Josh Barro, Columnist

The Almost-Good Reasons Toronto Elected Rob Ford

But I have bad news for you, Canada: Americans have learned about Rob Ford, and weâll have no more of your smug superiority

May 17, 2013 at 8:22 PM UTC

By Josh Barro

Josh Barro is the lead writer for the Ticker, Bloomberg View's blog on economics, finance and politics. His primary areas of interest include tax and fiscal policy, state and local government, and planning and land use. Previously, Barro was a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research and a commercial real estate banker at Wells Fargo. He holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Harvard and lives in Queens, New York.

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Like most Americans, one of the few things I know about Canada is that it's supposed to be better than us. It's an almost unbearably functional place, what with its non-collapsed banking system and strongly growing economy and harmonious, cosmopolitan society (Quebec excepted). If Canada had nuclear weapons, it would never flirt with giving Sarah Palin control over them.

But I have bad news for you, Canada: Americans have learned about Rob Ford, and we'll have no more of your smug superiority.