question is: Does this government have the courage to care about the really important things?” Tony Genco, Letter to the Editor, Toronto Star, April 10, 2000

TONY GENCO EXPLAINS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES

“Conservatives are in for commanding, controlled government while Liberals are for working together in collaboration. Liberals are in the government to make everyone a winner, and Conservatives only make some people winners.” Tony Genco, South Asian Generation Next, November 10, 2010

TONY GENCO ON LIBERAL MPP GREG SORBARA

Genco, former director of the Vaughan hospital foundation, calls Fantino’s comment “nonsensical – it demonstrates how little understanding this candidate has for how the system works.” He credits Sorbara with getting the hospital into the planning stage. Toronto Star, November 20, 2010

“The hospital plan of action is already in place – and I know others have been advocating for this for many, many years including your local member of provincial parliament Greg Sorbara who I have been working very closely with on putting a strategy in place along with the many volunteers from Vaughan and York Central board of directors.” Tony Genco, Tele-Town Hall Meeting, November 9, 2010

“That is a very good question and a very important question. Most of it falls in the area of my friend Greg Sorbara, the MPP for Vaughan and he is a very good and experienced guy and I am sure we could find ways to work with you on making sure that your needs and concerns are addressed.”
Tony Genco, Tele-Town Hall Meeting, November 9, 2010


Tim Hudak steps on a landmine

All of which goes to say that on abortion, Hudak has stepped on a landmine. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty might just have found a way to make up those 11 percentage points he has trailed Hudak in polling before the Oct. 6 vote.

Hudak’s inexperience was showing last week at a news conference. When asked about his abortion position, the Tory leader said: “We are not reopening the debate.” In 2009, Hudak said he could not support abortion and had backed a petition against funding it.

Still at the news conference, Hudak said he “may” have signed a petition. Later in the week, Hudak admitted he did sign a petition at his church.

Meanwhile, McGuinty, an experienced pol, knew the correct response. Through his spokeswoman, the premier said he “supports a woman’s right to choose. … The Mc-Guinty government has always held this position and will continue to stand up for Ontario women’s right to choose.”

McGuinty is uniquely positioned to benefit from an abortion debate…


Hillbillies R Us

Let’s see:

…and all of it on the same day! Not bad, eh? Yep, we’re Toronto, and we’re world class!

“World-class,” indeed.  But not in the way we’d hoped, I suspect.

Tim Hudak supporter Rob Ford scans the horizon, looking for a small child he can swear at.


Hudak PC campaign manager: gays, lesbians not “real victims” of Holocaust

Gays, lesbians and others who perished in the Holocaust were not “real victims,” quote unquote.

Eleven days ago, this same far-rightist tilted at me and others on Twitter for pointing out that Tim Hudak has pledged, in writing and on the floor of the Legislature, to defund abortion. When he was asked his role within the PC campaign, he went silent.

Blum is the campaign manager for the Hudak PCs in Toronto Centre.  He has a senior, formal role in the Hudak machine. Does Hudak agree with Blum that gays, lesbians and others were not “real victims” of the Holocaust?


In today’s Sun: the NDP’s voice

What hit you first was the voice.

Driving into Toronto from northern Ontario, that’s what struck you first. The voice. NDP Leader Jack Layton on the radio, announcing to a stunned Ottawa he was stepping down to battle what he called a “new cancer.”

And his voice — the voice that had propelled Layton and his New Democrats to its biggest-ever victory on May 2 — sounded like it belonged to another man. A much older man.