Not all the politics is above ground

As all good pundits know the slimiest and most cunning politics take place out of the view of observers of the mainstream. The hardest part of being elected to a Provincial or Federal seat is the business of obtaining the nomination. This riding is no different. The Libs have had their wars, lucky for them they could pay off the losers with patronage appointments, and the Cons have had their troubles aired in the last Federal nomination process - remember John Floyd complaining about the very same tactics as those currently used. The disputes usually centre around delegate selection, membership lists and the timing of the nomination day. One trick (read strategy -ed.) played by those who control the party is to hold on to the membership lists for as long as possible and then schedule a nomination process shortly after the release of the list. This means that the candidate favoured by the Brass has an advantage over the other poor sods struggling to go through the list for recruits.

The game played by the Cons (an apt abbreviation) this time around in the Provincial arena was to schedule a nomination day for the 7th of November 2006. This has the newest member of the party, and one seeking the nomination incensed. In a letter written to his supporters, David St. Charles cites this action as "a little too conicidental and convenient". Why? because that date is the date he is going to be out of the country. He also says that appearances lead him to believe that other candidates have had advance warning of the date, and if he had the same the conflict may not have arisen. But it has and now he has withdrawn from the race.

For those who have not read the press releases David St Charles is a Cobourg lad who has "done good" in the real world and now wants to "give back". Currently employed at the University of Innovation and Technology in Oshawa he pledged to bring a campus down here as well as use his connections to bring jobs. He attracted a group of supporters, in the classical way, by talking to people. Interestingly enough some of the people he brought on side were disgruntled Libs who had been tossed overboard when Lou Rinaldi obtained the Lib nomination. I could never figure out if it was the St Charles charm and vigour that captivated Carolyn Campbell, the former Lib standard bearer and the "wunderkind" (in his own mind) of the local Lib fartcatchers - Ryan O'Grady, or was it a chance to show Lou the way out. Anyway they and hundreds of others will now have to find another to support. Most acknowledge that the current crop of aspirants won't do it for them.

Other news,

• another entrant into the Cobourg Council race and in Port Hope all kinds of people jumping in. One is a person I thought should have jumped in years ago. Wilf Day has now decided he wants to be on Council - good for him.
• Cobourg has an interesting dispute in the East End. Ever since the area was fitted with sanitary sewers people with large lots have been severing off their sideyards, getting variances and infilling quite nicely thank you. Now one property owner has decide to infill, planned three lots on one piece of land and while the Town admits the severences meet all the legal and planning conditions local opposition has created a visit to the OMB. What a NIMBY mess!
  

What a wonderful week!

This week the race for council spots in Cobourg sped up and now we have a real race for Mayor complete with the tossing of barbs.

Firstly Lloyd Williams did what he is famous for - being cautious with a dash of daring. He came out swinging against the Mayor and swiped the putative Deputy Mayor in the process and then spoiled the whole occasion by giving his concession speech eight weeks early. Secondly the incumbent, Mr Delanty riposted with the (I paraphrase) Mr Williams is full of it and I am the true leader! This race will be characterised by the issuing of much paper and claims of just about anything. This time the only piece of advice I would give to Lloyd is not to accept Mr Delanty's statements at face value, they can be ambiguous and perhaps lacking in veracity. That is what lost Joan Chalovich the race in 2000. Mr Delanty's bold statements, although damaging to Mrs Chalovich, were never answered by Mrs Chalovich, because she did not want to degenerate to the level of "he said, she said!" Who can forget the assertion from Mr Delanty "That not one job had come to town during Mrs Chalovich's term of office!"

Mr Williams's run for the top job has come about as a result of being pipped at the post for Deputy Mayor by Manfred Schuman. One last time will either give him the crown or plaudits for a valiant effort. At least when he wins he will destroy the process of local governance as we know it today and give back to the Town a system of committees which will restore local democracy to an efficient and responsive level. We have had too much of both efficiency and the bone idleness of far too many councillors for the past 20 years and it has not worked.

Let's have a bit of fun - vote for the Mayor now and often. Click on the polling box on the left of this box.

The heavyweight has arrived in the race

Enter an incumbent of a great size and not much of a record. 15 years on Council and can anyone name something that is identified as Bill MacDonald's legislation?

Wanting another four years for, as he puts it, "I've done a nice job" and what is that Bill?

He has put forth some ideas about what he'd like to see done in the next four years in his press statement. One of those ideas is to entice more doctors to the area. Very ironic considering that his wife is a doctor and rumour has it that she wants to retire! Maybe she wants to live the same idle life that he has lived for the past twenty years. But now the kids have gone Mr Mom will have to find something else to do to supplement his nice gig down at Town Hall.

Where did August go?

I could have sworn that there were a couple of posts in August. But anyway if there were they have disappeared into the ether.
So now it's September and the day before Labour Day and the local candidates have announced or will announce shortly the list is as follows

• Mayor: Peter Delanty and Steven McCahon
  
• Deputy Mayor: Gil Brocanier and Manfred Schuman
• Council: Miriam Mutton, Larry Sherwin, Wayne DeVeau, A woman whose name I have forgotten, Stan Frost, Dean MacCaughey

If one uses past practise then it can be predicted that there will be at least five more names added to the list by nomination day.
My prediction is twofold, one is that nothing will change all the tired old hacks that make up the laziest and most cozy council Cobourg has ever seen will return as there will only be one vacancy, or the voters who are very quiet this year will turf the lot leaving the Mayor with a new challenge - how to blend a new bunch of people into his second compliant team of lackeys.