ROB FORD: The stupidest mayor in
all of North America (Part 5)
If you scroll back in my blog to November 2013, you will see four
articles I wrote about this incredibly stupid man. I referred to him as Dumbo.
Further, if you go back to May of that year, you will also be able to
read about a specific blunder this political twerp did. Since then, much has
happened after I published my last article I wrote in November of that year. I
have resubmitted this article I had published earlier and later deleted to make some
changes and to include an UPDATE
The difference in print size in this article is a mere anomaly in the printing.
.
Mayor Rob Ford has
withdrawn from the mayoral race and Ford's older brother, Doug Ford has
declared that he will run as a mayoralty hopeful in his place. Rob Ford will
run for the role of councilman in another riding. They re-registered within an
hour of the deadline for filing the necessary documents. Doug
Ford subsequently withdrew his candidacy in Ward 2 (where he has served as
councilman for the past 4 years) so that he could re-register for the role of
mayor and take over Rob Ford’s mantel of mayoralty and thereby extend the
legacy of the Ford family. The question on everyone’s mind is—why did Rob Ford
withdraw from the race as mayor?
Ford
has been “complaining of abdominal pains’ for the past three months which
eventually got worse by September 12 of
this year. He was rushed to the hospital for treatment. On September 17,
Dr. Zane Cohen (a renowned colorectal surgeon) at the Mount Sinai Hospital in
Toronto announced that Rob Ford has a rare malignant pleomorphic liposarcoma
tumor in his abdomen and in the middle of his upper buttocks It is a fast
growing and an aggressive kind of cancer that develops in connective tissues
such as fat cells which Ford has plenty of. The doctor said that his
patient will be subjected to chemo therapy and possibly radiation therapy to
get rid of the tumour. If these therapies fail, he will resort to surgery.
Sarcoma cancer occurs in only 1 percent of all adults. It is not clear
what triggers this kind of cancer but there is no evidence that obesity or the
excessive use of alcohol or drugs triggers the onset of this kind of cancer. In
any case, I wish Rob Ford a speedy recovery.
I
expect him to win the election as a councilman if for no other reason that an
onslaught of sympathetic voters. Rob Ford’s health ailment adds to the list of
struggles facing him, whose fall from grace began in May 2013 with the release
of a cell phone video that appeared to show him smoking crack cocaine in the
company of known criminals.
The Toronto city council
largely stripped him of his mayoral powers months later over those and other
allegations of bad behavior on his part. I
don’t believe for one second that he decided not to run again in the October
27, 2014 election for the mayor’s office because of the tumor in his
abdomen.
In fact, he hasn’t said that he won’t run for any office in that election. He
announced that he will instead run for the office of city councillor
(alderman) in the North Etobicoke riding
in Toronto in which his nephew Mike (a newcomer in politics)
had previously submitted his candidacy for that position in that riding. Poor
little Mikey. Now he has to settle for a run for the position of a school
trustee. If Rob Ford is too sick to run for the office of mayor, is he also too
sick to run for the lesser office of city counsellor? He doesn’t think so since
he is obviously not too sick to run for office of a city counsellor. He might
just win that election with a large contingent of sympathy voters.
In
my opinion, here is what I believe is his real reason he abandoned his
candidacy for mayor and settled for a lesser position in city politics.
All
through his run for the office of mayor, he had to fight two very powerful
former politicians who have their competitive eyes on the mayor’s office for
some time. They are John Tory and Olivia Chow.
John
Tory has proven ability to bring people together which has been evident throughout
his career, including his role as CEO of one of Canada’s largest publishing and
broadcasting companies, and as Commissioner and Chairman of the Canadian
Football League. His first experience with City Hall dates back to the
early 1970′s when he was a member of the City Hall Press Gallery as a reporter,
interviewer and newscaster for two local radio stations. He has also served in
public office as a Member of the Provincial Legislature, Leader of the Ontario
PC Party, and Leader of the Official Opposition at Queen’s Park.
In 2012, John was
appointed by the Ontario Liberal government to chair a special panel that
outlined recommendations on revitalizing Ontario Place on Toronto’s
waterfront. He was also recently awarded the Order of Ontario for being a
“consummate champion for the Greater Toronto Region.” He was also the chief of
staff of a former premier of Ontario.
Olivia Chow is a
former Canadian New Democratic Party Member of Parliament (2006-2014)
and former city councillor (1991–2005)
in Toronto. As a former city councillor, she is familiar with the goings
on in Toronto city politics. Chow first became active in politics working with
local NDP MP Dan Heap. With his
support, she ran for school board trustee,
and won in 1985. Popular on the school board, she was elected to the
Metropolitan Toronto Council in 1991 for
the Downtown Ward in the riding of Trinity—Spadina. As
I see it, she has two things going against her. The first is that when she and
her husband, the late Jack Layton were living in Toronto, they chose to live in
a financial subsidized building despite the fact that they didn’t qualify
because they were not poor people. The second reason is that she abandoned her
post as a member of Parliament so that she could be mayor of Toronto.
Admittedly, being a mayor of a large city like Toronto is better than being a
backbencher in Parliament but dumping the people who voted her into Parliament
is a no no. Of the two candidates, I strongly believe that John Tory will be
chosen as mayor if we are going to accept the recent polls. If Chow doesn’t get
elected as mayor, she will have probably finished her political career.
Nevertheless, with those
two contenders in the race for the mayoralty of Toronto, it is very unlikely
that Rob Ford could ever win the election for mayor of Toronto again,
especially considering the fact that the majority of Toronto voters know him
(as do other people around the world) as the city’s buffoon whose addled brain
was previously fueled with alcohol and illicit drugs and that many of his
companions whom he was in constant touch with were known criminals. As
mayor, Rob Ford left a legacy of small and partial achievements which he
hopelessly attempted to inflate beyond belief. He also has a record of racist,
homophobic and misogynistic rants hanging around his neck like the albatross of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Ancient
Mariner.
Rob Ford was so desperate
in getting financial assistance for his candidacy for mayor; his team began
sending unsolicited emails as far away as Vancouver seeking donations. To make
matters even appear more weird, his team solicited a donation from a man who
once emailed him a message suggesting that he resign from the office of the
mayor of Toronto. One person received a request for donations despite the fact
that she hasn’t lived in Toronto for the past 10 years.
He was inebriated at work
and at various functions, he missed important events and prearranged
appointments, he asked his staff to buy his booze and according to his aides
and he was also a violent man. As to being a violent man, he would have a hard
time denying that he was a violent man considering that millions of people
watched him on a video-taped recording shown on TV as he ranted and screamed
about how he would like to kill a particular (unknown) person. He also punched
his former driver in the face.
He constantly denied that
he was an alcoholic and a drug addict. Later when it was obvious that he was
addicted to those two substances, he finally confessed to being a drug addict
when asked if he had ever purchased illegal drugs in the previous two years. He
replied, “Yes, I have. It was a personal mistake.” However, when he was
previously asked by a member of the City council if he had an addiction with
alcohol, he replied, “Absolutely not.”
But it was around then when he acknowledged that he was an alcoholic and
drug addict that he decided to follow the advice of so many people to seek help
by going to rehab for treatment for his alcoholism and drug addiction. As I
mentioned earlier, he appears to have won those two battles. But
unfortunately for him, he didn’t seek treatment elsewhere for his serious
problem of constantly spewing out his bumbling idiotic remarks whenever he
opened his mouth.
When asked by a member of the city council if he had
any other problems in his closet to disclose, he replied, “I might have a coat
hanger still in my closet.” I suspect that he has so many skeletons in
his crowded closet; it is a small wonder that he can keep his closet door
closed.
Here is ample proof that
his brain is often not in gear when he puts his mouth in motion. While he was a
guest on a television show and he spoke about one of his former female
employee’s vagina, he said, “I never said in my life that I wanted to eat her
pussy. I’ve got more than enough to eat at home.”
If you
read that statement carefully, you will realize that he was telling his
interviewer and everyone else watching the TV show about his wife’s
availability for oral sex. Sex between partners should always be
private—something he was oblivious to. It doesn’t surprise me that he is so
gross that he would make such a statement on TV. One can expect such conduct
from a slob who was also accused of groping another woman’s buttocks at a
party. His closet door opened up wide as his skeletons were parading out of his
closet.
.
He was such an
embarrassment to the city and when he offered to walk in the Santa Claus
Parade; a 100-year-old tradition, he was asked by the parade organizers to
reconsider his offer. The parade was held without his presence.
He was disliked by his
staff when he was both a full-fledged and partial mayor. Many quit and those
that remained had their salaries increased considerably to keep them on
staff. Those that quit had to leave while doing the ‘walk of shame’ by
having them escorted out of the city hall building by city hall security. A number
of women claimed that they smoked marijuana with the mayor and he promised them
they could have a job which of course they never got.
His faint hope for
re-election to the post of mayor was doomed from the beginning because of him
not being able to exercise common sense. Further, he was repeatedly absent from
city council meetings so that he could coach football at a school that
eventually wised up to his antics and insulting commentary about the school’s
students resulting in the school telling him to get lost.
This man is incredibly
stupid and a liar but he does have political savvy. He knows that he would
never get elected as mayor of Toronto again while carrying that much baggage
with him so rather than lose the election to be the mayor; he chose instead to
re-register as a councilman for the North Etobicoke riding.
Now there is a chance he
may win in that riding since he had served the people of that ward as their
councilman for two decades in the past.
Ford was dying of
political thirst so he wisely decided that if he couldn’t drink Champaign in
the mayor’s office to quest his thirst then he would have to settle for a glass
of water in the office of the councilman’s riding office. As I implied earlier,
he will no doubt get to drink his glass of water.
Ward
2 in North Etobicoke has extremely poor people living in it in which 21 percent
of residents have incomes lower than $20,000. The poorer segments of North
Etobicoke are new immigrants of which a large number of the younger immigrants
are criminals. Nearly one in four households are led by a single parent, and 63
percent of the marijuana-grow operations and 53 percent of the homicides in the
years 2005-2007 occurred in this sector of the city However; 11 percent do earn
more than $200,000 a year. Since Rob Ford’s parents were rich, (they were
millionaires), their home is in the more affluent area of South Etobicoke as is
Rob Ford’s own home nearby.
Despite that difference
in the standard of living between those living in North Etobicoke and him
living in South Etobicoke, he was for some time, very popular in North
Etobicoke. However, it would appear that Rob Ford’s approval rating in his old
political turf of North Etobicoke has been eroding ever since he admitted
smoking crack cocaine and he was known to have been hobnobbing with criminals
living in that riding. He had to be well aware of his recent dismal approval
ratings in his old turf when he decided to forego his run for mayor since he
had hoped to garner a great number of the votes from that ward in his favor as
mayor—votes that had subsequently withered on the vine.
Quite frankly, had he
remained in the race for the position of mayor, his past would have ruined
whatever hopes that he had of winning that race; especially while trying to
beat the likes of John Tory who has no known or hidden demons to crush him at
the polling stations. It follows that Rob Ford still wants to be a politician
so rather than totally abandoning his political ambitions; he decided that at
least he could be a councilman at Toronto’s City Council even if he had to boot
his nephew out of the ward he was running in. That despicable act was another
flaw of his many flaws in his character.
Now the voters in Ward 2
(the one that Rob Ford’s nephew was previously running in)
are probably thinking, “Why do we have to have this goofy Rob Ford running
again for councilman in our ward?” He previously served as their councilman for
10 years before being elected as Toronto’s mayor. There are others in the
running for councilpersons in Ward 2 but they are newcomers in municipal
politics. I am sure each of them would do a fine job if elected and they
certainly aren’t carrying embarrassing baggage such as the kind that Rob Ford
is carrying into the election.
Ward 2 was the ward I lived in when I lived in Toronto back in the 1970s and 1980s when a certain councilman was running for re-election, I learned that he was going to desert his post halfway through his term to run in an upcoming provincial election. During his re-election campaign, I followed him to every town meeting he called and asked him why he was going to desert us in mid-term. What did him in was his only repetitive reply, “I can run in any election I choose.” He lost the election and never ran again. I am no longer living in that ward anymore. I live next to it so I won’t be following Rob Ford around. Besides, it really isn’t necessary. Surely all persons of voting age in Ward 2 have seen reports of him on TV, heard about his antics on the radio and read about his outrageous behavior in the newspapers.
Rob Ford was finally convinced that he needed treatment to battle his
alcoholism and drug addiction. As I said earlier, it seems apparent that he won
those two battles.
As
Toronto’s mayor, Rob Ford left a legacy of small and partial achievements which
he hopelessly attempted to inflate beyond belief. He also left a record of
racist, homophobic and misogynistic rants hanging following him around wherever
he is. I think it is safe to say that his role as the mayor of Canada’s largest
city was a dismal failure, especially considering the fact that his role near
the end of his mayoralty career and his authority as such were each emasculated
significantly by the City Council with him ending up merely as a figurehead.
Even the premier of Ontario and the prime minister of Canada wanted nothing to
do with him. The man who was appointed to take over Ford’s major duties was the
deputy mayor and he has done a fine job as acting mayor running the day-to day
operation of a large city until the election of a new mayor takes office after
the upcoming election. I am surprised he didn’t choose to run for
the position as Mayor. He certainly is qualified to do so.
Now
I am going to finish this article with my commentary of another of the
candidates for the position of mayor of Toronto. I am speaking of Rob Ford’s
older brother, Doug Ford who is currently a city councillor in Toronto running
for the role of the mayor of Toronto.
What can I say in one
word that correctly describes this man? The word is “bully” A retired
RCMP police officer who lives in the area where the Fords live said that
he voted for Rob Ford in 2010. But Doug Ford, running for mayor? “I think part
of Rob’s problems had something to do with Doug always hovering over his
shoulder and I think both of them were bullies, but Doug is the bigger
bully.”
The question now is
whether Doug Ford will be able to rally the forces of Ford Nation, stay ahead
of Olivia Chow and surpass John Tory for the post of mayor of Toronto. I don’t
see how he could especially since no one likes bullies. The problem facing his
political ambitions, however, is this: Doug Ford isn’t in a position to lose
any votes right now. Much has been made of Rob Ford having previously moved
into second place in recent polls, behind Tory but ahead of Chow. This was not
a sign of strength for the Ford campaign. Tory, meanwhile, has been gradually
building support. The last poll had him ahead of Rob Ford by 12 percentage
points. Further, he had chosen on a number of occasions, to avoid attending
candidate debates. For this reason, not every voter has some inkling as to
where he stands on some important issues. Further, he certainly doesn’t
have the impressive background in politics that John Tory has.
There is going to be a wide gap between him and John Tory to close in the
time that is still remaining to solicit votes. Doug Ford may get sympathy votes
because of the medical tragedy hitting Rob Ford, but given how polarized the
city has become, and how personally offensive Doug Ford is. It’s hard to
imagine he can even hold onto his brother’s supporting voters. At best, he can
only hope for second place when the votes are tallied. He will have to campaign
extremely hard if he wants to even retain the affection of the a sizeable
minority of Torontonians who continue to have for his younger brother.
He has said repeatedly, that he was sick of municipal politics and he launched
heated personal attacks at fellow councillors (many of the same people he’d be
working with, should he and they win this upcoming election). He also said to
the media last year, that when his term of office ended, “I’ll be running away
from [city hall].” He’d mused about settling in Chicago, where he has a home
and the family business has operations.
Now he’s running for
mayor. What changed his mind? Is it the desire for power? He had none to speak
of as a city counsellor but as a mayor—well that is a horse of a different
colour.
The voters can be
expected to elect Rob Ford as Ward 2 councillor again, and if he’s able to
overcome his health challenges, that may be a blessing for him. He at least
always seemed to love that job in the past. Doug Ford on the other hand isn’t
as likable as his younger brother, Rob, whom most of the city doesn’t like in
any case and it’s far from clear that Doug Ford even really likes Toronto since
he stated earlier that he would prefer to live in Chicago. Had Rob Ford
continued to run for mayor and had lost; he would have been crushed at the
loss. If Doug loses, will he even care?
Can the rookie city
councillor, burdened by his own distinct political baggage, inspire the same
inscrutable devotion among some part of the Toronto electorate as his brother
did? Will a tide of sympathy for his ailing brother lift Doug Ford to victory
as Toronto’s new mayor? If he is elected as the new mayor of Toronto, all I can
says is that those voters who voted him into the office of Toronto’s mayor
deserve what they get just as those who voted Rob Ford into the same office
deserved what they got.
UPDATE: In the
Toronto election of October 27, 2014 Rob Ford was elected as a city counsellor
for Etobicoke North, the same place in which he hung out with his criminal
friends. I sincerely hope that the decent folks in that ward are served well by
a reformed politician. His brother Doug lost his race for Mayor.
UPDATE: March 23, 2016
I learned after
this article was written that Bob Ford, a married father of two young children was suffering from a rare abdominal cancer. I decided that it would be
wrong on my part to insult the man any further since he was facing far greater
problems. Meanwhile he ran for the position of City Counsellor representing the
district where he and his family live.
On March 22, 2016,
Bob Ford died after 18 months of treatment for the rare and aggressive cancer that
was first diagnosed in 2014. Bob Ford would have turned 47 on May 28,
2016.
If is indeed sad that if it wasn`t for the fact that this unfortunate
man had been addicted to drugs and hung out with known criminals, he would have
been a great mayor because he really cared for the people he served before his
addiction began.
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