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Adam Giambrone Wants You To Know That He’s Ready!

By Hamutal Dotan


He’s really, really ready.
In a tongue-in-cheek video just released on YouTube, Giambrone declares that he’ll be running for mayor without actually saying the words “I’m running for mayor.” (Then again, we already knew that.) With references to everything from Taxi Driver to Barack Obama, the video tries hard to hit the reset button on Giambrone’s relationship with the public, which has become fraught of late in the wake of much criticism of the TTC.
It’s an interesting move, and we’re torn between finding it endearing and, well…unmayoral. One thing’s for certain: Giambrone is doing a very good job of keeping the public’s attention, given that he hasn’t actually launched his campaign yet.

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  • http://undefined Mississauga

    Had to check out what the torontoist Twitter meant when it said, “Adam Giambrone says “I’m ready” (for mayor, we assume?) in hokey video just released” to determine just how “hokey”.
    I don’t mind hokey but the part that got me was the “run a city” claim.
    I’ve been researching City of Mississauga since June 2006 (videotape, Freedom of Information) and I’m here to say Mayors don’t run cities. Staff do –and almost exclusively.
    The most powerful people at Toronto City Hall are your City Manager and Commissioners of Corporate Services (and likely Community Services too).
    Would be interesting to run a parallel universe where there are no elected officials –I suspect there’d be very little difference.

  • http://undefined Darren

    Still doesn’t have a chance in hell

  • http://undefined mark.

    I honestly wish him all the best.
    But I’m still waiting to hear more than “I wanna be mayor!” from him or any of the other candidates.

  • http://undefined spacejack

    He’s got to point himself at the camera more. Otherwise, yeah, it was endearing, heh.

  • http://www.torontoist.com David Topping

    Your turn, Smitherman!

  • http://torontoist.is.not.nickwarzin.com/blog tapesonthefloor

    “But I’m still waiting to hear more than “I wanna be mayor!” from him or any of the other candidates”
    Fair enough, but he’s still the only candidate among a very shallow field whose vision for for the city takes more than one sentence to elucidate.

  • http://undefined Darren

    He’s had 8 years (4 as Vice Chair and 4 as Chair) to make all the sentences he wanted about the TTC, and look what that has given to the TTC

  • http://torontoist.is.not.nickwarzin.com/blog tapesonthefloor

    Yes. Just look.

  • http://undefined Remmie,D

    I wouldn’t blame any problems with the TTC on him,he can’t control those people.I believe he wants what is best and is an aware person,I commend anyone who deals under pressure and politics and so many views,opinions and judgment

  • http://undefined Svend

    I think it works well, he’s giving us the impression that he’s fit, eager and looking forward.
    It’s a refreshing change from Rossi or Smitherman who want to turn back the clock.

  • http://undefined CaligulaJones

    If, as St. Obama says about the banking industry, you shouldn’t just turn things back over to the very people who wrecked it, why on earth should we turn not just the TTC but the entire city over to junior here?
    Although I have to agree with Mississauga Watch: bureaucrats run things. I know. I’m a provincial silly servant. Although politicians can screw things up royally all by themselves, trust me: “Yes, Minister” was more documentary than most people will know.

  • Darren

    Look at what? Or do you need me to expand on that;
    Increased labour cost astronomically
    More labour hired thanks to HIS idea of expanding bus routes around the clock on dead routes
    Eagerly announcing the designs for the glass pieces of garbage passing off as subway stations in the Spadina ext, and then saying that he wished all stations could look like that

  • http://undefined Peter Kucirek

    “It’s Transit City, stupid.”
    I LOL’d.
    This video may not have gotten him my vote, but it’s certainly got my attention.

  • http://undefined Andrew

    You have an odd idea of the concept of “leadership”.

  • http://www.fysikum.net deutschmarco

    I had a lot of hope for Giambrone and his running the TTC. Yet, the TTC is still really, no, shockingly, bad. Simple, obvious changes have not been made, never mind challenging, forward thinking ones. I appreciate he took on a very challenging job with a lot of baggage, however, has he really proven he can do much at all? Is the moral that the TTC and Toronto politics in general is hopeless?

  • rek

    He needs a tailor.

  • http://undefined scrivie

    ok, this video is hilarious. as for his running of the TTC; he’s done a lot more to push the Commission towards creating an actual long term vision for itself in the last few years than Moscoe before him who just seemed to want to make sure the buses didn’t fall apart.
    Is the TTC perfect? No. But its got a plan, there’s some kind of idea of the future now. And kudos to him to taking a risk and not just crassly showing up to events and parties here and there and glad-handing people.
    Instead he makes goofy videos…

  • http://undefined Snuggles

    Exactly. Exaaaactly.
    Three things that people don’t seem to get: (And let me preface this by saying I don’t particularly plan to vote for the guy)
    1) Adam Giambrone doesn’t control the TTC’s budget. In fact, the TTC doesn’t really control the TTC’s budget: the city and province do. If the province decides to cut back on funding the TTC, the TTC pretty much has to hike fares in order to replace the revenue. It’s simple economics, and it’s totally out of the TTC’s hands.
    2) Transit City is a major achievement of incredible type and scale. Seriously, this is a once-in-a-generation expansion of transit: not just a few new subway stops, not just new streetcars, a whole package of construction and development throughout the city. We can thank a lot of people for it, but Giambrone’s leadership certainly played a big part.
    3) Union contracts are just that: contracts. It doesn’t matter who runs the TTC, there’s no way to get rid of the union without breaking the law. Private-sector companies also have unions, which can be just as litigious and expensive as public-sector ones. (See: Ontario’s driver testing union and the recent six-month strike.) It’s fine and well to talk about bad customer service and drivers who don’t seem to care, but suggesting that cutting their salaries will somehow make them more alert, interested, friendly and happy to be at work is on the face just plain silly.

  • http://undefined deadrobot

    Most disturbing comment on his YouTube page ever: “Save us Rob Ford!”
    You can’t beat that!

  • http://dandmb50.tumblr.com/ dandmb50

    It should be very interesting and a tough sell for the young man but if he fixes the immediate problems with the TTC he may have a chance. I think his biggest challenge will be proving that he can straighten things out at the TTC and quickly, but why has it not been corrected prior to the last few weeks. The sleeping collector was a red hearing, and very isolated but it went viral, it was even on a New York City TV station. And finally we are going to have vending machines that take credit cards, why now, why not 10 years ago? But good luck and come up with some good policy programs. I think him and Smitherman will be the front runners but the debates will decide.
    Good luck. You have a distinct advantage with all your knowledge of the social media networks which you have already tapped into and that is definitely an asset. Just don’t let the “inmates you the asylum” TTC is a good service.
    Daniel ………. Toronto
    http://dandmb50.tumblr.com/

  • http://undefined Peter K

    You wouldn’t blame ANY? That’s an odd statement. I can accept that you wouldn’t blame ALL of the problems on Giambrone, but NONE? That’s just ridiculous.
    If you don’t blame him of any of the problems then you have no right to credit him with any of the advances (of which I’m having a hard time coming up with examples).

  • http://undefined Peter K

    I think the video is cute. But it leaves me wondering if he’s running for Mayor of Student Council President.

  • http://paul.kishimoto.name Paul Kishimoto

    Whoa, careful there with the ‘making sense’. That won’t go over well with some people here.

  • Pan Von Sol

    Am I the only one who noticed the location audio was panned hard left?
    Someone fails at mixing…

  • Darren

    You’re ignoring the fact that unions know who they can walk all over when it comes to CBAs
    Its no different in ‘our world’. Will you ask your boss for a large raise knowing that he is tightfisted and that you’re firm is going through a hiring freeze? I’d say no. But if your boss is handing out generous salary increases (CBAs to the cops, etc) and hiring people at will then you will ask him for that larger then normal raise.
    Could the ATU113 have gotten away with the “Me first” clause in CBA with anyone but Giambrone and Miller?

  • http://undefined Andrew

    There are three major flaws with this line of argument.
    1. The problems faced by the TTC are the same as the problems faced by the city as a whole. The budget is hamstrung by the province; union contracts severely limit what the mayor can do. So if you have to make these excuses for TTC Chair Giambrone, you would have to make the same excuses for Mayor Giambrone.
    2. Like many Giambrone boosters, you’re trying to claim that his flaws are outside his control, but he deserves full credit for his successes, like Transit City. In fact Transit City is now a Metrolinx project, and is now out of his control as well. More generally, if the province hadn’t stepped up and handed it to Metrolinx, Transit City would not have happened.
    3. It’s frustrating to listen to those who are ready to make excuses for Giambrone, because Toronto’s most pervasive problem is that we don’t expect excellence of our public servants. Giambrone’s tenure as TTC chair has not been excellent: service has generally declined while fares have risen. And when you say he has an impossible job, the correct response is: too damn bad! He is responsible to us, the voters, and we should not cry tears for him; we should disapprove of his mediocrity by voting him out of a job. (The same standard, not incidentally, should apply to all of Toronto’s representatives at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels, who have by and large failed our city.)

  • Mark Ostler

    He’s actually only been on the TTC for 6 years. The current term of council is the first to be four years long. He was first elected to council in 2003 and became a commissioner with the TTC, then at the end of 2006 became the chair. By the time the election rolls around it’ll be almost 7 years.
    Also, keep in mind that any new initiatives or projects that he’s pushed still required the approval of the other 8 commissioners on the TTC. And then the entire city council. He’s not the dictator of the TTC, ruling Toronto transit with an iron fist. If you feel like there are massive problems at the TTC, at least spread the blame around fairly.

  • http://undefined Ben

    Some poltroon mentioned it on the Spacing Wire as well.

  • http://undefined fantasygoat

    I dunno, he didn’t exactly fix the TTC – what good will he do with the whole city?
    I also agree he needs a tailor.

  • http://www.guesswork.ca Patrick Metzger

    A- for concept, D for execution.

  • http://undefined Darren
  • http://undefined Green Sulfur

    Thank goodness Darren doesn’t manage a unionized workplace. Unions don’t get their power from union-friendly management. Unions get their power from the law and, in the TTC’s case, knowing that union members are considered quasi-essential service workers and will be compensated as such if the union strikes for 24 hours.
    If someone like you went in and tried to crack heads, the union wouldn’t back down, it would flood you with grievances and litigation that it would likely win and, if not, force you to spend tons of money on lawyers while experiencing the effect of poor union-management relations on workplace morale.

  • http://undefined Peter K

    What we need is a refreshing change from David Miller. Giambrone is more like a slightly fuzzier carbon copy.

  • http://undefined Andrew

    I’m unclear on why it’s unfair to say that the leader should be held principally accountable.
    And frankly, this excuse-making strikes me as kind of whiny and not very mayoral. Or, in other words, do you think it’s easy to make priorities?

  • http://undefined Darren

    So as per your logic; we’re damned either way, so lets bring in people like Adam who wont make a fuss

  • http://undefined toronno

    “I also agree he needs a tailor.”
    Well, there’s the proof that he really isn’t gay.
    But then again, how does that explain Smitherman?

  • http://undefined Mark Ostler

    Good thing I’m not running for mayor then. I’m not trying to make excuses for him and I’m definitely not whining–my typing actually sounds more clickety-clackety. I’m just injecting a little bit of reality into the conversation, because there’s so much anger being directed at Giambrone alone and very little discussion of the role that the rest of the commission and council played in current transit issues.
    I’m not saying he’s beyond reproach, but to hold him up as the sole root source of all this recent TTC hate smacks of scapegoating. Yes, he’s a leader and leaders set priorities and push agendas and shoulder the blame when things go wrong. But in our municipal democracy, a leader’s decisions are considered by a big group of elected officials.
    My comment was specifically directed at Darren because he seems to persist with the notion that whatever Giambrone wants, Giambrone gets. It’s not that simple. The whole commission has to vote on expanding routes and service and on the designs of new stations and on the various aspects of the Transit City routes.

  • http://undefined Snuggles

    Eh?
    1. Not at all. The TTC’s only source of revenue is the farebox. The city can raise taxes, the city can impose new taxes, the city has much more flexiblity in employment and programming, the city has significantly more resources in reserve and capital assets it could sell off without shooting itself in the foot, and the city is all in all a much more controllable budget than the TTC’s, which–by comparison–pretty much just has to take whatever it can get from government.
    2. Was I really? Oh dear. I didn’t know I held opinions that I don’t actually hold. Thank you, psychic internet commentator!
    3. It’s fine and well to stand on station about “demanding excellence”, but when the rubber hits the road, you can’t demand what isn’t there. City council is not known as a chamber of real winners, and most councillors are elected for their ability to fight for the interests of their ward rather than for citywide interests–which is exactly what the TTC is. (I mean, can you even imagine the TTC as run by Doug Holyday or Frances Nunziata or Cesar Palacio? You really think they’d turn the excellence up to 11?)
    Politics is a relative game. If Giambrone is only better than everyone else rather than excellent in a vacuum, that’s still good enough.

  • http://undefined Andrew

    1. You don’t dispute that the mayor is constrained by union contracts. Taxation is not a bottomless well; the city’s taxation abilities are constrained by provincial legislation.
    2. You said: “Adam Giambrone doesn’t control the TTC’s budget.” I said: “you’re trying to claim that his flaws are outside his control.” So, sorry for assuming that your thoughts are reflected in the plain meaning of your words, I guess?
    3. It’s remarkable that you say, “when the rubber hits the road, you can’t demand what isn’t there”, clearly implying that you agree Giambrone does not meet the excellence standard!
    Is it your view that Toronto will be a better city by electing a guy with a track record of mediocrity on a city-wide file, whose campaign slogan may as well be “It’s not my fault the TTC sucks”?

  • http://alexandrahighcrest.com/blog/ Alexandra Highcrest

    Hahaha… You sound like me. Image is everything.

  • http://alexandrahighcrest.com/blog/ Alexandra Highcrest

    The vid’s brilliant. Adam has shown that he, of all the announced candidates, understands social media marketing and is willing to use it. He also comes across as more youthful than his potential opposition. These points make him potentially more attractive to young voters than do the same-old-same-old announcements delivered by the other candidates. If Adam keeps showing originality the campaign might become fun to follow, which in turn may result in a higher voter turnout.

  • http://undefined Darren

    How can a voter be attracted by this video? This isnt Chris Bosh vying for the NBA All Star seleciton. This is a guy who has to get his message across? So far his message is based on his 2 terms as a city councilor and as vice chair then chair of the TTC.

  • http://prospere-magazine.com prosperewebitor

    What is this, a Grade 8 class president campaign video? Actually, I think a kid in Grade 8 can be more serious than this.
    My YouTube response: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv8P89_aaVg

  • http://alexandrahighcrest.com/blog/ Alexandra Highcrest

    No, no, the video is not about message, it’s about publicity and name recognition…that’s all. I’ve listened to talk radio all afternoon and Adam’s vid was one of the big stories. Apparently last night all the national TV news channels were airing it and commenting. Adam must’ve racked up over $100,000 worth of publicity for nothing except the time used to shoot and mount the video. Brilliant. This is what social media marketing is all about — branding and name recognition. Issues be damned, at least for now.