Ford tight-lipped about potential mayoral bid
admin | Thursday, March 18th, 2010 | No Comments »City councillor Rob Ford gave no clue – well, no direct answer – to the question of whether he will announce his candidacy for mayor at a “Complimentary Wine and Cheese with Councillor Rob Ford” party next Friday, March 26.
“I can’t say,” he said, when asked in an interview whether the party celebrating 10 years on city council would be the announcement of his mayoral bid. “We’re not releasing any information right now.”
When asked what was going to be on the menu, he said: “Wine. Cheese. Fruit. Food. People. Music. DJs. Dancing. And a couple of speakers.”
But Ford has made no secret of the fact that he is contemplating a mayoralty run in 2010 – after having spent the past decade as one of Toronto council’s most outspoken, and controversial, critics from the far right end of the spectrum.
Ford has maintained that he’s getting considerable support as he’s considering his run. But earlier this year, Ford conducted a poll to see how well he might fare in a mayoralty race.
With Toronto Transit Commission Chair Adam Giambrone still in the race, he said he placed third behind former deputy premier George Smitherman and Giambrone.
Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby, who represents Etobicoke Centre, tartly noted that according to Ford’s own poll, Smitherman would beat him even on his home turf in Etobicoke.
“I recall that he was dismayed to see he didn’t win Etobicoke,” said Lindsay Luby, who Ford once referred to as a “waste of skin” during a council meeting. “The question you have to ask (when assessing your popularity) is do you hear loud voices or do you hear the broader community?”
For his part, Ford did his best to remain closed-mouth about his plans.
But during an interview about councillors’ $53,100 expense accounts, he answered a question asking whether he would, as mayor, slash those accounts: “That’s for sure. Guaranteed, cut in half. When I decide to run for mayor. And if I decide.”
Ford continued on about various issues that have arisen in the campaign. He dismissed candidate Sarah Thomson’s plan to charge $5 tolls on the DVP and Gardiner Expressway to pay for new subways as “insanity.”
“I don’t think she’s had enough experience talking to taxpayers. I know I won’t support it and I don’t think the taxpayers will support paying $5 to get on the DVP.”
He did like subways, though – as long as the money could come from somewhere else.
“You have to sit down with Flaherty and Harper or you’d have to get the private sector and sell them development rights above the subway,” he said.
And he said bike lanes – another big issue – were fine downtown.
“But put them along Rexdale Boulevard in Rexdale, my constituents, very few of them use their bikes to get them to or from work,” he continued. “There are 18-wheel tractor-trailers and I don’t think bikes are safe in industrial or commercial areas. But downtown – sure, if I lived downtown in a condo and had to scoot from one place to another, a bike is fine.”
And as to the Gardiner teardown?
“I’m definitely keeping the Gardiner,” he said. If he decides to run for mayor.
Ford’s party will take place at the Toronto Congress Centre – North buiding at 650 Dixon Rd., March 26 at 7 p.m.
