Rogers is providing candidates ten minutes free time to make a presentation. It' a generous offer but requires preparation.
Sport Aurora requires a two page "synopsis " of a platform related to sport and land acquisition, and the Master Plan for Recreation.
A lively exchange needs to be moderated on the blog.
And an environmentalist employed by a small charitable group with a mission to protect Lake Simcoe, wants a written promise I will not accept donations from developers and unions. First the request was by e-mail with a questionnaire, then a follow-up phone call on Saturday.
The request, I was told, derived from sound research that proves municipal decisions are controlled by such donations.
Readers may recall that fellow McDermid, a professor at York University who was invited to Aurora Council by the former Mayor. You know how the former Mayor always managed to find people to say things she wanted to be said but didn't want to be the one to say them.
He presented as a delegate. Claimed to have researched the issue. Turned out his research amounted to a computer search of Councillors financial statements from the previous election. He had checked the Town of Ajax but not Aurora.
He appeared later on Cable T.V. with Jamie Young, former Mayor of East Gwillimbury, then we
never heard from him again.
His was the research referred to by the environmentalist seeking a promise in writing I would never accept donations from the obvious enemies of the environment.
My financial statements published as required by law were apparently not sufficient re-assurance for anyone who might be interested.
While I was on the phone, I asked why the organization seeking the promise in writing, was not making an issue of York Region's plans to divert Aurora and Newmarket's wastewater from York /Durham trunk sewer to Lake Ontario to a trunk sewer to be constructed north from Aurora with a treatment plant on the edge of Lake Simcoe compelling urbanisation of all rural areas between this town and Lake Simcoe.
The question was a clear irritant. The organization is small and only has one employee and I have made my concerns know to the Minister of the Environment, my caller informed me.
I didn't ask where funds came from to pay her salary. Were they from the Region or the Ministry?
It was Saturday afternoon. I've no doubtt she believed her priorities are straight.
Even less doubt the promise will easily be extricated from all other candidates who are just as unlikely to receive a voluntary donation from developers or unions.
Monday, 22 September 2014
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6 comments:
Robert MacDermid
When the statements were published after the last go-around, there were some interesting contributions listed. Some of them were from development interests with initials on their cheques. Candidates not familiar with the initials had cashed the cheques unawares - bit of an oops.
I do not care where a candidate gets his/her money for an election. I do care about individual performances in office.
Why should you give a written promise to ANY outfit ? Heaven knows, we got into enough trouble with the OMB on the last lot's intransigence about development, Cost the town a bundle and they lost every round.
Look what happened to Newmarket when they refused to even negotiate a compromise.
10 minutes is a challenge. Good luck with it.
Thirty candidates times ten minutes plus commercials ?
I don't think we have a tape long enough. Maybe Rogers will try to flog it to customers like they did with the tennis.
19:05
With the tennis, one had options - could go to players organizations for live scores. Rogers will have a monopoly with those election presentations. But they will have given over the time to the candidates.
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