After another week of ridicule and embarrassment, Rob Ford is, whether in practice or name only, still our mayor. His resilience is, if nothing else, interesting. A man who has managed to morally and politically divide the city of Toronto’s population through actions that have next to nothing to do with his actual policies or political decisions, Ford has put all of Toronto in a unique and uncomfortable position. Any day now, it is possible (though unlikely because of ongoing criminal investigations) that a video of Ford taking a puff from a crack pipe will be released. Such definitive proof would hopefully be followed by an arrest. This would mean the end of his tenure, but until then, Toronto seems left in a state of confusion and indecision.
What is important to remember, I believe, is that, for all intents and purposes, it’s business as usual in the city of Toronto. Ford’s future is now in the hands of the courts, and though we must remain vigilant and informed as citizens, our role in determining where and when his tenure ends is limited (not counting if he makes it to the next election). I understand that a story of this gravity and nature is bound to be a major talking point both in the news and the public. However, we must remember that, especially given the nature of the investigation, such talk can only go so far.
We are already reaping the repercussions of our obsession with the Ford fiasco. Last Monday, councillor Minnan-Wong grabbed opportunity by the horns, proudly trotting out a motion in a special meeting calling for Ford to resign and go to rehab. There are no pretenses to be made about Mr. Minnan-Wong’s intentions. The councillor had already declared himself a candidate for the next mayoral election, and took the whole Monday meeting, an event he knew would be televised thanks to Ford’s weekend antics, to parade his good name. A wholly inappropriate motion in the first place because it had no enforcement mechanism (and was even proclaimed as merely symbolic), what is worse than the show we all had to watch on the evening news was what was scrapped so it could go on.
The TTC is facing a 6 million dollar budget shortfall for the coming year, which was supposed to be discussed on Monday, and was put aside for the Ford Special Meeting. On Wednesday, the TTC, out of options, announced that token and Metropass prices will be going up in January. It is but one example of how the Ford show, as long as it goes on in our council, will only serve to distract and deviate from the work our city should be doing.
At a certain point, and I believe we are at that point now, we must accept that the process must play itself out, and other than making sure that the process is followed ethically and equitably, there is little left to do. Obviously, the whole story casts enormous shame over the city, which justifiably explains the angry editorials and write-in rants filling the pages of the Star, Globe, and Post. However, now that we are at this crossroads, the focus can either turn to unity or bipartisanship.
On the one hand, we know it is extremely likely more evidence will come out. What has already been released indicates that the video first reported by Gawker is indeed real, and is in the possession of Toronto police. The police have also released video evidence showing Ford interacting with suspected drug dealer Alexander Lisi, several times in “suspicious” locations, and exhibiting suspicious behaviour. Lisi has been followed for some time now under Project Traveller, a criminal investigation, and much of what will come out about Ford stems from this investigation. In the case that definitive evidence comes out showing Ford to have been using drugs, council does not have any legislative power to impeach or dispose of him. It will be up to the people of Toronto to remove him through the next election, an extremely likely result if the crack story is proven true.
This is a scenario the city must be prepared for, especially given the amount of evidence yet to be released. However, until that time, this story will only serve to confuse and divide Toronto, if we let it. If Ford did, or did not, do crack, we must remember that it does not reflect on “capitalist elites” any more than it reflects on the “liberal media.” This is an important talking point that I believe has been sorely lacking from the conversation. This whole scandal is about the private actions of one man. If they are proven, our legal and political institutions should be equipped to handle it. If they cannot be proven, we have the mechanism of the next election to decide whether we believe Ford’s story, or wish to move on to another candidate.
Until then, this incident could foster the type of partisanship that divides far more than it conquers. As a city, we must ensure that this does not happen. What is paramount now is the accountability of our City Council, to make sure they continue, as best they can, to do the job we elected them for. Playing into the Ford show will only encourage our more keen politicians to cast themselves as the heroes, while leaving the far less media-friendly work to the side. Until Ford is kicked out, maybe it will be best to ignore him, and hopefully, like a schoolyard bully being ignored on the playground, eventually he’ll just go away.