[URBAN NOTE] "Ailing Rob Ford says residents want him to run for Ward 2 council seat"

[rfmcdonald]

The article by the Toronto Star's Daniel Dale about Rob Ford's interest in running for Ward 2, currently represented by his brother, is as critical of this ill-judged decision as one would expect.

His voice quiet and raspy, Mayor Rob Ford (open Rob Ford's policard) said Thursday that he has been told he has a “50-50” chance of surviving his rare cancer.

Ford said he is not sure if he will feel well enough to participate in any all-candidates’ debates in Ward 2 (Etobicoke North), where he is now a candidate for his old council seat. But he shrugged off criticism from residents who question his decision to run for office while undergoing chemotherapy.

“Some people are saying that, but a lot more people are saying ‘I want your name on the ballot.’ And we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.There’s other candidates. If they don’t think I’m up to it, then vote for someone else,” he said outside his city hall office. “I think there’s about 12 or 15 people in my ward, I don’t know exactly how many. This came together relatively quick. I was doing great, I was doing fantastic.”

Ford has 13 opponents. One of them, business professional Andray Domise, initially declined to comment for fear of sounding “harsh and insensitive,” then changed his mind minutes later and called Ford’s decision “highly irresponsible.”

“My problem is: he’s put his name on the ballot, and asked to be treated as a serious candidate, so the least that I can do is respect that wish. Which also means holding him accountable,” Domise said.

“So if your name is on the ballot but you’re not showing up for debates, you haven’t released a platform, you haven’t talked about what it is you’re going to do for Ward 2, you’re not canvassing, you’re not knocking on doors, you’re not putting down lawn signs, essentially you’re taking the neighbourhood for granted. You expect to be allowed back into city hall, as a seriously ill person, with no ideas for what we’re going to do for this ward going forward.”