I can understand dollar coins, and even two dollar coins, poutine and beaver tails. Strange customs, but every country has them.
But this I don’t understand. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who is kind of like Canada’s Chris Christie, except he mostly insults people when he’s drunk and watching the Maple Leafs, is being fired by a judge.
My Canadian friend Bob says that it was for a legitimate conflict of interest (he voted to let himself off the hook for repaying $3,150 to his foundation that helps high school football). But, still, can you imagine Bloomberg being fired by a judge over $3 grand?
danielx
It should only be so.
dollared
That would be great. We have completely forgotten this basic lesson in corruption avoidance.
Wrye
+5 for the Bobcaygeon reference. The issues seem to be that the law left the Judge no lesser penalty, and Ford’s defence consisted of “I’m the fucking mayor, it’s not a conflict of interest because I say so, and I don’t have to read the rulebook or abide by legal advice”.
All Ford had to do was not be an arrogant douche in court, but he couldn’t manage that much. I don’t think the law’s architects ever imagined anyone being so willfully stupid over such relatively small potatoes. Also, Ford made clear that *he* didn’t consider it small potatoes, so the Judge couldn’t either.
BGinCHI
You can’t stop Rob Ford.
You can only hope to
containfire him.CB
minor point, but in his defense, drunk is really the only way to watch the maple leafs.
TenguPhule
Yes. If Bloomberg were a Democrat and the judge was on the Supreme Roberts Court.
TenguPhule
Also, must Canada always be better then us at Everything, including penalizing corrupt douchbags in office?
SFAW
Well, I can imagine a “real” Democrat (as opposed to a sorta-Dem who changed parties so he could get elected Mayor) being fired over $3000, because all Dems are all corrupt. But a Rethug? It would take at least $3
BillionTrillion, because IOKIYAR, and anything less would be covered by the “reasonable discharge of their duty to fuck over the 99 percent” clause of the Rethug Constitution.ETA: I see TenguPhule beat me to it, and with a lot fewer words.
BGinCHI
This paves the way for the joint Bob & Doug Mackenzie mayoralty.
Hosers.
General Stuck
The Orgburo upstairs moves in mysterious ways.
BGinCHI
@TenguPhule: Better at donuts too, which really hurts.
gene108
I think Mayor Bloomberg could probably buy Toronto and fire the judge.
J. Michael Neal
@BGinCHI: But it burns their souls that they aren’t much better at hockey anymore.
Spaghetti Lee
Can we invite that judge down here? I’ve got a list.
SFAW
@BGinCHI:
Isn’t it “dounuts”, in Canadian? (As in, what’s your “favourite”?)
Roger Moore
@TenguPhule:
They provided the world with Justin Bieber, so they’re obviously lacking in some areas.
kim walker
@TenguPhule: They really,really are not.
General Stuck
OT and posted without comment
•
•
•
http://news.firedoglake.com/2012/11/27/durbin-outlines-democratic-approach-on-grand-bargain/
Calouste
Well, in first world democracies, corruption tends to have consequences. MPs got jail sentences of more than a year for over claiming their expenses by 10,000 pounds or so over a period of multiple years.
In the US you can hand out envelopes with cash on the floor of the House and you get promoted.
Svensker
@Wrye:
Yes. The guy is a congenital douche, though. Ugh. Just love a mayor of a big, literate city, who prefers spending tax dollars on “lingerie football” (wink, wink) over libraries.
Ash Can
@General Stuck: I’m sure our resident purity police won’t let a little thing like this stop them from wailing that Obama is really, truly, for sure going to give the Republicans everything they want and that this will teach us all a lesson for not voting for Jill Stein.
BGinCHI
@J. Michael Neal: Um, their players are, I’d say, if not their teams.
dk
Just sharing this as a reference to the title of this post
Bobcaygeon
Roger Moore
@SFAW:
I think it would be “doughnuts” in Canadian. And they aren’t better than us at donuts, at least if the crap I got from Tim Horton’s is any indication. I’d rather get them from any of the big American chains than Tim’s.
BGinCHI
@SFAW: No, but they do have grade 13 (or used to).
I was always impressed by that.
Regnad Kcin
@CB: He was drinking for diversion? He was thinking for himself?
General Stuck
@Ash Can:
True, but it does put a black fly in their Chardonnay :-)
Viva BrisVegas
@SFAW:
Doughnuts.
As from “dough”, which as far as I know has survived the Great U Pogrom in the US.
The “nuts” part just basically means, bits or chunks.
Pylon
In Ford’s defence, I believe that it is a necessity to be drunk in order to watch the Maple Leafs.
RobNYNY1957
Standards for corruption in the United States are very different (laxer) than many other countries. A President of Germany (a ceremonial office that involves cutting ribbons and attending state funerals in countries that are not important enough for the Chancellor to attend) recently had to resign because a friend lent him money for a down payment on a house.
On the other hand, standards for sexual conduct among politicians (apart from Senator Vitter) are generally, but not completely consistently, tighter here than abroad. Germany’s Foreign Minister (the equivalent of Secretary of State) is an openly gay man who brings his partner to state events.
? Martin
Apparently nobody remembers Don Siegelman.
RossInDetroit, Rational Subjectivist
Canadian-born Cory Doctorow has been endzone dancing over this at bOINGbOING all week. He really really hates Rob Ford.
Maude
@General Stuck:
About SS, it says for the time being. See? See? Obama’s going to cut SS.
J. Michael Neal
@BGinCHI: It’s getting pretty close, in both men’s and women’s hockey. In fact, in women’s hockey I’d argue that the States (thanks almost entirely to Minnesota) is producing more quality young players and the Canadians are going to start to struggle when the current crop of veterans they rely on start to retire.
canadian shield
@Roger Moore:
Safeway (the Grocery chain) has better doughnuts than Tim Hortons. I wonder if the Stan Makita donut shop is better than Tim Hortons…
BGinCHI
@J. Michael Neal: Well, we’ll always have Old Time hockey.
Quaker in a Basement
can you imagine Bloomberg being fired by a judge over $3 grand?
Can you imagine a sitting president being impeached by Congress over a BJ?
David
Joe Fontana, the mayor of London, Ontario, currently faces three charges related to misuse of public funds from when he was a Member of Parliament. There may be more money that the RCMP can’t trace, but as it stands he’s facing removal from office over a $1,700 deposit cheque for his son’s wedding. Canada doesn’t take breaches of public trust lightly.
Yutsano
@General Stuck: So what you really mean is Obummer is worse than Bush and he sold us all out, amirite? WHY DID WE FAIL OUR TRUE PURITY GODDESS DR JILL STEIN??
jl
@Quaker in a Basement:
In the US, much easier to imagine the second than the first.
If it was a strong case of intentional illegality, I would like to imagine it possible for people like Bloomberg to be fired by a judge over $300 grand. But I cannot imagine that. In the US.
Jeremy H
@Roger Moore:
Now, now. The government of Canada has apologized on numerous occasions for
Bryan AdamsCeline DionJustin Beiber.Beauzeaux
I am a Canadian — I have never been in a Tim Horton’s.
Re: Rob Ford. He’s a big greasy lump of entitlement. All he had to do was pay back the $3100 and he would have been home free, but he’s ROB FORD! The mayor! Of Toronto! A Big City!
It’s going to take a heck of a chainfall to get him out of that office, but it will be done.
jl
@Yutsano:
I heard radio news report this morning that WH is standing by its statement that Social Security will not be part of a grand bargain. Period. End of story. Case closed. No more of that. Full stop.
WH said Social Security fix will be dealt with on its own merits later this year, after the Congress’ self created for no reason other than goofball politics fiscal cliff grand bargain hoo haw is finished.
So, I hope WH sticks to that. If that is betrayal, I will settle for it until I hear something different.
BGinCHI
@Beauzeaux: When I lived there it was unironically called “Toronto the Good.”
Ed Mirvish weeps.
arguingwithsignposts
Well, there was this one president who was forced to resign over a petty burglary once.
? Martin
@General Stuck:
The ‘almost’ part certainly has to refer to Social Security Disability, which will be out of money in 3 years. It’s blown up in part due to people that would qualify but were working getting laid off since 2008 and in part due to disabled vets dipping into the system at high rates. It allows people to draw full SS benefits at age 62 (rather than reduced benefits at that age) and you can start drawing Medicare benefits at any age if you qualify for SSD, so all of those uninsured people have a new insurance option.
SSD doesn’t pay a lot, but there are 13 million people drawing benefits. That’s a lot. That’s not kids, etc. who are covered by SSI. That’s 13 million people that were workers and no longer can work. That’s a lot. That’s 10% of our workforce. Something isn’t right there – and in 3 years it’s going to start taking retirement benefits down with it.
joeyess
I know that it is one of the reasons why we can’t have nice things.
jl
@Jeremy H:
How about that semi mythical folkloric character, William Shatner? Does Canada give an apology or get thanks?
thanks in advance,
Puzzled in CA
Maude
@arguingwithsignposts:
But he wasn’t a crook.
jl
@? Martin:
I agree with Kay that SS disability problem is partly side effect of welfare reform, and (Edit: which I did not see kay address) partly due to long term crummy job market for older adults.
I did not realize that SS disability was left on the table. I think that healthcare reform and better job market will fix much of the problem.
It is not news that disability claims by older adults has strong links to labor market conditions.
Sorry to hear that SS disability will be subjected to some BS fix as part of fiscal cliff nonsense. probably means stiffing older adults in economic distress.
Maude
@? Martin:
SSD isn’t costing a lot. Have look at the defense budget.
The life expectancy for SSD people might be lower. SSD is usually below the poverty level.
Subsidies to oil companies and all that could be eliminated, but the Republicans want to keep those.
NorthLeft12
You can insult our hockey players, Tim Horton’s, our celebrities, our spelling, and what have you, but I think it is a sign of a healthy democracy that a high profile politician is punished when he acts unethically.
Your democracy? Not so much.
eric nny
Love Bobcaygeon!
jl
@NorthLeft12: I think what you typed is mistermix’s point.
Tuffy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Siegelman
Karl Rove arranged the Dem Gov. of Alabama’s way into prison. America will always be competitive in political warfare.
YellowJournalism
@Roger Moore: Tim Horton’s donuts are much better than Krispy Kreme. Less chemical aftertaste. Overall, average on the donut front save for a few exceptions.
But the Timbits…those things are like crack. Mmmm…cherry cake Timbits. Ahhhghh /Homer Simpson
polyorchnid octopunch
Hey. Couple quick explanations.
For TML, I find luuds to be better than booze.
Tim Hortons doesn’t sell doughnuts. They sell donuts. The “gh” gets destroyed in the freezing and reconstituting process. Did I happen to mention that Timmy’s sucks? They do. It used to be good, but they’ve blown since the mid nineties at least.
The Shat definitely calls for thanks, not apologies.
The Bieb contrariwise.
You should read the accounts of Ford’s time on the stand for his trial. It’s pretty awesome, and makes “depends on what the meaning of is is” look like erudite social commentary. That day on teh twit was pretty damned awesome.
Finally, and just because, here’s a view of Ford throwing a football: http://i.imgur.com/h0s0F.gif
lacp
Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through being mayor of Toronto, son.
PaulW
For what I know reading MightyGodKing’s site, ex-Mayor Ford was a mean-spirited SOB. Think Chris Christie, but without the social graces.
The Sailor
@NorthLeft12: sez “Your democracy? Not so much.”
One word: Harper.
MikeJ
@YellowJournalism:
Anything is better than Krispy Kreme. I have no idea how people eat them. They’re vile.
priscianusjr
? Martin
@jl:
It won’t. It might reduce the rate at which people go on SSD, but once you’re on, you’re on. It’s difficult to get on SSD, and people aren’t going to voluntarily go off of it, so the cost shortfall we have now is going to continue until those people, well, die. It’s effectively a one-way program, and one-way programs always lead to problems like this.
The only ways I can see to address this are to either build a parallel system to the individual mandate for health care to cover disability (privatize it, effectively) or to build a structure within SSD to make it two way – to return them to the job market somehow. The first one sucks, and the last one is effectively impossible.
At least with SS Retirement, you can forecast how many and when people will draw out of the system. That’s really difficult with SSD.
@Maude: SSD costs about 1/10th of what SS retirement costs. It’s a lot. Under most likely models, OASI trust fund should continue to grow through the next decade. Not tons, but by between $50 and $150B per year under the low and intermediate models. It’s flat under the high model.
DI, however, is losing $40B per year under the intermediate model, $10B under the low, and close to $70B under the high. The shortfall in DI is turning OASI from a slowly growing but stable program into a flat and unstable program. And the shortfall will soon be on the order of what everyone in DC is freaking out over with sequestration cuts to Defense. It’s a lot of money.
Oil subsidies is about $4B per year. Farm subsidies in total is only about $20B. Ending both of those still doesn’t cover DI – and DI isn’t supposed to be covered out of the federal budget anyway. It supposed to be covered out of payroll. Everyone on the left freaks out about anything that would make SS look like welfare – well, every proposed solution to the DI problem including yours makes SSD very explicitly a welfare program.
Maude
@MikeJ:
Never had one. Dunkin Donuts is made at a central location now. No good.
Maude
@? Martin:
Martin. it’s not about number, it’s about people.
General Stuck
@? Martin:
SS, medicare and ssdi are all portioned out by FICA taxes. I don’t think cutting SSdI and beneficiaries is on the table with dems and the Obama administration.
If you have been listening carefully to Obama on these programs from day one, and especially last SOTU, honoring existing benefits for all social programs and entitlements is inviolate to the man. This is what drives me crazy about the debate whiners. Taking surface value at every word uttered for rhetorical chess playing with the nutters as to probing their wire, so to speak. And to maneuver what they are up to into the open.
And it is playing with moral hazard fire to suggest any democrat would violate that legal compact that defines how we treat the retired and disabled and poor. If money starts running short, in an eleventh hour of one of these programs going insolvent, then we will see the real game play out.
And regardless, unless the nutters bring it all down with a debt ceiling debacle, or otherwise defunding government, then the people on these rolls will get their benefits by law. It may tap into the SS trust fund, or come out of general treasury, but there is not going to be anyone not getting their lifeline benefit under Obama’s watch. Take it to the bank. And the only question is, what price are the wingnuts willing to pay with their limited options that involve varying degrees of nihilistic last chances.
These programs are very popular, deeply woven into our national fabric, and why democrats hold the cards on getting them funded. They are the milk and honey of the democratic party, and the wingnuts can bargain in good faith that does not kill citizens, or we can let each program go critical mass that commands attention from the voters, who will see what republicans will do. It is a two part mystery, and we don’t control the other part.
Part of what is driving the wingnuts nuts, is the fact they can’t seem to goad Obama into taking scorched earth public stances to box himself in with the base. That would allow republicans to create their bullshit memes on these programs without the pesky thrusts and parry from the O WH, and some pretty good current leadership in the dem congress.
RossInDetroit, Rational Subjectivist
I discovered Horton’s by accident in ’94 when my blood caffeine level fell too low on a drive from Detroit to Ottawa and I pulled off the highway to coffee up. I was astounded how good the java was. Actually asked another customer “Is it always this good?” Didn’t try the do(ugh)nuts, though.
burnspbesq
@Ash Can:
To quote the dearly departed matoko-kun,
“HEADFAKE!”
burnspbesq
@RossInDetroit, Rational Subjectivist:
Well, that clinches it. I’m for Ford.
spatula
Ford is a buffonish beligerant right wing clown that would fit right in in US politics. I’m sure wrong on everything Cole would have high praise for him just like he does for Fat Bastard Christie.
Ethan
He wasn’t convicted over the $3 grand, the penalty for the $3 grand was to pay it back, which he refused to do. He then voted to let himself not pay it back, thus committing an entirely new ethical infraction, for which the lowest possible penalty was removal from office. If you’re wondering why he’d commit a much worse infraction to get out of paying the $3 grand (and he didn’t actually have to commit the infraction, the vote was 22-16), then the answer seems to be, ‘because he’s a moron and didn’t care to find out the rules, it also didn’t occur to him that voting on your own sentence was probably something you’re not supposed to do.’ I guarantee you, if New York had a mayor as stupid as Rob Ford, he could quite possibly find a way to get himself fired over something comparably petty.
Redkitten
I’m definitely not smug about how we handle corrupt politicians. After all, Harper is still in office, isn’t he?
I AM smug about Bobcaygeon being a beautiful song, though. And Tim’s coffee sucks. I prefer Robin’s or Second Cup. I do enjoy Tim’s doughnuts, though. Mmmm…dutchies.
mellowjohn
not a do(ugh)nut maven myself, but i did appreciate the siegel-schwall reference in the head.
? Martin
@Maude:
It’s about math. Disability payments aren’t comprised of unicorn fairy dust. It needs to be paid for. If you refuse to acknowledge that, then Social Security retirement is going to go down with it.
? Martin
@General Stuck:
I don’t think it is either. But something will need to surface on that front – either raising the cap, or reforming eligibility, or something.
But nobody even things of disability when ‘Social Security’ shows up in a headline, and nobody should be shocked if changes are made surrounding disability in the next 4 years. The program will be insolvent before Obama leaves office.
Ramalama
It’s not just Toronto. The Montreal mayor – out. Mayor of the next door city of Laval – out. First time in 100 years there’s an Anglophone mayor presiding over Montreal since that’s all there’s left right now. Lots and lots of mafia and general corruption and lots of shake ups.
polyorchnid octopunch
@Ramalama: Yeah, I heard that Vaillencourt got religion when someone was about to testify at the Charbonneau inquiry.
Suffern ACE
Hmmm. I am guessing that of it were against the rules for someone to vote on a measure that might benefit a charity controlled in some way shape or form by a legislator (or his or her family) New York State would not have enough available legislators to pass a budget.
jl
@? Martin:
” It won’t. It might reduce the rate at which people go on SSD, ”
That is what I meant. I don’t see SSD as a major fiscal problem now, so if the increase in the rate of claims can be halted or reversed, the problem is much less likely to become a crisis.
YellowJournalism
@Redkitten: I love Second Cup, especially around the holidays when all their specialty brews and drinks come out. Plus, they have a Skor chocolate cake that is devine.
Quaker in a Basement
Krispy Kreme only makes one good doughnut–the plain glazed yeast doughnut. And you have to get ’em right outta the fryer.
Comrade Mary
@Ramalama: I heard Applebaum’s French on the CBC a couple of days ago. Bless him, he tried, and he does seem like a calm, sincere, honest guy. I wish him luck.
There is no love lost between the Toronto Star and Rob Ford. Use The Google if you’re curious about their history.
But today’s front page — note the callout above the header — is a piece of art.
Comrade Mary
OK, I have to add this about Applebaum:
Comrade Mary
Last one until I get back to work: that humble pie recipe.
SFAW
Re: a bunch of youse:
“Doughnuts” also appears in the American wild, ya know.
Sometimes I think my jokes are just too fucking subtle. Or perhaps too fucking stupid. (No, I ain’t asking for a vote.)
anthrosciguy
Ford has some other issues, like missing important meetings to coach a high school football team and having people kicked off a city bus so it can be commandeered for that team’s use.
But here’s the deal on this 3 grand. Ford used city hall letterhead to get money for a personal charity, and was warned repeatedly by ethics officials that this was improper. He was then told officially to pay back the 3 grand, and instead of doing so he went for a vote which would say he didn’t need to. The speaker before the vote informed him and everybody else that Fird could not vote on this because of the conflict of interest which carried with it an automatic penalty of removal from office. Ford voted on it anyway.
Any questions?
anthrosciguy
Ford has some other issues, like missing important meetings to coach a high school football team and having people kicked off a city bus so it can be commandeered for that team’s use.
But here’s the deal on this 3 grand. Ford used city hall letterhead to get money for a personal charity, and was warned repeatedly by ethics officials that this was improper. He was then told officially to pay back the 3 grand, and instead of doing so he went for a vote which would say he didn’t need to. The speaker before the vote informed him and everybody else that Ford could not vote on this because of the conflict of interest which carried with it an automatic penalty of removal from office. Ford voted on it anyway.
Any questions?
Suffern ACE
@anthrosciguy: nope. So there were people all along telling him not to put out his eye with that fork he was holding and he just kept stabbing himself anyway.
Cathie from Canada
Rob Ford is Canada’s Chris Christie without the political grace and nuance.
PanurgeATL
@? Martin:
Well, we are off the gold standard, and we are talking about a government that can print money, so it’s not that far off.
Ecks
@CB: HEY!
I resemble that remark.
NorthLeft12
@The Sailor: I have never voted Conservative in my life, and I am no fan of Harper, but he has been up front about what he would do if he was the majority in Parliament. One of those promises was pulling our guys out of Afghanistan, which he surprisingly [to me] lived up to.
Mainly, I like having a choice of voting options; Cons/Big L not really liberals/Socialists. The Green party is not really a viable option yet, but one day they may be. There is actually a difference between the parties.
NorthLeft12
@Comrade Mary: I am surprised the Star did not find a less flattering picture to use of the former mayor.
Kudos for posting that picture of the front page. It is good to see a newspaper that actually has a sense of humour. I have no problem with newspapers and media going after elected officials, as long as they base their attacks on facts and sane/critical thinking.
Ecks
@priscianusjr: The reason the judge could remove him is because the rule he broke was a violation of his rules of office. It wasn’t a criminal or a civil matter it was a “council rules say you can’t do X, but you did.”
And even then the real reason was because he got hauled to court for a blatant but fairly minor rule infraction, and his defense was literally: “No, I didn’t know the rules, and I don’t care about them either. That rule is stupid, what are we even doing here.” The reason Bloomberg would never go down to something like this is that a) he wouldn’t end up in court, but if he did, he wouldn’t take the single least effective legal strategy since “Imma kill you, you lousy judge.”
brantl
@Roger Moore: Go to Country Style donuts, the best fruit-filled donuts on the planet.
double nickel
@Wrye: This.
MC Loud
Hey, you Americans impeached a president cuz of a blowjob…booting out an idiot mayor for three grand seems reasonable.