It's Official: I'm a Candidate for City Council!

[Jason]

Registrations closed today and I got in under the wire! Here's the candidate list.

I'm stilling putting together my platform but it will involve more accountability (e.g. recorded votes), soliciting more citizen input (e.g. Advisory Citizens' Council), affordable housing, better jobs and poverty reduction.

And the best thing? The candidates are listed in alphabetical order and unlike pretty much every attendance roll throughout my school years, I wasn't listed last with only six candidates running. I wasn't even second last! :-)

Possible slogan: Wallwork Will Work For You!

Too cheesy? Seriously, is it?

[ssfc72]

I like it! :-)

Congrats on running for Council!

[Jason]

Thanks, Bill!

[fox]

Possible slogan: Wallwork Will Work For You!

www!

[buster]

"All politics is local."

What do your particular constituents, that you will represent, want to hear? Each area is probably a bit different. (Make sure it appeals to older voters. They tend to vote more than younger ones, unless you can get a 'youth movement' like Obama.) Taxes always seems a winner, whether taxes are necessary of not. Like, how do we get sewers and roads? But no politician can say he or she is going to raise taxes (usually), anymore than he or she can say 'I'm an atheist'.

I really don't have an idea. Buck a Beer and Make Peterborough Great Again probably would make some people laugh, but wouldn't garner many votes.

Politics is a bizarre world where people don't seem to make rational choices when they vote, if they vote.

Good luck Jason. Maybe you'll be the next Tommy Douglas.

[Jason]

Thanks for the advice, Buster. :-) And thank you for the encouragement. I don't think I could be anywhere near the next Tommy Douglas but I hope I can make a difference and make this city better and more progressive.

What do your particular constituents, that you will represent, want to hear?

This won't make me many friends but I don't want to tell them what they want to hear. What I want to do instead, is listen and let them tell me their priorities.

Peterborough needs citizen-led advisory councils to direct their councillors. Councillors shouldn't be doing what they want while occasionally influenced by the loudest squeaky-wheels. They should be properly representing what their wards want. I know a lot of politicians say that but I really do believe it.

If elected, I will encourage the creation of such an advisory council consisting of randomly selected citizens from all walks of life to give me direction (and hopefully, give direction to the my fellow ward councillor if they agree). There is wisdom in crowds if those crowds get together, discuss ideas, listen to experts, and thoughtfully and with open minds come to a consensus of what to do. There are places like Victoria, Iceland and Hong Kong that already do this. We trust juries to decide the fate of people but for some reason we don't seem to allow that for democracy.

And in the areas where I do care strongly about an issue like homelessness, affordable housing and addictions, I hope that I can convince them that these are things worth investing in. I hope that some of the issues I believe in will be things they end up believing in, too, but I'm not going to be somebody different just so I can get elected.

Luckily, in Peterborough, investing more in our community shouldn't require raising taxes (other than the usual incremental increases each year between 2-4% to keep up with rising costs). And that's because the Casino will be bringing in $4 million a year and, if the sale of PDI goes through as expected, another $2-4 million interest from investments (or more, that's a conservative estimate). The question is what we do with those funds.

And as far as atheism goes, politicians can say they are atheists, we have had atheists elected before, though I don't know if we have in Peterborough. But my atheism has nothing to do with how I'd go about making decisions in Peterborough but if asked about it, I won't hide it. But I will certainly explain how I'm an atheist because I believe in things that are backed with evidence and that's a strength in being a councillor. I hope I wouldn't be rejected on that basis alone, but that's up to voters decide.

[Jason]

I realized after pondering it that maybe you just meant the slogan in terms of what would appeal to Otonabee Ward constituents. If that was the case, I honestly am not sure. But I'm starting door knocking this week so that should give me a better idea. I just though that "Wallwork will work for you!" just seemed to roll off the tongue and might help them remember my name when it comes to voting time.

[cod3poet]

Mistake for you in regards to contact info.

https://www.mykawartha.com/news-story/8580687-who-can-you-vote-for-in-the-peterborough-election-in-october-/

[Jason]

I though this was why papers had editors. I am not, nor have I ever been Bob Hall! Though I'm sure he's a very nice person. Thanks, I'll get it corrected.

[dougal]

have you been invited to any public candidate meetings?

[Jason]

Just one, which I've confirmed I'll be attending, an all-candidates meeting on Social Issues in October. Flyer attached. I've been told:

The format will be two round-table discussion sessions between candidates and the public on a variety of social issues. Each candidate will have one minute to present their key commitments to the community following the discussions.

It will have city and county candidates attending so probably won't be a great opportunity to ask a lot of questions, unfortunately. I'd prefer is some groups would set up ward debates on social issues, for example. All-candidates meetings are always set up by groups for all levels of government. There tend to be a lot for provincial and federal elections but nobody seems to want to undertake the complications involved in having 6 all-candidate or debates (5 for each ward, and the mayoral) one even all issues let alone specific issues. You should set up one, Dougal!