5915 replies to this topic

[rmpeers]

<p>

NewCouncil's website is gone but I'll paste their "vision" below. It's quite generic, don't you think?

Restore Trust

• Truly consult YOU when your neighbourhood is impacted
• Community comes FIRST. No more favoured status for lobbyists and activists
• No more wasting YOUR tax dollars on ego projects
• TEAR DOWN barriers to information and increase transparency

Fiscal Responsibility

• No more using YOUR home as Victoria’s ATM. No more tax increases greater than inflation
• Full and accurate project costs must be determined BEFORE a shovel goes in the ground
• Say goodbye to FRIVOLOUS pet-project spending
• Seek cost SAVINGS with other municipalities

A Safe & Clean Environment

• Direct police to focus on increasing SAFETY downtown
• Reduce litter, cut down on hazards and CLEAN up our sidewalks and parks

Improve Transportation Options

• Make bike lanes SAFER for everybody
• No expansion of bike lanes until actual CONSULTATION
• REDUCE barriers for those with mobility needs
• HELP downtown business by halting the war on parking

Solutions For Housing

• Work with the province to get more affordable housing
• Ensure neighbours and neighbourhoods have an ACTUAL say in housing
• Benefits of a building boom must be SHARED with Victorians
• Find SOLUTIONS for much-needed supportive housing

They had a Moving Forward document that was a lot more specific re next steps, I recall. But they didn't get their info out there enough. And they overestimated voters' ability to do research, as proven by Helps' victory despite the Elsner facts being out there. Helps' strongest asset is correctly gauging, as Trump did, that a lot of voters won't do much research, won't spend time factchecking the accuracy of what you say and will be easily swayed by shallow, meaningless bumpersticker rhetoric. That and having a better organized campaign. It had nothing to do with having better ideas or a better plan (she had neither) nor with running a positive campign (she didn't).

[N E Body]

Helps' strongest asset is correctly gauging, as Trump did, that a lot of voters won't do much research, won't spend time fact checking the accuracy of what you say and will be easily swayed by shallow, meaningless bumpersticker rhetoric.

 

That didn't work for New Council. That entire page from their website is shallow meaningless bumpersticker rhetoric.

[rmpeers]

That didn't work for New Council. That entire page from their website is shallow meaningless bumpersticker rhetoric.

Clearly it didn't. They were too late, not well organized enough and not effective at getting a clear message out. I still don't feel Helps got anything that remotely resembled a coherent vision out there. But she didn't need to. She convinced a lot of people that she was "progressive" and they bought it because she did a better job of selling her bumpersticker. And like Trump, she engenders a cultlike loyalty that causes her followers to blindly overlook or deny her misdeeds, however obvious they might appear to anyone with objectivity and an intellect. Modern politics, folks.

[57WestHills]

Huh and everyone here thought I was crazy when I criticized New Council's lack of platform four weeks ago 🤷‍♂️ It was awful.

[Rob Randall]

They had a Moving Forward document that was a lot more specific re next steps, I recall. But they didn't get their info out there enough.

 

I don't think it mattered as the introductory gateway statement above was off-putting; full of hype and negativity. What's a "pet project" or an "ego project"? Who exactly are "favoured activists"? It's all a jumble. Why bother to drill down into a platform if the overview is like that?

Edited by Rob Randall, 08 November 2018 - 09:38 AM.

[rmpeers]

I don't think it mattered as the introductory gateway statement above was off-putting; full of hype and negativity. What's a "pet project" or an "ego project"? Who exactly are "favoured activists"? It's all a jumble. Why bother to drill down into a platform if the overview is like that?

You're correct. It took some determination, and the key info wasn't out front.

And pet/ego projects, well obviously the poorly planned, overbudget Biketoria was just one. Favoured activists? The mayor cozying up to Chrissy Brett and then giving an award to the meth-lab building, Drury-franchise Tent City crew was one example.

[Sparky]

Long time VV member Ross Crockford has penned an interesting article about the election outcome for Focus Magazine. Great Politics vs. Good Governance. It’s a good read.

https://www.focusonv...governance-r12/

[A Girl is No one]

Thank you for sharing. Good read indeed.

[rmpeers]

Thank you for sharing. Good read indeed.

Thank goodness there's still a couple of decent reporters covering local politics. The TC and Vic News editors would be wise read Focus and follow their lead.

[Mike K.]

I believe the TC's plan is actually the opposite.

[Victoria Watcher]

Probe of mayoral candidate in 2018 election still unresolved

 

https://www.timescol...lved-1.23841714

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three separate complaints were lodged against Hammond and his newcouncil.ca electoral organization during the campaign. Two were by mayoral rival Michael Geoghegan, who made unrelated complaints to the Law Society of B.C. and to Victoria police.

 

Both were found to be unsubstantiated and closed, Hammond said.

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 01 June 2019 - 09:06 PM.

[Sparky]

Stephen has gone to a lot of trouble to put up this website in order to tell his side of the story.

 

If Stephen and Mike spent more time on their campaigns and less time arguing about who spent what on social media, perhaps they would have done better at the polls.

 

https://www.clearingmyname.ca/

 

It is my opinion that "Newcouncil" was a bad choice of political party names from a marketing standpoint. It sounds negative, whereas "Together Victoria" comes across as warm and fuzzy even if in fact "together" actually means anything but.

 

Did you know that this political party has established strict guidelines in their constitution regarding the gender requirements of the co-chairs of the party?

 

Their constitution mandates that there will be 2 co-chairs, and there is a qualifying gender make up of the 2 co-chairs.

 

5.2 a)

two Co-Chairs of, at least ones of whom must not identify as cis-male

 

It would appear however that it is acceptable to have 2 cis-females stand as co-chairs. (which there is at present)

 

This doesn't sound very "inclusive" does it?

 

https://d3n8a8pro7vh....pdf?1555896372

 

Edited by Sparky.

[Victoria Watcher]

if what mike complained about is unfounded then stephen should just sue him.

the “blackmail” e-mail is interesting.

[Sparky]

^^ I edited my post above.

[Awaiting Juno]

It was repulsive how the last election went down - and one can only hope that next election will be less awful.  I truly believe Mr. Hammond and the rest of the New Council slate would have been a good mayor and would be phenomenal council members.  

[Nparker]

..."Together Victoria" ...mandates that there will be "two Co-Chairs of, at least ones of whom must not identify as cis-male..."

Reverse discrimination is still discrimination. As far as I am concerned, TV showed no moral highground in the 2018 civic election and continues this way as part of the current CoV council.

[rmpeers]

Shocked to hear that the Hammond "investigation" is still not resolved. It seemed bogus at the time and reeked of the type of filthy, gutter politics that discourage good people from seeking office. ( see also: the Helps camapign's amateurish attempt to bully CFAX.)

I mean, Geoghan never stood a realistic chance of winning. His whole purpose, deliberate or not, was to ensure that the non-Helps vote would be split and that she would cruise to reelection.

Having said that, if you were a candidate and looked at the choices that Victoria voters have made, it's pretty easy to conclude that a huge portion of the electorate is of Trump-rally-level intelligence; so I guess it was fair to assume that what would appear to be an imbecilic smear on Hammond would in fact resonate.

[Mike K.]

Hammond not only had to deflect the negative light he was cast in by the Helps campaign, he also had to deflect a completely groundless accusation that he was aiding and abetting a fugitive of the law, as Geoghegan put it. Together with Geoghegan's sudden residency within the City of Victoria, despite him having run for Saanich council as a Saanich resident, just lent to the last election being unnecessarily controversial and at times awkward.

[rjag]

Hammond not only had to deflect the negative light he was cast in by the Helps campaign, he also had to deflect a completely groundless accusation that he was aiding and abetting a fugitive of the law, as Geoghegan put it. Together with Geoghegan's sudden residency within the City of Victoria, despite him having run for Saanich council as a Saanich resident, just lent to the last election being unnecessarily controversial and at times awkward.

 

And since then Big Mike has moved to Williams Lake...

[Rob Randall]

Mike Geoghegan said he would make Victoria a better place and by moving all the way to Williams Lake he has fulfilled that promise and we are grateful.