IMO, the thing that's so troubling about the Fords getting their way here - for hopefully, the last time, God willing - is that there's always been a sort of "the dog ate my homework" quality to Slob and Thug's antics. The Brothers Ford were profoundly lazy bastards, as their actual record in office readily points out. If they really did have blackmail material on a bunch of high level people, it would almost come as a relief because at least that would be an explanation, but I don't credit them with enough brains to pull off such a scheme.
So as it stands, they've been pushing the entire city around for years now, and the reason they've gotten away with that appears to be nothing more complicted than the fact that nobody in a position of power or responsibility was willing to stand up to them. The few minor setbacks they encountered, like Rofo being stripped of his official power as Mayor, allowed them to play martyrs to their base, and never really resulted in genuinely deserved punishments like being chucked out of office in disgrace or receiving any significant prison time. And now it's happening - again! - well past the point where thier shenanigans should have come to a halt. It's beyond insane. They're a couple of small-time bullshit artists, nothing more. They never should have been able to get this far.
