Wake Up! We’ve got to get back to work investigating our voting options. Ok, maybe it’s me who has to get back to work, or at least back to typing. I haven’t been entirely idle during this break in blog posts, yours truly has some how agreed to help organize a Mayoral Debate hosted by the Community Foundation of Kingston. Chris is to blame, but actually I should thank him – Thank you Chris! I’m quite excited about this opportunity, as it will give me a whole other angle from which I can observe the candidates. Who wants to help?
Our Mayoral race just got interesting! Not that I have anything against the original list of candidates, there’s some quite capable men gunning for the job, but they’re lacking the energy and spice needed to get voters to the polls. A new group of candidates about to join the Mayoral race thinks they can increase voter turnout by educating and entertaining Kingston’s young adults. Nathan Wilson has already submitted his nomination for the top job, Jamie Emerton, John Last, and Kevin Lavalley have also pledged to run for Mayor. They will be documenting their campaigns on their website Run This Town. In the 2006 election, the Districts with the highest ratio of students – Sydenham, King’s Town and Williamsville, had the lowest percentages of voter turnout, barely over 20% for each of those districts. If these guys can improve these statistics by entertaining voters all the way to the polling stations, I’m all for it!
Speaking of poor turnout, last night I attended the Kingston Municipal Heritage Committee’s Special Meeting to review the plans for the Stella Buck Building and Queen’s University Performing Art Centre. Gorgeous! I can’t wait to attend an event there. The Special Meeting was designed to allow public input on heritage aspects of the plan, a measly 3 people made an effort to voice their opinions at the meeting. For the 117,000 plus other residents of Kingston, you had your chance, I don’t want to hear any whining from you!
Hopefully the debates and media in general will filter out the joke candidates and those not remotely in the running to win. I believe one year the Cogeco televised debate did bar Rosie the clown and another, but generally the fringe candidates have been given equal standing in kingston.
With the Whig barely a shadow of its former self there is very little space for media coverage. I’d rather see coverage available split between the serious candidates rather then let them skate by with brief soundbites in a sea of fringe candidates.
So far we’ve got a platform from Matheson (promising support for everything), not one word of substance on Gerretsen’s site, and not a peep from Downes since announcing he’d decide on a platform later. Not too inspiring.
Maybe the 4 young lads will force the others to step up to the plate with some ideas. And if they can get some of the younger crowd a bit interested in voting in what, for them, must seem like an unimportant election, I say more power to them.
After a quick look around a number of candidate websites I’ve concluded every single person running is either for the status quo direction or intent on waffling on taking positions on anything of importance, and for both proceeding with expensive projects and for being fiscally responsible:
For instance, one councilor candidate’s statement on the pool that can be expected to be a hot button issue
“Indoor Aquatic Centre
Brian believes that the new council must review this carefully before taking any immediate action on the overall project. ”
Huh? The pool has been reviewed for years, studied, consulted and debated. We know the estimated costs (we know it will probably be more). Its either a yes or a no. I want to see candidates state a position, not expect a vote on the basis they’ll decide after they are elected.
Anyone spot any candidate, mayor or council, who has taken meaningful and realistic positions of substance yet? I haven’t
Here are a few positions from interviews I’ve conducted:
Harold – Supports third crossing, it’s on his website under ‘Questions’ you just have to dig a bit.
Barrie – wants to build a very large conference centre, supports third crossing
Bill – supports increasing bus routes, supports prison farms staying open, is actively pursuing having government institutions in Kingston paying fair tax to ease the tax burden on residents
Moe – supports the Memorial Centre renovations, supports the aquatic centre
Rob Matheson – supports aquatic centre with 75m pool, supports increasing bus routes
Liz – does not support third crossing, wants to have an Arts contact on City Staff, supports building City Museum
Keep in mind, so far I’ve been looking for ability to handle the job in terms of personality and intelligence rather than focusing on specific projects. I haven’t specifically asked each candidate about all the current issues, the list above are items that come up in conversation.