How much more can the beleaguered residents of Toronto take? In recent weeks, we’ve learned His Worship Mayor Rob Ford has smoked crack, drove after drinking, used a hand-held phone while driving, appeared drunk at public events, consorted with prostitutes and associated with known criminals whose sometimes suspicious interactions with mayor were being watched by Toronto police.
Now we find out he’s a litterbug too.
We have anti-littering activists in Toronto. Who knew? One of these activists, Sheila White, wants Ford charged with littering. Although sometimes littering is described as a “crime” by people with way too much time on their hands, it isn’t. But the rarely enforced law carries a $365 fine, something that would really teach the wealthy mayor a lesson.
Since becoming mayor of Canada’s largest city in 2010, Ford has been charged with approximately, more or less, rounded off to the closest number, zero offences. White wants him charged with littering. The horror!
Ford cannot be charged with smoking crack on the basis of his admission he did it and the infamous crack video that few have seen. Seizure of the actual drug or residue is necessary to prove the crime
Officers who had Ford under surveillance undoubtedly saw him drive after consuming alcohol in a public park. But they never bothered to stop Ford and besides, drinking and driving is not serious, at least among those who sit on city council. The fact there is nothing but love and devotion for convicted drunk driver, Councillor Ana Bailao, is proof of that.
In the ITO (information to obtain) search warrants recently released to the public, police noted Ford was in an Etobicoke Park with Sandro Lisi, who currently faces charges including drug trafficking and extortion stemming from the allegation he tried to obtain the crack video from some drug dealers. Ironically, the two met in Doug Ford Park, named after the mayor’s late father who was an Ontario MPP.
After Ford and Lisi left the park, the police went in and found vodka and juice bottles on the ground. White now wants Ford charged with littering although if the police did not see exactly who committed this horrendous offence, it will be difficult to prove Ford and not Lisi was the litterbug.
In White’s opinion, littering is a serious offence. Just like marijuana is a gateway to the use of harder drugs, the anti-littering activist says littering indicates anti-social behaviour that can lead to such things as smoking crack.
It is hard for a lot of people to believe how Ford, who overcame laughter and derision to win the mayor’s race and who comes from a political family with a successful business could end up smoking crack. And now we know. He smokes crack because he’s a litterbug.
Could this be the final nail in the coffin of the mayor who won’t go away? Forum Research conducted a poll this week showing Ford with an approval rating of 42%. The poll was conducted on Wednesday, after city council removed most of the mayor’s powers from Ford and transferred them to Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly.
The international media, especially in the U.K., are having a field day showing the crack-smoking mayor’s approval rating is five points higher than the CBS poll that showed Obama’s approval rating at 37%.
But the Forum poll happened before White made her comments linking littering with anti-social behavior such as drug use and who knows what else. This latest revelation is bound to plunge Ford into single digits. He really crossed the line this time.
Obama, of course doesn’t have to worry about littering. He would never do that. As the president might say, if you have an empty vodka bottle you can keep it.
No, Ford could really be in trouble this time.
And if Arlo Guthrie really doesn’t understand why Officer Obie arrested him for litterin’, perhaps he should talk to Ms. White.
