RIP Jack Layton

[Peter D.]

I'm willing to admit that I severely underestimated the significance of his passing.  I did not expect all the tributes, the many people going to different areas to sign a condolence book, and the thousands upon thousands lined up to pay their final respects to him.

I generally don't care about politics, but he was one of the rare good/likeable ones and who loved this country to no end.

 

[Pucken Chronic]

Gotta admit I don't get it.  While I'm sad to see him or anybody else die prematurely, I am shocked at the responce he's received from coast to coast and beyond. While he fought some great battles for great causes (gay rights, AIDS awareness among others). He also lived in Ontario housing as a politician, he was against 2 tier medicine while he himself used private clinics. I always thought of him as a super-slick politician with smarts, charisma and passion. While I never cared for him or his politics, I am saddened by his passing. My sympathies go out to his familly, colleages and to those of you so taken by his passing.

 

[cw]

Gotta admit I don't get it.  While I'm sad to see him or anybody else die prematurely, I am shocked at the responce he's received from coast to coast and beyond. While he fought some great battles for great causes (gay rights, AIDS awareness among others). He also lived in Ontario housing as a politician,

Lies That Will Not Die
http://bowjamesbow.ca/2011/04/26/lies-that-will-.shtml
http://drdawgsblawg.ca/2011/04/lousy-dirty-liberal-politics-ii.shtml

covers it better than articles I could quickly find

Layton wanted to live in the ward 30 that he represented (a lower than average income area). And he wanted to be close to his work because he often bicycled to work. He also wanted to support the type of housing he had advocated for. Layton felt that mixed income housing would help reduce creating segregated ghettos for low income families. He lived in it to prove that it was suitable for higher income people and higher income people living in these units contributed to subsidizing the lower income renters (where the co-op label came from).

It was investigated. Layton was found to be paying market rent for the dwelling which was a co-op of 70% higher income who paid higher rent mixed with 30% low income (who paid lower rent). Layton never took a low income dwelling away from anyone. He wasn't up to anything sleazy/cheap. Prior to the article coming out to accuse him, the Laytons were the only tenant voluntarily paying more than was required for their rent to cover any notion of a subsidy.

Layton was very quickly and completely cleared after investigation by the city solicitor/police. The source of the article was later alleged to be a rival council member Tom Jacobek who later admitted to lying in a computer lease scheme with the city that implicated Tie Domi's brother (who I believe was cleared). The author of the original article reported later that same month that Layton had been cleared and that other co-op members/groups came out in support of Layton continuing to live there.

Layton was trying to live in a ward he represented, close to work so he could bicycle to work as he advocated and living in a type of housing he had pushed for to support it - symbolically and financially. Unlike most politicians, he was walking the walk and his political opponents tried to use it against him.

he was against 2 tier medicine while he himself used private clinics.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060112/elxn_layton_clinic_060112?s_name=election2006&no_ads

He didn't know it was private ... and neither did I when I went there. I knew the Shouldice family, Shouldice came highly recommended, I flashed my OHIP card and that was it. It never entered my mind to consider whether it was private or not as it was 100% covered by OHIP.

I didn't agree with everything Layton said or stood for but I think he got unfairly smeared on the above. I think as many, many other people seem to think, he was a pretty good guy.

 

[cw]

Jack Layton saw the future and it was on a bicycle
http://www.wheels.ca/columns/article/799545

In the ?80s, Layton created Toronto?s first cycling committee. Run from his office, the goal was to gather more information on the use of bicycles in the city, as well as to create a voice for cyclists. It wasn't long before the committee started to receive funding from the city.
...
The first Post and Ring was installed in 1985 and today, more than 16,000 line Toronto's curbsides and parks.

In 1987, Layton took part in a race with two other councillors ? one travelling by car, another by TTC and Layton on his bike. Each had to travel six kilometers to Nathan Phillips square. Layton won, but it wasn't just a publicity stunt. Years before, Layton had given up his car completely and instead travelled by bicycle, a practice he continued for the rest of his life, often spotted riding a tandem bike with his wife.

Layton hasn't owned a car since 1983. He lived as he advocated others could live in Toronto.

 

[Leafaholic99]

My buddy Troy Oakley had Layton's final words Tattooed on his arm the other day:

TORONTO - He's a lifelong Conservative supporter, but Troy Oakley was so moved by Jack Layton's farewell words to Canadians he now has them tattooed on his arm.

"It's not about party lines with Mr. Layton, it's about being good to everybody else and just doing the right thing," says Oakley, 39, a college registrar from Mississauga, west of Toronto.

Of the 27 tattoos adorning his body, Oakley says this one is his favourite.

Running across the top of his forearm, the words stretch about 16 inches from his wrist to his elbow and were inked on his arm in a tattoo shop in Oshawa on Thursday night.

"My friends, love is better than anger," reads the text lifted from a letter left by the New Democratic Party leader before his death Monday of cancer.

"Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we?ll change the world."

Oakley says the message touched him because it is simple and brimming with common sense.

"People can look at things in a negative manner, or they can look at things in a positive manner," says Oakley.

"I mean, the guy is lying on his bed dying and all he's thinking about is everybody else. I think that speaks volumes to why I was honoured to put these words on my skin."

Oakley hopes his tattoo will remind others about Layton's optimism. The numerous posts a photo he posted on Facebook and Twitter has generated tell him it's working.

"A lot of people have seen this tattoo, so it's already made a difference because now they're going to remember those words."

 

[TheMightyOdin]

Watching part of the funeral now.

 

[LittleHockeyFan]

just got home from our trip to Ottawa...... nice to see all the flags at half-staff all around the city, and popped by Parliament Hill and saw this:

 

[TheMightyOdin]

The service was very touching.