Marvelous Mayors

By Josh Dillen

While San Diegans have been plagued by their former mayor, at least he had the decency stepped down. Previously, this stepping down had received some national attention, but not as much as the most famous mayor who didn’t resign: Rob Ford. On November fifth, 2013, Rob Ford admitted to using crack cocaine in, “one of his drunken stupors.” Instead of making the diplomatic choice and stepping down from office, Ford claimed he had “nothing more to hide.”

With the mention of a belligerent mayor, it is impossible not to recall news from a month or two ago when more than ten sources revealed that they had been inappropriately touched or come on to by ex-mayor Bob Filner. Filner tried many times to prolong the cases and continue his role as the mayor. However, as the stories kept pouring in Filner succumbed to the obvious will of the people and decided to resign from office. His resignation wasn’t glorious as he continued alluding to himself as the victim in his speech and he claimed to have been crucified by the media. While Mayor Filner was inconvenient, at least he seems to have left the public eye and the attention of the national news.

Rob Ford is the sixty-fourth mayor of the Canadian city of Toronto. Before taking office as mayor, Ford was a councilman from 2000 to 2010. Ford won the race for mayor by a record large margin of over 11% of the popular vote over his opponents. Ford’s substance abuse record is almost as scary as how unanimously the people of Toronto voted for him. This is probably because of Fords radical promises made in his campaigns. He ran a platform of not raising taxes and cutting funding right out of city hall with no changes to the jobs of government service workers. However, Ford fell short of his promises and attempted to raise taxes, while cutting services across the board. This would include the closure of the Toronto Zoo. However, Rob Ford did not just disappoint politically.

Rob Ford’s first instance of public intoxication occurred during his campaign for mayor in 1999. Ford was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol  and possession of marijuana. Ford did not at first come clean to the public about the marijuana charge as it, “slipped his mind.” As a councilor in 2006, Ford was seen at a Maple Leafs hockey game belligerently drunk. People say he was noticeably intoxicated at the stadium. He was also allegedly saying rude things about the couple sitting behind him. Ford again denied that he was guilty, but later came clean to the public. In office as a mayor, Ford was recorded as being belligerently drunk again in 2012. This time was at an office party supposedly held by the mayor in his office. He reportedly got physical with a worker and insulted many others. After making a fool of himself on the dance floor of a local restaurant, Ford headed back to his office in a taxi, making sure to insult the taxi driver as well. Finally, 2013 sees the admission that the mayor of Toronto has used crack cocaine, a highly addictive drug, in the past. While Ford is making no efforts to step down, his lawyer says rehabilitation is an option.

San Diego’s mayor brought bad press to our beautiful city, but has resigned and allowed the city to move forward. Unfortunately for Toronto, Rob Ford is the mayor that will not leave the city in peace.