# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/101 "2013-11-06T20:47:15Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Indeed. I had no idea that “I get into drunken stupors on a regular basis that are so bad that I couldn’t be expected to know what I was doing when I tried crack while in the midst of one” was supposed to be _reassuring_ compared to “I tried crack once.” > > I think I’d be way less ashamed to own up to the latter than the former. > > > [@Marley23](#): > > > > I’m pretty sure the only people who think this way have severe substance abuse problems. What Ford says is that he doesn’t remember when he tried crack or under what circumstances, but he really wants to see the video so he knows what kind of shape he was in at the time. Nobody else cares, but I think that kind of distinction seems important when you have a drug or alcohol problem. Pretty sure that “drunken stupor” is meant as a plausible excuse for why he initially (lied) denied that he had ever smoked crack. He can say he was so drunk he had no memory of smoking crack, so he wasn’t lying with his repeated denials, he was merely mistaken and would have _of course_ readily admitted his crack use if he had only remembered doing so. Basically, he’s covering up his cover-up. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/102 "2013-11-06T21:04:41Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Pretty sure that “drunken stupor” is meant as a plausible excuse for why he initially (lied) denied that he had ever smoked crack. I don’t think that’s what he was saying- he remonstrated with reporters for asking the wrong question, i.e. “do you smoke crack?” or “are you a crack addict?” instead of “have you smoked crack?” when in point of fact he had been asked that exact question and just denied it. You can’t justify a misleading answer with a nitpick and then say at the same time that you honestly didn’t remember what happened. But if he _is_ saying he just didn’t remember, nobody’s going to believe that either. He clearly knew some time ago that the video was real because he tried to buy it and have it destroyed. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/103 "2013-11-06T21:30:24Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > … But if he _is_ saying he just didn’t remember, nobody’s going to believe that either. He clearly knew some time ago that the video was real because he tried to buy it and have it destroyed. He woulda had a cover story for that too. He was tring to buy it because _it gave the appearance of him smoking crack_, and why stir up the public over a “misleading” video? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/104 "2013-11-06T23:22:45Z")
In addition to (or possibly connected with) the possible extortion connection to Ford, The Globe and Mail has uncovered this interesting nugget: > [@](#): > > Sources have told The Globe and Mail that, in late March, Mr. Ford showed up at the Toronto West Detention centre at 7 p.m., about three hours after official visiting hours, and asked if he could have a tour. When the request was denied, he asked without success to meet a then-inmate named Bruno Bellissimo, who was in custody on assault charges and is described in the affidavit as a “self-admitted ‘crack user.’” > > In the afternoon before the attempted detention centre visit, the mayor and Mr. Lisi spoke three times. Between March 18 and June 14, Mr. Lisi and Mr. Bellissimo made five points of telephone contact, each time originating with Mr. Lisi. Still to come: More and more, if the documents about the observations that the police made of Ford are released to the public. Also: (please look away now if you have a weak constitution) Rumours are floating about the “second video” that Chief Blair alluded to. A Ford sex tape. Yes, I just threw up in my mouth a little. It’s within the realm of possibility that someone stuck a hooker next to Ford when he was in one of his drunken stupors. It’s looking like someone was setting him up with these videos. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/105 "2013-11-07T00:08:26Z")
I don’t see where getting into drunken stupors and lying about smoking crack means Ford’s political career is over. Remember the SCTV episode where Melonville Mayor Tommy Shanks (John Candy) is seeking re-election (campaigning from a psychiatric ward), and asks the public who they’d rather vote for, him or his opponent (camera switches to shot of shifty-eyed Joe Flaherty)? I mean, it was, like, [a no-brainer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDHbOb-9J30). ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/106 "2013-11-07T01:14:18Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > The [**Wikipedia entry**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danforth_Avenue) says A WAG: Perhaps the _the_ comes from the original road being called simply “the road” in early days, then the _the_ was transferred to the avenue. In the context of Ford’s comments “The Danforth” means a huge festival, formally called “Taste of the Danforth,” every August. The festival is held on Danforth Avenue between Broadview and Jones, which is Toronto’s Greektown. It’s basically a huge drink-and-eat-Greek-food party, and it’s huge - they draw way over a million people every year and at the height of the party the street (and it’s a wide city street) is so jammed it can be hard to walk down. Everyone gets drunk there, but Ford was… well, he arrived drunk. And he drove himself. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/107 "2013-11-07T01:32:27Z")
I am going to say that Chief Blair should resign his position. However, it should be for his conspiring to deny people their rights during the G20 and everything releated to that, and for the fact that Toronto police have a terrible habit of shooting mentally ill people. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/108 "2013-11-07T02:30:44Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > . . . and for the fact that Toronto police have a terrible habit of shooting mentally ill people. Also stealing prosthetic legs. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/109 "2013-11-07T03:12:47Z")
What? ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/110 "2013-11-07T04:36:23Z")
[**This.**](http://niagaraatlarge.com/2010/07/05/thorold-ontario-amputee-has-his-artificial-leg-ripped-off-by-police-and-is-slammed-in-makeshift-cell-during-g20-summit-%E2%80%93-at-least-one-ontario-mpp-calls-the-whole-episode-%E2%80%9Cshocking/) > [@](#): > > . . . Accusing him of resisting arrest, they pulled his walking sticks away from him, tied his hands behind his back and ripped off his prosthetic leg. Then they told him to get up and hop, and when he said he couldn’t, they dragged him across the pavement, tearing skin off his elbows , with his hands still tied behind his back. His glasses were knocked off as they continued to accuse him of resisting arrest and of being a “spitter,” something he said he did not do. They took him to a warehouse and locked him in a steel-mesh cage where his nightmare continued for another 27 hours. . . . ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/111 "2013-11-07T06:50:15Z")
I like how they added the detail that the drug dealers were SOMALIAN just to give it that extra dose of salaciousness. “It is alleged congressman grude hired a BRAZILIAN prostitute” ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/112 "2013-11-07T06:59:06Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Anyone interested the scope of the problem should read the [Globe’s article of 25 May and 17 July 2013](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/globe-investigation-the-ford-familys-history-with-drug-dealing/article12153014/?page=all) that goes into Rob Ford family’s drug dealing background. Rob Ford seems to have been on its periphery, but maintains close ties with two of the major players who are working for him on the city’s payroll. Brother Rob Ford (city councillor and right hand man to Ford) was a mid-level dealer. Brother Randy was a dealer involved in a kidnapping. Sister Kathy was a user who’s lovers and friends were into gun violence (her shot, lover killed, friend killed), and who was into white supremacy. Friend David Price was a dealer in brother Rob Fords RY Drifters gang. > > Note that Rob Ford is now a city councillor and is the right hand man and primary spokesperson for Rob Ford, and that David Price is Rob Ford’s Director of Operations and Logistics (whatever the fuck that is beyond calling in to radio shows under various pseudonyms to support Rob Ford) to the tune of [$130 K per year](http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2013/10/18/mayor_rob_fords_staffer_warned_after_go_station_incidents.html). > > Now it could be that these are just regular folks who happened to run a drug gang nearly thirty years ago, but who have matured and are now responsible civic minded citizens. Or it could be that the crack smoking drunken mayor and his life-long cronies are still involved in the underworld of organized crime. The police investigations will hopefully shed some light on it, despite Rob Ford and Doug Ford calling for the police chief to [step down](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/councillor-doug-ford-calls-on-toronto-police-chief-blair-to-resign/article15261674/). For “Rob Ford”, please read “Doug Ford”, except where the context requires that “Rob Ford” be read to mean “Rob Ford.” It’s all very simple, really. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/113 "2013-11-07T08:11:39Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Anyone interested the scope of the problem should read the [Globe’s article of 25 May and 17 July 2013](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/globe-investigation-the-ford-familys-history-with-drug-dealing/article12153014/?page=all) that goes into Rob Ford family’s drug dealing background. Rob Ford seems to have been on its periphery, but maintains close ties with two of the major players who are working for him on the city’s payroll. Brother Rob Ford (city councillor and right hand man to Ford) was a mid-level dealer. Brother Randy was a dealer involved in a kidnapping. Sister Kathy was a user who’s lovers and friends were into gun violence (her shot, lover killed, friend killed), and who was into white supremacy. Friend David Price was a dealer in brother Rob Fords RY Drifters gang. I don’t really care for Fords. I’m a Chevy guy, myself. 😃 ---
**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:** [November 7, 2013, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/114 "2013-11-07T13:20:59Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > For “Rob Ford”, please read “Doug Ford”, except where the context requires that “Rob Ford” be read to mean “Rob Ford.” > > It’s all very simple, really. 🙂 And obviously at times, so am I. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/115 "2013-11-07T18:30:11Z")
And a new video shows up with Ford threatening to kill people. Not to worry though, Ford claims he was drunk at the time…this is the gift that keeps giving. ETA: he does seem to spend more time drunk than sober. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/116 "2013-11-07T18:57:14Z")
> [@grude](#): > > “It is alleged congressman grude hired a BRAZILIAN prostitute” I think that was actually Justin Beiber. (the procurer, not the ho) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/117 "2013-11-07T19:00:05Z")
> [@grude](#): > > I like how they added the detail that the drug dealers were SOMALIAN just to give it that extra dose of salaciousness. > > “It is alleged congressman grude hired a BRAZILIAN prostitute” [George Bush]How many is a brazillion?[\George Bush] ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/118 "2013-11-07T19:03:01Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > And a new video shows up with Ford threatening to kill people. [**The video and story**](http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/11/07/mayor_rob_ford_caught_in_video_rant.html). ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/119 "2013-11-07T19:53:51Z")
Of course, the video does raise some interesting questions. At his press conference last week, Blair did mention the existence of a second video. Is this the video he was referring to? If it is the video he mentions, how on earth does the Star get a copy? If it isn’t the video Blair mentioned, then there is yet at least one more clip of Gong Show antics. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410/120 "2013-11-07T20:31:19Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Of course, the video does raise some interesting questions. At his press conference last week, Blair did mention the existence of a second video. Is this the video he was referring to? If it is the video he mentions, how on earth does the Star get a copy? If it isn’t the video Blair mentioned, then there is yet at least one more clip of Gong Show antics. There are rumours floating about that there is another tape … and it’s a sex tape. :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torontos-alleged-crack-smoking-mayor-why-is-he-still-in-office/659410.md?page=7)