(Warning: This column contains explicit football puns.)
With the mid-way point of Rob Ford’s term fast approaching, I have one fundamental question about the mayor’s rapidly growing collection of political off-sides: Why won’t Team Ford review his game tapes and figure out how to improve their offense?
Some of Ford’s failures since 2010 stem from his recklessness (e.g., last week’s much ridiculed “fumble”), while others arise from his contempt for any sort of rules or restrictions. And then there are those that can be attributed to his perverse disinclination to use the considerable political machinery that the voters of this city conferred on him on October 26, 2010.
Consider, for example, this alternative version of the football foundation melodrama:
Early in his mayoralty, Ford stands up in council to unveil his plan to cut $700,000 from councilor office budgets, as per his gravy train pledge. With the savings, he continues, he proposes to establish a fund allowing high schools without football programs to apply for grants to buy equipment. He explains the work his foundation has done, and notes that the need seems endless, ergo the use of public funds. The applications would be judged according to local demand, and a council sub-committee would monitor the process to ensure accountability to taxpayers.
To get this plan going as quickly as possible, Ford tables a motion asking that his proposal be vetted by the city’s bureaucracy and the relevant committees, with an eye to approval in time for the first full school season of his term.
Every mayor arrives into office with pet projects (remember Miller’s “clean and beautiful city” campaign), so this one would hardly stand out as exceptional. But his relatively inexpensive scheme also has the virtue of responding to a real issue. It marries Ford’s personal interest in football with his genuine desire to help underprivileged teenagers who – from his own experience – benefit tangibly from the combination of teamwork and physical discipline.
The ensuing bureaucratic and political scrutiny adds a few extra layers. But Ford, still early in his term and riding a wave of public support, knows he’s got the support from council and also from voters, who applaud his volunteer work.
Once launched, the Mayor’s “Sports Initiative for At-Risk Youth,” as this program will be called, proves popular, inexpensive, and high-impact. Many schools apply, much equipment is purchased. The school boards are grateful. Parents are grateful. The kids enjoy their new opportunities.
Come the first anniversary of the program – and the start of a new school year – Ford (upon the advice of his advisors) invites 200 football players down to City Hall to fill the bleachers of the Council chamber. The members of the media are invited to meet these kids and hear them tell stories of how their attitudes to school turned around because of one man’s passion for football.
All this could, and should, have been encapsulated in a one-pager for Ford a year ago, when the horizon had far fewer storm clouds than it does today. With almost no effort, he could have avoided the endless humiliations and the legal imbroglios. At no political cost, he could have moved the ball down the field. It is almost impossible to imagine serious political objections.
I admit there’s a heavy wish-fulfillment element to my fantasy football scenario. Ford has little time or interest in the policy development process, and his ideas about the use of public funds verge on the bizarre.
Yet as these increasingly damaging episodes pile up, it is reasonable to ask why his closest political advisors – starting with chief of staff Mark Towhey – have done so little to persuade their boss to front small but politically resonant initiatives that would re-cast his mayoralty. They are, of course, in a murderously difficult situation, because their counsel is routinely thwarted by brother Doug, who only believes it’s been a good week if he’s poured more gasoline on the fire.
But the upshot is that Team Ford seems incapable of taking control of the agenda, running the operation with even a modicum of discipline, and anticipating political sacks – even when the other team keeps running the same play.
Indeed, the ongoing football foundation saga is an almost perfect parable of the tragedy of the Ford mayoralty, because it reveals, perhaps more vividly than anything else, his enormous talent for squandering his political capital.
The mayor’s office, at the moment, resembles the Alamo – surrounded, under siege, abandoned by all but its most dim-witted allies. From where I sit, Ford’s advisors could have given their man the tools to turn the football foundation story from a drubbing into something that symbolically defines his mayoralty. But until someone starts calling better plays, they’ll never put the numbers on the board.
5 comments
I have a feeling that Team Ford believes it is winning the public opinion battle by turning Rob Ford into a roughneck folk hero, embattled because of the dogged antagonism of “lefty elites” and nothing else. Certainly his core supporters appear only to be able to reiterate that scenario.
I love the idea you’ve set forth for the “Sports Initiative for At-Risk Youth” but, given that the mayor’s prevailing ideology appears to be that government should not spend money, I suspect the proposal would be anathema to him and his team.
It’s a bummer that voters didn’t pay closer attention to his voting record as a city councillor during the last election, it really is emblematic of someone who just doesn’t believe that government has a valid social role to play, except maybe to keep base infrastructure intact and to foster an environment friendly towards commerce/development.
I’d support buying teens bikes, but not football equipment; it might lead to steroid use.
Didn’t Rob Ford himself say that reporters should be following him to see how much work he is doing? So now when they do just that, Rob gets upset and starts complaining and complaining.
Indeed W. K. LIS – reporters actually show up to his football games, and he calls them lazy!
You’re right John – there is a LOT of heavy wish-fulfilment in your scenario. Team Ford and his Nibs have given no indication of such planning or cretive ability. He’s proven combative, unrepentent, unable to accept accountability for his own behaviour and shows contempt for the rules and regulations that govern not only the daily lives of the citizens of Toronto, but the rules that govern him as mayor.
His defence of all this is either he “can’t remember,” “didn’t know,” or “I’m too busy.” For code busters that means, “I’m incompetent.”
For a self-proclaimed successful business person, I marvel at his inability to comprehend the simplest laws – don’t drive while talking on the phone – to cite one example. After being busted, he doesn’t say that it was a grevious mistake and he’ll not do it again. No! He rationalizes his behaviour with being so busy that he HAS to use a phone (or read) while driving because he’s mayor.
I feel sad for the poor sap, really. He’s used to being in the shallow end of the Councilor pool, where others, more capable and competent than himself have always been around to keep him from going into water over his head. Today, as mayor, he’s flailing like a panicky swimmer who realizes he’s a few strokes short of the pool edge — and nobody is throwing him a line.
His early frakas with the Portlands plan was a clear indication that he dramatically misunderstands the needs of Toronto and his roll as mayor. His behaviour has gone downhill ever since.
Nice dream though John!
Ed Horner