Sunday, January 21, 2007

Why No Info on the Ward Vote?

Some jurisdictions believe in communicating with their ratepayers to insure an informed vote regarding proposed changes to their electoral systems. Oshawa councillors provided no information virtually keeping the ward question "secret" until voters were confronted "cold" in the voting booth never considering, discussing, or anticipating the complicated question where they had to vote "NO" to preserve the ward system, a system that they were obviously satisfied because there was not a whimper of expressed community discontent. This despite the fact that I wrote to the Mayor and Council suggesting an information flyer be sent to all Oshawa residences and even offered to write the argument for keeping the ward vote. It appears that Oshawa City Council politicians wanted to pull a "fast one" on the citizens to get an electoral system that would virtually guarantee their "lifetime" electoral success. I think as taxpayers in this city, we should be "mad as hell" at this lack of principle and this kind of political dishonesty offered as leadership in this city.

Here is communication from a council that wanted an informed electorate.

http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/ctyclerk/decision2004/index.htm

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