Local election in never-say-Frisco! And what with the city being a pluralistic culture - not as smarmy law but getting-on-with-it reality - a lot of very different people run for the Board of Supervisors. And this lot has many very diverse platforms. We've got agendas!
The perpetually indulged/indulging Sister Boom Boom also runs. Her platform: Nun of the above! San Francisco goes wild - she gets 23.000 or 32.000 votes. Depending! I seem to remember 32.000.
The sisters don't mind if their nail-polish gets chipped; in full wimple and with a vengeance they - by-passing political constructs - get into reaching-out where help is most needed. Anytime - anywhere in the city! Low on earnestly dithering predictability and high on the good times of helping others!
Over the years - their fierce in-your-face efforts have been making remarkable contributions. Today an internationally incorporated charitable organization. A work in progress - now with a cast of thousands - of life as art and the art of life. In full glitter!
Local election in Nelson - advance voting starting in five days, the main event in less than three weeks! No - of course I won't compare Nelson to San Francisco. That would be like comparing the newly installed gravel pits at the Nelson Medical Clinic to Ryoan-ji. I am just remembering that an election needn't be dull, predictable - like Nelson's! Non-campaigning leading to the non-event of a non-election.
In creative, progressive Nelson.
What we have here is a predominantly conservative public's general lack of active interest in matters civic; and the smaller cool segment going downright frigid when it comes to challenging the incumbent city-hall establishment.
Council:
Only one councillor is leaving, meaning that one of the three candidates will fill the slot. So one would expect these three to do some serious strategizing - but I haven't seen/heard/read anything of the kind so far. As a voter I should not have to dig for info on candidates - it makes them seem inaccessible. If all three want to get in - two incumbents would have to go. Three or two new ones could be good: considering the new-ideas/issues-and-energy thing even incumbents have been advocating (see post Nelson: Strings attached below). They could hold onto each other and make some serious noise. Whatever - a perceived lack of new ideas/issues and energy does not bode well for the coming three-year term!
Of the incumbents - so far - only one has run a same-old-same-old ad (I saw) in the Star and put-up one sign (I saw).
Mayor:
The mayor wants to stay - and will; his two sort-of challengers - also in non-campaign mode - do not pose an actual challenge. Definitely not with phoning it in from out of town or identifying with a former mayor who - even though producing results in some respects - was a racist extraordinaire.
I have seen one predictable ad in the Star and two re-elect-me signs for the mayor - nothing from the other mayoral candidates.
There is a problem with the placement - as I see it - of one of the mayor's signs. It is large - 4 feet x 4 feet - and placed on the right shoulder of the road (off Front St.) leading down to the city-hall parking-lot. It is also very close to Superior Lighting, and to those who don't know: it could seem to be on this store's property and an expression of its political alignment with the mayor. Neither is the case. Great placement - everybody walking/driving down Front Street clearly sees it! It turns out: the sign is actually on city-property - Superior Lighting was not consulted before it was put-up.
Somewhere in election-laws - dealing with advertising of those running for office - it supposedly says: all manner of advertising using city-property by candidates is disallowed - except for signs. And signs aren't permitted within 100m of a polling-station. So this sign is placed legally, but its ever so close proximity to City Hall and being on city-property may present the appearance that City Hall is totally behind re-electing the mayor. And - at the same time - that Superior Lighting is as well!
Although I do admire the cleverness behind this placement - ethically I feel a tad conflicted. Still - this may be as controversial as the coming election will ever get! Unless several incumbents using their nelson.ca e-mail adresses in their personal re-election efforts is/should become an issue!
It is quite possible that - unbeknownst to the general electorate and not feeling the need for more - incumbents and challengers are actually out there somewhere with their established fan-base - or attempting to create one.
The City - on its home-webpage - provides a link to contact-info of incumbents and new candidates. Information below is according to that page. This list - in itself - tells stories.
All incumbents provide necessary contact info - like phone number, e-mail and postal mailing-address. As mentioned above - some of them are using the City's e-mail address system - appropriate for City-business only - in their re-election efforts. To me - this seems to be crossing a line! A no-no!
In the mayoral "race" both challengers provide adequate contact info.
Of the three challengers for Council - Paula Kiss only gives an e-mail address bearing her name for contacting her. She volunteers nothing else. This is unimaginative and careless, shows possible unfamiliarity with election-mechanics and definitely lacks openness.
Charles Jeanes provides a phone number and e-mail address. Not offering a postal address tells me that he is not available enough to the public/process.
The third one just about has it all - a purpose-specific e-mail address, Facebook and Twitter. An attractive website shows the candidate(?) in a kayak - nice touch! I would like to see her face though on this website - face-recognition. And I want to know how to pronounce Candace Batycki's surname. Seemingly of Polish origin (I am thinking of Penderecki!) - proper pronunciation here/now is crucial - name-recognition! Aside from these two points - she looks ready for downtown, once she puts out all this contact info in newspaper ads as well. For traditionalists. Not everybody is interested and/or techno-inclined enough to surf their way towards candidates; not everybody facebooks or twitters. Go, girl, go!
Among the three SD8-Trustee candidates - Curtis Bendig is the only one to have a website, and his Facebook page seems purpose-specific. His colorful website is informative and has his picture - all lookin' good! And putting him way ahead of the others - once he communicates these conduits and personal info through the newspaper as well - now!
The City - on its home-webpage - provides a link to contact-info of incumbents and new candidates. Information below is according to that page. This list - in itself - tells stories.
All incumbents provide necessary contact info - like phone number, e-mail and postal mailing-address. As mentioned above - some of them are using the City's e-mail address system - appropriate for City-business only - in their re-election efforts. To me - this seems to be crossing a line! A no-no!
In the mayoral "race" both challengers provide adequate contact info.
Of the three challengers for Council - Paula Kiss only gives an e-mail address bearing her name for contacting her. She volunteers nothing else. This is unimaginative and careless, shows possible unfamiliarity with election-mechanics and definitely lacks openness.
Charles Jeanes provides a phone number and e-mail address. Not offering a postal address tells me that he is not available enough to the public/process.
The third one just about has it all - a purpose-specific e-mail address, Facebook and Twitter. An attractive website shows the candidate(?) in a kayak - nice touch! I would like to see her face though on this website - face-recognition. And I want to know how to pronounce Candace Batycki's surname. Seemingly of Polish origin (I am thinking of Penderecki!) - proper pronunciation here/now is crucial - name-recognition! Aside from these two points - she looks ready for downtown, once she puts out all this contact info in newspaper ads as well. For traditionalists. Not everybody is interested and/or techno-inclined enough to surf their way towards candidates; not everybody facebooks or twitters. Go, girl, go!
Among the three SD8-Trustee candidates - Curtis Bendig is the only one to have a website, and his Facebook page seems purpose-specific. His colorful website is informative and has his picture - all lookin' good! And putting him way ahead of the others - once he communicates these conduits and personal info through the newspaper as well - now!
Voters have a choice: Will they turn out in force and elect as many new ideas, issues and as much new energy as available, or will they select from among the low-energy group with the same old ideas and issues.
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