Where are the candidates?
With only one week to go before nominations close for all of the seats in Municipal elections to be held in Ontario a quick perusal of the lists shows a disturbing trend - nobody appears to want the job. Two Townships in the county - Hamilton and Cramahe will have all councillor seats acclaimed, if nobody else files. Hamilton twp will have its complete slate acclaimed if nobody else files and the Cobourg councillor race, which usually has a lineup in the double figures by now only has nine for five spots.
So why the lack of interest? Is it because of the daunting workload for a small stipend, is it because of an increasing apathy toward politics or is it a generational change. It is a well observed trend that has reduced the number of volunteers who wish to participate in anything that requires meetings. The generation of volunteers, those in the upper age bracket - 70-80s are getting fewer and those in the prime volunteering age just don't have the urge to get stuck in, unless it has a personal attachment (volunteering to run the Scouts or Soccer because they have their own children involved).
In an aside, when the Mayor of Cobourg commented on the move to eliminate traditional balloting methods and go online he observed that this might be one way to get youth involved. Earth to Peter - Just because youth live on the keyboard doesn't mean that they will vote. To get votes one has to inspire. Frankly, what inspires youth less than a ballot made of up people their granddads age?
Before you slam Ben Burd for mouthing off and not getting into the race let me say why I haven't. Not wanting to waste all of your money - yes I would be asking all the readers of the BR for a $100 donation, $99 if you wanted to remain anonymous and expending a lot of my effort and a considerable amount of time I declined the offer. Why go through that exercise only to discove what I know already - I am not one of the five most popular people in Cobourg. Competence has nothing to do with being elected - ppopularity wins everytime. How many people will admit to voting for the meanest SOB available?
So I will miss the opening salvos, and not much else we (Doreen and I ) are off the drink wine and discover antiquities in Italy for a couple of weeks. There may be a travel blog so that others may share the pics, but check us out on Facebook.
8 comments:
The Provincial Government has seen to it that running for municipal office is now deserving of a federal sentence.
It used to be (back around 1979) two-years-less-a day. Then, through provincial fiat, it became a three year term. Four years ago it morphed into a 4-year sentence.
If I ran in Port Hope (I've already failed in the past two elections) I''d illegally declare at the outset that after two years I'd quit and let the remaining mayor and council decide how to fill my seat. (In Port Hope it's done either by the highly-democratic Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Donkey method, by the next runner up or, most likely, by whichever relative of a senior councillor needs a job most and can be relied upon not to masturbate in public.)
The lack of candidates all over the province is the fault of Dalton McGuinty and his meddlesome gang of dolts at Queen's Park. You need not look any further, Ben.
Oh well, the bloom is more than a little off for some of us. A little jaded we are, older and wiser in some ways, maybe. Would have given a hundred bucks, and gladly, to Ben for a council run, but Doreen would never have forgiven me. And all that running would have cost Ben plenty in Tylenol for sure. Come to think of it, maybe it's really for the best. There's a reason the armchair is the best seat, and fitting end for just about everyone.
.. and then there's the chronic bitchfest that emanates from the virtual pages of netherland where every donkey takes the greatest satisfaction in kicking at anything that the politicians decide to do or undo, but who rarely seem to have a full grasp of the entire problem, only their tiny little segment of it.
Someone here is guaranteed to castigate me for "defending" politicians, and even that is a miss when it comes to getting the issue, but we're talking about why so few actually take the step into the light at the target range, as the target, because they want to do some good. For that, they get trashed for the next four years, and you wonder why so few do it? The answer lies on pages such as these and in the minds that follow a similar trend in thought and logic.
Yes, they also need support if not just to keep their enthusiasm for doing something important and productive when the great horde just wants to lynch them when the price of beer goes up a nickel, or some other great catastrophe. All they look for is malfeasance. And you ask, where are they?
They're trying to dodge the barrage of epithets thrown at them with incessant zeal and malevolence. And you wonder where are they?
Look to yourselves for the answer, my friends, and you shall find far more than the answer to that question.
Trying 2:
".. and then there's the chronic bitchfest that emanates from the virtual pages of netherland where every donkey takes the greatest satisfaction in kicking at anything that the politicians decide to do or undo, but who rarely seem to have a full grasp of the entire problem, only their tiny little segment of it.
Look to yourselves for the answer, my friends, and you shall find far more than the answer to that question."
I am not sure whether your writing is a criticism of yourself and/or your fellow contributors to the Burd Report.
In many instances the contributors to the Burd Report have a more detailed understanding of a subject than the politicians. Such contributions are not always complaints, often they are serious suggestions that would actually improve a situation. I believe that you are underestimating the quality of contributors to the Burd Report.
PS
I also would happily give Ben $100
Given my advanced years -I'm 60- I'd have to ask myself a serious question before running for office and committing to a 4-year term: Will the people of Port Hope still need me, will they still feed me, when I'm 64?
its got a bit of a ring to it, that would make a great song, eh!
In port hope they have 5 for mayor 3 of them have never gone to a meeting or served the people in any way I know thompson has wrecked the town , this town is in big very bad shape with the 500,000 dollar cleanup ,who do those asshole's think they are , as they all have said it a pay check .
Post a Comment