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15 Comments

politics

Duly Quoted: Rob Ford

Toronto's populist mayor, explaining why city council decided to prohibit plastic bags.

By

“It’s the people’s fault. Honestly, sometimes I get so frustrated because the people are just sitting back listening but they don’t pick up the phones, they don’t go down to City Hall, they don’t ask questions. It’s frustrating. I want them to get engaged in municipal politics and find out who their councillor is and know how they vote.”

—Rob Ford speaking on the John Oakley Show this morning, in the aftermath of the plastic bag debate. Yesterday, to Ford’s chagrin, councillors voted to ban plastic carryout bags in the City of Toronto as of January 1, 2013.

Comments

  • Anonymous

    While we’re speaking of Ford’s plans backfiring…

    Can you think of anyone else who has more to lose from public outrage at city hall? He’s ultimately to blame for all his failed hairbrained schemes. Hopefully soon these ‘people’ he’s pissed off at will realize as much.

  • Anonymous

    One of Ford’s first acts as mayor was to dissolve citizen committees. Now he wants us more involved, keeping an eye out?

    • Anonymous

      And back then, no doubt he said folks were very involved. They were, you know, calling him and stuff.

    • PSC-TO

      All the Fordites are up in arms about this being sprung on them by surprise.”“This was made on the fly,” said Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong. “When you’re making a pretty significant change to consumers and retailers … it might help to ask them first.” (National Post) Don Peat of the Sun is similarly dismissive of the move, stating “The bag ban vote came without legal advice, with no public consultation, no report from city staff and no statutory notice.”

      Funny how it’s bad to spring things on council if it makes the mayor look bad, but it was perfectly acceptable for John Parker to spring the Jarvis bike lane removal on everyone without any legal advice, public consultation, city reporting or statutory notice.

      Looks like the mayor needs a new playbook.

      • Guest

        What about subway subways subways! the ultimate in no-plan, no consultation, seat of the pants policy making.

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

    Resign.

  • http://twitter.com/dangouge dangouge

    Ford has already blamed council and the media for his various failures, now it’s the fault of everyone in Toronto but him when he fails.

  • jen

    Did it ever dawn on him that maybe, just MAYBE, people ARE engaged and they just happen to want different things than him? Or, even more radical, that a 5 cent bag fee wasn’t a big effing deal to most of us?

  • Anonymous

    So when citizens come down in their droves to fight against Ford, they are ignored as special interests?

    But when citizens don’t come down and support his plans, it’s the citizens fault?

    Ooooookkkkkkkk……..

  • Vampchick21

    He’ll blame everyone but himself for anything and everything.

  • Anonymous

    I remember getting beat up by a bully in grade school and when confronted by a teacher, the idiot said it was my fault for being an easy target.

  • Anonymous

    Insulting the voters. Interesting re-election strategy.

    • Anonymous

      He saved them 5¢. Remember that!

  • Anonymous

    People “don’t come down to City Hall”… yet those who turn up at council meetings are accused by Ford accuses them of being union/left-wing stooges.

  • Anonymous

    You know who else doesn’t come down to Ciiy Hall? THE MAYOR.