Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Right-leaning councillors reconsider votes after Ford’s support plummets

Publicly, councillors within mayor Rob Ford’s voting bloc say they are unshaken by a massive poll that shows plummeting support for the mayor and his agenda.

But privately, a number of right-leaning and centrist councillors say they will not be voting for many of the proposed service cuts — such as daycares, libraries, zoos, farms and arts funding — telling the mayor: I can’t politically afford it.

“People don’t feel good about how things have been happening and they’re taking a look at those numbers,” said one.

Others dismissed the Forum Research poll’s credibility because it was paid for by CUPE Local 79.

“I’m getting (automated) robocalls in my ward, someone phoning up and saying: ‘Do you know Doug Holyday wants to close libraries?’ Push one to reach his office, and they get right through,” said deputy mayor Holyday. “I think the unions are targeting library card holders to do this and I think the poll is more of that.”

Forum Research president Lorne Bozinoff said that, regardless of who writes the cheque, the methodology is the same. On Tuesday, Forum randomly called 12,848 Toronto residents using an automated push-button response phoning system.

Respondents were asked:

1. “How has your opinion of Mayor Ford changed since the election?” Improved: 17%; Hasn’t changed: 29%; Grown worse: 54%.

2. “If an election was held tomorrow, would you vote for Rob Ford for mayor?” Yes: 27%; No: 60%; Don’t know: 13%.

3. “How much do you agree that your councillor should vote in the interests of protecting city services in your community, even if it conflicts with the wishes of Mayor Ford?” Overall agree: 77% (59% say they “strongly agree;” 18% say they “agree”). (Overall disagree: 14% (“strongly disagree, 5%; disagree 9%). Don’t know: 9%.

4. “Who did you vote for in the last election?” Ford 46% (the election results were 47%); Smitherman 34% (the election results were 36%); Pantalone 14% (the election results were 12%).

All polls are imperfect because no question is perfect, said Nelson Wiseman, a University of Toronto politics professor, but the closeness of the Forum respondents’ answers to the actual election results shows they’re “right on the money,” Wiseman said.

“If I were a councillor I’d pay attention.”

Origin
Source: Toronto Star 

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