March 28: A friend recently sent along a link to a post on Torontoist related to the passing of Rob Ford which essentially said that our late Mayor was a disaster for the City and the democratic process ( http://torontoist.com/2016/03/373870/ ). Although I agree for the most part with that view, I do have a great deal of respect for Rob Ford the man, who apparently brought his addictions and lifestyle under control for the year or so before his death. That he should die without having time to enjoy that achievement with his young family seems particularly cruel, yet none of us truly knows how long we have remaining.
I had the great privilege of working with many politicians, of all stripes, when I was with the City. They are a unique breed: committed, passionate, egotistical and determined, they can also be stubborn, obtuse and malevolent. Ford was raised in a political family and was clearly part of the “elites” he fought so hard to oppose. He apparently went door-to-door with his Father as a child to meet constituents. This became his trademark as Councillor: He was well-known for answering his own phone, returning all his messages and arriving on the doorstep to solve problems. This may be wonderful for getting elected, but it’s ultimately useless for running the city efficiently.
Ford was never a deep thinker. He operated on assumptions, stereotypes and a truculent support for those he perceived to be aggrieved. I never had the impression from dealing with him that he had a clear understanding of how the City actually operated, or a vision of how he might make it better beyond the mantras of “stopping the gravy train” and building “subways, subways, subways.” In a city as complex as Toronto, we needed a Mayor who could provide a clear vision of the future and inspire action to get us there. Ford had none of that.
As Mayor, where Council procedures allowed him the opportunity to introduce important resolutions as priorities, he was tongue-tied and seemingly unable to use the opportunity to make a strong case and inspire Council to the cause. Instead, he was divisive and confrontational – a situation that only got worse when his addictions got out of hand. In a public meeting one night, Ford said to me: “politics is a blood-sport and God I love it.” He certainly behaved that way. It often seemed to me that spoiling for a fight was more important than doing the right thing for the city as a whole. He was frequently the only member of Council to vote against a measure, and while I understand that he may have felt that there was a principle involved, he could and should have been working to advance a more consistent and clear vision of the outcome he supported.
Ironically, voter participation in the last 2 elections has been at new record levels. During the first election he rallied Ford Nation to get elected; the second election I believe people rallied themselves to make sure he was booted out. Whatever the case, I can only hope that the sideshow he created helped people to realize the importance of good municipal governance – arguably the government with the most direct impact on day-to-day life in the city – and that this will be his lasting legacy.
Photo by Christopher Drost / Torontoist