Just as I feared ... the decision on best post has been much more difficult than I had originally anticipated. You guys really have a lot of very valid perspectives, priorities and questions on your mind, when it comes to the future of our town !! Actually, this bodes very well for the city, because we do need more people who think seriously about where we can and should take this city, and who are not reticent about stepping up and making sure their voices are heard.
Anyhow, at the end of the day, I had to make a decision. So let me break it down this way. Three posts really stood out for me -- one for the Heart, another for the Head and the final, for the Gut.
THE HEART
[The Weathermaking Challenge ... I love the passion in your words, and the lyrics in your comment. Your "creed" is one which most politicians can only aspire to, but one which I genuinely believe Rocco lives on a daily basis.]
"The Weathermaking Challenge said ... The next mayor of our great city must love her as much as I do, and be courageous in his love for her. No matter what forces internally or externally attempt to hurt her, defame her, or take advantage of her, our next mayor must never allow anything less than what she deserves. He must share the vision of those who live in this fair city to help her continue to grow into the world-class powerhouse of growth, prosperity, culture, and diversity. He must put this vision before himself, he must put this vision before his friends, and he must put this vision before the interests of anyone else. We need a mayor who will fearlessly and diligently work towards, and never compromise the integrity of this vision. That mayor is Rocco Rossi."
THE HEAD
[Louis, your post was the longest :-). However, it was also very well thought out, compelling, and well researched. I also liked that you outlined integrated solutions, as opposed to just focusing on the issues. Really well done, and a bit of a manifesto.]
"Louis said...Toronto has always billed itself as a world-class city but has never reached true world-class elite status. It is not spoken about in the same terms as London, Paris, New York and Shanghai. Over the next decade, there is a perfect opportunity for Toronto to elevate itself to that elite status and this responsibility will fall on the shoulders of the next mayor.
Here are 5 key issues I believe the next mayor of Toronto needs to focus on:
This is a bit more than a few sentances but I'm passionate about my city, just as passionate as I am about my Raptors!
THE GUT
[Anonymous, you had me at "innovative businesses and entrepreneurs" :-). All of the businesses that I have built, grown and financed have been predicated on being able to find the best and the brightest, and enabling their talent and creativity. However, due to the economic stresses of the past few years, most of the capital for growth in NA for SMEs and commercialization of innovation has completely dried up. Toronto has a unique opportunity to separate itself from the crowd, by building on its diverse talent base, centers of innovation and stable infrastructure -- but only IF it is willing to back and supplement sources of early stage and venture capital providers, so that the flow of investment capital is turned back on. How else are we to create new jobs, sustainable competitive advantage, and attract new businesses to come to this city as opposed to other urban centers in NA?]
Anonymous said ... I think the new Toronto mayor should focus on two themes:
BOTTOM LINE:
1st place goes to LOUIS, with a close 2nd place going to ANONYMOUS, and third place going to THE WEATHERMAKING CHALLENGE.
Louis, please contact me at yung.wu@NFQventures.com, and I can arrange to get the tickets to you. If I don't hear from you by 9pm, I will go to plan B, and send the tickets to ANONYMOUS.
Thank you everyone for your interest and thoughtfulness. Stay tuned for more ... :-).
Friday, January 15, 2010
Rocco Rossi for Mayor challenge - Announcing winner of Platinum Raps tickets !!
GREAT comments and guidance for our next mayor ...
Thank-you to all who responded with words of wisdom and personal perspectives on priorities for our next mayor. I wasn't sure quite what to expect when I made the ask, but it was incredibly gratifying to see both the number and the quality of your responses.
I have confirmed my thesis, that Raptors fans are loyal, thoughtful, well informed and passionate, not only about the team, but also about unlocking the potential in this fair city of ours. In reading the individual responses, I have also confirmed my belief in my fellow Torontonians, and our collective ability to mobilize, to give our city new life, to bring in fresh, high integrity, new leadership. Voting for Rocco Rossi as our new Mayor will be a game-changer for Toronto, and will ultimately set a new, positive and exciting trajectory for our collective home over the next decade.
As hard as this decision will be, I will be sitting down later this afternoon after my last meetings, to choose the best post, and to award my Row 1 tickets to the Raps vs. Mavs game at the ACC on Sunday at 12:30pm. If you haven`t put in your comments already, you still have another few hours to do so. If you have already posted, then take a spin through this video segment that I found, with Rocco talking about his strategy, to see how your comments lined up with his platform.
Be back to you all soon !!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Raptors to the playoffs and Rocco Rossi for Mayor of Toronto ...
So ... I'm out of the city on Sunday, Jan 17th, and will not be able to attend as my Raptors host the Dallas Mavericks at the ACC, and I got to thinking that it would be cool to give my tickets (a pair of Row 1 platinums) to some deserving, fellow Toronto Raptors fans who are as passionate about the city and it's future as they are about the team. You see, if there is one thing that I know, it is that we Raptors fans have a huge amount of civic pride in Toronto. We are proud of our city, we are passionate about our team and we have very thin skins and easily take offense when those south of the border under-estimate or disparage our "house" without ever having been here. This is OUR city, OUR house, and the Raptors are OUR team.
Speaking about our city ... we FINALLY get to choose a new mayor in 2010 and the race is on as of January 4th (not a moment too soon as far as I am concerned). If there is one thing that I've learned from my years of starting, building and growing companies, it is that TIMING is everything. The next 4-8 years might be the most important years for this city to re-establish itself as the world-class, cosmopolitan powerhouse that we know it is capable of being. While the United States remains mired in a slow recovery from the self-inflicted financial and economic crisis of the past 2 years, Canada and Toronto specifically is uniquely positioned to really separate itself from the crowd, and restore its rightful place as a cosmopolitan metropolis which is business friendly, which attracts the best and brightest, where jobs, innovation, energy, culture, beautiful architecture and social responsibility all come together. This is a unique opportunity and a unique point in time for us to get the leadership of this great city of ours right.
Given everything that I know about Rocco Rossi, I am convinced that he is the right man at the right time for the most important job in the country. This city deserves a mayor who has the ability to articulate a long term vision and plan for one of the most important jurisdictions in the country, and who has the charisma and proven organizational skills to orchestrate the realization of that vision. Rocco brings conviction, passion, deep experience with running real organizations, and the integrity to lead. Besides, Rocco is also a huge Raptors fan, so what's there not to like !!!
So, here's my ask ... give me a couple of sentences, as a comment to this post, on what your views are, on the most important priorities for our new mayor to take on when he or she takes office. At the same time, please consider joining me in supporting Rocco Rossi, by registering on his website at www.roccorossi.com or on his Facebook page at Elect Rocco Rossi for Mayor of Toronto. I will make a choice as to the best posting by Friday of this week, and will award the tickets to the author, and announce it on this blogsite.
Let the postings begin !! And remember, in the words of the great Winston Churchill ... KBO (Keep Buggering On !!!) :-)