Only the beginning

[sabotabby]

All right, so the next four years are kind of going to be shit for Toronto. Be prepared to kiss goodbye functional transit, Pride funding, arts funding, community housing, parks and rec. Be prepared for this city to become the cold, hateful place that the rest of Canada thinks it is. Be prepared for open bigotry in public discourse, crackdowns on free speech and free expression, cops on the street getting all up in your business. This nightmare might not unfold as I fear, but it might, so get ready.

As a precautionary measure, I suggest preciseness in speech. Don't just call him Ford*. Call him "Our Honourable Wife-Beating Mayor." Call him "Ford, That Guy Who Was Arrested for Drunk Driving." Refer to his frequent bouts of racism and homophobia. Remind your friends, relatives, and co-workers of his history. Shift the discourse so that we may, over the next four years, put him on the defensive.

On this blog, our new Honourable Wife Beating Mayor, Who Said That Gay Men Deserve to get HIV, "Orientals" Work Like Dogs, and Who Was Once Arrested for Drunk Driving and Then Lied About It, will from now on be known as the Beast.*

P.S. THE GREEN ROOM GOT CLOSED. It's official; Toronto sucks.

* And for the love of kittens and puppies, do not call him "that fat fuck."

** Why is Spider Jerusalem not a real guy? This is unfair.

Comments

And also ...

[ed-rex.livejournal.com]

If a rather appalled expat can chime in?

Also remember that Ford has a reputation as Someone Who Does Not Play Well With Others. Remember that the mayor has no executive powers beyond a title. Bug your councillors, lobby them and remind them that they don't have to let the mayor send your city down the toilet.

And remember too, the city survive Mel Lastman. I won't say "Be of good cheer", but I will say, "Don't despair!"

(Meanwhile, I need to figure out how bad things are here in our Nation's Capital and decide whether I should move to Calgary.)

[lokilokust.livejournal.com]

ugh.
just... fuck that guy in his stabbed out fucking eyes.

[bcholmes.livejournal.com]

Ooooooo! I'm in! I'm in!

[krinndnz.livejournal.com]

** Why is Spider Jerusalem not a real guy? This is unfair.

Clearly we must re-enact the gospel of Bastard Journalism in order to bring about his existence by collective action.

[corwin77.livejournal.com]

Wait has anyone checked Ford for the Mark of the Beast? It might be there!

[human-loser.livejournal.com]

All that in four years? I'm not sure things really move that fast. I also get the feeling his opposition on the council will make it pretty hard for him to get anything really sweeping done.

Could just be "oh shit I'm living there in a month optimism", but...I'm not super-worried. Annoyed.

Also, I'm coming from Edmonton, so transit will be going downhill for a while before I'd ever notice.

[pofflewomp.livejournal.com]

Dear me, sounds even worse than Britain!

Did this for you.

[fengi.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it works, but it's what went through my head.

[lienne.livejournal.com]

:(

My dad said he can see why Ford got elected because he was the only candidate who wanted to cut spending.

I'm like... and he wants to cut spending by doing things that will cost the city more money in the long run and/or make people suffer. And this is somehow good?

[neeuqdrazil.livejournal.com]

Sorry, but from the various times that Green Room got closed for health code violations, I'm not surprised (or saddened) by its closure. (See history here.)