Today’s Globe and Mail has a story about Councillor Doug Ford, brother of Mayor Rob Ford, blaming unions for orchestrating criticism of proposed budget cuts. The reporter, Elizabeth Church, quotes the brother’s keeper ranting about how unions are issuing “marching orders” to their members and claiming that “Ford Nation is too busy working, paying taxes, creating jobs. That’s what they are doing.”
What the story doesn’t do is offer any context or fact checking. After reading the piece online last night, I tweeted:
Two people I have a great deal of respect for immediately disagreed with me. First Jonathan Goldsbie tweeted:
And Ivor Tossell backed him up:
Well, Ford’s comments may come across as self-evidently vile to people who disagree with him, his brother and their political agenda. But it’s a mistake to assume that there aren’t people who will read that piece and nod in agreement.
So what is there to add? A quote from a union leader perhaps. A sentence or two about the role social media played in filling the gallery at city hall for the Jarvis bike lane debate. Recognition that members of Ford Nation (though it wasn’t called that then) did show up at city hall to yell “Shame” at David Miller and his council when an issue moved them to do so. Hell, even a code word such as “bizarre” to describe Ford’s statements would have helped.
Yes, perhaps I am over-reacting here — wouldn’t be the first time — but I think the problem is this story is representative of a long-term problem in the Globe’s coverage of city hall. So it’s at times such as these that I miss long-time no-guff columnist John Barber the most.
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