You sometimes wonder where Toronto voters parked their brains when they elected Rob Ford as mayor of Toronto. What was understandable throughout that mayoralty campaign was that they wanted to vote against what was happening. The voters were searching for somewhere to park their votes. In this weird Monopoly Game of city politics, Rob Ford offered the “Free Parking.”
But the voters get what they pay for. You do not know whether to blame the ignorance of the voters or the stupidity of the news media but Toronto has an archaic and unworkable system of government. For a city of over two-and-a-half million to elect a mayor at large and independent councillors from 45 fiefdoms every four years is a guarantee of constant turmoil and confusion.
City Hall in Toronto is a zany zoo where the keepers try to control the inmates as best they can. It is only the ability of the civil servants to con the councillors that allows the city to function. Staff makes the important decisions but throws the good lines to the elected so they can look like they are earning their outrageous salaries.
The current system was what elected Mel Lastman as the first mayor after Premier Michael Harris foolishly amalgamated the city for all the wrong reasons. After the experience of Mel Lastman, city voters figured it hardly mattered who was mayor.
But nobody deserves Rob Ford. He and his twin-like brother, Doug, are a couple of pseudo Libertarians who rode into town from out west in Etobicoke and seem somewhat limited in their understanding of smart politics, good manners, social graces or common decency. Rob Ford is the grosser member of the team and never seems to buy clothes that fit him.
And why the mayor of Toronto was wandering around the Danforth alone during a street festival the other day was a matter of some wonder. The street festival was about the fun and tastes of Greek food and here the mayor seemed to be very much under the weather of the “two” beers, he said he had consumed. Where were his keepers?
Before Toronto becomes the laughing stock of North America for its selection of chief magistrates, someone is going to have to lead the charge to fix the problem. And it is not just the people but the system that has to change. If Toronto had better government structure and a way to hold politicians to their promises, the voters would never have picked Rob Ford. It is the present system that encourages the buffoons.
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Copyright 2013 © Peter Lowry
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