An Open Letter to Rob Ford

We’ve been hearing oh so much about Rob Ford lately.  Frankly, I’m tired of him.  I was tired of him before all this nonsense began and now it just keeps getting more tiresome.

Dear Rob:

I see that you and your brother Doug are making the media circus circuit, bemoaning “poor Rob’s fate” at the hands of those horrid people that were elected to represent Toronto at the same time you were elected Mayor. 

You are trying to liken yourself to Kuwait being attacked by the Red Guard of Saddam Hussein, saying that there is a coup d’état being staged at Toronto City Hall.  No Rob, it’s just the people that you bullied have gotten together to whip the bully. 

Not a lot of fun, is it?

You want to try and portray yourself as a victim.  These people are doing these terrible things to you because you like to take a drink now and again.  I think you said everybody drinks until they blackout occasionally.  Teenagers and college kids, you said.

No, most people don’t drink until they blackout Rob.  Most people can keep at least a semblance of control, even when they are drinking to excess. 

But you are not a teenager or a college kid, Rob.  You are a middle aged businessman who was elected to oversee the City of Toronto.  No one expected you to act like you were at Buckingham Palace about to have high tea with the Queen, but a certain amount of decorum is expected.  Things such as flipping the bird at people in the street because they caught you illegally using your cell phone while driving is definitely not a good start, nor are your bouts of public drunkenness a good idea. 

Do you even know what a victim is?  It is someone who is standing, minding their own business when an enraged lunatic bowls her over running around the Council Chamber.  It is someone driving down the street when a drunk ploughs into their car.  A victim is someone who has something happen to them simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

When people rise against you because you are a drunk, because you use crack cocaine, because you bullied them, you’re not a victim.  You can call it justice, or retribution, or even vengeance.  You’re not a victim there.

No, if you are being victimized by anyone, look at your closest supporters.

From where I sit, you have an addiction problem.  You are in denial about this and your brother Doug, and the others rushing to your defence are enablers.  They are more concerned about protecting the Ford name than they are about protecting Rob Ford from himself.

But I do notice the similarities between your treatment by Council and the treatment of three individuals in Ottawa. 

Although you haven’t been charged with anything, the police are treating you like a person of interest in an ongoing investigation.  Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin, and Patrick Brazeau have not been charged with anything, but they are under investigation as well.

The Senate took action and suspended these three without pay for the remainder of the session in what amounted to a Kangaroo Court.  The Toronto City Council is doing pretty much the same thing to you.

I wonder if it sticks in your supporters’ collective craw when they rail about these Senators only being suspended and not out and out fired and yet they go on about how poorly you are being treated.

But on the other hand these Senators maintain they were told that their expenses were allowable and that they have done nothing wrong.  You’ve admitted to being a drunk, to using crack, and we’ve seen and heard you bullying others… not quite the same is it?

I’m going to assume that Tim Hudak is a friend of yours, at least an acquaintance.  Tim is distancing himself from you and talking about supporting legal action to remove you from your position as Mayor.

Your fishing buddy up in Ottawa has been rather quiet, his staffer putting out a message expressing their disappointment over this.  Think you’ll get a Christmas card from Stephen this year?

I noted the resemblance of the Toronto Council’s actions to those taken by the Senate.  But you’re not a Senator, are you.  They are political appointees and you’re Rob Effing Ford, Mayor of Toronto.

No, the closest I can think of is that you’re like a CEO of a company and the Council is like the Board of Directors.  What would the Board do to a CEO that was an embarrassment to the Company?

Probably fire his butt out the door, eh?

Council can’t do that, so they’ve stripped you of as much as they can get.  You’re complaints about losing your staff are pretty lame, I imagine the switchboard will send city business to the appropriate office, the one that says Deputy Mayor on the door.

Part of the blame rests with the voters.  Too many people treat municipal elections like they’re voting for Student Council.  There’s not a lot that the Student Government can do, unlike the Mayor and Council.

It should be an honour to be Mayor, it is a position that should be held by honourable people.  So what would an honourable Mayor do if he or she was caught in a position like you are in right now?

Resign?

But I guess it’s too late for that now, isn’t it Rob.

Cheers BC