Rob Ford...Globe Editorial.,,,.An interesting perspective

Globe Editorial

Rob Ford lets molehill become mountain

The indefatigably controversial Mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford, will face a moment of truth next Wednesday when he appears before an Ontario Superior Court judge to face allegations that he violated the province’s Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. If the judge rules against him, Mr. Ford will be summarily thrown out of office. This is a drastic outcome that does not correspond proportionately to the allegations. Furthermore, to unseat a democratically elected mayor so easily would set a terrible precedent.
 This mess was characteristically brought about by Mr. Ford himself: He puzzlingly did not recuse himself on Feb. 7 during a city council vote that concerned him in his personal capacity. The council had, 18 months earlier, ordered Mr. Ford to pay back $3,150 in improper donations to his charitable football foundation from lobbyists and their clients. Now, council was voting to overturn its previous decision, but not only did Mr. Ford vote for the new motion, he also gave a speech in its defence. A private citizen who worked for one of Mr. Ford’s political opponents seized on this and alleged that the Mayor had violated the conflict of interest rules.
That the Mayor would act so ill-advisedly is no longer a surprise. Mr. Ford has proved to be singularly unmanageable. He has had unnecessary run-ins with reporters, TV comedians and streetcar drivers; most recently he was photographed reading office documents while driving his car
.That the Mayor would act so ill-advisedly is no longer a surprise. Mr. Ford has proved to be singularly unmanageable. He has had unnecessary run-ins with reporters, TV comedians and streetcar drivers; most recently he was photographed reading office documents while driving his car.But he has been a successful mayor in more important ways. He was elected to cut costs, rein in the city’s unions and eliminate the city’s unpopular car registration fee, all of which he has done. And what matters in this case is that the money in question did not benefit him directly; it went to a charity to buy football equipment for under-privileged youths. As well, his vote did nothing to change the outcome; the motion was defeated 22-12. There is nothing here that would justify having a court overturn the democratic will of voters; this is not a criminal matter and should not be perceived as one. One hopes that Mr. Ford, when facing the judge next week, will realize that his intemperate style can have disastrous consequences and resolve to tone it down. But his actions to date do not merit the upending, by a court, of the hallowed primacy of a democratic election result.
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The editorial above shows how it is possible to take the same set of circumstances ,arrive at the same conclusion , but lay the blame in a different location. 
Rob Ford has been himself throughout. 
"but his actions to date do not merit upending ,by a court, of the hallowed primacy of a democratic election result "
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Exactly my point. 
Yet   the Province passed legislation giving municipalities authority 
to adopt Codes of Conduct with penalties, so as  to accomplish the "upending,,the hallowed primacy of a democratic election result"
without any court proceedings. 
They opted not to do that themselves. They haven't done it to themselves. Instead they passed half-assed legislation to create the mess  and slip-slide responsibility down  to the junior level of government.
We have seen how it was used and abused in Aurora.We do not yet know how much it has cost the town's taxpayers.
But  we  have had the opportunity to throw the responsible rascals out.  Court proceedings here are proceeding along different lines. 
Rob Ford should face the Judge next Wednesday and tell him straight what he  told  Council and the people of Toronto. 
The money was collected for a good cause, donors received tax receipts, it was used  for the purpose it was collected.
Refusal to repay  it  back out of his own pocket is  not about fairness. It's about common sense. Doing that  would depict  his efforts to help youth in need, as a sleazy, carnival huckster scam to benefit himself. It clearly was not.
He could work himself into a  red-faced sweat and use the  words  apparently understood by  Toronto voters,who elected him despite everything the Toronto Star could do to stop it from happening.
Frankly, I was surprised to read Clayton Ruby, champion of the underdog, had agreed to accept the case against  Toronto's  Mayor.
I will be equally surprised if the Mayor is found guilty of anything but  common sense ,  righteous  conviction and responding consistently  to the hounds yapping constantly at his ankles.