It’s embarrassing but true: I know way more about the municipal election race in Toronto than I do about the one in my own town and I’ll bet most other southern Ontarians do, too.
That famous clean-up broom Mayor David Miller rode into City Hall on doesn’t seem to work so well in the sand.
Attacks just fuel Rob Ford: Levy
Adam Vaughan says no one really listens to the Etobicoke mayoral hopeful. Wanna bet?
At a particularly high point of last week’s council meeting, Adam Vaughan, his voice dripping with sarcasm and more than a hint of desperation, called his arch-rival Rob Ford a “reckless” and “idiotic” councillor who engages in “grandstanding and buffoonery.”
Using a report from Integrity Commissioner Janet Leiper as his excuse to crucify Ford — one indicating the outspoken councillor had violated the Code of Conduct — Vaughan also suggested “no one really listens to the guy” except for a few disgruntled voters in the city.
“He’s tapped into some anger ... he’s throwing his little Tea Party,” said the sanctimonious ex- journalist.
“If we want to elect Sarah Palin as the mayor of Toronto, we can do it ... we’ve got a willing and able candidate in front of us.”
Now if I were the thin-skinned Vaughan, the same councillor who proposed a sidewalk tax for those who patronize the night clubs in the Entertainment District, I’d be very careful about who I called “idiotic.”
True, Leiper did find that Ford had violated the Code of Conduct by releasing details of a confidential $750,000 real estate deal on two occasions — including the radio — on Aug. 6, 2009.
And yes, she did recommend he be reprimanded for the Code breach.
But I didn’t see tarring and feathering proposed in her report. For two hours, the bullies on the left and even councillors like Michael Thompson and Brian Ashton appeared to positively salivate at the idea of giving the upstart mayoralty candidate his comeuppance.
Ashton claimed, not once but twice, that while he derived no pleasure from saying what he was saying, voters should know Ford “recklessly revealed confidential information” on the radio.
Gord Perks, the veins practically bulging out of his neck, contended Ford must be censured because he was “no respect for the quality of service” he and his fellow councillors deliver to Torontonians.
Janet Davis, melodramatic as always, had the chutzpah to say they weren’t there to “punish arbitrarily” a member of council because he was unpopular — that they just had to implement their Code of Conduct.
Hmm. Question to Sister Janet: Where were you and your NDP pals in 2007 when former Integrity Commissioner David Mullan found that one of your own, Maria Augimeri, was in “serious violation” of the Code of Conduct for a voice-mail message she left on MP Judy Sgro’s machine during the 2006 election.
Davis and Co. not only voted to receive Mullan’s report (not sanction the councillor) but opted to let taxpayers foot the bill for $6,381.59 in legal expenses Augimeri incurred defending the complaint!
Double standards? Always.
Heck, I kept waiting for the lot of them to line Ford up in front of a firing squad for the alleged crimes he’d committed against the Socialist State.
To his credit, Ford dismissed himself from the debate that day and told me later he intends to take the “high ground” because he wants to work with these councillors.
“I don’t think they want me to be mayor because they know the gravy train will be over ... The freeloading will stop immediately,” he said.
But the point is, petulant babies like Vaughan and Perks can’t seem to get it through their thick heads that when they dump on and disparage Rob Ford, it only drives voters more towards the Ford camp.
I’d say their childish actions are turning Ford into a kind of frugal folk hero.
Contrary to what Vaughan may choose to think, there is not “some anger” out there. There is a heckuva lot of anger and it is directed at him and his socialist compatriots.
That’s why I’m not at all surprised Ford is doing so well in the polls.
As Coun. Doug Holyday said that day, the overreaction of council just gets Ford more in the news.
“You haven’t learned to deal with Rob Ford yet,” he told council. “The best thing would have been to take this report and receive it and let life go on.”
sue-ann.levy@sunmedia.ca Twitter: SueAnnLevy
