Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has admitted he was lying to his people all along – He has smoked crack cocaine.  But even in his tearful admission before a throng of reporters outside his office, the admitted substance abuser rationalized his earlier denials, now revealed to be completely untrue.

“Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine,” Ford told reporters outside his office. “But no, do I, am I an addict?  No.  Have I tried it?  Probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably approximately about a year ago.  I answered your question.  You ask the question properly, I’ll answer it.  Yes, I’ve made mistakes.  All I can do now is apologize and move on.”

And that was it.  He didn’t resign, and he says he doesn’t intend to resign.  Instead, North America’s fourth-largest city will limp ahead for another year until the next election, when Ford says the citizens will have the opportunity to decide if they want a crack-using liar with a history of bigotry, sexism, and homophobia to remain Mayor.  A man who sells their civic trust to the highest bidders and puts it beyond the accountability of the voters.

And it could be that the voters of Toronto treat Rob Ford better than he has treated them.  Earlier this year (while he was smoking crack) Mayor Ford refused to support a proposal to create a “safe injection site” in Toronto.  Public Health officials argued that the evidence shows injection sites can “reduce the level of unsafe, hidden injection drug use in communities” when put in place carefully – they reduce public health costs, protect users’ health, and protect neighborhoods. 

So in Toronto, Canada, there is no mercy for drug users.  Unless they happen to be the mayor.