170 replies to this topic

[CarlonCouncil]

A great resource to look up the candidates in your particular riding along with all of their contact, website and social media details:

http://www.elections...nfo.bc.ca/2011/

Carl

[mc9]

Is David Shebib still running in Saanich? Can we have a thread for him?

[Holden West]

Get this: that delusional megalomaniac Michael Ruge, the guy that defrauded investors of their fortunes is running for Council in Cowichan.

I am a deal making machine who gets things done. I am a fun adventurer living my life by my standards and my rules, attacking challenges as they come up. I am a good-natured, happy, peaceful man, always willing to help. I am a high energy gorilla, living in a state of pure energy. I am the guiding light for my family and loved ones, an incredible supporter, always doing the right thing. I am an adventurer, a world traveler, a seeker of new limits.

Vancouver Sun:

"I've had my lumps. I don't need any more lumps from you," he sighed, attempting to play the sympathy card. "It's my turn to do my civic duty. I admit I'm not perfect."

Not perfect? I'll say. That's about the only true thing I've heard Ruge say.

[Bernard]

More on Michael Ruge from the Cowichan News Leader - it is entertaining reading as is the story in the Cowichan Citizen

When you read the BCSC document he agreed to, it makes him look even worse.

[Rob Randall]

Jack Knox:

A) There are 244 people standing for public office in the capital region. That's not a ballot, it's a phone book.

B) Why is voter turnout only 23 per cent when 24 per cent of us are running for office?

C) If they really wanted us to show up, they would let us vote on amalgamation.

Read more: http://www.timescolo...l#ixzz1cwlBR076

[Bob Fugger]

Jack Knox:

A) There are 244 people standing for public office in the capital region. That's not a ballot, it's a phone book.

B) Why is voter turnout only 23 per cent when 24 per cent of us are running for office?

C) If they really wanted us to show up, they would let us vote on amalgamation.

Read more: http://www.timescolo...l#ixzz1cwlBR076

A promising start, but the rest of the article is ridiculous. Instead of using the power of satire to help push voters to the polls, Jack gives them even more reason to stay away. Equating someone who wants to cut taxes to a right-wing Tea Party Born Again and a candidate coming from small business as owned by the a multinational - wow, that's really clever and showing them all right!

[phx]

I don't see Tracey Parks on the candidate list for Langford.

I would have thought it time for her to walk the walk.

[David Bratzer]

Hi everyone, I've put together a public forum this Tuesday evening as part of my campaign for school board trustee. The idea is to kickstart a conversation about education, crime & community. Guest speakers include:

MAJOR NEILL FRANKLIN - Retired Baltimore police officer and executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

DR. EVAN WOOD - Perhaps best known for his scientific research at Insite, the supervised injection site in Vancouver. He is a professor of medicine at UBC as well as the founder of the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy.

DENISE SAVOIE - Member of Parliament and former opposition critic for post-secondary education

It starts at 7:30pm (Nov 8) at Alix Goolden Hall at the corner of Pandora Ave and Quadra St. Here is the Facebook event page:

http://www.facebook....291793380831790

Admission is by donation and everyone is welcome.

[Baro]

Has everyone else noticed how many signs people have in their yards supporting candidates in another "city" ? I've seen quite a few people in Victoria with signs for oak bay or saanich candidates and visa versa.

It's almost like we're one city with completely arbitrary political divisions!

[Holden West]

^There are people in other munis I admire but I fear putting their signs up would just confuse people.

You can usually tell when you hit a border because there's a huge cluster of signs, ie: Cedar Hill/North Dairy.

[Bernard]

Since I am on the border, I normally have signs from Victoria and Saanich

[LJ]

I don't see Tracey Parks on the candidate list for Langford.

I would have thought it time for her to walk the walk.

Yeah I am waiting to see how the Langford election turns out, Tracy and her ilk were forecasting that the bums will all get thrown out this November in a mass protest by the people.

We will see.

[bluefox]

Yeah I am waiting to see how the Langford election turns out, Tracy and her ilk were forecasting that the bums will all get thrown out this November in a mass protest by the people.

We will see.

Haha, I'd say that's a tall order when the incumbent mayor's only opponent actually lives in Port Renfrew, and there are only two non-incumbent council candidates.

Or maybe I'm just not doing the math right.

[Holden West]

I forward this as it was received:



Editor's note: Gorde Hunter was a long-time writer for the Victoria Daily Colonist and Times-Colonist. His candid views on topics including politics delighted readers while enraging others. Hunter passed away in 2001 and his ghost continues to write on a semi-regular basis.

As another civic election is nearing, I thought I'd give you my take on the candidates--a tradition since 1957.

First off, Marianne Alto. Incumbent commie lefty. I'm always suspicious of a grown woman who hasn't been able to attract a husband.

Saul Anderson: a cab driver who speaks English. Pinko lefty. Scrawny little fellow reminds me of '72 Ticats kicker Ian Sunter after a six-week bender.

Chris Coleman: A decent guy, although he likes cricket, a nancy-boy version of baseball. An incumbent that could spend less time appeasing commies.

Shellie Gudgeon: A broad that owns a bar, which is my kind of politician.

Aaron Hall: Realtor, is no relation to Pasadena cornerback Aaron Hall, which is a damn shame as the latter has put up some good numbers this season.

Lisa Helps: Another lady. Doles out money to welfare bums I'm told, which sounds like something dreamed up by Pierre Elliot Trudeau.

Rose Henry: This native Indian lady helps the homeless, which is OK in my books.

Lynn Hunter: Former MP, no doubt cozy with Dave Barrett and his pinko cronies. God-fearing patriots are warned not to be seduced by her Lana Turner good looks.

Ben Isitt: Hoo, boy. Another commie who gets his jollies harassing decent lumberjacks. Slightly to the left of Trotsky.

Robin Kimpton: Slumlord but a scratch golfer from what I gather. In '72 I played a round with Bob Hope and Imogene Coca in Palm Springs--a town without a slum I might add.

Sukhi Lalli. A pharmacist that speaks good English. Lives in Langford which was still waiting for its first traffic light last time I checked.

Phillipe Lucas: Not only a commie, but a Frenchman, judging by that name. Next thing you know, this incumbent will be forcing us to parlez vous francais. My contacts in the VPD say he's a promoter of the wacky tobaccky and needles for the "smack" junkies. What next?

John Luton: This incumbent makes a good salary but can't afford a decent car and instead is spotted riding around town on a bicycle, which is fine if you're a child or your last name is Peden.

Pam Madoff. Another lady incumbent. A fine upstanding woman carrying on the work of my pal Peter Pollen.

Linda McGrew. Whale lover speaks Chinese, which would be handy because every time I phone Foo Hong's for chop suey I can't understand a damn thing they say.

Sean Murray: Don't know a thing about him but the name implies he's an Irishman.

Charlayne Thornton-Joe. Voted for her the last three elections because I was tricked into thinking it was Sharks centre Joe Thornton, who also put up some good numbers this season.

John C. Turner. I almost crapped my britches seeing this name thinking it was Pierre's boy wonder the former PM running for municipal office. Turns out it's another guy whose biggest idea is a ferry from Colwood to Downtown, which is the dumbest idea since Petro-Canada and the metric system.

Jon Valentine: A big kid that spends too much time reading comic books and not enough time playing football.

Geoff Young: Finally, a man I can relate to, despite being an ivory tower egghead. Not afraid to speak his mind.

But don't take my word for it; do what I do and rustle up some research and make an informed decision November 19.

© 2011 The ghost of Gorde Hunter

Edited by Holden West, 03 October 2017 - 10:28 PM.

[Mike K.]

Wow

[rjag]

Well, that about sums it up and people wonder why our downtown is in such a mess.

[Bob Fugger]

So I was at the mayoral debate last night at the Fernwood Community Association, which is about as home turf as it gets for the Mayor (its in his neighbourhood, the FCA President was Denis Savoie's financial agent, the hall was seismically upgraded by the city under Dean's watch for a princely $1.2M for three to five times a year the hall is actually in use...but I digress).

It's obvious where my views are, so I am going to refrain from the the easy route of just bashing Dean, as much as he deserves it. A couple of observations, though:

• The hall was packed, standing room only, with well over 100 people on a gloomy November night.
• Of the attendees, there were exactly zero members of the press on hand. For the only mayoral debate in the capital city of the province, that is a sad, sad commentary on the state of the local fourth estate.
• Council candidate Robin Kimpton showed up and provided some entertainment by harranguing the Mayor about the Travellers' Inn at 710 Queens. Ironically, Dean took a page out Gordon Campbell's book and wouldn't comment on an issue that's with the lawers (HAHAHA!). Oh and Kimpton looks nothing like the photo on his website. He looks like he's pushing 70 based on that picture and he looked early 50s in person - but that might be on account of the peroxide blonde dye job he was sporting.
• Paul Brown didn't appear to hold back. At all. He eviscerated the Mayor, using nothing but publically available facts and figures (my kind of argument!).
• Steve Filopovic must have left his tin foil hat at home, because he sounded less insane than usual. Even had an out-of-the-box (and still on this planet) solution for reviving rail, albeit a bit impractical.
• Dean talked a lot about achievements under his regime. The funny thing is that most of what he made reference to was initiated and funded under Alan Lowe.
• At the end of the debate, Dean flat out refused to shake Paul Brown's hand when offered at the traditional post-game handshake. I think that this shows just how much contempt Dean has for dissenting opinions and how little class he has. I think that it's a good bet that this is how he runs the many, many in-camera sessions this council has. I also think it shows that he is running a bit scared with the prospect of losing his plum $97k+ expenses & trade junkets to China mayoral gig.

Frankly, I thought Dean did a decent job of deflecting and parrying - after all, that's the game plan when you are the incumbant defending the fortress. But any shred of grudging respect I may have had for him was gone by that spectacle at the end. He showed his true colours as a small, petty, arrogant thug.

[Bob Fugger]

Actually, I forgot one other bon mot from His Worship. Apparently he and his family are active Crystal Pool users. When he takes his daugther to swimming lesson, he likes to relax in the hot tub - which he proudly stated has slowed turned into "The Mayor's Open Hot Tub."

Everybody in the place cringed a la Mr. Burns.

[Bingo]

With countries around the world on shakey financial ground, how does that play into the upcoming muncipal elections?

Do we continue to raise taxes and spend money we don't have, and do we continue to dream about all the infrastructure projects we think we need, or do we tighten our belts, put projects on hold, and squirrel away some funds for a possible world recession?

What do the candidates and the voters think?

[Barra]

As a voter, I want my municipal representatives to be fiscally conservative. They need to plan for repairs that will be needed in the future (wrt the Crystal Pool, which has been identified for years as needing upgrades. These have been done in recent years, and will continue to be needed as with any aging building. Why does it suddenly become an option of just shutting it down??).
They need to be able to say no to "cool ideas that staff recommend", or at least to push back to staff to find the cheapest alternative. I remain pissed off about the unbudgeted half million dollars spent on the 900 Pandora boulevard (the wrong solution for whatever problem they were trying to resolve) and it makes me wonder if they will actually seriously consider spending another half million closing roads in BHP. Again - if that is an action that MUST be taken (just hypothetically) there are lower cost options - like building rock gardens across the road.