Ford kicks off mayoral campaign at Etobicoke event
Admin2 | Monday, March 29th, 2010 | No Comments »
Council ‘spendaholics’ won’t be tolerated, boasts mayoral hopeful
More than 1,000 people packed an Etobicoke convention Hall Friday night, an enthusiastic rally for straight-speaking local councillor Rob Ford’s populist mayoral campaign kickoff.
“This is amazing,” Ford, 40, exclaimed as he looked out on a standing room-only crowd of supporters as they hoisted large ‘Ford for Mayor’ signs, and sported some of the 850 ‘Rob Ford T.O. 2010’ T-shirts given out at the March 26 event at the Toronto Congress Centre on Dixon Road.
Ford cast a populist campaign as a champion of the people who pledged to fight the “spendaholics” at City Hall, and deliver “excellent” customer service to ensure Torontonians receive prompt replies from city officials to email and phone inquiries.
“I’ve said it a million times. Toronto doesn’t have a revenue problem. Toronto has a spending problem. City Hall is addicted to spending hard-earned taxpayers’ dollars,” Ford told the high-energy crowd.
Ford vowed to repeal the controversial vehicle registration and land transfer taxes, and to make the TTC an essential service. He pledged to guarantee garbage and recycling would be collected on time.
He also vowed to slash the size of the 44-member Toronto City Counci by half. Ford’s voice broke as he spoke of his late father Douglas Ford, who founded the family’s successful Deco Labels and Tags business in 1962 and served as Progressive Conservative MPP for Kingsway-Humber in the late 1990s.
“He was my idol…I know you’re with me, Dad. I know you’re with me.”
Joan, 79, who declined to give her last name, said she would not have missed Ford’s entry into the mayoral race.
“I was going to get evicted out of my house unless I paid $939. He got it down to $700. He saved my life. He’s fantastic. He’s there for everyone,” said Joan, noting Ford has given her both his cell and home phone numbers. “I would vote for him, be behind him any way I can. He’s the man we need for mayor. He has a heart, a soul, kindness.”
Martin Bilic, 70, said he wants to canvass for Ford’s campaign in his York neighbourhood.
“I admire how much he tries to help the people of Toronto,” he said. “I feel very much that I want to support him, volunteer with his campaign. I admire that he’s a fair man, not greedy or selfish. I hope he’s going to become mayor.”
The most high-profile politician in the crowd was federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, joined by his wife Conservative MPP Christine Elliot. Toronto councillors at Ford’s kickoff included Frances Nunziata and Mike Del Grande. Nunziata said she and Ford tried unsuccessfully to curb spending at City Hall.
“Council is out of control. They spend, spend, spend money we don’t have,” Nunziata said. “We need leadership to spend money where it’s appropriate and still deliver services. I know Rob is that candidate.”
Other mayoral candidates include former deputy premier George Smitherman, councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, former Liberal Party executive Rocco Rossi, deputy mayor Joe Pantalone and Women’s Post publisher Sarah Thomson.
– Tamara Shephard
