I have been of mixed minds as whether or not to write about Mayor Rob Ford and his legal issues.
Rob Ford answered to charges of Conflict Of Interest, resulting from his most recent actions of solicitation of charitable funds on behalf of his football team. A team consisting of underprivileged youth. Resulting in a collection of just over $3000. Sounds harmless - right? On the surface I thought so too! However, once you dig beneath the surface - and with Ford, you do not have to dig very far, you will discover that not only did he use City Hall letterhead - which is forbidden, he also participated in the debate at Council as to whether or not the Mayor should have to pay back the funds raised under Municipal letterhead, but further to that - he actually voted on the issue.
Clear conflict of interest.
The problem, I believe, is that on the surface it appears that what Rob Ford did was commendable. Who can possibly argue against anyone who dedicates as much time and energy towards helping youth. That is for me, where the conflict comes from. I applaud anyone who goes out of their way for the youth of Toronto. And for the record, I feel that not enough 'higher-uppers' get off their tuffers to help those a the bottom of the food chain. That said, their are laws. And yes, even the Mayor must follow them!
Who can forget about Ford texting and driving? Or drunk driving in Florida? Or flipping the bird at any given chance? Or calling a woman a bitch?
It is unfortunate, as I really believe that Ford - at his core - truly wants what is best for the City of Toronto. I truly believe he is sincere in wanting to stop the over-spending. However, does the good outweigh the bad?
Do his intentions outweigh his blatant disregard for the law?
I will say that I did see a notable change today when the Mayor spoke. I saw a much more humble man standing before everyone. I saw a man who was given a major reality check!
But does that erase everything? Does it undo the arrogance? The entitlement? The dismissive attitude? The outright defiance of the law?
Below is the posting I did on FB yesterday, which I believes answers all of those questions.
When you are voted into the Office of the Mayor... you are put there to do a job. You are intended, expected and trusted to represent the City in an honorable way. Being elected is a privileged, not an entitlement, and certainly does not give you carte blanche to do whatever you want - laws be damned. Finally, someone said "NO!".
