Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Elections Ontario

Plus ça change, n'est-ce pas?

Elections in Lunchbucket yesterday yielded pretty much the same results this time as 3 years ago. Almost no changes. Wassup wid dat?

Our grey burghers have so bored us and lulled us and stroked us and conned us and generally pacified us with their dull municipal management and complete lack of colour that we simply couldn't find them against the background of the institutional-whitewash walls to vote against them.

True, there has been some controversy over the last year. 1. Over a new libary in downtown Lunchbucket. Cancelled. Cowards. Philistines! 2. Over the demolition of an apparently Heritage building...an old shirt factory. The facade is now in storage, waiting to stand in for the real thing whenever they get around to putting something new up. Barbarians! 3. Our Lunchbucket Farmers' Market...Our market...as in Your Lunchbucket Farmers' Market (presumably cuz you paid handsomely for it with your tax money...is rather a white elephant. (As have been most of the City-driven efforts at downtown renewal.) Thieves! Rascals! (My own personal beef has to do, naturally, with regional transportation policy, or lack thereof. It's at least ten years behind the times. Incompetent bums!)

These are only minor blips on the municipal political horizon. Lunchbucket will survive, maybe even thrive, if the Schneiders ham doesn't go bad and have to be recalled...

What really concerns me is the voter turnout.

Get this: 23%

23%!

Apparently some people are, if not pleased, at least relieved, because it's a higher turnout than last time around. God help us.

This is a badge of shame, as far as I'm concerned. All around. The voters should be ashamed. We get what we deserve. But the pols should be ashamed too. How can you claim to have anything approaching a mandate when less than one quarter of the people have expressed their wills? They should all resign in shame. (Or outrage, one or the other.)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

When I went to vote, one of the ladies working tried to confiscate my list from the Record that I had circled for who I would vote - there was a helluva lot of people & I'd never remember all those names for school board, region, etc. So I said, well then I guess I can't vote. So she told me to hide the paper in my purse and pull it out to vote and then hide it again - lol!

Now Larry, I assume you are running in the next election?

Larry Keiler said...

Because I had moved since the last municipal election, I didn't receive a voter card/paper/ID. My experience was vastly different from your overzealous officious. The man filled out a form while looking at my ugly driver's license photo, asked a couple questions, had me sign the form, and that was it. Easy as pumpkin pie. However...at no time did he axe me whether I was actually a citizen of this fine dominion.

And no! I'm not going to run in the next election, unless it's for village idjit, or maybe town crier, and then I'll be able to weep for the folly of man and woe-man and whoa man!

Anonymous said...

It was almost desserted at the library where I went to vote. I had lost my card. So I just gave my name. Reached the right table. They found my address and then asked for identification. Oh boy, didn't bring any. Just Simon. That didn't proof anything.I was just about to turn around and go back home to find something to proof that I am me, when the one lady looked at the other and said, "We know her." A third lady from the other table called, "Yeah, we know her." They all knew me by name even. (I couldn't have told you who they were.) One even said, "I haven't seen you for a while.."

So I went with my hidden ballot into the hidden booth and studied the hidden names. There were two who I knew I wanted to vote for. One Green Party guy, young. I met him at the canoe trip. He especially wanted to address the transportation problems. And one who has done much for us when Hans was still alive, by helping us with accessability problems.

And from there I have to plead guilty. I didn't receive any pamphlets. ('s That considered junk mail???) I never got around to watching tv. C.K.C.O., the only station I get, is so annoying. Between commercials and a lot of bullshitting, (excusai moi), I either fall asleep, or go do something else while waiting and forget that I was watching.)I had no one come to the door with a 'vote for me' blurb. I don't get the newspaper. I don't know if I even save one tree not subscribing, but hey, small actions is all I can do.

So I voted for the dull major, 'cause I didn't know anything about the other one. It could get worse, right? I have absolutely no clue about the schoolboard people. I could have ini-mini-manimoed,but didn't think that a good idea. So I left only blanks.

I handed my hidden vote over to the lady who got worried about something showing while sliding the vote out of the cover. I said: "Don't worry, I don't care if anyone sees it. I have no secrets. She looked shocked. "Oh, she said, but secrecy is the law." OK, whatever. I laughed and than they all laughed with me.

Anonymous said...

Was told about one guy who voted five times, twice at the same polling station. Pretended had not recieved a card. So they had him answer their questions. He changed his appearance every time. He didn't actually vote, just wrote on the ballots spoiling them. He just wanted to prove how easy it is to cheat.

Larry Keiler said...

This failure to provide pamphleting & canvassing & door-to-door is a problem, for sure. I long ago made it a policy in municipal elections to vote for anybody who had enough energy or organizational ability to get a pamphlet to me...unless the pamphlet showed they were completely out to lunch.

Too bad we don't all live in Mistersawgwa. We could vote for Hurricane Hazel and then just go back to sleep and not have to worry our nappy heads about it.

Anonymous said...

A library as a centre piece for downtown? hmmm. Personally I thought that was great. To do nothing is always politically safe and boring.

I have converted a old factory into a school but I think structurally the downtown factory was too far gone because of neglect. I was asked to tour the building for my opinion. The wooden beams had gotten wet and they had expanded...then in dry weather they shrunk. This expansion and contraction made the building structurally unsound.

Now money can fix anything but I wouldn't recommend it. The root cause was neglect. When you have holes in the roof "fix them".

The Market 3 million over budget. Enough said.

Larry Keiler said...

Mr. B, you probably know this term, but I'm not sure I have it quite right: Demolition by Neglect. (?)

I believe Hamilton is having a similar experience at the moment. I wanna call it the Cinder Block, but it's not that, it's some other Block.

Appropriate for Block Heads.

No. I will not run. And if elected, I will most certainly run.

Anonymous said...

I live in a co-op. the co-op has a Board of Directors. The candidates are elected to the Board by the members.

Over the 20 years I have lived here, I have been on several committees. The most difficult Maintenance. In spite of frustrations, I have enjoyed the work.

I will not run for the Board. And if elected, I will most certainly run.

I can't stand the swelled heads Board members have. They think they are so important. I think they make dumn decisions, financially and socially. Compassion and member's well being are certainly not a number one priority. Rules and regulations are. The ones that stick it out on the board are the ones that need to get a life. Many that go on anew, think they can change the rules overnight to their own liking. If it dawns on them that doesn't work, they run.

I was thinking just the other day, if I am so critical, is it right to not go on, ever? Should I not try to bring in some positive influence? Or shut up?

But I am convinced that I cannot overcome the attitudes. In several arguments with the Board over the years,I have been friendly and positive. The more I was right, the more they were rude and stuck to their theories no matter how silly.

Not the same people stay on the Board. But attitudes do not change.
It must come with the job and how heads swell as soon as a feeling of importance and that better than thou' attitude take over.

I still remember a Board member saying during a argument if the twice yearly meetings could be held on week days rather than Sunday, "But there is nothing else to do on Sunday."

So, I rather run than run and I am obviously not shutting up about it.

Help! I've written and I can't get up!