The Ford in our future

Whatever happened to Rob Ford, fearsome campaigner who was going to clean up Toronto City Hall? Since his election, His Honour has acted like any other good old boy who finally gets to put his boots on the boardroom table. He revels in the being but does nothing. Oh, he’s cut out snacks at council and made noise about more subways, but the crusader who intended to stop the gravy train seems to have just sat down at the banquet table and continued to eat. Why he’s even asked the Province of Ontario for $350 million to fix potholes, just like every other mayor who has worn the chain of office. Premier Dalton McGuinty wisely blew him off.

The first sign Rob Ford was all huff and no puff was his inauguration ceremony in December conducted by that other fine specimen of a man in public life, Don Cherry. Grapes must be the only man around who takes more time to get dressed than figure out thoughtful things to say.

In office, Rob Ford has not tackled the bloated civil service, union contracts, consultants, or welfare. I know, he’s only been serving for three months but any new office-holder’s image is pretty much firmed up in the first hundred days, and Rob Ford is beginning to look like all of his do-little predecessors. To be sure, I cashed the $60 refund cheque he sent me because I’d paid for two years licence plate renewal, but I would have been happier if he’d kept the money and did something with the cash for the public good.

To date this Ford is no penny-pinching Escort, he’s a hulking Expedition taking us for a ride.