It is conceivable that Toronto's right-wing mayor Rob Ford could be out of a job by the end of this month. Facing a conflict of interest charge after a private citizen's complaint to the city's Integrity Commissioner, accusing him of using city resources to promote his own private football charity and then, participating in a procedural vote and debate on the same matter (a prima facie case of influence peddling)-Ford could receive an automatic removal from office plus a seven year ban from running for any elective public post, if found guilty. But as Torontonians have grown accustomed to when it comes to their buffoonish mayor, there is a whole lot more to the sordid tale of Rob Ford than meets the eye.
A whole lot more.
Just this week, a published report in the conservative daily The Globe and Mail found that the mayor had been using members of his own staff (by definition-city employees) to help him run his own two high school football teams-the Don Bosco Eagles and the Rexdale Raiders. Chief among these city staff is one Andrew Gillis, a former quarterback for the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. Gillis is listed as a "special assistant" to the mayor in official city records, although there seems to be no discernible responsibility to his position on the mayoral staff. In fact, he doesn't even show up for work at City Hall. But you can find him most of the time on the field in the west end campus of Saint Don Bosco, working as a 'volunteer' QB coach of the school's football team, the Eagles, which coincidentally is head coached by his own boss-the Mayor of Toronto.
It is important to remember that Ford ran on a platform of responsible spending and taxpayers' rights. When confronted by reporters, mayoral brother Councilor Doug Ford (Etobicoke) admonished the media, calling them "petty" and "lazy" and "out to get the duly-elected mayor". And yes, he said that indeed, part of the mayor's junior staff assist their boss with his football teams but they don't do it on city time. They are just volunteering "out of the goodness of their hearts". When the same pack of 'petty, lazy media people' pointed out to the councilor that those volunteer hours by city staff came at the expense of city-issued vehicles and mobile phones-in other words, TAXPAYER MONEY-the best that good old Dougie could come up with was to minimize the use of public resources; "they're just cars and cell phones", the not-so-smart Etobicoke councilor flippantly blurted out.----In other words, AN ESSENTIAL ADMISSION OF GUILT.
Not surprisingly, legal experts were quick to pounce on the ramifications of the Councilor Ford's statements. In fact, just hours after the Doug Ford interview was broadcast over the airwaves, another private citizen filed another complaint to the city commissioner. And the mayor's office sought to distance themselves from the very foolish comments of his brother.
Worth noting, too is the fact that two weeks ago (on September 4), the mayor himself was under oath and proclaimed that any undue involvement of public resource in his charity and other related 'private affairs' has since been rectified. Ford's lawyer could only argue as a line of defence-ignorance on the mayor's part. But there are many levels of ignorance, as the city prosecutor stated; ' willful ignorance can have criminal consequences'.
Yet, I agree with the mayor's stance that the legal system should not decide on his fate. Only the voting public should have the right to fire him. After all, the next election is just 26 months away. I would rather have the satisfaction of giving him the boot myself, what with his 12% approval rating.
And yes, I agree with the mayor's brother. This latest 'Ford football scandal' does come off as rather "petty and unimportant" in the overall scheme of things. A great majority of Toronto citizens already know that the Ford brothers are a pair of hypocritical, incompetent boobs.
So I say, let him stay. Let him be mayor for at least the next two more years. What's the worst that could happen? Besides, he's such a huge source of public entertainment for a city reeling in these economically dreary times; he and his brother are so unimaginably stupid that they're actually FUNNY.
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ONTARIO SUPERIOR COURT FINDS ROB FORD GUILTY OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND ORDERS HIS REMOVAL FROM OFFICE
An Ontario Superior Court judge today (November 26) found Toronto Mayor Robert Bruce Ford guilty of improperly participating in a debate on why he should reimburse $3,1050.00 in donations he solicited for his private football foundation using city letterhead.
Justice Charles Hackland dismissed Ford's claim that the mayor acted out of sheer ignorance of the law and instead found him guilty of 'willful blindness' and with a 'tremendous sense of self-entitlement and arrogance'.
The court ordered the mayorship vacant and gave a 14-day reprimand for the purpose of administrative transition.
Ford, in his usual combative self, has stated that he will appeal the court's decision and put the blame squarely on a 'left-wing conspiracy' that is out to get him at whatever cost. He also said he will fight 'tooth and nail' to keep the job he was elected to do 25 months ago.
Speculation now begins on who replaces the ousted mayor. There's talk about former Ontario Conservative leader John Tory stepping in to fill the remainder of Ford's term that began in December 2010 and ending in the fall of 2014. It is unsure though, if the former mayoral hopeful and popular radio host is interested in the job. Then, there's Councilor Karen Stintz, Ford's former ally-turned-political adversary. Stintz, a moderate conservative and chairperson of the TTC, has displayed considerable leadership and consensus building skills while challenging the abrasive Ford on a number of issues, in particular-the public transit file.
On the other side of the political divide, left-wing councilor Adam Vaughan has expressed interest in pursuing the mayorship, as has current NDP federal MP Olivia Chow but like Tory, it is unclear whether they are interested in mounting an electoral campaign for what is essentially a half-term.
And of course, there's Rob Ford, if and when he faces no legal obstacle in running again for the job he was just removed from.
One thing is for sure. This city's mild flirtation with right-wing politics may have come to an ignominious end. And the citizens of this highly liberal city cannot thank Rob Ford enough for that.
Toronto's deputy mayor Doug Holyday now assumes the role of city mayor on an interim basis until City Council decides on how to replace Ford; whether through appointment or by-election.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
Rob Ford Strikes Again (and hits himself in the ass)
If there were any doubts that remain regarding the buffoonery of Toronto's right-wing mayor Robert Bruce Ford, all those were put to rest with the events of today (March 5).
In a stunning move, Toronto City Council voted 29-15 to dissolve the nine-person TTC Board, the city's transit administrative agency and replace it with a new make-up of 7 councilors and 4 citizen members.
The move was precipitated by two actions Ford and his right-wing posse undertook in the past couple of weeks; namely-
The firing two weeks ago of long-serving TTC Chief General Manager Gary Webster, for nothing other than his vocal opposition to the mayor's incoherent Scarborough subway plan.
Ford's proposal to remake the transit board by excluding council members from the agency and replacing them with private citizens.
The second action was a blatant (and inherently stupid) attempt to subvert city council. It was designed not only to usurp council's authority on the transit file but to pull the rug from under TTC chairperson, Coun. Karen Stintz - Mayor Ford's acknowledged political antagonist. Using politicking as the main excuse in overhauling the transit board, Ford stated that taking politicians out of the mix ensures the transit issue will not be tainted by political motives. Yet the mayor suggested that he alone should have the discretion in appointing members to this, his imagined Ford Transit Board. In other words, (or should I say in Rob Ford's right-wing world)-
politicking for politics' sake is wrong; politicking for Rob Ford's political interest is right.
The trouble for the mayor is that he doesn't preside over a banana republic; he is chief-magistrate of the City of Toronto-North America's fourth largest city and by far it's most liberal and educated metropolis.
The most telling of all is the result of the council vote itself. The 29 anti-Ford votes represent the two-thirds majority needed to override just about anything Ford and his allies throw at the wall. It simply means Ford has lost most if not all of his political capital. And to add insult to injury, the proposal that council voted for was the one forwarded by (insert drum roll here)----yes, you guessed it. Council Member for Eglinton-Lawrence Karen Stintz; Toronto's de-facto mayor (and quite likely mayor-in-waiting after everything is all said and done). Rob Ford, from this day forth will be reduced to playing the role of ribbon-cutter; The Mayor-in-name only. A pariah and head clown in the circus that bears his name.
By no means he is completely useless, of course. Ford and his equally clownish brother and political sidekick, Etobicoke councilor Doug Ford started a radio show. In his desire to use the airwaves to forward his agenda of a Ford World, Rob recently made his debut as a predictable right-wing talking head. In gleeful homage to Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck plus a little sprinkling of Canada's own right-wing blowhard, Don Cherry, Ford spewed one irrational thought after another. Afterall, irrationality is in his wheelhouse. Indisputably ensuring himself a place in Canada's national monument of embarrasment.
Not to be outdone, his brother Doug acting as co-host (or more aptly co-pilot) starts the show off with his signature line "We're going for a ride". LOL. At which point, may I suggest to Toronto's mayor by accident this reply line----" To oblivion, Doug, and step on it".
In a stunning move, Toronto City Council voted 29-15 to dissolve the nine-person TTC Board, the city's transit administrative agency and replace it with a new make-up of 7 councilors and 4 citizen members.
The move was precipitated by two actions Ford and his right-wing posse undertook in the past couple of weeks; namely-
The firing two weeks ago of long-serving TTC Chief General Manager Gary Webster, for nothing other than his vocal opposition to the mayor's incoherent Scarborough subway plan.
Ford's proposal to remake the transit board by excluding council members from the agency and replacing them with private citizens.
The second action was a blatant (and inherently stupid) attempt to subvert city council. It was designed not only to usurp council's authority on the transit file but to pull the rug from under TTC chairperson, Coun. Karen Stintz - Mayor Ford's acknowledged political antagonist. Using politicking as the main excuse in overhauling the transit board, Ford stated that taking politicians out of the mix ensures the transit issue will not be tainted by political motives. Yet the mayor suggested that he alone should have the discretion in appointing members to this, his imagined Ford Transit Board. In other words, (or should I say in Rob Ford's right-wing world)-
politicking for politics' sake is wrong; politicking for Rob Ford's political interest is right.
The trouble for the mayor is that he doesn't preside over a banana republic; he is chief-magistrate of the City of Toronto-North America's fourth largest city and by far it's most liberal and educated metropolis.
The most telling of all is the result of the council vote itself. The 29 anti-Ford votes represent the two-thirds majority needed to override just about anything Ford and his allies throw at the wall. It simply means Ford has lost most if not all of his political capital. And to add insult to injury, the proposal that council voted for was the one forwarded by (insert drum roll here)----yes, you guessed it. Council Member for Eglinton-Lawrence Karen Stintz; Toronto's de-facto mayor (and quite likely mayor-in-waiting after everything is all said and done). Rob Ford, from this day forth will be reduced to playing the role of ribbon-cutter; The Mayor-in-name only. A pariah and head clown in the circus that bears his name.
By no means he is completely useless, of course. Ford and his equally clownish brother and political sidekick, Etobicoke councilor Doug Ford started a radio show. In his desire to use the airwaves to forward his agenda of a Ford World, Rob recently made his debut as a predictable right-wing talking head. In gleeful homage to Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck plus a little sprinkling of Canada's own right-wing blowhard, Don Cherry, Ford spewed one irrational thought after another. Afterall, irrationality is in his wheelhouse. Indisputably ensuring himself a place in Canada's national monument of embarrasment.
Not to be outdone, his brother Doug acting as co-host (or more aptly co-pilot) starts the show off with his signature line "We're going for a ride". LOL. At which point, may I suggest to Toronto's mayor by accident this reply line----" To oblivion, Doug, and step on it".
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