Editing Rob Ford (section)

====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"/>