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rfmcdonaldMayor Rob Ford's popularity, it's reported, is falling sharply.
In the Toronto Star, Bozinoff went into greater detail about what he sees as the reasons for Ford's declining popularity and his predictions about Ford's future popularity.
The National Post goes into greater detail about the different cost-cutting possibilities which have turned out to be massively unpopular. Torontoist's Hamutal Dotan broke down the numbers by former municipality and found that, in the communities that used to be the City of Toronto's innermost suburbs, Ford's popularity is falling sharply.
Might all this lead to a generalized city-wide backlash against Ford, perhaps even the strengthening of the city's post-amalgamation civic culture and a shift away from the cuts paradigm? I'd like to believe that, really I would, but this is far too little data accumulated over far too short a time to make such a conclusion.
What all this might mean is that, with declining popularity, Ford may think twice about implementing some of the cuts. Many city councillors may also be reluctant to support Ford for fear of negative reaction in their communities. I don't see the sorts of tax increases--re-installations, some of them; Ford's deletia encompasses too much--necessary to reduce the deficit occurring, sadly.
A poll conducted by Forum Research suggests that Ford's approval rating has declined to 42 per cent. That is down from 57per cent on June 1 and 60 per cent on Feb. 25.
Ford, who campaigned on the promise of eliminating the so-called "gravy" from the city's budget has struggled to find ways to pare down the city's massive $770-million budget shortfall.
Since the summer, the mayor has left no stone unturned in his bid to shave down the expenses. This has included plans to cut subsidized day care, scale back on snow plow service, cut library branches, reduce service and raise fares on the Toronto Transit Commission, and axe thousands of city of Toronto jobs.
“Mayor Ford is facing a significant uphill battle to regain approval in the city of Toronto,” said Forum Research president Lorne Bozinoff.
“Rob Ford campaigned on a promise to cut the gravy, none was found and the reality of cutting services residents rely on — often on a daily basis — is setting in. This has obviously shaken public confidence in his ability to handle the job of mayor.”
Among the findings, the poll suggests 84 per cent of the residents disapprove of eliminating late night TTC buses, while 61 per cent were against selling the TTC and Toronto Parking Authority parking lots and garages.
Earlier this week, the TTC unveiled a comprehensive plan featuring job cuts, route frequencies extended, and a possible fare hike.
Cuts to library services was also a hot button issue among respondents with 79 per cent against closing public libraries and 70 per cent against reducing services and hours.
In the Toronto Star, Bozinoff went into greater detail about what he sees as the reasons for Ford's declining popularity and his predictions about Ford's future popularity.
“This drop in support has come without any cutbacks actually coming into effect, we’re only at the idea stage,” Bozinoff said. “This is a ceiling — I think it’s going to get a lot worse for him before it gets better.
“He campaigned on a gravy train, none was found and the reality of cuts to services that residents rely on, often daily, is setting in. That has shaken public confidence in his ability to handle the job of mayor.”
The poll also found no public appetite for the major KPMG-suggested cuts Pennachetti is forwarding to the executive committee Monday as part of Ford’s solution to fix Toronto’s finances.
“It’s one thing to say, ‘look at this, look at that,’” Bozinoff said. “Now, when people see cuts in black and white, all of these things are extremely unpopular.
“It’s also the process, I think — the mayor’s people haven’t been very good at building public support. It’s all, ‘My way or the highway.’”
[. . .]
Ford took office Dec. 1 on a wave of popularity fuelled by his “Stop the gravy train” mantra. By comparison, former mayor David Miller enjoyed an 82 per cent approval rating in May 2004, six months into his first term.
Ford remains more popular with older Torontonians than young, while his disproportionately weak appeal for women is eroding further, the poll suggests.
But the budget isn’t Ford’s only problem. Since the last poll, Bozinoff said, Ford and his brother Doug have “squandered a lot of political capital” with controversies over refusing to attend Pride celebrations, a public feud with author Margaret Atwood over the fate of libraries, and the like.
The National Post goes into greater detail about the different cost-cutting possibilities which have turned out to be massively unpopular. Torontoist's Hamutal Dotan broke down the numbers by former municipality and found that, in the communities that used to be the City of Toronto's innermost suburbs, Ford's popularity is falling sharply.
Etobicoke-York: 50% (down 8% from June 1)
Scarborough: 49% (↓ 10%)
North York: 43% (↓ 26%)
Toronto East-York: 30% (↓ 14%)
TORONTO OVERALL: 42% (↓ 15%)
Might all this lead to a generalized city-wide backlash against Ford, perhaps even the strengthening of the city's post-amalgamation civic culture and a shift away from the cuts paradigm? I'd like to believe that, really I would, but this is far too little data accumulated over far too short a time to make such a conclusion.
What all this might mean is that, with declining popularity, Ford may think twice about implementing some of the cuts. Many city councillors may also be reluctant to support Ford for fear of negative reaction in their communities. I don't see the sorts of tax increases--re-installations, some of them; Ford's deletia encompasses too much--necessary to reduce the deficit occurring, sadly.
