Friday is Day Nine of the Crisis at Toronto City Hall. It came with promises that the mayor might decide on his own to at least take time off from the job. This may not satisfy many who say their confidence has been destroyed by Mr. Ford’s vulgar and alarming behaviour. But it could give this troubled man some help.
- The word came first from Doug Ford, the brother. He was silent Thursday. That was entirely out of character. Friday he spoke quietly and stunned reporters by saying he had asked his brother to get help.
- The mayor himself said little except that he wanted some time from the media to do some things. Today he left City Hall at noon saying he had family business to perform. His manner was less agitated than in previous days but he was still easily irritated with reporters.
- TTC Chair Karen Stintz (Ward 16) and mayoralty candidate spoke on CP24 with cool disdain of the mayor. He had betrayed the City and repeatedly made statements which were later revealed as lies, she said. As to Remembrance Day ceremonies, Ms Stintz said that it may be uncomfortable for councillors and others for Mr, Ford to be present at the ceremony but he is the mayor and “if he thinks he can legitimately add to the ceremony” he should be there.
- NewsTalk1010 issues a statement that all parties have agreed that the mayor’s Sunday talk show should come to an end. Last Sunday was it. We think corporate headquarters is getting antsy.
- Around suppertime, the mayor returned to his office, taking everyone by surprise. He appeared to be tidying up work even though he had said when he left earlier he would be gone for the day.
- Finally, an interview with one of the mayor’s strange acquaintances has yielded a story that the so-called crack video first unearthed by Gawker magazine in the Spring was on the shopping list of the “mafia”. He told the CBC that as the broker of this video he heard from a lot of people. He said a “suitcase” full of money was offered by “organized crime figures” in “fancy” cars who scared him so much he was concerned for his safety. “There were phone calls coming in from people claiming to be ex-military, claiming to be a police officer, saying, ‘Look, if you guys don’t pass the video or find the video, we’ll arrest you guys or we’ll have you guys executed or some crazy stuff like that.’ Just wonderful.
