Right now there is a lot of news circling about Rob and his brother Drug, I mean, Doug Ford. There is speculation about the family's involvement in the drug trade and current drug abuse allegations plaguing the Mayor and his brother, Conservative MPP hopeful. While his rabid supporters are demanding people trust Rob and Doug over credible journalists, calling the articles unfounded and a witch hunt, people are ignoring some very basic reasons why Rob Ford and his brother are not fit for office. While the drug allegations certainly play a part, there is much more that can be used to criticize the brothers.
1. Rob Ford on Bike Lanes:
“I can’t support bike lanes. Roads are built for buses, cars, and trucks. My heart bleeds when someone gets killed, but it’s their own fault at the end of the day,” Video of Rob Ford actually saying this here
And then:
Rob Ford moves in to scrap the Jarvis Bike lanes, when people opposed, this is the response they got through a form email, which stated:
"The City should remove the bike lanes as soon as possible and improve travel times for thousands of daily commuters. City staff have been directed to develop a low-cost plan to do so. Bike lanes were never intended to be installed on Jarvis Street. The original Environmental Assessment recommended against installing bike lanes - but City Council amended the report to approve bike lanes anyway." (Notice the lack of study being performed to prove his claim that it would improve travel times).
After a little digging, I discovered the actual Environmental Assessment didn't disagree with the bike lanes, they disagreed with the way the city was proposing them, and offered an alternative they thought would work better.
2.Rob Ford and the Toronto Police:
During his run for the mayorallship, Rob Ford promised the city that he would put more police officers on the streets, this was both unsolicited and unwanted by police chief Bill Blair.
Earlier this summer, Rob Ford's Toronto Police voted, and approved an 11 percent pay increase.
Now, in order to cut more "gravy" from the city budget, Mayor Rob Ford has told Blair that he needs to find 10% to cut from the budget "or else".
This 10% budget cut can only come from laying off police officers. Police Officers that could have kept their jobs had the 11% wage increase not occurred, or if Rob Ford hadn't promised citizens there was "gravy" that could be cut, when there wasn't.
His brother's comments calling for Police Chief Bill Blair to resign because of Blair's announcement that confirmed the crack video.
3. Rob Ford and his attack on the TTC and Transit City:
Despite numerous reports suggesting that the cutting of Transit City would be costly to the city, and the Province, Rob Ford declared that that Transit City was dead (of course, this really isn't a decision he can make alone, and has yet to have city council vote to go ahead with this). Spouting more vitriole about how the "war on the car" is over, Rob Ford really appears to believe he is the only, and final say on the matter.
Updated: and of course this is exactly what happened, the Scarborough LRT has been cut in favour of a three stop Subway that will be far more expensive.
Which brings us to point number 4
4. Rob Ford has zero idea what his role, authority and responsibilities are as mayor. Rob Ford seems to legitimately believe that he holds all of the power, and that city council will bend to his will when he asks. This of course is untrue.
In August, Rob Ford, after a meeting consisting of only himself and his brother (who is neither a deputy nor commissioner, and holds no power above and beyond any other city councillor) decided that Toronto would not bid on the 2020 Olympics. And although some councillors would agree that a bid for the Olympics would not be in the city's interests, they are outraged that he made a unilateral decision without input from City Council, and appears to have given his brother special privileges that he has not been allotted. Nepotism runs high in this city government.
This is one in a line of unilateral decisions (much like Transit City) that Rob Ford doesn't have the power to make.
5. Rob Ford comes from a wealthy family, and appears to believe that all councillors should, and do have access to the same resources he has. He uses his own money to purchase his office supplies (which is against council rules) so he can state he has a zero sum office budget. He has been breaking city council rules for years, and it would be naive to believe that would stop now that he holds the reigns. Allowing this behaviour sets a dangerous precedent. If Ford's behaviour is accepted, people will get the impression that only the wealthy can run, and work in politics, and that is absolutely untrue.
6. Rob Ford and his brother Doug (Fords brother for whom he gives an unapproved amount of power) tried to cut the Toronto libraries. When Margaret Atwood took on the case Doug Ford was quoted as saying "I don't even know her" and then went on to imply that if she isn't an elected representative, then she should have no say in policy or what happens in Toronto. Hmm, that's not how democracy works Doug.
7. Rob Ford has offered, on a couple of occasions, the opportunity for anyone who wants to speak an opportunity to support or oppose proposed legislation, one such incident lasted 22 hours. After making city council sit through 22 hours of people speaking against cutting social services, Ford and his allies essentially dismissed every commenter, and wasted valuable time and money.
Updated:
8. Rob Ford consistently uses city recourses for personal reasons.
. Conflict of Interest Court Case
. This really should be an entire entry in and of itself. He was found guilty,but then proceeded to do it again.
. The use of TTC buses to transport his football team on a day that he skipped a debate on Transit funding to attend the football game.
. Rob Ford's use of his family's printing company to print business cards at 4x the
cost necessary.
. And the most recent story regarding asking city staffers to organize a party for the football team that he was just fired from, and now his request that his staffers go get donated equipment back.
9. His constant destructive behaviour:
. Sarah Thomson Sexual Assault Charge
. Removed from a military gala due to aggressive, out of control behaviour
. His alleged crack use (no longer alleged)
. His DUI and marijuana possession (that he lied about at first, only coming clean after media reports)
. and now his own confirmation that he drank and drove more recently and then days
later opted to make fun of a fellow councillor for drinking and driving.
Which brings us to point number 4
4. Rob Ford has zero idea what his role, authority and responsibilities are as mayor. Rob Ford seems to legitimately believe that he holds all of the power, and that city council will bend to his will when he asks. This of course is untrue.
In August, Rob Ford, after a meeting consisting of only himself and his brother (who is neither a deputy nor commissioner, and holds no power above and beyond any other city councillor) decided that Toronto would not bid on the 2020 Olympics. And although some councillors would agree that a bid for the Olympics would not be in the city's interests, they are outraged that he made a unilateral decision without input from City Council, and appears to have given his brother special privileges that he has not been allotted. Nepotism runs high in this city government.
This is one in a line of unilateral decisions (much like Transit City) that Rob Ford doesn't have the power to make.
5. Rob Ford comes from a wealthy family, and appears to believe that all councillors should, and do have access to the same resources he has. He uses his own money to purchase his office supplies (which is against council rules) so he can state he has a zero sum office budget. He has been breaking city council rules for years, and it would be naive to believe that would stop now that he holds the reigns. Allowing this behaviour sets a dangerous precedent. If Ford's behaviour is accepted, people will get the impression that only the wealthy can run, and work in politics, and that is absolutely untrue.
6. Rob Ford and his brother Doug (Fords brother for whom he gives an unapproved amount of power) tried to cut the Toronto libraries. When Margaret Atwood took on the case Doug Ford was quoted as saying "I don't even know her" and then went on to imply that if she isn't an elected representative, then she should have no say in policy or what happens in Toronto. Hmm, that's not how democracy works Doug.
7. Rob Ford has offered, on a couple of occasions, the opportunity for anyone who wants to speak an opportunity to support or oppose proposed legislation, one such incident lasted 22 hours. After making city council sit through 22 hours of people speaking against cutting social services, Ford and his allies essentially dismissed every commenter, and wasted valuable time and money.
Updated:
8. Rob Ford consistently uses city recourses for personal reasons.
. Conflict of Interest Court Case
. This really should be an entire entry in and of itself. He was found guilty,but then proceeded to do it again.
. The use of TTC buses to transport his football team on a day that he skipped a debate on Transit funding to attend the football game.
. Rob Ford's use of his family's printing company to print business cards at 4x the
cost necessary.
. And the most recent story regarding asking city staffers to organize a party for the football team that he was just fired from, and now his request that his staffers go get donated equipment back.
9. His constant destructive behaviour:
. Sarah Thomson Sexual Assault Charge
. Removed from a military gala due to aggressive, out of control behaviour
. His alleged crack use (no longer alleged)
. His DUI and marijuana possession (that he lied about at first, only coming clean after media reports)
. and now his own confirmation that he drank and drove more recently and then days
later opted to make fun of a fellow councillor for drinking and driving.
. His altercation with spectators at a Maple Leaf's Game (that he also lied about)
. Allegations of spousal abuse (and the more recent one)
He called all of these lies, two of which have already been substantiated as truth, not a stretch to believe the others are true as well since he was found lying about the DUI and the altercation at the Leaf's game.
. His pussy comments
. His erratic behaviour at council meetings
10. The fact that he is an international embarrassment:
. Daily Show Clip
. Jimmy Kimmel Clip (see above link)
. After the Lisi ITO and the admission to crack smoking this has only gotten worse, there is no way I could possibly include all of the clips, they've been that numerous, but here are a couple:
11. Here is a map that shows all of the various public complaints he's faced while in office
This isn't even close to being an exhaustive list.
I think the most insulting thing about this whole thing is the fact that the Ford's (who have been caught lying) are smearing media, and have created some sort of complex conspiracy that all "left wing media" (rich since both the Globe and the Sun have had stories about him) are out to get him. Despite the fact that he's admitted to allegations, he and his brother are still claiming that this is all a media conspiracy, and most shockingly there are people who believe it.
Ford is a lying liar. He's a multi-millionaire, who's never had to work for anything, and has ridden on the coattails of his father (this is true for both of the Fords) and somehow has managed to make people who make little over minimum wage believe that he represents them. Trust fund kids with huge egos who thumb their nose at politicians who actually need their salaries and can't just do it for "the good of the people" (or future political aspirations, living up to their father's expectations, and for potential manipulation of government to fulfil their right winged agenda). Who also scream out allegations while shouting that "unnamed sources" are making shit up about them.
I can not wait until this all comes to a head, and these two idiots leave office in complete disgrace.
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