A filthy tapestry of deception, bullying, character assassination, and false allegations of conspiracy unraveled Tuesday with a six-word confession from Mayor Rob Ford: “Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine.”

Exposed as a fraud, and struggling with debilitating substance abuse, anyone with an ounce of civic duty would have stepped down — to seek professional help, if nothing else. Instead, Ford vowed to stay on for the sake of taxpayers and because “I love being your mayor.”

No responsible Torontonian shares that feeling. In a display of overweening egotism, as the rest of the world laughs at Toronto’s “crack head mayor,” Ford insists this city can’t do without him. He couldn’t be more wrong. He is grossly unfit to lead Toronto.

After all his deceit and misrepresentations, Ford now insists that’s all behind him. He won’t ever, ever do it again. Honest. This time he really means it.

Who could possibly trust this man?

Ford expects redemption without doing anything to earn it.

He told reporters Tuesday that he had smoked crack about a year ago “in one of my drunken stupors,” but insisted “No, I am not an addict. No, I do not do drugs.” Denial is woven even into this mayor’s contrition. The full truth has yet to emerge.

Ford, over the weekend, did apologize for two episodes of public drunkenness, and he expressed regret Tuesday for his crack use. But he has said nothing about a mountain of surveillance evidence revealing the mayor of Canada’s largest city meeting with an accused drug dealer in out-of-the-way places, receiving mysterious packages he could not explain.

Ford has yet to disclose why police were investigating his apparent paying of utility bills for a known crack house. It’s the same Etobicoke address where he was photographed partying with alleged gang members, two of whom were later shot, with one of them slain.

The mayor hasn’t addressed his uttering of racist and homophobic slurs on the crack smoking video. And he has said nothing about police finding a second video showing him doing who knows what.

A police investigation continues. Officers are pressing to interview the mayor but, on the advice of his lawyer, he has avoided talking to them. And a new batch of damning surveillance evidence could soon be put before the public. Yet Ford insists he has nothing left to hide.

How credible is that given his record? When the Star revealed that drug dealers were shopping around a video of Ford smoking crack cocaine, he denied the existence of the footage. With a sneer, he claimed “I do not use crack cocaine.” Reinforced by his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, the mayor engaged in a blatant campaign of misrepresentation and toxic personal attacks. Yet, now, Torontonians are supposed to trust him.

One fact stands clear to all but the most deluded of Ford’s followers — this man has no business leading Toronto.

Indeed, no one should be more disappointed today than faithful members of Ford Nation. They were duped by a political con man posing as a straight talker; someone who claimed to serve the common people yet routinely consorted with drug dealers, gangsters and other criminals. A close look at Ford’s vaunted accomplishments, such as saving $1 billion, reveals a tissue of falsehood. Ford Nation stands betrayed.

If he had a shred of principle, Ford would resign. So would his brother, Doug, the political hit-man sent to speak when the mayor is unwilling or in no state to answer his critics.

To his lasting shame, Doug Ford launched a full-blown attack on Police Chief Bill Blair just before the mayor made his confession. Accusing Blair of engaging in a political conspiracy against the mayor, Ford demanded that the chief (the chief!) take a leave of absence. The extent of Ford hypocrisy would be laughable if it didn’t shame this city.

For the record, Blair’s conduct has been exemplary. When confronted with evidence of mayoral wrongdoing, he didn’t look away or bow to power. He appointed top investigators to proceed “without fear or favour,” and that’s exactly what they’ve done. The city owes them a debt of gratitude.

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Now even Ford allies on council are running for cover. Rebellion is brewing at city hall. Councillor John Filion is proposing that council strip the mayor of his power to appoint or dismiss the deputy mayor and the chairs of city committees. That’s intended to give them more confidence in speaking out against the administration.

The impact of this would be primarily symbolic. Even if Ford tried dismissing rebellious committee chairs he would be hard-pressed to find remaining loyalists to fill these posts. City council’s lack of options in dealing with a profound liability like Ford underlines a serious flaw in existing law. There’s no way, right now, to remove alcohol- or drug-addled incompetents from municipal council, no matter how much they might damage their city.

Queen’s Park needs to change that by expanding the disciplinary power of city councils, backed by integrity commissioners, so that discreditable characters can be removed when they won’t willingly depart.

Ford’s refusal to step down is proof that cities need protection from destructive rogues bent on maintaining power at all costs, to the detriment of citizens they’re supposed to serve.

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