News roundup, 1 March 2024

- The Center for Renewing America, a think tank with ties to Donald Trump, is overtly calling for a Christian nationalist revamp of government. Funny thing is, Christian nationalists are really getting their knickers in a knot about the fact that someone had the audacity to report on this.

- A lawyer who has previously worked with Trump says that the former president is very embarrassed about his inability to come up with the bond money in the E. Jean Carroll case. Assuming Trump is actually capable of shame, it would make sense that not being as rich as he's supposed to be would be the thing to bring it on. Potentially even better news, though, is the fact that his party is worried about their fundraising prospects for the fall election.

- A bill working its way through the Kentucky legislature will, if passed, do away with many basic rights that workers have, including the right to lunch and rest breaks, the right to overtime pay if you work seven days in a row, and the right to be paid for the time taken to get to a job site. It also decreases the statute of limitations for the violation of whatever remaining rights workers have.

- A report commissioned by the City of Winnipeg has concluded that the repairs necessary at Portage and Main would cost some $73 million if the present pedestrian-free configuration is to be maintained, as well as creating several years of traffic disruption that would likely be far worse than any disruption that might result from reopening it to pedestrians. Faced with this, Mayor Scott Gillingham now says that he favours reopening it and closing down the underground concourse, which the report says would cost only around $60 million. Suburbanites who only encounter the intersection on their commutes will not be happy, but oh well.

- A community meeting on Toronto's cycling plan was held in the suburban district of Etobicoke (the Ford brothers' home turf), hosted by the local city councillor, Stephen Holyday. The meeting devolved into chaos after a presenter went into an unhinged anti-cyclist rant, to a chorus of cheers from the audience, and then said "Personally, I'd like to run them [cyclists] over". Reportedly city staff were berated at the meeting as well, and some members of the general public who attended were also a bit uncomfortable with these antics. Despite this, Holyday apparently made no attempt to stop the speaker from rousing the rabble. Everything I hear about Etobicoke, in fact, makes it sound like the worst that Canadian suburbia has to offer.

- A group of young adults who got lost while trying to find the party to which they'd been invited in rural New York state turned into the wrong driveway. The resident of the property, like any good red-blooded rural American would, opened fire with a shotgun as the vehicles were leaving, killing a 20 year old passenger in one of the vehicles. Unfortunately for him, the victim was a white girl, and he was therefore convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison.

- A number of Indians who answered an ad from a Dubai-based recruitment agency thinking they were going to get jobs in the UAE learned to their dismay that they had been duped into joining the Russian army and sent to Ukraine instead. Well, I guess they both begin with U...

Rob Ford may just have saved Toronto from himself

At least I hope most people don't vote for him after this:

Rob Ford’s long-held belief in traditional marriage has exploded into a campaign issue now that he has endorsed the views of a fundamentalist Christian pastor who suggested online that same-sex marriage could “dismantle” a “healthy democratic civilization.”

“We’re together. We have the same thoughts,” Mr. Ford said at a news conference with Pastor Wendell Brereton, who abandoned his candidacy for mayor to run for council and endorse Mr. Ford.

From the Globe. This is rather interesting; Ford has come out on top in some polls (though not all apparently) but this could have a rather dramatic effect. Then again, consider what's already public about him:

In 2002, Ford called fellow Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, who is also running for mayor, "a scammer" and "Gino-boy" in reference to his Italian heritage.

In 2003, he wanted Toronto declared a "refugee-free zone" and called council's decision to ban the use of pesticides a sign of "dictatorship." The following year he said the city's bylaw to protect trees "is communism, if you ask me."

In 2005, he called Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby a "waste of skin." He once suggested that "it's their own fault" if cyclists are killed in traffic accidents.

In 2006, he was ejected from the Air Canada Centre for being drunk and verbally abusing fans at a Maple Leafs game, calling them "communist bastards." Later, Ford denied he was even at the game, but subsequently admitted he lied, saying "I'm going through a few personal problems."

Also in 2006, he fought against a $1.5 million AIDs prevention program, claiming he didn't understand why more women were becoming AIDS patients, adding "Maybe they're sleeping with bisexual men."

In 2008, he claimed "Oriental people work like dogs... They're slowly taking over." He later said he meant it as a compliment, but apologized anyway. Also that year, he was arrested and charged with assault and threatening death, but the charges were later dropped.

From the Star. The fact that all this is out there and he's still popular is a bit worrisome. Linda Deibel (also in the Star) compares him to the teabaggers, and she's not far off. And in Etobicoke they seem to actually like the guy.

The alleged assualt on his wife by the coward Robert Ford

Toronto city Coun. Rob Ford was arrested Wednesday and charged with assaulting his wife and uttering death threats, his lawyer has confirmed.

Lawyer Dennis Morris told CBCNews.ca that his client was arrested in his Etobicoke home mid-morning after being accused of committing an assault earlier that day. Morris said Ford denies the assault ever took place and will plead not guilty.

From the Ceeb. Well, he's innocent until proven guilty, of course, as the National Post is quick to point out in their wonderfully selective fashion. Nevertheless, I think that most readers of this blog will tend to agree that regardless of the outcome of this, Mr Ford is a jerk. A few examples of his past behaviour can be found here:

In past incidents, Councillor Rob Ford:

• Lied about his drunkenness and profanity while watching a Maple Leafs game at the Air Canada Centre in the spring of 2006. He was making remarks such as, "Green Party f---ing rules" and, "Do you want your little wife to go over to Iran and get raped and shot?"

• Initially, he denied to reporters he was even at the game, claiming he was being "slandered."

• Called Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby a "low-life" and "waste of skin" and Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti "Gino-boy," an ethnic slur. He later apologized.

• Incensed city money was being used for AIDS prevention programs such as giving prostitutes condoms, said AIDS is "very preventable. If you're not doing needles and you're not gay, you won't get AIDS, probably."

• Opposed bike lanes last year, saying: "Roads are built for buses, cars and trucks. My heart bleeds when someone gets killed, but it's their own fault."

Quite remarkable that someone like this continues to get elected. Perhaps the folks of his ward respond well to his grandstanding about fiscal responsibility, or maybe he just stands for good suburban values like racism, homophobia, poor bashing, drunken idiocy, and (maybe) domestic violence. Doesn't reflect very positively on Etobicoke, that's for sure.

Edited to add: It seems that the charge has been withdrawn. I guess he's not a wifebeater, so my apologies to Mr. Ford (but I stand by all the other mean things I said about him).