The following connects with post
Why YOU shouldn't run for City Council
1 April, 2018
It's time for Nelson to give the coming election focused thought NOW - before it happens, rather than complain about it after - what with those to be elected getting 4 very long years in charge of it: us!
Yet with the election to be held in just a bit more than 2 months - there's next to no indication of it.
Why not?
The Ballot
Basics: Many are under the impression that all boxes on a ballot have to be checked, that they must vote-in all 6+1 regents.
So wrong! You should vote only for those who you think are suitable - and if you don't get up to 6+1: stop wherever - that's more honest than voting for someone to be voting for someone.
Re-Elect Me!
For totally nonconstructive reasons - Oh, Victoria! - incumbents needn't declare their intentions until - really! - a few weeks before election.
Why do I feel that Victoria considers municipal elections - all things municipal, actually! - as amateur-hour?
If incumbents want to be re-elected: how can that decision possibly be expressed convincingly within such narrow time-frame - except through insulting-to-voters election-blather.
And spare us the team-work talk - what Council has achieved over the last 4 years - a Pandora's Box to begin with, often a way of hiding within a crowd and nothing personal to say.
If they don't declare their intention to rerun until they absolutely have to: do you find that arrogant, disdainful, careless, suspicious or plain lazy?
Or don't you really care: like - you're gonna re-elect your neighbor anyway.
A simple test for re-electability is to quickly - without thinking! - recall 3 positive, decisively generated contributions of a specific rerunner.
You can't because nothing comes to mind (or you haven't really been paying close attention)?
Been to any Council meetings lately? Ever? Go and find out how they do what they do - if they do!
To be constructive for Nelson's sake: rerunners should declare and start kissing babies NOW.
Those done for good with it all should also declare NOW to allow breathing-space for newbies.
Doing one or the other NOW will have no appreciable impact on the public's perception of Council.
Elect Me!
Why? If you had the balls you'd be out there NOW, making it known that you are considering a run and explain why. Get into local news-media - they're starved for new stuff. Let us become familiar with you and your ways.
Surely you know by now that you want to run. If you still haven't made up your mind - don't bother (us): you lack vision.
It's too early? Too early for what?
You're worried you may run out of stuff to say if you start a whole long month early?
Be scrutinized too closely?
Going out there now could also be testing the (personal) waters: you find out if you are really up to the job. Better to find out now that you're not than later. Then be stuck with it - and us and we with you! - for 4 years.
Once you officially become a candidate: spending lots of money on placards with your face and/or some pat slogan all over the place among many others only shows that you have nothing much and special to offer.
Buying your way into City Hall.
Participating in earnest all-candidates' meetings - very high-school-assembly - is not enough to make you stand out over all other candidates - unless you have an outstanding personality. Seeing that these mini-competitions usually are much about the same issues - you could do something different, daring such as: dance the merengue or take off your clothes. Or both!
If you're boringly - and safely - predictable prior - you'll be a boringly predictable - and ineffectual - Councillor for sure!
Bring on Charles Jeanes!
Image Credit -
Anissa
Union of BC Municipalities
ubcm@ubcm.ca
Mayor Deb Kozak
dkozak@nelson.ca
City Council
nelsoncouncil@nelson.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment