Stephanie Russell, is a candidate for the Green Party in Sudbury in the upcoming election.
The riding is an NDP stronghold. Currently held by a woman whom my grand-daughter greatly respects.
Formerly held by Shelley Martel, who succeeded her father. Elie Martel who held the riding since it was created.
Stephanie lives in the riding with her partner Eric. Eric comes from Holland Landing is a marine biologist. I think doing his PHD. They are poor as church mice and laden with student debt. Stephanie has not had a permanent job since she graduated from Guelph University. Must be three or four years ago.
Time is relative . The longer one lives the less relative.
I tried to persuade her not to do it. It was no go. I told her it's an NDP stronghold.
You wont can't even make a dent. If it's experience you want, work for the N.D.P. See how a successful campaign is run.
"I can't do that Grannie" she said. "I like the N.D.P. but I really believe in what the Green Party stands for"
So my daughter Theresa, Stephanie's mother is going to Sudbury on election day. Win or lose and of course she will lose, her mother is going to be there for her.
And maybe her grandmother.
And maybe her Aunt Heather.
And her cousin Robyn.
And maybe Lizzie, who lives in Oshawa with a cat and a dog and two degrees ,one in Women's Studies. and works in a health food store for minimum wage and writes a blog on serious topics.
I think the election is three days before Thanksgiving,the next family gathering. By which time my grand-daughter Stephanie will be a seasoned politician, having fought for her principles ...and lost.
If all goes as it's likely to, she will learn more in the next six weeks than she did in her entire time in University.
She took Dramatic Arts. Has had lots of successful experience. Played the star,the ingenue and danced in the chorus line of Grease. But worked for gas money.
When she was two, which seems like yesterday, she told anyone who would listen, she was going to be a star. We went to Sudbury for that too.
She has time.
Oh to be young again and believe in something for its own sake.
ReplyDeleteStephanie will lose the election but what more will she gain?
We need more like her.
People in government really no longer believe in anything, except hanging on.
Sad that dreams often have little impact on reality.
ReplyDeleteThat's life.
We all play our life games.
Some with more success than others.
The best deal is when we live with integrity and reality in mind.
Hard to do.
Those folks are my heroes because they are SO rare.
There is a very bright Stephanie who occasionally
ReplyDeleteposts to the Aurora Citizen. Helpful with legal and
psychological stuff. I had the impression she was
a mature student. Any relation to you ?
I hope she gets enough votes to get her deposit back. Sadly the Green party has no chance - ever. The platform will cost the taxpayers too much. There is no will in the public to pay for what they offer.
ReplyDelete"Sadly the Green party has no chance - ever. The platform will cost the taxpayers too much. There is no will in the public to pay for what they offer."
ReplyDeleteEven sadder is the fact that most people do not fully understand the platform.
In general the Greens want to shift taxes from income and sales taxes which harm the economy to the environment.
The taxes over all will be about the same, but paid in such a way as to encourage better environmental behaviour.
Sort of like financing our government exclusively through sin taxes where damaging the environment is the biggest sin. Those who produce the smallest eco footprint will pay significantly less tax. Possibly even less than they do now!
I applaud Stephanie for her convictions, and wish more people would take the time to really learn what the green party is about.