James Pierlot donated to a mayoral campaign for the first time in his life this year. He's trying to prevent a repeat of the past four years in which Rob Ford's crack-smoking antics cast an uncomfortable spotlight on Toronto.
Pierlot, a pension lawyer and consultant in Canada's biggest city, attended a fundraiser in support of John Tory where the suggested donation was C$500 ($445). He went door-to-door in his neighborhood to endorse Tory, a former corporate executive and radio talk-show host, who is leading in the polls for the Oct. 27 municipal election. Tory is up against Doug Ford, who is Rob Ford's brother, and Olivia Chow, a former federal legislator.
"People have seen how bad it can actually be, and a lot of people simply want a mayor -- and this certainly describes me -- that they're not deeply embarrassed about on the international stage," Pierlot said from his boutique firm in the city's financial district. "A big component of the vote is probably 'Anyone but Ford.'"
Toronto residents, from the glass towers of the city's financial core to the bus stops in Etobicoke in the heart of so-called "Ford Nation," appear to have had enough of the Rob Ford drama. Among the highlights: a video of the mayor smoking crack, a blurted confession it must have happened in a "drunken stupor," and eventually a stint in rehab. Along the way there were allegations of public drunkenness, misogyny and racism.
Transportation Focus
Tory, a former executive at Rogers Communications Inc., Canada's largest wireless company, is leading in the polls. A Forum Research survey of 852 Toronto residents conducted Oct. 20 showed Tory with 43 percent support, Doug Ford at 29 percent and Chow at 25 percent.
The tall, lean former Ontario legislator for the Progressive Conservatives, comes from a long line of political and business elites, including his grandfather, John S.D. Tory, who founded one of the largest corporate law firms in Canada, Torys LLP.
His campaign is focused on transportation, because it has the greatest impact on the economy, he said. The centerpiece of his platform is the SmartTrack, a 53-kilometer (33-mile), 22-stop light-rail system that Tory says will be funded largely through a tax system based on future development along the electrified line.
Toronto has one of the longest rush-hour commute times in North America, and the traffic congestion costs the city as much as C$11 billion annually, according to the nonprofit researcher C.D. Howe Institute. Traffic has been a big focus of the campaign in the city of 2.6 million people that's in the middle of a building boom.
'Biggest Challenge'
"It's an economic issue," Tory said in an interview at his campaign office Oct. 22 amid the ring of phones. "In the longer term, the biggest challenge here is going to be to continue to be a place that attracts investment."
Doug Ford, 49, who spent the last few years leading the family business, Deco Labels & Tags, is also pitching to the business crowd. His campaign for 32 kilometers of underground subway, includes room for private investment, along with expected funding from the provincial and federal government.
He put his name in to run in the election last month when his brother dropped out of the mayoral race after he was diagnosed with a tumor.
The rest of Ford's platform largely follows his brother's 2010 election campaign, which was focused on stopping the "Gravy Train" at City Hall and saving taxpayer money. While the populist campaign led to Rob Ford's victory, the mood may be shifting even in the Ford Brothers' traditional home-base of Etobicoke, a suburb of 348,000 in Toronto.
Reputation Dives
"If I could get a sweater that says 'Not part of Ford Nation,' I would wear it proudly up until the day of the election," Amanda Green, 27, a stay-at-home mom with a toddler, said outside an Etobicoke bus station.
About 60 percent of city residents say that Toronto's reputation has worsened in the past four years, according to a September Nanos poll of 1,000 residents.
"Rob started out in good faith with the gravy train and making cuts, but he ended up being a buffoon," according to Kathy Williams, an administrative assistant from Etobicoke. "Tory's articulate, educated, calm. He doesn't do mud-slinging or name-calling."
The Ford brothers still have their supporters. Islington Avenue, one of the main roads in Etobicoke, is lined with red, blue and white "Ford for Mayor" signs.
"I would vote for his brother," said Jeff Jay, 36, an Etobicoke resident. "They have the same ideology. We are poor people around here so we support this guy because he has plans for us."
Others say the city needs a steadier hand.
"To lead a city like Toronto you need some very sophisticated leadership skills because you're leading a very big, complex organization," Janet Ecker, chief executive officer of the Toronto Financial Services Alliance, which doesn't endorse any single candidate, said in an interview. "You are the executive chair of an organization that dwarfs many successful businesses. It has been a bit of a tumultuous time in the last four years."
To contact the reporter on this story: Katia Dmitrieva in Toronto at edmitrieva1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Scanlan at dscanlan@bloomberg.net Jacqueline Thorpe, Steven Frank
Press spacebar to pause and continue. Press esc to stop.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Toronto Bay Street to Main Street Reach Ford Fatigue - Bloomberg
Dengan url
https://goartikelasik.blogspot.com/2014/10/toronto-bay-street-to-main-street-reach.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Toronto Bay Street to Main Street Reach Ford Fatigue - Bloomberg
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Toronto Bay Street to Main Street Reach Ford Fatigue - Bloomberg
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar