Our members of Toronto City Council:
For the past three years, Toronto has struggled under an ineffective and divisive Mayor. We understand that working under such conditions has no doubt been difficult for you, and we, the citizens of Toronto, have appreciated your efforts to overcome these difficulties. We wish to convey our gratitude for everything you have done as our representatives.
The last six months have been especially trying, as the public was made aware of just how ineffective the Mayor truly has been. We are greatly concerned at how deeply the Mayor’s substance abuse has affected his ability to perform his duties, and how his links to both charged and alleged criminals has placed the Mayor of Toronto under the potential influence of organized crime. We, like yourselves, are convinced that he is no longer fit for the position.
We are especially concerned that his remarkably poor judgment has put him in a position where he could be vulnerable to extortion or blackmail. His lengthy denials and refusal to be truthful with the citizens of Toronto merely allowed those who might manipulate him to continue doing so, and for much longer than would have been possible if he had simply admitted his mistakes. This is absolutely unacceptable, and for this reason, he must be removed from his position, immediately and permanently.
Under the City of Toronto Act, the Mayor can only be removed under a narrow set of specific circumstances, one of which entails being charged of a crime and incarcerated. While the Mayor has not been charged, the spirit of the law has been met. The Mayor of Toronto has now admitted to breaking the law during his term of office - Possession of a Substance, as per Section 4 (1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, to wit, crack cocaine - and therefore no longer holds the moral authority to serve as the leader of law abiding citizens.
As such, we will rally and protest outside City Hall this Wednesday, November 13, starting at 12pm to demonstrate our support for the following measures:
1. Support Councilor Filion’s motion to remove the Mayor’s ability to assign or remove the heads of standing committees, or assign or remove the members of the Executive Committee;
2. Support Councilor Minnan-Wong’s motion to require the Mayor to take a leave of absence;
3. Insist that the Mayor answer questions in Toronto City Council thoroughly and truthfully, explaining what was being exchanged under suspicious circumstances observed in Police surveillance, as the public must be reassured that the Mayor is not accepting bribes;
4. Demand that the Mayor cooperate fully with the Toronto Police Service in advancing their investigations into Projects Traveller and Brazen 2, in which the Mayor is allegedly implicated, for by choosing not to assist the Police, the Mayor of Toronto is aiding and abetting criminal elements thus knowingly placing the public in danger;
5. Propose and support a motion to request the Ontario Provincial Government pass emergency legislation, which would give Toronto City Council the ability to remove the Mayor from his position with a two-thirds majority vote.
We implore you to consider these measures in a prompt and reasonable manner. The City of Toronto has been demonstrably harmed by the Mayor’s behaviour, not only because he has made it impossible for City Council to engage in its normal activities without this ever-present distraction, but also by harming our reputation in the eyes of the rest of the world. The long-term effects on Toronto’s ability to attract tourism and conventions are not yet known, but as our city’s reputation suffers, our city’s economy surely will as well.
Members of City Council, the time for action is now. Please consider these measures carefully in your search for a solution to this event, and please bring this spectacle to a proper end, once and for all.
Signed,
SaveToronto.ca
