No matter what Rob Ford tells you, his record isn't a very good one

Mayor Rob Ford is set to return from rehab Monday. I won’t lie — I kind of just want to ignore him.

Because, really, is there anything left to say about Rob Ford? He’s a scandal-plagued mayor with only the faintest hope of winning re-election.

At this point, I think he and brother Doug Ford just thrive on the media attention, mistaking celebrity for viability and fascination with support.

Which is why it’s tempting to stop feeding the beast.

But here’s what gives me pause. When he steps up to the podium, Ford is going to do his best to spin a story. It’ll be the comeback-kid redemption arc. It’s worked for other politicians, and there’s a small chance it’ll work for Ford — especially if no one is there to counter that narrative.

So let’s counter it. Here’s what Ford will probably say when he returns to city hall: “I’ve addressed my personal problems and I’m moving forward — let’s focus on my record.”

That message is problematic on a couple of levels.

To start, the only response to the first part of that statement can and must be a simple “prove it.” Because, hey, we’ve been down this road before.

And besides, this isn’t just about addiction. This is about a mayor being recorded saying racist and sexist things. This is about a mayor getting embroiled in a police investigation that left him vulnerable to blackmail. These things can’t just be dismissed by another promise to stay sober.

But it’s the second part of Ford’s presumed message that really gets me going. The part about Ford’s record. Because here’s the thing: his record isn’t very good. His term has been marked by an inability to win council votes and a series of high-profile failures. There was a core-service review that was supposed to find oodles of gravy at city hall, but didn’t. Then there was a slapdash plan to put a mall and ferris wheel on the waterfront that fizzled.

Later, Ford commissioned a report to show that the Sheppard subway could be extended without taxes — but, whoops, the report said it wasn’t possible. He then spent a full year touting the benefits of a Toronto casino, without even having basic information on revenues. And before he left, he was carrying the torch for expanding the Toronto Island Airport — a prospect that also looks doomed.

Meanwhile, transit service has gotten more crowded, traffic has gotten worse and you’re paying more in property taxes, despite Ford’s widely discredited claim to have saved a billion dollars.

If that’s the record Ford wants to be judged on, fine. Let’s judge. Whatever it takes for this whole Ford saga to finally come to an end.