Panelists answered the following: In light of the Toronto Mayor Rob Ford saga, would you vote for a political candidate with a recent history of drug or alcohol abuse?
Bill Mifsud: “You have to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. If the person is a habitual drug user over a one-time brain lock then no. There are people who are recovered drug addicts and those who abused alcohol who make great citizens so they are due a second chance. So YES and NO.”
Marty Richman: “No, I would not vote for someone with a recent history of drug or alcohol addiction – the key words there being recent and addiction. Their judgment would be questionable when under the influence. I believe that people who are addicted need treatment and second chances (sometimes third or more chances); however, only time can tell if the rehab is effective. They need to show they have this under control for at least a year, to get my vote. Once they are in office, you cannot boot them for abuse alone. If they are convicted of a crime, say possessions of an illegal substance, that could be grounds for impeachment or sanctions.”
Jim West: “Automatic rejection of anyone who has ever had a personal problem with alcohol or drugs is going to leave us with a mighty small field of good candidates – we’re all human. The answer is in the definitions of ‘recent history’. The problem of Toronto’s mayor is that it’s not his history. It’s his present, and in this case the answer is a resounding no. But for the candidate whose problems occurred in the past and who has been clean since, the answer is yes.”
Mary Zanger: “No. While I applaud his truthfulness, I do not appreciate his ethics. I am referring not to just his drug habit but to his unwillingness to resign and relinquish power during the course of his rehab. That alone tells me that he refuses to consider the people he has sworn to serve and that he enjoys power above service.”
Ruth Erickson “No! The political candidate would have already committed a crime by buying and using illegal drugs. His judgment could be impaired whether abusing alcohol or taking illegal drugs, when making legislative decisions on our behalf and on how our taxes should be spent. The candidate needs to earn the right and respect to represent his constituents.”
