Councillor Refuses to Apologize for Asian Comments

I saw this story in the Toronto Star and just had to shake my head....

Don't expect a public apology from Rob Ford over remarks he made about "Oriental people slowly taking over.''

No stranger to controversial statements, the Etobicoke councillor stood by his claim that his comments during this week's council debate were meant as a compliment to Asian people.

"Those Oriental people work like dogs ... they sleep beside their machines,'' he said. "The Oriental people, they're slowly taking over ... they're hard, hard workers.''

Ford made the comments Wednesday during a debate over permitting shopping in the city on all holidays except Christmas. Council voted against the move.

"I don't know why I should (apologize)," Ford said. "People aren't asking me to."

Other Ford incidents that have attracted attention include:

In 2002, Ford calls Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti a "Gino-boy," a derogatory remark to Italian-Canadians.

In a war of words with Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby over a pothole, he calls her "a low-life" and "a waste of skin."

During last year's budget deliberations, Ford opposes bike lanes: "Roads are built for buses, cars and trucks. My heart bleeds when someone gets killed, but it's their own fault."

Read the story here.