Nov. 5, 2013
Today was a shocking day in Canadian politics!!!
The
mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford, after weeks of denying he never took drugs,
admitted in a press conference that he did smoke cocaine and apologized
to the people in Toronto.
As if that was not enough,
today in Ottawa, three Canadian Senators were voted to be suspended
without pay ( for two years ) for inappropriate tax claims on their
senate expenses.
I am always amazed and puzzled by famous/ successful people who try to cheat the government or from work for a few more dollars.
When
I was a public school principal in Toronto, I was given a certain
amount of budget as well as a credit card in my name to purchase things
for the operation of the school. My colleagues and I were very careful
and mindful of what our responsibilities were. We knew that we were
public figures and what we did and said would have great impact in our
communities at large.
It is not easy getting elected to
be a mayor or appointed to the Senate in any democratic country like
Canada. Many candidates work long and hard for years from the
grassroot level buidling public trust and support before they could get
to public offices.
How on earth did people such as Mayor
Rob Ford allow himself to lose his respect of the Canada's largest city by
smoking illegal drugs , while Senator Pamela Wallin and Mike Duffy claimed an extra few tax dollars to ruin what
they have worked so hard for all their lives to achieve?
All
of them were at the pinnacle of their political careers and yet a
couple of simple mistakes brought them down from grace. How crazy is
that?
"Look before Your Leap " is a saying worth remembering for anyone holding public offices.
Think
about the consequences and the far reaching implications before one
does anything trying to take advantage of one's position and power!
In today's climate with the omnipresent cameras and impromptu
media posting, anyone can be a reporter digging up dirt and reporting
the smallest infractions and inappropriate actions of anybody especially one who is holding a public position!
R.T.
Toronto
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