# Toronto's alleged crack smoking mayor. Why is he still in office? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 26, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410 "2013-05-26T15:45:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/1 "2013-05-26T15:45:37Z")
Cracked did a piece on this guy. How on earth is a Mayor caught smoking crack still in office? :eek: Cracked lists several other controversies about the mayor. Canada’s Marion Barry. From this article it doesn’t seem that the video has been released yet? > **[Toronto Mayor Rob Ford caught in crack smoking video scandal](https://www.nydailynews.com/2013/05/17/toronto-mayor-rob-ford-caught-in-crack-smoking-video-scandal/)** > > A gang of Canadian drug dealers are reportedly looking for a six-figured payday by shopping around a shocking cellphone video showing Toronto Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine. Two reporters for… > [@](#): > > The Star and Gawker reporters viewed the video separately — though under similarly shady circumstances— after being contacted by tipsters connected to the person who shot it. > > The Star identified the men as a group of Somali drug dealers who claimed to have regularly dealt crack to Ford, 43. > > The group was asking “six figures” for the video, but neither the newspaper nor Gawker bought it or got a copy of it, both publications said. > > Ford, who was elected in 2010, dismissed the reports on Friday. > > “These allegations are ridiculous, another story with respect to the Toronto Star going after me, and that’s all I have to say,” the mayor told reporters outside his office before heading to a flag-raising ceremony, according to the Star. > > Read more: [Toronto Mayor Rob Ford caught in crack smoking video scandal – New York Daily News](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/toronto-mayor-caught-crack-smoking-video-scandal-article-1.1347136#ixzz2UPj8qIr3) > **[How Toronto's Totally Deranged Mayor Stayed in Office](https://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/how-torontos-totally-deranged-mayor-stayed-in-office)** > > Not only did Toronto knowingly elect a morbidly obese chronic substance abuser for mayor, but this guy has been Chris Farleying it up for years. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/2 "2013-05-26T15:55:48Z")
Is [cracked.com](http://cracked.com) right that they can’t force this creep to resign? [How Toronto's Totally Deranged Mayor Stayed in Office | Cracked.com](http://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/how-torontos-totally-deranged-mayor-stayed-in-office/) > [@](#): > > That’s how tenacious Rob Ford is. Some people weather career-destroying scandals like it’s nothing more than a little herpes outbreak – see Bill Clinton, Kanye West, Anthony Weiner, Marion Barry. Once you realize that Rob Ford is in the same category as a guy willing to run for mayor after sending dick pics, you know that a little crack isn’t going to bring him down. _Even if the video gets published, Toronto can’t force Ford to resign._ So we predict he’s not going anywhere. Good job, Toronto. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/3 "2013-05-26T16:09:27Z")
I fixed the title as you asked. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/4 "2013-05-26T16:22:21Z")
Thank you. That one missing word was pretty critical. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/5 "2013-05-26T16:38:19Z")
Wait, you **want** people to be forced to resign over mere allegations? As I understand it, the video has been seen by some credible witnesses (staff at _Gawker_ and the _Toronto Star_), but all that means are that there should be a serious investigation. If he’s found guilty, of course he should be forced to resign. If he is guilty, of course those who know he is guilty should pressure him to resign (for the bad judgement more than the crack itself). But what if he’s not guilty? What if these reporters’ desire for a big story overwhelmed their good sense the day they saw the video? It’s not like anyone has the video to go back and check. Apparently, _Gawker_ can’t even get in touch with the person who made the video anymore. Maybe the mayor’s thugs whacked him! The mayor should be forced to resign for murder! I don’t think much of the guy, but so far it’s a lot of hoopla for a thinly substantiated rumour. Surely if he uses crack there are other people who know and will come forward. If there’s legs to this scandal, he will be out in a few weeks. If there’s not, he should stay in as long as the Torontonians want him. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/6 "2013-05-26T16:44:53Z")
Why hasn’t the U.S.'s (alleged) radical Muslim terrorist foreign-born president been forced to resign? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/7 "2013-05-26T16:51:29Z")
If he’s into heavy drugs it shouldn’t be hard to prove. Financial records are a start. Large withdrawals of cash. Remember when Gary Hart lead reporters to his mistress on the Monkey Business boat? That was the yacht’s real name btw. That ended Hart’s campaign for President. Reporters need to follow the mayor for awhile. Catch him scoring his drugs. If he’s a drug user they’ll catch him soon enough. Marion Barry did a lot of damage as Mayor of Washington DC. He was dirty as you could get. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/8 "2013-05-26T17:03:20Z")
Wait a sec, is this a Toronto crack-smoker who’s allegedly the mayor, or a Toronto mayor who’s allegedly a crack-smoker? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/9 "2013-05-26T17:37:32Z")
There is no extant evidence Ford smoked crack, so the answer to the OP is very simple. All there is is three people who claim to have seen a video on a cellphone screen in which Ford appears to be smoking something out of a crack pipe. The video has never been seen by anyone else; there are no still photos of it, and the people who are alleged to possess the video are drug dealers who want $200,000 before they give it up and seem to have vanished when the Toronto Star’s first offer for the video wasn’t high (ha!) enough. It is further worthwhile to note that Rob Ford is a gigantically obese man, and so there is pretty solid evidence that he can’t possibly be a crack ADDICT, even if he did try it once. Crack addicts are generally not known for their appetites. So we don’t even have that to go on. How could he be forced to resign over such flimsy evidence? ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/10 "2013-05-26T18:25:08Z")
Why should I care if someone not me takes drugs ? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/11 "2013-05-26T20:59:26Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Why should I care if someone not me takes drugs ? If it we’re my elected official, I’d want him or her to avoid judgment-imparing drugs, including excessive alcohol. In this case, I’d be more upset that he was stupid enough to allow himself to be filmed (allegedly). ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/12 "2013-05-26T21:40:01Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > If it we’re my elected official, I’d want him or her to avoid judgment-imparing drugs. XD! I assure you that Mayor Ford (many of whose stances I actually support) doesn’t need any drugs to impair his judgment! ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/13 "2013-05-26T21:44:25Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > If he’s into heavy drugs it shouldn’t be hard to prove. Financial records are a start. Large withdrawals of cash… If he is smoking crack, that dosen’t require large withdrawls of cash. One can get crack for 10 bucks. So I hear. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/14 "2013-05-26T21:46:41Z")
Is there any indication that he is a worse mayor because of these drugs ? Has he taken city revenues to fund this habit ? Are there any instances of irrational behaviour due to this ? I ask because there have been numerous city mayors and equivalent office-holders in history who were heavy drinkers. Sometimes this affected their performance and sometimes not; but no-one breathes a word against such good old boys for their capacity to drain bottles of whisky. I neither drink nor use drugs, but since that’s not due to moral reasons I have no right to fuss about others so doing provided they are not endangering others directly. As for ‘judgement-impairing’, I am not being anti-American when I point out that the standard for mayors in the North American continent is not overly-rigorous, looking at Philadelphia, New Orleans, Chicago and Jersey City amongst others; since local politicians everywhere, just as national politicians everywhere, are not selected for intelligence or probity, but for emotional reasons and the ability to service those who will benefit from their decisions. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/15 "2013-05-26T23:02:12Z")
In Ontar-i-ar-i-ar-i-o, the most a municipal council can do on its own is reprimand and/or withhold pay (Municipal Act). Tossing him out of office would require the order of the Superior Court. If he were doing time in the hoosegow (Municipal Elections Act), or if he were found by a Superior Court judge to be in a significant conflict of interest (Municipal Conflict of Interest Act), or if he were convicted under the Municipal Elections Act of corruption with respect to an election or convicted for corruption under the Criminal Code of Canada with respect to a municipal election, then he would be given the heave-ho (Municipal Elections Act). Other than this, the electorate gets to keep what it elected. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/16 "2013-05-26T23:25:15Z")
We’re also discussing this in the Canadoper Cafe thread. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/17 "2013-05-26T23:29:00Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > If he is smoking crack, that dosen’t require large withdrawls of cash. One can get crack for 10 bucks. So I hear. Well yeah but that $10 of crack lasts about 2 minutes, then it’s $10 more of crack. Then 10 more. Then 10 more. And so on. For about 5 days nonstop. ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_Cello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Clark\_Cello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_Cello)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/18 "2013-05-26T23:34:52Z")
Wow, we have posts here advocating that the mayor be kicked out despite any real evidence, and we also have posts professing that it doesn’t matter whether an elected official is addicted to illegal, habit-forming, mind-altering drugs. Quite a diversity of opinion. I will say that I disagree pretty strongly with the two views. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/19 "2013-05-26T23:53:57Z")
All I am suggesting is that reporters quietly follow this guy around for awhile. Weeks or even months. If he’s a crackhead then there’s no way he can avoid visiting his dealer for very long. Reporters can then get their own video footage and photographs. If he’s innocent then there’s no harm. Reporters follow politicians around all the time anyhow. As I said earlier reporters nailed Gary Hart’s butt during the 88 Presidential campaign. He actually dared them to prove that he had a mistress. 😉 Well they took him up on it. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/20 "2013-05-27T00:05:48Z")
> [@Clark\_Cello](#): > > Wow, we have posts here advocating that the mayor be kicked out despite any real evidence, and we also have posts professing that it doesn’t matter whether an elected official is addicted to illegal, habit-forming, mind-altering drugs. Quite a diversity of opinion. In my lifetime in Britain there have been amongst others as prime minister recently, Lady Thatcher, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron. And in America, Reagan, Clinton and Bush the Younger. In all of these cases highly addictive, hallucinogenic, mind-altering drugs would have led to better decision-making. I’m not joking. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410.md?page=2)