As Rob Ford is punished again, councillors contemplate the Mayor Ford era, plan coup

Another day, another report from the integrity commissioner that Rob Ford did something he shouldn’t have. In this case, Ford violated city rules by using his office letterhead to solicit donations for his football charity. As council winds down before the election, it found time to vote in favour of the report, meaning Ford must now pay back about $3,000 to donors. Councillors seem to have hurried the process along to deny Ford the chance to make a scene. The Toronto Star quotes one councillor saying, “We didn’t want to let Rob give a big speech about helping kids... It’s not about the kids. He broke rules, which are in place for good reason.”

Meanwhile, the Toronto Sun asked councillors to contemplate life under a Ford mayoralty. Howard Moscoe was the most descriptive: “He won’t be able to pass gas without the permission of council.” When asked if he thinks Ford will be able to work with council, he added, “Depends how often he wants to pass gas.”

“I have yet to know that he’s read a report. The mayor needs to be intellectually engaged,” said Maria Augimeri. “You need to be an avid reader and promoter of the city. Simple pat actions won’t do. Band-Aid solutions won’t do... There is no quick fix [for the city].”

Kyle Rae, one of Ford’s nemeses on council, suggests that the denizens of the clamshell might revolt against Ford and basically work around the elected head of the city to get their work done. We can’t wait: if conservatives of all stripes were aghast at the idea of a Liberal-NDP coalition in Ottawa, the reaction to an anti-Ford coup in the city after the election is going to be positively nuclear.

• Council orders Ford to repay donations [Toronto Star] • Councillors take shots at ‘Mayor Ford’ [Toronto Sun] • Council spanks Ford silently [Toronto Sun] • Ford ordered to pay back charity donations [CBC News] • Council wouldn’t accept Ford as mayor, Rae says [CTV]

(Images: council chambers by Padraic, Rob Ford by Morecofeeplease.)