Roger Ebert tweets about Rob Ford, asks "Toronto?"

Roger Ebert is one of the great American movie critics, but he is also a keen social critic who uses his facility with words to jab from the left.

He once summed up George W. Bush's interest in foreign affairs thus: "Why go to Australia when you have the Outback Steakhouse right here at home?"

Ebert, a big fan of Toronto and its film festival, tweeted this Wednesday night:

"Meanwhile, Toronto elects a mayor who doesn't believe in public transit, arts funding, environment or homosexuality. Toronto?"

Pithy but not quite fair. Ford's transit plan expands the subway system. He has argued in favour of reduced arts funding but didn't campaign on wiping it out. He admits little knowledge of, or interest in, environmental issues. He has put his foot in his mouth describing AIDS victims, and says he believes in "traditional marriage", but there's no evidence he doesn't believe in homosexuality.

Ebert then tweeted again with a link to his Chicago Sun-Times blog, which has the infamous YouTube video of Ford at council in 2007 and the headline: "Bike riders are askin' for it". In the video, during capital budget deliberations about bike lanes, Ford says cyclists are "swimming with the sharks" and "My heart bleeds for 'em when I heard someone gets killed but it's their own fault at the end of the day."

Ridicule, yes, but at least it's world-class ridicule.

Comments

[MMMartha]

Are you actually suggesting that we feel flattered that it's "world-class ridicule?' Seriously. We should be outraged that we have a figure as mayor that allows people to mock us.

[Nuno Aguiar]

Roger should have lived here during the Miller regime and its exorbitant spending habits on nothing but a basic salary then he would have no reason to complain about getting Rob Ford as a mayor with fiscal responsibility towards the tax payers.

[aym]

Exactly how I feel. What the heck were people thinking of when they voted for Ford. There are many things that make a city work, Ford epitomized attributes in his career that don't.

[S]

@Nuno Aguiar: Uhh.....right: Toronto posts $275 million surplus
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/885768--toronto-posts-275-million-surplus?bn=1

[j-rock]

Toronto didn't elect him. North York, Scarborough, and Etobicoke did.

[Robert S]

@aym: uhhhh, wrong it's not really a $275 million surplus -, more like it was a $503 million shortfall before this found money, so now it's a mere $228 shortfall.

[Robert S]

@ S: North York, Scarborough, and Etobicoke are all part of Toronto, so in effect, you're incorrect - Toronto voted for Ford, even some downtowners..

[E]

"@ S: North York, Scarborough, and Etobicoke are all part of Toronto, so in effect, you're incorrect - Toronto voted for Ford, even some downtowners.."

It wasn't a literal, map-based statement.

It was about the divide faced when it comes to what the city's core wants, and what the surrounding areas wanted.

And in the end, those who didn't care about the main part of the city won, and Ford was elected. I'm glad this is getting voiced, even outside of the city.

[hats shop online]

It wasn't a literal, map-based statement.
It was about the divide faced when it comes to what the city's core wants, and what the surrounding areas wanted.