189 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

A Facebook comment by Lynn Hunter:



So the people that voted her out were irrational? Hunter was the most rational choice? Or was it that people were tired of her regal sense of entitlement? Or maybe she was simply out-hustled by three hard-working newcomers that wanted a seat more than she did?

Ya, she got loopy during our Blue Bridge stuff, attacking Ross everywhere she could. And I agree she had some type of regal sense of entitlement based on her previous higher-level politics.

As many of you know, I voted for Luton and Maddoff, surprising many. But there was no way I was voting for Hunter or Lucas, mainly based on my observations of them at the council table.

[Holden West]

You can say this about Luton: unlike Hunter who had to learn on the fly, Luton hit the ground running at the start of his term already knowledgeable on a wide range of topics beyond bikes and transit.

It really pained me to see him take the wrong side (IMO) on the bridge issue because as VHF pointed out, he's a hard worker who does his research and fit comfortably in the role of Councillor, unlike someone like Lucas for whom the role seemed more like an opportunity to advance his advocacy of health issues. I bet Lucas and Hunter would be just as happy in Ottawa or The Hague working on global problems whereas Luton would be in heaven wading through CRD transportation studies.

[Baro]

From my conversations with him, although he did seem to work hard and be passionate, he came to all the wrong conclusions. His worst was that density was bad for cylcling and that we needed low-density populations so that there was "less traffic" thus making it safer for bikes. Dude didn't even understand traffic or density 101 and was passionate about his ignorance.

So I'm very glad to see him gone. His anti-density stance was far more harmful to his pet cause than all the cycling advocacy work he did.

[Holden West]

From my conversations with him, although he did seem to work hard and be passionate, he came to all the wrong conclusions. His worst was that density was bad for cylcling and that we needed low-density populations so that there was "less traffic" thus making it safer for bikes.

That doesn't make sense. Are you sure you understood him? I thought he was bullish on density, as long as it is connected to transit and is not car-centric.

[Bingo]

You can say this about Luton: unlike Hunter who had to learn on the fly, Luton hit the ground running at the start of his term already knowledgeable on a wide range of topics beyond bikes and transit.

It really pained me to see him take the wrong side (IMO) on the bridge issue

I like John, but I never agreed with his drinking straw feeding the garden hose principal...or was it the hose feeding the straw?

[Baro]

That doesn't make sense. Are you sure you understood him? I thought he was bullish on density, as long as it is connected to transit and is not car-centric.

Had a fairly extensive talk with him at a candidate's meeting before the election and he made his points quite clear. He sort of supported density, in theory, but only after world-class cycling infrastructure was built. And even then it couldn't be too tall or too dense.

[jklymak]

^ Seems in step with much of the council, and frankly public opinion. Everyone complains about housing prices, and lack of rentals, and evil developers, and tall buildings. All in the same argument. Its mind boggling!

[Barra]

It was nice to see a good turn out of citizens at the open house yesterday. The 3 new councilors were there, and Geoff Young also showed up during the time I was there. They were tired from the campaign, but still wanting to engage with the public. Shellie is planning to maintain a community office in the Paper Box complex on Johnson St.

[Bernard]

I did some analysis of the spending buy candidates and elections results in Victoria and Saanich

Both lists format much better on my blog, I am not sure what I am doing here.

Here is the list of the money spent by candidates in Victoria and how they finished in the election:

Shellie Gudgeon $28,028.36 7th 6904 votes
Lisa Helps $26,819.36 3rd 8523
Ben Isitt $15,579.65 4th 8419
Charlayne Thorton-Joe $10,776.52 2nd 8803
Marianne Alto $10,358.00 5th 7493
Philippe Lucas $9,674.37 11th 5719
Chris Coleman $9,239.00 8th 6793
Geoff Young $9,107.10 1st 8940
John Luton $6,463.40 9th 6343
Lynn Hunter $4,598.51 10th 6101
Pam Madoff $4,335.00 6th 7321
Suhki Lalli $2,564.00 13th 3993
Rose Henry $546.46 12th 4866
Aaron Hall $511.29 15th 2777
John C Turner $317.94 16th 2014
Sean Murray $195.69 19th 727
Jon Valentine $35.00 20th 682
Saul Anderson $0.00 18th 1055
Linda McGrew incomplete 14th 3923
Robin Kimpton not filed 17th 1519

Here is the list of the 2011 candidates for Saanich council ranked by the money the spent:

Vicki Sanders $14,623.26 4th 12,358 votes
Rob Wickson $13,082.67 9th 7,801
Dean Murdock $11,337.83 5th 11,899
Judy Brownoff $10,925.64 2nd 13,208
Leif Wergeland $10,188.92 6th 11,740
Paul Gerrard $10,184.79 7th 10,681
Susan Brice $10,457.28 1st 13,547
Nicola Wade $9,413.03 8th 9,437
Vic Derman $8,016.97 3rd 12,427
Jesse McClinton $807.52 10th 4,935
Harald Wolf $456.15 11th 4,865
Ingrid Ip $5.59 12th 3,999

[MarkoJ]

^ Very interesting.