All Entries Tagged With: "Marcus Gee"
Gee: Ford Raged Against The Machine, And Now Runs It
Marcus Gee of the Globe suggests that Rob Ford’s next challenge will be to run a government as successful as his campaign: “Whether Mr. Ford can deliver that in the city of Toronto is, to say the least, an open question. In a system where there are no political parties and the mayor’s is only [...]
Gee: Toronto, It’s No Time For Cynicism. Every Vote Counts
The Globe’s Marcus Gee implores voters to make their voices heard through the ballot box: “Who that winner is depends on the informed judgment of Torontonians. In a jaded world, cynical about politics and skeptical of politicians, voters often complain they are powerless. Here is a case where they can really make a difference. The [...]
Gee: The People Who Can Bring Real Change To Toronto
The Globe’s Marcus Gee offers his thoughts on the local councillor races and which candidates he thinks should be elected on Monday: “Another man to watch is Neethan Shan in Ward 42 Scarborough-Rouge River. He is up against Raymond Cho, who has been in local politics since 1991 and is well past his best-before date. [...]
Gee: Our Contenders Pale Next To Calgary’s Exciting New Mayor
The Globe’s Marcus Gee is envious of Calgary voters who had the opportunity to vote for someone Gee thinks is truly worthy: mayor-elect Naheed Nenshi: “The contrast with Toronto’s hopefuls for mayor could hardly be more stark. Mr. Nenshi radiates freshness. Here in Canada’s largest city, we have to choose among a standard-issue, 1980s-vintage NDP [...]
Gee: Ford Prefers Crude Slurs Over (e)Healthy Debate
Marcus Gee in the Globe calls mayoral candidate Rob Ford out on his sustained attack against opponent George Smitherman and his involvement in the provincial eHealth scandal: “EHealth is a complex affair with many avenues and many authors. Mr. Ford has turned it into a simple tale of waste and corruption to pin on his [...]
Gee: Whether He Withdraws Or Not, Pantalone’s Race Is Over
Marcus Gee of the Globeis convinced that mayoral candidate Joe Pantalone is out of contention, a fate brought about by his own hand: “Mr. Pantalone made things worse for himself by running a campaign based on a defence of the status quo. His message – things aren’t as bad as you think, folks – was [...]
Gee: Rocco Rossi: Passionate, Intelligent And Classy To The End
The Globe’s Marcus Gee looks back at the candidacy of Rocco Rossi and why he was not able to connect with voters: “Why, with so much going for him, didn’t he get anywhere? The odds against him were always high. A backroom operator who had never run for office before, he jumped into an arena [...]
Gee: Rocco Rossi’s Last-Ditch Ploy: Common Sense
The Globe’s Marcus Gee notes that the fiscal plan being offered by mayoral candidate Rocco Rossi is a notable change from previous policy announcements: “It’s a new tack for Mr. Rossi, a former Liberal fundraiser and head of the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Coming out of the starting gate, he seemed to be occupying the [...]
Gee: The Secret Of Ford’s Success
The Globe’s Marcus Gee speaks with one voter, former Miller supporter Peter Robinson, who is fed up enough with City Hall to consider voting for Rob Ford: “It almost seems that every time you turn around you are paying more money,” he said on the phone Wednesday, after e-mailing me about the Ford phenomenon. “Maybe [...]
Gee: Cutting City Staff Through Attrition Not So Simple
Marcus Gee of the Globe takes issue with the plans of Rob Ford and George Smitherman to find major savings through staff attrition: “The fact is that about half of the government is immune to cutting through attrition. Police, fire, public health, ambulance services, water services, social services – all these are required by provincial [...]
Gee: Dystopia Or Dream City: Which Version Of Toronto Will You Vote For?
In the Globe, Marcus Gee offers that the two visions of Toronto – one a crumbling city, the other an urban utopia – are both inaccurate: “The truth, to trot out that tired old saw, lies in between. To describe city hall as a corrupt, wasteful basket case is wrong and unfair. City councillors get [...]
Gee: Can We Trust Rob Ford, A Guy Who Gets His Numbers Wrong?
The Globe’s Marcus Gee offers a list of instances where he says mayoral candidate Rob Ford has his numbers wrong: “When he talks about overspending at city hall, Mr. Ford often cites the controversial new bike lane on Jarvis Street. He says it cost $6-million. The actual cost was $59,000, $6,000 less than the city’s [...]
Gee: Progressive Pantalone Loses His Way In A Sea Of Ford Sound-Alikes
The Globe’s Marcus Gee thinks mayoral candidate Joe Pantalone has a real opportunity to secure the progressive portion of the spectrum, but isn’t capitalizing on it: “A sensible fellow, yes. But mayor? The idea was implausible from the start. Mr. Pantalone comes across as a perfect second-in-command. His campaign has always seemed more like an [...]
Gee: Anger Rob Ford Has Tapped Runs Deep
The Globe’s Marcus Gee wonders if the “tsunami” of voter anger will propel mayoral candidate Rob Ford into the mayor’s chair: “We’ve seen this sort of thing before, the moment when vengeful voters toss a prime minister or premier out on his ear. The mood in Toronto today seems much like the one that ousted [...]
Gee: Mayoral Candidates Sketch Out Fantasy Schemes For Toronto’s Transit Dilemmas
The Globe’s Marcus Gee is unimpressed with the transportation plans of the leading mayoral contenders: “With the exception of Joe Pantalone, who simply proposes to press on with Transit City, all of the candidates seem to have sketched their fantasy transit schemes on the back of a napkin. Anyone can draw lines – this subway [...]
Gee: Smitherman Campaign Risks Crash By Veering Left And Right
At the Globe, Marcus Gee thinks that mayoral candidate George Smitherman is implementing a risky strategy with his recent announcement to cut spending and hold tax rates: “By coming out as a red-blooded fiscal conservative eight months into the campaign, Mr. Smitherman risks being seen as a Robbie-come-lately, an opportunist and a copycat who pushes [...]
Gee: Imaginary Hot Dog Seller Thinks Ford Can’t Cut The Mustard
The Globe’s Marcus Gee once again has a chat with his imaginary everyman analyst, to discuss whether mayoral candidate Rob Ford can hold his lead: How can the other candidates burst his bubble? A lot depends on the debates. There are dozens of them during the campaign, including sessions this week on equity, prosperity and [...]
