In Toronto’s urban history I was the first person to take Rob Ford to the city’s integrity commissioner and win in 2005. Ford had mailed out business samples and used his city business card to promote his printing services. The ruling concluded that Ford had breached the city’s code of conduct, had used the city logo for private purposes. It recommended council impose no penalty on him as his error was ruled to be “inadvertent.”
I laughed when I read Ford’s rebuttal to my complaint, although I was sorry that his sister was shot in the face on his deadline day for dealing with it. Naturally that unfortunate incident of criminality created a delay in hearing Ford’s integrity case. But his letter stated his belief that my complaint was part of a left wing conspiracy and that he had done nothing wrong.
Flash forward seven years. Breaking the rules and being admonished by then-commissioner David Mullan hasn’t hurt Ford one bit. As Mayor of Toronto now he has stumble bummed his way into a conflict situation, refusing early on to do what was required to resolve it. I tell you, that man is hooked on rule breaking. Some might call it disrespect. Ford’s track record is there for all to see: brushes with integrity commissioners (not just one, but two) and the city ombudsman, trips to court on various matters, deposed senior city officials, insults hurled.
Rarely am I bewildered, but this whole scramble to save Ford’s bacon has me staring into space shaking my head.
I proved him to be wrong in ’05. Here he’s still mucking about in 2012. Only one conclusion can be drawn. The code of penalties and enforcement governing the conduct of people elected to city council needs to be stronger.
I laughed when I read Ford’s rebuttal to my complaint, although I was sorry that his sister was shot in the face on his deadline day for dealing with it. Naturally that unfortunate incident of criminality created a delay in hearing Ford’s integrity case. But his letter stated his belief that my complaint was part of a left wing conspiracy and that he had done nothing wrong.
Flash forward seven years. Breaking the rules and being admonished by then-commissioner David Mullan hasn’t hurt Ford one bit. As Mayor of Toronto now he has stumble bummed his way into a conflict situation, refusing early on to do what was required to resolve it. I tell you, that man is hooked on rule breaking. Some might call it disrespect. Ford’s track record is there for all to see: brushes with integrity commissioners (not just one, but two) and the city ombudsman, trips to court on various matters, deposed senior city officials, insults hurled.
Rarely am I bewildered, but this whole scramble to save Ford’s bacon has me staring into space shaking my head.
I proved him to be wrong in ’05. Here he’s still mucking about in 2012. Only one conclusion can be drawn. The code of penalties and enforcement governing the conduct of people elected to city council needs to be stronger.
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