2617 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Here's the visual from the link. The deep south is nowhere near as pro-Republican as the accepted narrative. There's a massive amount of hold-over from the glory days of the Dems in the deep south despite the accepted narrative that the back wood rednecks are universally gun-toting Republicans.

 

[VicHockeyFan]

Desjardins is requesting an unpaid leave from Mayor from April 7th to May 23rd.

[nerka]

Here's the visual from the link. The deep south is nowhere near as pro-Republican as the accepted narrative. There's a massive amount of hold-over from the glory days of the Dems in the deep south despite the accepted narrative that the back wood rednecks are universally gun-toting Republicans.

The rural southern counties voting Democrat line up pretty well with the so called "Black Belt"

 

https://en.wikipedia...lt_(U.S._region)

 

Rural white southerners vote overwhelmingly Repub.  Rural black southerners vote heavily Dem.  Urban black southerners also vote Dem. Urban white southerners vote Republican, but not as overwhelmingly as their rural counterparts.

[Bernard]

Should there be threads for each of the ridings in this region?

[tedward]

What I mean is that union donations are much more a concern for buying influence.

 

LOL that is so absurd in so many ways.

1. Corporate donations are far larger than union donations overall.
2. Unions are democratic organizations answerable to a large number of members while "corporate" donations are made by individuals or small groups.
3. Unions overwhelmingly support policies and legislation that will benefit the greatest number of people while corporate donations overwhelmingly support policies and legislation that will benefit their bottom line.
4. Decisions on union donations are made in the open while corporate donations are made in secret.

Your union-bashing is shameless and in this case offensive. The NDP have committed to stopping both in an effort to be scrupulously fair but that is not good enough for you? You can't just take the "win", you have to keep pushing?

[Mike K.]

In local politics, union influence is significantly greater than so-called corporate influence. Significantly. Our mayors and councils are overwhelmingly supported financially by unions, and I think that is a concern.

[VicHockeyFan]

The NDP have committed to stopping both in an effort to be scrupulously fair but that is not good enough for you? You can't just take the "win", you have to keep pushing?

 

They have said they will stop taking union donations, but they have not stopped.

 

The Liberals have started listing their donations in real time - before the election.  The NDP has not.

[nerka]

Are our mayor and councils dominated by union donations?  In Victoria - by far the most union friendly jurisdiction in the CRD four out of nine of the winning candidates had some measure of support. For Loveday and Isitt union support was significant, nearly 50% of their total. Alto and Madoff received relatively token union support. All the candidates (except Isitt) received some corporate support.

 

Personally I'd favour either totally eliminating union and corporate support at the municipal level or restricting it to a fairly token per donation amount. Individual donations should be capped as well. And of course donations should be disclosed prior to municipal elections not after.

[VicHockeyFan]

Are our mayor and councils dominated by union donations?  In Victoria - by far the most union friendly jurisdiction in the CRD four out of nine of the winning candidates had some measure of support. For Loveday and Isitt union support was significant, nearly 50% of their total. Alto and Madoff received relatively token union support. All the candidates (except Isitt) received some corporate support.

 

 

 

And then surprise, surprise, Victoria pulls out of the central bargaining group to make their own union deal this round.

[nerka]

Then there is Vancouver where union donations were a rounding error for Vision Vancouver and nonexistent for the NPA.

[nerka]

Is anybody surprised that Lisa Helps is a repeat donor to the BC Liberals?

[LJ]

LOL that is so absurd in so many ways.

1. Corporate donations are far larger than union donations overall.
2. Unions are democratic organizations answerable to a large number of members while "corporate" donations are made by individuals or small groups.
3. Unions overwhelmingly support policies and legislation that will benefit the greatest number of people while corporate donations overwhelmingly support policies and legislation that will benefit their bottom line.
4. Decisions on union donations are made in the open while corporate donations are made in secret.

Your union-bashing is shameless and in this case offensive. The NDP have committed to stopping both in an effort to be scrupulously fair but that is not good enough for you? You can't just take the "win", you have to keep pushing?

And those corporate donors are the ones who pay the union members wages. It is in the union's best interest to ensure the corporation is profitable. Except for government workers of course.

[rjag]

LOL that is so absurd in so many ways.

1. Corporate donations are far larger than union donations overall.
2. Unions are democratic organizations answerable to a large number of members while "corporate" donations are made by individuals or small groups.
3. Unions overwhelmingly support policies and legislation that will benefit the greatest number of people while corporate donations overwhelmingly support policies and legislation that will benefit their bottom line.
4. Decisions on union donations are made in the open while corporate donations are made in secret.

Your union-bashing is shameless and in this case offensive. The NDP have committed to stopping both in an effort to be scrupulously fair but that is not good enough for you? You can't just take the "win", you have to keep pushing?

 

Showed this to my wife who is a local union rep and she simply laughed. There is no democracy in a union anymore, its all special interest groups and back room deals with the ndp or the local council

[tedward]

In local politics...

 

I could have sworn this was a thread on Provincial politics?

 

 

And those corporate donors are the ones who pay the union members wages. It is in the union's best interest to ensure the corporation is profitable. Except for government workers of course.

 

I actually agree that unions and employers should be working together to build better workplaces and in the case of private enterprise that includes profits. The goal of a union is to see that workers share in the profits they help create.

 

 

Showed this to my wife who is a local union rep and she simply laughed. There is no democracy in a union anymore, its all special interest groups and back room deals with the ndp or the local council

 

If she laughed then she has no business working as a union rep. Unions officers are elected by the membership. General meetings are where budgets and policies are approved. If her union is doing something she doesn't agree with she has the opportunity to make change just as the BC voters do in May.

[Awaiting Juno]

I don't think the source of the money really makes that huge of a difference, what matters is how much money any one donor can give and how much money any one party can spend in total.  I think I'd rather see caps on individual donations/corporate/union donations and a cap on the total spend allowed.   

 

A cap is likely to result in a far more level playing field in general regardless of where a party's support comes from.

 

A party with a broad base of support doesn't make for a "good party" as sometimes popular ideas are dangerous.  Conversely, a party propped up by corporate interests also may neglect its responsibilities to the population.

 

It is also important to remember that companies/organizations are run by people, and many companies and those who run them are genuinely "good corporate citizens" just as some unions are "good corporate citizens" - their voices do deserve to be heard as they are critical parts of society and the economy.  Blocking them from participating in the political process may have adverse unintended consequences.  

[Awaiting Juno]

I wouldn't want to see either unions or corporations blocked from participating in the process - as they bring value to the discourse and are impacted by the policies that are implemented by the government.

[tedward]

I don't think the source of the money really makes that huge of a difference, what matters is how much money any one donor can give and how much money any one party can spend in total.  I think I'd rather see caps on individual donations/corporate/union donations and a cap on the total spend allowed.    

 

I'd prefer that as well. We already have a cap on spending that only applies during the actual election but with the fixed terms they start running election ads months beforehand.

Make a hard cap with low amounts that apply annually IMO.

[VicHockeyFan]

B.C. Conservatives pitch bridge to Gabriola Island, ferry to Vancouver airport

 

 

http://vancouverisla...rport-1.3336338

 

[Nparker]

 

B.C. Conservatives pitch bridge to Gabriola Island, ferry to Vancouver airport

How to guarantee that your candidate on the mid-island has zero chance of being elected.

[VicHockeyFan]

Just blame the idea on the leader.