81 replies to this topic

[amor de cosmos]

The ballot with names of people wanting to be Victoria city councillors is getting crowded.

Robert Randall, the president of the Downtown Residents Association and passionate urbanist, is the 11th person to announce he will run for a council seat. More are expected today.

Randall popped onto the civic scene about five years ago and is among a handful of citizens who regularly attend council and committee of the whole meetings. He is also active on several community committees.

His journey into civic affairs began as an artist interested in urban form and specifically the architecture shaping Victoria's downtown.

"Then I discovered there was a venue to get involved, which was the community association," Randall said.

Born and raised in Victoria, Randall said he fell in love with living downtown after he became the second person to purchase a 357-square-foot apartment in the Mosaic Building on Fort Street.

"As soon as I moved I said 'this is my new home....I have never regretted living downtown."

Randall puts the top issue facing the city as keeping the momentum started by the Greater Victoria Commission to End Homelessness. "We've done so much work to get it going...Unless we have a firm hand on it we will lose it."

His second priority is encouraging development to continue in the downtown.

In particular council has to find way to make it possible for developers to build rental projects in a creative way, he said.

http://www.canada.co...68-1ef3c011459b

[Bernard]

Damn, beat me to it..... ;-)

[gumgum]

Rob Randall on council makes so much sense I wish I had thought of it.

[Concerned Citizens]

CCC

Congratulations, Mr. Randall! I am sure that everyone here will be following your bid with keen interest.

- Gregory Hartnell, President
Concerned Citizens' Coalition

CCC

[Rob Randall]

Thanks, Mr. Hartnell -- surely Council would be a better place with artists on board, no?

[Nparker]

Well at least now I have a reason to vote and someone for whom to cast my ballot. My one concern, will be your ability to balance council duties with VV!

[Ms. B. Havin]

Yay!

(Looking for the dancing bananas smilies, but will settle for normal smily!)

[Mike K.]

Excellent. Rob Randall has been more effective as a community association chair than many elected members of council. This is a logical step in the right direction for Victoria's future mayor (Yes? No? Ok, I'll shut up).

Rob, will there be a conflict with your position as chair of the DRA, or can you wear both hats at the same time?

[Caramia]

YAY! Need someone to pass out leaflets?

[Baro]

Yeah need any help with anything??

[VicHockeyFan]

Oh, my. This is an interesting play.

[Concerned Citizens]

Robert:

The more artists, and the less jocks and spin doctors mistaking it for a sport or a science, the better, I say!

It is, after all, the art of politics that we are dealing with here, with the emphasis on art.

I look forward to meeting you at an all candidates' meeting.

- Gregory Hartnell (alias: 'Goyo de la Rosa')
http://goyodelarosa.wordpress.com/

[zoomer]

Wow, exciting news! You already have my vote!

What I admire most about Rob is he isn't blinded by ideology. Rob approaches issues with common sense and intelligence and isn't afraid to make tough decisions or public stands.

We need more independent thinkers on council who are willing to hear all sides, educate themselves on the issues and make informed decisions. Although a minority, there are some incumbents who can't be bothered to think anymore and have become so predictably automated that a robot would be a suitable (and less expensive) replacement.

[Concerned Citizens]

Zoomer:

One wonders who these robotic incumbents might be?

-G. P. M. Hartnell
CCC Pres.

[Phil McAvity]

Wow, exciting news! You already have my vote!

What I admire most about Rob is he isn't blinded by ideology. Rob approaches issues with common sense and intelligence and isn't afraid to make tough decisions or public stands.

We need more independent thinkers on council who are willing to hear all sides, educate themselves on the issues and make informed decisions. Although a minority, there are some incumbents who can't be bothered to think anymore and have become so predictably automated that a robot would be a suitable (and less expensive) replacement.

It's funny but I actually wish more people on council were blinded by ideology because then at least we would have some ideologues in there rather than the opportunists I see filling the seats now. I think one of the biggest problems with government today is that so few people are leaders, particularly at the municipal level. They all want to tell everyone want they want to hear and rarely take a firm, gutsy stand on anything. I mean, how much taxpayer money is wasted on consulting firms rather than city council just deciding what is best? I mean, don't we elect them to make decisions? Not only that but shouldn't the people running for City Council kind of be versed on the issues before they run for office? I really don't think that's too much to ask.

That's odd that Carolyn Heiman said that the number of people wanting to run for City Council is kind of crowded with 11. As I recall, last time there were 37 people. Now that's crowded. In fact, last time there were so many peoplerunning for council, that when I filled out the ballot, I had never even heard of some of them.

Regardless, congratulations Rob! I only saw this coming for the last 3 years or so!

[Rob Randall]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone.

Phil, I suppose idealogues are good only if they share your ideas. Otherwise they become the enemy of what you stand for. The longer I get to know the political scene the more I realize things are rarely black and white, just many shades of grey. Iconoclasts can break barriers but if they fail to gather allies they find themselves alone, tilting at windmills.

In practical terms what I've witnessed is unless at least one or two Councillors think your idea is worthy, it will be difficult to bring it through the long gestation period new ideas require. If City Staff, fellow politicos and even the media are bored by your pet project it will likely stall.

[Bernard]

Just to let everyone know, I will be voting for Rob this November. I am also happy to help him on his campaign

[Baro]

Oh yeah, we'll I'll be voting TWICE for rob!

[Nparker]

Ensuring that Rob gets his voice on Council is the only reason I am voting in November.

[Caramia]

I'm voting for Rob this election. He's one of the most balanced, fair-minded people I have ever had the fortune to stumble upon in politics. I really like that due to his significant online presence both on VV and his blog I can read not just his thoughts on issues but also how he arrived at them.