Editing Rob Ford (section)

===City councillor===
[[File:City_Hall,_Toronto,_Ontario.jpg|thumb|Ford served as a city councillor on [[Toronto City Council]] from 2000 to 2010.]]
Ford served three terms as city councillor from 2000 until October 2010, representing Ward 2 Etobicoke North. During his term as councillor, Ford was a strong critic of councillors' spending.<ref name="city-20070424">{{cite news|title=Councillor Blames Politicians' Perks For Your Tax Hike|work=City News|location=Toronto|date=April 24, 2007|url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2007/04/24/councillor-blames-politicians-perks-for-your-tax-hike|access-date=September 15, 2014}}</ref><ref name="tgm-2003-10-03"/> Ford was known for his controversial comments and passionate arguments at council.<ref>{{cite news|work=The Globe and Mail|title=Rob Ford and a decade of controversy|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/rob-ford-and-a-decade-of-controversy/article4330595 |date=August 19, 2010|access-date=May 22, 2013|last=Mahoney|first=Jill|location=Toronto}}</ref>

Ford first ran for [[Toronto City Council]] in [[1997 Toronto municipal election|1997]], placing fourth to [[Gloria Lindsay Luby]] in Ward 3 Kingsway-Humber. Ford ran for councillor in Ward 2 Etobicoke North in the following election in [[2000 Toronto municipal election|2000]], getting the endorsement of the ''[[Toronto Star]]''.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Toronto Star|title=Our recommendations for Toronto council|date=November 5, 2000|page=A16}}</ref> Ford defeated incumbent Elizabeth Brown in what was considered one of several upsets in Etobicoke. According to Ford, "the people said they wanted change and they got change".<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Toronto Star|title=Etobicoke full of upsets; Elsewhere, Lastman loses key supporters; convicted candidate's comeback bid fails|page=E03|last1=DeMara|first1=Bruce|last2=Moloney|first2=Paul|last3=Rankin|first3=Jim|date=March 23, 2016}}</ref>

Ward 2 is located in the north-west corner of the city in the former city of Etobicoke. The ward's population of over 50,000 in 2006 was 53% composed of immigrants, the largest group being South Asians. It is mixed in nature with 40% of dwellings being single-family detached homes and 35% being high-rise apartments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.toronto.ca/wards2000/ward2.htm|publisher=City of Toronto|title=Ward 2 Etobicoke North Profile|access-date=December 11, 2012}}</ref> It is also known as an area that has seen gang violence, including six murders in 2000.<ref>{{cite news|work=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/city-far-from-a-violence-free-haven/article1044457/|date=December 21, 2000|title=City far from a violence-free haven|page=A25|last=Freeze|first=Colin}}</ref>

Ford had previously resided in the ward, but moved in 2000 prior to the election, after his marriage, to Ward 4. In 2003, Ford was re-elected with 80% of the vote in Ward 2,<ref name="tor-2003-results"/> defeating two candidates from the local Somali community.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/the-ugly-truth-about-the-ethnic-vote/article773542/|title=The ugly truth about the ethnic vote|last=Barber|first=John|page=M2|date=November 8, 2003}}</ref> In the [[2006 Toronto municipal election|2006 election]], Ford won again, defeating Somali-Canadian candidate Cadigia Ali, this time with 66% of the vote.<ref>{{cite news|last=Grant|first=Kelly|date=March 25, 2010|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/right-winger-ford-really-a-social-liberal-brother-says/article573669/|title=Right-winger Ford really a social liberal, brother says|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|page=A12}}</ref>

====2001 municipal budget====
It was during the 2001 budget deliberations that Ford earned a reputation for passionate speeches. The [[Municipal government of Toronto|City of Toronto]] was facing a several hundred million dollar budget shortfall, enough to require a 32% tax increase after the [[Government of Ontario]] shifted the delivery of services from itself to Toronto, who would have to then pay for them. Toronto Mayor [[Mel Lastman]] was pleading with other governments for financial assistance. According to Don Wanagas, the ''[[National Post]]'' City Hall columnist, the other councillors began to dread when Ford rose to speak. "I have to give my head a shake because some of the rhetoric that comes out of the mouths of some of these councillors boggles my mind, I swear.{{nbsp}}... Get the government out of our backyards. It's ridiculous. Government red tape here. Bureaucratic here. It's nonsense having all this government. And it's nonsense. It's so ridiculous. If you don't like what the province is doing, there's going to be an election in June of '03 – before our election, by the way."<ref name="gm-wanagas-2001-03-10">{{cite news |newspaper=National Post|url=https://nationalpost.com/toronto/don-wanagas-the-odd-rantings-of-young-rob-ford|title=The odd rantings of young Rob Ford|date=March 10, 2001|page=F2|last=Wanagas|first=Don}}</ref> Councillor [[Anne Johnston]] proposed giving Ford a "neo-con award of the day", while Councillor [[Joe Pantalone]] advised Ford to take [[Prozac]].<ref name="gm-wanagas-2001-03-10"/> Ford argued against spending money on the suicide prevention barrier on the [[Prince Edward Viaduct]], and spending it instead on rounding up child molesters "who are the main cause of people jumping off bridges".<ref name="gm-wanagas-2001-03-10"/>

Ford proposed a cut to each councillor's $200,000 office budget, money for travel to conferences, ending city limousine usage and club memberships. According to Ford, "if we wiped out the perks for council members, we'd save $100 million easy."<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|title=Council considers service hit list|date=February 1, 2001|page=A16|last=Abbate|first=Gay}}</ref> Ford was one of only four councillors who voted against a 5% increase in property taxes for 2001.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|title=Budget contains 5% tax hike|date=May 2, 2001|last=Rusk|first=James|page=A16}}</ref> Ford made a point of not using his allotted city budget for his office expenses, paying for the expenses from his salary. He claimed $10 for his first year, and $4 for his second year. In Ford's opinion, "all this office budget stuff is self-promotion to benefit yourself. Why should the taxpayers have to pay for it? It boggles my mind."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/councillors-office-costs-vary-widely/article1011594/|title=Councillors' office costs vary widely|last=Lewington|first=Jennifer|date=March 15, 2003|page=A18}}</ref>

====2002 municipal budget====
During the debates around the 2002 municipal budget, Ford and Councillor [[Giorgio Mammoliti]] got in several heated exchanges, where Mammolitti called Ford a "goon" and Ford called Mammolitti a "scammer". The argument got heated to the point where Ford called Mammolitti a "Gino-boy". Mammolitti called the insult a "racist remark" and filed a complaint with the city's human-rights office. Three councillors stated that they heard the insult said by Ford, who denied it. Ford dismissed the councillors stating that they were liars if they thought he had made a racist remark. "I'm a conservative and the majority of people are left-wing and cannot stand my politics."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/name-calling-warps-debate-on-budget/article22395473/|title=Name-calling warps debate on budget|last=Abbate|first=Gay|date=March 7, 2002|page=A20}}</ref> The exchanges led Councillor [[Pam McConnell]] to complain about "testosterone poisoning" in the chamber. Ford extended his exchanges outside the chamber with columnist John Barber of ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'': "I am not a racist. Anyone who calls me a racist is going to face the consequences!", to which Barber replied "You are a racist."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|title=Inside Toronto|date=March 7, 2002|page=A21|last=Barber|first=John }}</ref>

====2003 municipal election====
In the [[2003 Toronto municipal election|2003 municipal election]], Ford endorsed twelve political candidates on a platform of fiscal responsibility to take on fellow councillors: "We just need to get rid of these lifelong politicians that just give out money to special interest groups and don't serve the community. I'm really teed off. We need to get a new council or this city is going to go down the drain."<ref name="tgm-2003-10-03">{{cite news|work=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/lonely-city-councillor-seeks-right-minded-companions/article18432078/|title=Lonely city councillor seeks right-minded companions|date=October 3, 2003|page=A22}}</ref> Ford targeted [[Brian Ashton (politician)|Brian Ashton]], [[Maria Augimeri]], [[Sandra Bussin]], [[Olivia Chow]], Pam McConnell, [[Howard Moscoe]]<ref>{{cite news|work=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|date=November 19, 2004|title=Inside City Hall: Rats, foiled again|page=A17}}</ref> and Sherene Shaw.<ref name="tgm-2003-10-03"/> Shaw was defeated by Ford's future budget chief [[Michael Del Grande]],<ref name="tor-2003-results">{{cite web |url=http://www.toronto.ca/vote2003/results/textlist.htm|publisher=City of Toronto|title=Toronto Vote 2003 election results |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016235553/http://www.toronto.ca/vote2003/results/textlist.htm|archive-date=October 16, 2012}}</ref> while the rest were re-elected.<ref name="tor-2003-results"/>

Ford made a priority of responding to local constituents' problems, often returning calls himself or meeting with city staff to resolve problems.<ref name="gm-2004-07-23">{{cite news|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|title=Inside City Hall: Whose constituent is it, councillors want to know|date= July 23, 2004|page=A12}}</ref> In 2005, local radio station AM 640 tested councillors on their response by having a reporter make an after-hours call to report a pothole. Ford was one of only three councillors to call back in person, within a day.<ref name="gm-2005-03-25">{{cite news|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|title=Inside City Hall: Laurels for pothole pols|date=March 25, 2005|page=A8}}</ref> His zeal in attending to constituents' problems became a competitive rivalry with fellow councillors Howard Moscoe and Gloria Lindsay Luby.<ref name="gm-2004-07-23"/><ref name="gm-2005-03-25"/>

In June 2006, Ford spoke out against the city donating $1.5 million to help prevent [[AIDS]], arguing that most taxpayers should not be concerned with AIDS.<ref name="city-2006">{{cite news|date=June 29, 2006|title=Councillor Rob Ford Under Fire Over AIDS Comments|work=[[CityNews]]|location=Toronto|author=Staff|url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2006/06/29/councillor-rob-ford-under-fire-over-aids-comments|access-date=November 10, 2015}}</ref> Ford publicly apologized for the comments in May 2010 during his mayoral campaign after his opponent, [[George Smitherman]], called Ford's character into question over the remarks.<ref>{{cite news|date=May 11, 2010|first=David|last=Rider|title=Councillor Rob Ford Under Fire Over AIDS Comments|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/torontomayoralrace/article/807604--rob-ford-apologizes-for-2006-aids-comment|newspaper=Toronto Star|access-date=December 8, 2012}}</ref> At a council meeting on March 5, 2008, Ford stated "Those Oriental people work like dogs", a remark he later formally apologized for while stating that he meant it as a compliment.<ref name="city-asian">{{cite news |title=Asian Protestors Stage City Hall Sit-In Over Rob Ford's 'Oriental' Comments|url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2008/03/14/asian-protestors-stage-city-hall-sit-in-over-rob-fords-oriental-comments|publisher=CityTV|location=Toronto, Ontario|date=March 14, 2008|access-date=November 10, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|publisher=CBC News|author=Staff|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-councillor-apologizes-for-orientals-comment-1.755506|title=Toronto councillor apologizes for 'Orientals' comment|date=March 31, 2008|access-date=March 23, 2016}}</ref>

On March 7, 2007, Ford spoke out against cyclists sharing roads with motorists, which were "built for buses, cars, and trucks, not for people on bikes".<ref name="bicycling.com">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505233424/http://bicycling.com/blogs/thehub/2012/05/03/toronto-mayor-cyclists-are-a-pain-in-the-ass|archive-date=May 5, 2012 |first=Matt|last=Allyn|url=http://bicycling.com/blogs/thehub/2012/05/03/toronto-mayor-cyclists-are-a-pain-in-the-ass|title=Toronto Mayor: "Cyclists Are a Pain in the Ass"|publisher=Bicycling.com|date=May 3, 2012|access-date=May 12, 2012}}</ref> As councillor, Ford opposed the installation of bike lanes on [[University Avenue (Toronto)|University Avenue]] and [[Jarvis Street]] and during his election campaign, proposed spending money on off-road cycle paths.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|title=Rob Ford could become a champion of cycling|date=September 10, 2012|last=Gee|first=Marcus}}</ref> Bike lanes were installed on Jarvis in 2010 over the objection of traffic advocates, and Ford made it a priority to get them removed during his campaign. As mayor, he was able to get council to reverse the decision in 2011, a move which was criticized by cycling advocates and led to protests.<ref name="spurr-nowtoronto">{{cite web|url=https://nowtoronto.com/separate-lanes-at-last|title= Separate lanes at last|last=Spurr|first=Ben|publisher=nowtoronto.com|location=Toronto, Ontario|date=January 27, 2012|access-date=April 11, 2021}}</ref> The Jarvis bike lanes, which cost the city $86,000 to install in 2011, were removed in December 2012 at a cost of $200,000–$300,000.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/posted-toronto/jarvis-bike-lane-removal-to-be-done-by-december|work=National Post|title=Jarvis bike lane removal to be done by December|first=Natalie|last=Alcoba|date=November 9, 2012|access-date=April 11, 2021}}</ref> At the same time, physically separated bike lanes on [[Sherbourne Street, Toronto|Sherbourne Street]] were installed.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/posted-toronto/sherbourne-motion-could-have-council-debating-jarvis-bike-lanes-again|title=Sherbourne motion could have council debating Jarvis bike-lanes again|first=Natalie|last=Alcoba|date=October 2, 2012|access-date=April 11, 2021}}</ref> Toronto Cyclist Union president Andrea Garcia praised the Sherbourne lanes installation: "Cities all across North America that are doing way more innovative things for cyclists have been building separated bike lanes for a long time{{nbsp}}... It's great to finally see Toronto catch up." However, she also regretted the loss of lanes on Jarvis: "People live and work and go to school on both of these streets and they all need a safe way to get to these places."<ref name="spurr-nowtoronto"/>