When public figures are elected to office, they should expect most, if not all, of their private life to become broadcasted news. In a flurry of explanations and apologies, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford admitted to smoking crack cocaine while in a “drunken stupor” to media outlets Tuesday.
Hours later, he declared he will not step down from his position. In fact, he announced the beginning of his re-election campaign.
Over the past couple of months, Ford has been seen noticeably drunk in public. In March, he was even asked to leave the Toronto Garrison Ball, a gala to honor the Canadian armed forces. Reports say his friends and family have urged him to enter a rehabilitation facilty for his alleged alcohol abuse.
Ford admits to drinking so much alcohol that he blacked out. Like any person, Ford is still a human being and makes mistakes, especially under the influence. But Ford lost control to the point where he legitimately forgot where and when he smoked crack cocaine.
As a public official, especially the mayor of a large city, one must sacrifice part of one’s privacy and cut back on activities such as binge drinking and smoking that set a bad example to constituents. Mayors are not only the leaders of a community — they are the primary representatives of their city to the world.
We are not saying that Ford needs to refrain from “having fun,” per se, or cannot have one drink or two at a function. He just needs to prioritize his conduct over his alleged personal preference. Is he a leading example for young Toronto by being candid about his past, or is he losing control in front of the cameras?
With a 24-hour news cycle, officials’ policies and personal lives have become fair game. Personal and private information fades away as cameras move in. A mayor’s duty is now not only to legislate and govern, its to uphold a strong, composed image for the public. To Ford, that also means remaining in control of his faculties on a Friday night. Moreover, such an important position of leadership truly is a 24-hour job. What would happen if a crisis broke out while Ford was under the influence of crack? It may not be clearly written in his job description, but he must realize that he must always be prepared to take responsiblity for his city, and that includes remaining in control of his faculties at all times.
Speaking of blacking out, are tax payers going to appreciate the mayor spending his paycheck — which is funded by the citizens — on an exorbitant amount of alcohol and crack cocaine? Sure, he says he does not continually use hard drugs, but he also drinks to a point where he cannot think of the repercussions of smoking crack cocaine as a public official.
Ford says he is not an addict and that he does not continually smoking crack cocaine. The problem here is more about his inability to control himself in a public setting than his drug use. This not only illustrates his total lack of priorities, it shows how he is putting himself in situations where he is incapacitated as mayor and too inebriated to remember where he is. At this rate, one could assume it’s only a matter of time before his personal antics catch up with his professional life, and therein lies the largest obstacle in his re-election campaign.
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