Rob Ford, Down, but a long way from out!

Rob Ford, Down, but a long way from out!

   As Rob Ford enters his first week of rehab the main stream corporate media smugly started ask if anybody still supported him?

   Well on Saturday May the 3rd three candidates who staunchly support the policies of Rob Ford stepped up and held a news conference outside Rob Fords Scarborough office.

   Of course the corporate media reported on it as nothing more than Ford supporters holding a rally and used it as an opener for their slanted support segments for Chow and Tory, In reality there was much more going on here.

   While the three candidates, Arthur Smitherman running in ward 8, John Papadakis Ward 29 and Paul Bell ward 33 not only voiced their support for Rob Ford, but also spoke of a new attitude and way of doing business coming to city hall. These candidates believe that for too long city hall has been dominated by tax and spend left leaning, self-serving interests and it’s time for more responsibility and accountability on city council. They spoke of a new political culture coming to city hall, one that is very much in line with what Ford has been doing over the last four years. Art Smitherman spoke of Ford having to go to work every day and having to do battle with forty or so people who were more interested in defending their jobs and entitlements than doing what was in the best interests of the people of Toronto. Smitherman also spoke of Toronto having 21 high poverty areas due to the misappropriation of resources. Not having subways leads to areas with higher poverty that affects mostly women and children. 

   John Papadakis who is running for councillor for ward 29 was adamant in his support for Ford and his economic policies. “when you run for office you bare your soul to the public and I think it’s disgraceful the way the left have gone after Rob and continue to kick him when he’s down.” He spoke of how the left on city council want to continue to tax and spend and “the disgraceful way they want to cover up the their conduct at Toronto housing, using peoples suffering to make jobs for their buddies, they are so not going to get away with that.” He went on to say “Rob Ford’s message is alive and the tax and spend gravy train at city hall will come to an end once and for all.

   Paul Bell who is running against Shelly Carol in ward 33 spoke of Rob Ford the man. “Everybody knows somebody who called Rob Ford the politician and had their call returned by him. How are we going to treat Rob when he comes back? Are we going to treat him with humanity or with the meanness and vitriol that’s been thrown at him? I think the people of Toronto are better than that.” Bell has his work cut out for him in running against Shelley Carroll who seems untouched by her own spending scandal. Carroll used her seat on the Toronto Hydro board of directors to secretly acquire an abandoned building in which she paid $9 million tax dollars over the asking price, a building that still sits unused. This is the type of culture these candidates wish to put a stop to and believe Rob Ford is the only person running for mayor that will help them make the changes at city hall that the people wish to see.

   Arthur Smitherman said there was only one thing Ford said he was going to do that he did not accomplish and that was reducing the size of city council from 44 to 22 seats. As mayor Rob Ford went in there and fought against most of these self-serving city councillors every day. These candidates wanted to tell the people of Toronto that by changing the members of Toronto city council there will be a new culture, one where the tax payers get the responsible and accountable representation they deserve rather than the tax and spend like a drunken sailor type of city council that’s been entrenched since the days when Miller was mayor and Olivia Chow sat on council.

   The main stream media did not report on these candidates who support Ford and decided the story was nothing but another rally by Ford supporters. But as more candidates who support Ford’s economic policies throw their hats into the ring it will become clear that the times are changing and a new wind may soon be blowing into city hall.

Lawrence McCurry

May 4, 2014