Tuesday, June 07, 2011

DNV Considering Random ballots

So the DNV wants to experiment with random names instead of alphabetical order on the ballots. If the premise is that the bias tends to be for the names at the top of the ballots or closer to the beginning of alphabetical order, then Roger might not be happy and you might not have to think Big. Will it make any difference?

HICKS, Robin

MURI, Lisa

LITTLE, Mike

GILMOUR, John

BASSAM, Roger

NIXON, Alan

WALTON, Richard

MACKAY-DUNN, Doug

BACK, Holly

A FIREMAN, Unknown

QURESHI, Wendy

Speaking of who, has anyone heard of other random names who might be running in this November's Municipal Election?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

A Fireman - Unknown?

Doesn't council vote to approve union wage and benefit demands?

Councillor would be a lovely position to advance the municipal union agenda.

John Sharpe said...

Yes, I was told that "a Fireman" was thinking of running but, their name escaped them.

I would think that on such a vote "the Fireman" as an elected councillor could/should recuse themselves from voting.

Anonymous said...

Well maybe, maybe not. The former mayor of CNV was living with the president of the firefighter's union and voted to increase that union's salary and benefits.

A city councillor questioned the perceived conflict of interest but at the end of the day the mayor's vote in favour of the increase that would come back to the mayor's household was upheld.

John Sharpe said...

True that it might be a "maybe, maybe not" but, ethics would tell me "not", conflict of interest would tell me "not", and objectivity would tell me "not".

Anonymous said...

Fair enough. For the same reasons perhaps the mayor should have avoided the perceived conflict of interest - but that didn't happen. Therein lies a problem in local politics.

We have elected decision makers cheerleading their niche political stakeholders.

It seems difficult for a person who has spent their life as a green activist, realtor, trade unionist, free enterprise business owner etc. to separate themselves from their bias and vote (or recuse themself) for the good of the majority of taxpayers.

Think about it. Pick a local topic, then select a councillor. Look at their background. Apply their bias to the topic and you will be able to accurately predict their position before they state it.

Impartial and considered decision makers are hard to find.

Anonymous said...

Firefighters are one of the most trusted professions in a majority of recent polls...I hear it is a former firefighter with an excellent record in the community.

Anonymous said...

His name is Kevin Macauley and he is a former union rep for the IAFF, and a firefighter.

Councils don't directly vote for firefighter salaries. The council sends a representative to the Labour Relations Bureau, (Rod Clark CNV Mike Little DNV Michael Clark DWV) and they effectively set the offer to the firefighters, but the firefighters usually apply for arbitration which takes the decision away from the politicians and gives it to a judge.

Anonymous said...

Kevin Macauley!
He'd be a great candidate and he'll get my vote!

Anonymous said...

Could be openings for those new comers on the list as some incumbents may try their hand in the provincial arena

Anonymous said...

What are the main issues in the District this fall for the municipal election?